The Harmony Borax Works is one of the classic stops in Death Valley National Park. I like them because they offer both great history and a good view of the surrounding area. The 20 Mule Team, made famous by the…
Photos from Every Visit to the Grand Canyon!
I’ve been to the Grand Canyon more than any other national park. I’ve also almost died in the Grand Canyon more times than in any other national park, but maybe we’d better not dwell on that in this post! Instead,…
Finding Butch Cassidy’s Cabin at Robber’s Roost
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…