Of all the hikes I did in the Cabinet Mountains last summer, Berray Mountain was my favorite. It might have been the far-reaching views to green mountains fading into the blue of summer haze. It might have been the fun…
Visit Kansas’ “Chalk Pyramids” at Monument Rocks!
It’s not well known, it’s not well-signed, and it’s down a dirt road in rural Kansas. Still, Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark is well worth the visit if you’re travel down I-70 through western Kansas. The “Chalk Pyramids”, as they’re…
Hiking the Full Length of Leigh Lake
The Leigh Lake Trail in Grand Teton National Park is famous and with good reason. If you can get far enough (but not too far) along the trail, the views of the mountains reflected in the lake are just beautiful. …
The Crazy King of Wings!
Deep in the badlands of northwestern New Mexico, there is a rock formation known as the “King of Wings”. It’s pretty remarkable, and it definitely defies gravity. On one end is a kind of hoodoo or pedestal. On the other…
The Spectacular Wonders of the Highline Trail
If there’s one classic hike in the National Parks that’s universally hailed as “don’t miss!”, it just might be the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park. Pain-for-gain, it probably has more spectacular views than most other hikes out there. That’s…
Climbing Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes! Ever since he first saw the dunes in a book when he was five or six, one of my group members wanted to visit. Unfortunately, that first visit didn’t turn out so well due to a sandstorm,…
Creation is Not Our Salvation
In the hiking communities I’m blessed to be a part of, I hear many comments about the wilderness. They talk about how going out into the wilderness relaxes them, gives them peace, reconnects them with God, helps them remember what…
Climbing Goat Peak near Wanless Lake
While researching trails to hike in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness in western Montana last spring, I discovered a couple of things: 1) While there are many trails in the Cabinets, you can’t find good information about most of them, and…
Grand Canyon Viewpoints: Point Imperial & Cape Royal
It’s hard for me to unreservedly recommend the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I know people who love it, and I know others who appreciate the older-national-park experience (like all the parks used to be when I started traveling…
The Best Day Hikes in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
When I first visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison in 2005, it had only been a national park for a few years. In fact, it was so new that some of the rangers still called it a national monument. I’ve…