United States

This is a great side trip from Backpacking to Marmot & Jade Lakes. Check out the Adventure linked above for directions on how to get as far as Jade Lake.  I would recommend 2 nights at either Marmot or Jade to allow for a full day of exploration from your camp.  From Jade what is described be...

The Coldwater Lake Recreation Area has restrooms, telephones, and a picnic area. Make sure you have already acquired your permits for camping in the Mt. Margaret back country.Follow trail #211, which runs along the entire 4.5 mile length of Coldwater Lake. It is a beautiful and fairly flat hike w...

The "River Bottoms" is an unofficial network of single track, double track and service roads just south of Minneapolis along the Minnesota River flood plane. Flat, fast and easy to navigate, the 11-mile trail system is a popular spot for mountain bikers, trail runners and hikers looking to do lon...

Park in the parking area off of Refuge Rd. Take the Dunes Trail, a boardwalk path for the ~1-mile loop. Enjoy the views from an observation deck on three-story-high dunes. This trail is accessible from April-October.

Park for free at Wolf Gap Campground and cross the road where you will pass some picnic tables and campsites.  Follow the signs to the yellow-blazed Tibbet Knob trail.  In half a mile, there is a little path to a summit on your left where you can catch a glimpse of Mill Mountain and Big Schloss. ...

Your adventure will start at the Brand Library parking lot. Walk behind the library towards the gated day use area and you will find the start of the trail on your right, Las Flores MTWY. The first half-mile rises over 500 feet to a plateau, equipped with benches, a park map and views of Griffit...

This unique hike on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park is 2.4 miles round trip with an 835' elevation gain, and leads you to two viewpoints as well as a cool rock outcrop.Access this hike from the Compton Gap parking area (elevation 2,145') on the Skyline Drive at Mile 10.4. Cross ...

This trailhead is easily accessed at the parking lot at Reflection Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park. A short but sweet hike (1.3 miles one way) that leads to beautiful views of Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and if clear enough, Mt. Hood (Oregon). Pinnacle itself can be climbed to su...

An alluring State Park for its massive waterfall display, Wallace Falls is a high traffic destination along Highway 2, but don't overlook Wallace Lake as the falls steal the limelight. Head East on Highway 2, once you enter the town of Gold Bar keep on the lookout for the State Park signs and tu...

This two day (easily extended if you want more time to explore) hike offers some of the best views in all 40 miles of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The days are split up into a 8.8 mile day and a 12.6 mile day and can be done in either direction but since I did the 8.8 mile day first I will ...

This is a moderate hike with a huge payout in the form of some of the Black Hills' most beautiful features — tall granite spires rising hundreds of feet above the surrounding terrain, reaching a maximum height of 6,860 feet. Starting from the Cathedral Spires Trailhead --where you may be treated...

If you go to Blackwater Falls State Park for the falls, stay for the overlooks.  This one, the most popular in the park, overlooks Blackwater Canyon from 3,000 feet above.  Although the parking area at the trailhead is small with room for only 4-5 cars, you can also park along the road or at the ...

As its name suggests, Mountain Sheep Canyon offers a rugged feel and more strenuous hike than the other slot canyons in the neighborhood (Antelope Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon). The trek is longer than it is for the other canyons (about three-quarters of a mile), and there is quite a bit of scal...

Hiking to the Nankoweap Granaries can be done in a few ways but the two most popular routes is by boat along the Colorado River or the unmaintained Nankoweap trail, which is considered by most and the park services the most difficult named trail. Nankoweap Creek drains into the Colorado creating ...

Not for the faint of heart - or those with a fear of heights - Mount Pugh offers some of the most rewarding summit views in the Cascades.Located off the northern end of the Mountain Loop Highway, this is an easy day trip from anywhere in the Puget Sound area. Though finding the trailhead can be t...

Drive north from Napa following Rt 29, through Calistoga and up into the forest. After passing the sign for Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, and just over the crest, there is a parking area on the right side of the road, opposite the trailhead on the left. Parking fills up by mid-morning so get...