United States

Starting at the parking lot, head up the trail (Clemmer #302/Scenic Spur #78) and it should say "1.7 miles to waterfalls". At the top of the hill in approximately 0.1 miles, veer to the right on trail #78. Continue for another 0.6 miles trail - #86 cuts across but continue straight on #78. From t...

Located at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the access road to this beach is a dirt road through the redwoods. Once you arrive to the beach area there is a park booth. The charge to overnight is $35 per day. Can also pay a day use fee which is less. The campground is situated some 200 yards fro...

Begin in the Old Mills parking lot located on 18th Street E. Head south along the paved trail running parallel to the railroad tracks. This trail is part of a 10-mile loop that leads out of the park and past the banks of the Mississippi. In approximately ½ mile, you’ll cross a long, wooden bridge...

From Santa Ynez, CA take Armour Rd until it hits Happy Canyon Rd, and make a left. Follow this scenic drive through vineyards and oak shaded pastures into the Angeles National Forest. A half-mile section of asphalt is rough from winter storms, so drive slow. The road becomes Sunset Valley Rd and ...

Located off of Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach is Crystal Cove State Park. There are three primitive sites located in Crystal Cove: Deer Canyon, Upper Moro, and Lower Moro. The site I stayed at was Lower Moro campground. All three of these sites require the backpacker to hike everything in...

This trail takes you through Coal Creek park and follows the creek along the trail with minimal elevation gain. This trail can also be accessed from the northern end of the park if that's a more convenient drive. For the lower parking lot, park at the Red Town lot (exit 13 off I-90) and cross the...

Off of Highway 181, the trailhead is very clearly marked with a large parking lot. Although the trail is fairly short, make sure you have your footing, because the trail does switch back and forth in addition to gaining elevation -- it's pretty steep in some places! It's all worth it when you get...

Done as a loop or one way shuttle (in summer/fall), the full Larch Mountain experience starts at the large (but still always full) Multnomah Falls parking lot. There you'll have the chance to grab a final snack, use the restroom, and fill water bottles before joining all the "tourist" hikers on t...

Taking a walk on the salt flats at Badwater Basin is like no other experience in Death Valley National Park. These flats cover nearly 200 square miles across the park, which makes them one of the world’s largest protected salt flats. With an elevation of 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin i...

-- Important: 7-day a week parking reservations required until further notice during the COVID-19 crisis. Follow park social distancing measures. Learn more online, https://www.placer.ca.gov/6106/Hidden-Falls-Regional-Park -- Not far from California's capital is Hidden Falls Regional Park. Th...

Sparks Lake is the perfect place to bring the whole family for a hike and to see the beauty of the Cascade Mountains reflecting on the water. This spot is slightly typicaly less crowded than nearby lakes and this trail tends to be less popular than other trails around Sparks Lake. Don't expect to...

At 9.7-miles long, this lengthy, but easy loop takes you to two ADK lower peaks. The views from Indian Head and Fish Hawk Cliffs will blow your mind away. I love stopping here every time I make my way to ADK. The colors are absolutely gorgeous in the fall.  From the parking lot, take the lake ro...

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most remote National Parks you can visit. Located 70 miles off the coast of Key West, FL it is accessible via commercial ferry, seaplane, or private boat. Our family of 5 camped for two nights in the campground on Garden Key. We snorkeled, swam, explored ...

Goblin Valley State Park is in a rural section of southern Utah, but if you type it into Google Maps you will go straight there. There are awesome campsites within the park but they require reservations. If you didn't take the time to reserve a campsite, don't worry, there is plenty of BLM land r...

Garner State Park is one of the best parks in Texas Hill Country if you are looking for some hiking with elevation. It is incredibly scenic, has plenty of campgrounds, and is also nearby to Lost Maples State Natural Area - a park very well-known for its fall foliage. If you happen to visit Garner...

Mt. Taurus (or Bull Hill) is a short, family and dog friendly, hike just outside the town of Cold Spring, easily accessible by car or taking the train into town. It snakes along the edge of an old quarry that is just now being retaken by nature and provides lookouts towards the Hudson, other near...