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…
Scrambling the Red Cathedral Canyon Crest
The number one adventure I wanted to hike when I found myself in Death Valley last fall was the Red Cathedral Canyon Crest. It’s not an official trail, but I personally know people who have hiked it and loved the…
Driving the Waterhole Flat Road into the Maze
One of the most scenic dirt roads in Utah that I’ve had the pleasure of driving is the Waterhole Flat Road into the Maze District of Canyonlands (maps call it NP-633, the Flint Trail, and Canyonlands National Park Road among…
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…
Hiking Gold Bar Arch (Jeep Arch)
Gold Bar Arch has a colloquial name – Jeep Arch. It’s not hard to figure out why; the opening looks like a jeep, all ready for an adventure! With such a cool arch to see as well as some nice…
Death Valley’s Hole in the Rock Spring
On our way down into the valley from Daylight Peak last fall, I stopped at the Corkscrew Peak Viewpoint to hike to Hole in the Rock Spring. I wasn’t expecting much – desert springs are more often jungles of brush…
Climbing up Observation Rock
One of the most beautiful (and adventurous!) hikes we took in the Maze District in Canyonlands was the scramble up Observation Rock. No trail leads to the summit; there’s not even a cairned route to its base. But the views…
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,…
Wildhorse Window & Lower Wildhorse Canyon
There’s no trail to Wildhorse Window in Utah’s San Rafael Swell. But it’s also not that difficult to find. If you follow the social trail/cairns/logic up to the arch, you’ll be treated to an alcove with a large hole in…
1 Day, 3 Day, and 7 Day Hiking Interaries for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park!
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. It offers desert scenery (understandable, given the park’s name!) as well as some fun and interesting hiking experiences. While the area is popular, it’s not…