If you happen to visit Death Valley in the spring, fall, or summer, you’ll probably want to get out of the valley as quickly as possible to escape the heat. The problem is that one of the few ways to…
Climbing the Cinder Cone in Lassen
There are certain trails in certain parks that you return to, whenever you happen to be in the area. Such for us is the Cinder Cone in Lassen National Park. Most of the trail isn’t all that difficult (except for…
Spectacular Views from North Dome
Last week I posted about hiking to Indian Rock, which happens to be Yosemite National Park’s “only” arch. Not so very much further down the trail (and it really is down!) is North Dome. It’s a great place to look…
9 Best Day Hikes in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is definitely unique – sea stacks and tide pools give way to temperate rain forests, which melt into alpine valleys and steep-sided mountains. This is perfect environment for seaside strolls, forest hikes, waterfalls, and high-alpine hiking in…
Sneak Peak: A California Trip through Desert and Snow
Well, I just got back from a fantastic trip to California! We saw the desert, and we saw snow (lots of snow!), not to mention some truly fabulous views of mountains, cliffs, slot canyons, salt flats, and the beautiful NorCal…
10 Best Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain is one of those parks famous for its peaks. Now, I think there are better mountain views in Colorado, but for a classic experience, Rocky Mountain is certainly a good one (especially considering how convenient it is to…
Terrifying Trails of the Western US
Hiking any trail can have its frightful aspects – walking away from civilization and the comfort of your car and into the unknown wilds of who-knows-where (not to mention scary stuff like spiders, snakes, bears, wolves, and sheer drop-offs). But…
12 Epic Hikes of the Western United States, Part 3
Or, 12 Dayhikes You Should Take With Your Kids Before They’re Grown Today we have another collection of Epic Hikes in the Western US! This time our man is middle-age, highly creative, full of energy and fun, and was the…
Incredible Coastal Views from Cape Perpetua’s Stone Shelter
Cape Perpetua is a great place to visit. Thor’s Well and the surrounding volcanic tide pools and other oddities make it a must-do stop on a US-101 road trip. But I found the most remarkable – or at least the…
9 Terrific Day Hikes in the Wind Rivers
The Wind River Range of Wyoming is truly spectacular. Snow-capped peaks, jagged cirques, lovely meadows, alpine lakes, it’s a view junkie’s paradise. But day hikes of any reasonable length are hard to come by; the area is known as a…