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…
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…
Lake Tahoe from the Basalt Overlook
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if the trail I took from Skyland to the Basalt Overlook (just off the Tahoe Rim Trail) is all that official. But I found it on AllTrails, so that counts for something, right? …
Spectacular Sierra Views from Piute Pass
Piute Pass was one of my favorite trails in the High Sierra. (A few of the other contenders were Saddlebag Lake (20 Lakes Basin), Kearsarge Pass, and San Joaquin Mountain.) The sheer beauty along the path up to the saddle…
Yellowstone Lake Overlook at West Thumb
Yellowstone Lake Overlook at West Thumb is possibly the best viewpoint I’ve found of Yellowstone Lake. (The other contenders are Elephant Back Mountain (too many trees), Storm Point and Gull Point (very nice but on level with the lake), an…
Thompson Peak: The Highest Point in the Sawtooths
When I visited the Sawtooth Mountains last fall, I decided that we should save our last day to climb the highest point in the range – Thompson Peak. I printed trip reports off of the internet and it sounded fairly…
Gorgeous Views at Sawtooth Lake
Some time ago, I saw a photo of Sawtooth Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. My first thought was something like, “I want to go there! That looks amazing!” It didn’t work out (we went to Glacier National Park…
Ice Lake & Little Gibbon Falls
If you’re looking for a quiet little loop hike not too far from the main attractions of Yellowstone National Park, Ice Lake (with Little Gibbon Falls) is a good choice. You’ll get a pretty little lake, peaceful forests, and a…
South Rim Trail Loop above Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
In general, I prefer the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to the south rim (the views are just plain better from the north rim IMO). But the south rim offers a loop that blows the north…
Steep but Beautiful Hike to Silver Lake
The trail to Silver Lake is quite a bit more than meets the eye. It’s only a little over 6 miles RT, but the elevation gain means the trail is much steeper than you might think. It was harder than…