When one of your less adventurous group members says, “There’s this off-trail adventure in the middle of nowhere with a really cool cabin built by Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch Gang; we’ve got to go see if we can…
Climbing to the Golden Trout Lakes (North Fork)
The day before I hiked up to the famous Kearsarge Pass, I happened to have a few hours to burn. I didn’t feel like sitting around the parking area, and I really, really didn’t feel like hanging out in the…
The Boardwalks of Black Sand Basin
Overshadowed by the nearby Upper Geyser Basin and Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin is another little gem in central/western Yellowstone National Park. While it’s not very large and doesn’t have a lot of features, I loved an extremely active geyser…
Beautiful Blue Goat Lake
Goat Lake was probably the most beautiful lake I saw in the Sawtooth Mountains. Sawtooth Lake was also very nice (especially from the far end), but it lacked the deep blue color and sheer cliffs of its nearby counterpart. That…
Scrambling Up Dragon’s Tooth
When I talked with locals last summer about the possibility of hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Roanoke, everyone told me about Dragon’s Tooth. Even the people who aren’t huge on hiking had done it and encouraged me to…
Visiting False Kiva (after the Closure)
In Island in the Sky, one can find an unofficial trail that everyone seems to know about: False Kiva. I’m not sure if it’s never become official because of the sensitivity of the area or because of some other reason,…
Colorful Desolation Canyon
If I were to be honest (and I try to be!), I like Desolation Canyon better than Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park. There’s nothing wrong with Golden Canyon per se; I’ve hiked it several times. But Desolation Canyon…
Exploring Goblin Valley: Valleys 1, 2, and 3!
If you spend much time on forums about hiking in Utah, you’re sure to hear about Goblin Valley State Park. It’s doubly true if someone is asking about hiking with kids in Utah. You see, while there are trails (Caramel…
The Rock Garden in Worlds End State Park
Before I headed out on the Canyon Vista Trail in Worlds End State Park, I noticed a sign across the road from the parking area (Loyalsock Canyon Vista) that pointed toward the Rock Garden. Curious, I walked over to see…
Strolling around Gibbon Falls
Gibbon Falls isn’t exactly a famous destination in Yellowstone National Park. Most people drive right by it while traveling between Madison and Norris. Plenty of people do stop – it’s unlikely you’ll have the viewpoint to yourself. But if you…