My top favorite trail I did in Petrified Forest National Park last fall was the Wilderness Route Loop through the Painted Desert. Actually, it’s not a trail at all; it’s loosely connected GPS coordinates that take you to some delightful…
Grand Canyon Views at Jicarilla Point
I’m always on the lookout for cool new hikes in my favorite national parks. So I was super excited to read about hiking to Jicarilla Point, well west of Hermit’s Rest, on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It seemed…
Finally Finding Skylight Arch!
High above US-89 north of Page, Arizona (but before Big Water), a hole in the cliff can be seen up on a butte on the west side of the road. This is Skylight Arch. While it’s difficult to view from…
Exploring the Painted Desert to Onyx Bridge
I’ve always thought of Petrified Forest National Park as a place of overlooks and quick trails – no way to get down into the Painted Desert or other areas of the park for a nice, long hike with interesting or…
Strolling through the Crystal Forest
I was very pleasantly surprised by the Crystal Forest Trail in Petrified Forest National Park. I’d already toured most of the park (including the Wilderness Loop), so I wasn’t exactly enamored with seeing chunks of wood-turned-rock. But the specimens here…
Sneak Peak: Grand Canyon, Southern Utah, and Death Valley!
Last week, I said that I’d finish off the “sneak peek” post about all of the hikes (good and bad) that I did on my most recent trip. In that post, I covered Petrified Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area,…
Sneak Peak: Petrified Forest, Southern Utah, and Death Valley!
I’ve found that I’m mostly likely to travel in the autumn months, and this year was no exception! After hiking 230 miles in September and early October, I promptly began planning another trip for November, the center of which would…
Sunset at the Tuweep Campground
Enjoy sunset from the slickrock near the campground in Tuweep on a remote part of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, not far from the Toroweap Overlook
Grand Canyon Hiker’s Itinerary – 1 Day, 3 Days, or 6 Days
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park definitely makes it to my “favorite parks in the southwest” list. Any time of day, almost any weather, the Grand Canyon is jaw-dropping. Viewpoints, rim trails, into-the-canyon treks – it’s all a…
Grand Canyon Viewpoints: Point Imperial & Cape Royal
It’s hard for me to unreservedly recommend the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I know people who love it, and I know others who appreciate the older-national-park experience (like all the parks used to be when I started traveling…