Ribbon Arch was one of the destinations I didn’t quite get to find in Arches National Park back when I visited on a gorgeous November day in 2020. That was the trip where I finally visited Canyonlands and Arches after…
Adventures on the Fossil Forest Route
The Fossil Forest is a hidden gem of Yellowstone National Park. Located in the Lamar Valley, it’s not marked, nor is it especially official. But I was able to follow a trail all of the way up, so I can’t…
Grandview, Castle, and Tunnel Trails
The Grand View area of New River Gorge National Park is best known for its two spectacular views of the gorge – the Main Overlook and the Turkey Spur Overlook. It also boasts five hiking trails. When I visited, the…
Exploring Fern Canyon
In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, there is a very famous trail known as Fern Canyon. It’s so popular, in fact, that you need a permit to park in the parking area May 15-September 15. It’s worth it: Fern-covered walls,…
Scrambling Daylight Peak
In my ramblings around the internet looking for cool hikes to add to my ever-growing site about Death Valley National Park, I ran across the fact that I could hike to the top of an unnamed mountain called Daylight Peak…
Stormy Views from Storm Point
Of all the trails and viewpoints I saw (and hiked!) along the shore of Yellowstone Lake, Storm Point was my favorite. It offers sweeping views, a pleasant forest walk, a meadow or two, and even a chance to see wildlife…
Big Ridge Road to The Neck
The Flint Trail is famous, but as a spur just before descending, the Big Ridge Road takes 4x4ers out to some of the most beautiful almost-road-accessible scenery atop the Orange Cliffs in the Maze District of Canyonlands. (At least in…
Pinto Arch near Moab, Utah
I’ve hiked to Corona Arch twice. But I’d never even heard of Pinto Arch until I was researching hikes in the Moab Area a couple of years ago. It was marketed as an off-trail trek diverging from the Corona Arch…
20 Lakes Basin Loop from Saddlebag Lake
The 20 Lakes Basin Loop above Saddlebag Lake just outside of Yosemite National Park along the Tioga Road is a stunner at its minimum. The alpine scenery is jaw-dropping from the moment you set foot on the trail and never…
Autumn in the Genesee River Gorge
Back in 2020, I did a really beautiful (and fairly easy) paddle from Turning Point Park to the Lower Falls of the Genesee River. This past weekend, I decided to do it again – only with a few improvements. First,…