Did you know that you can visit old coal mining camps in New River Gorge National Park? The most famous of these camps is accessed via the Kaymoor Miners Trail on the Fayetteville side of the gorge (not far from…
Exploring Corkscrew Canyon
I read about Corkscrew Canyon on the internet. There was an old mining area, they promised, and a slot canyon. There was no trail, but it was pretty easy to walk up an old road. Alas, more research told me…
Death Valley Road Trip Hiking Itineraries!
Death Valley is a spectacular area to spend a few days in the desert! The park is big enough to hide hidden gems and limit crowds, but it also has popular destinations that are very worth visiting. I’ve visited Death…
Hiking up to the Big Bell Extension Mine
Quite a few weeks ago, I posted about visiting the Keane Wonder Spring and John Cyty’s Mill. Well, that’s a great hike. But for a truly spectacular hike, you can continue up the steep old mining trail behind the mill…
Keane Spring & John Cyty’s Cabin
Most people who drive to the Keane Wonder Trailhead do so to walk up to the ruins of the Keane Wonder Mill. Many also climb the steep trail up to the old workings of the Keane Wonder Mine and the…
Saratoga Springs & the Saratoga Mine Road
Many years ago, I visited the Saratoga Springs in the far south of Death Valley National Park. On my last visit, I decided to check it out again and possibly complete the hike (I actually didn’t quite make it, but…
A Beautiful Evening at the Ibex Dunes!
On my first visit to Saratoga Springs in southern Death Valley National Park back in 2008, we saw the Ibex Dunes marked on a map, down a road not so very far away from Saratoga Springs. But after we got…
Historic Hiking on the Keane Wonder Mine Trail
On our last visit to Death Valley National Park, the Keane Wonder Mine Trail was high on my list of “must-do” hikes. I’d hiked it at least three times back in the early 2000s, but then the area was closed…
The Beautiful Water & Wildflowers of Cracker Lake
I almost didn’t hike to Cracker Lake high in a mountain canyon above Many Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana. It seemed like such a long hike. Friends told me there was a long section of forest. And at the…
Best Day Hikes in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley is a land of extremes – incredibly dry desert, mountains, bristlecone forests, cacti, sand dunes, wildflowers, canyons, old mines, and waterfalls, not to mention rich history, hiking options galore, and the bragging rights of “the lowest place in…