United States

If you're looking for a minimal effort pit stop on the drive through the Columbia River Gorge with huge bang for your buck, this is the spot. Rowena Crest is an iconic viewpoint that creates a horseshoe curve along the road. This unique shape is one of the most photographed roads in Oregon. It's ...

From the Crystal Lake trailhead, follow the trail 1.1 miles north to Wall Lake. Here, you'll come to a junction with the trail from Trail Lake; take the left trail heading north to Notch Mountain, and Ibantik Lake is a mere .6 miles northeast, nestled next to Notch Peak. At Ibantik Lake, you'll ...

Escape the crowds at Paradise and come enjoy the best views in the park! Start from the visitor's center parking lot and head up the Sourdough Ridge Trail and hike the 1.3 miles to Frozen Lake. Along the way (depending on the season) you'll hike up snow, through glorious fields of wild flowers, ...

With activities for everyone, The Cove at Long Lake is the perfect spot to go on a summer day! If you are driving from downtown Spokane, drive towards Nine Mile Falls. Before entering Nine Mile Falls you will come to a dam. At the dam take a left over the bridge. Continue through the little town...

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its world class rock climbing, out of this world landscapes, and some of the darkest skies around. Having a base camp inside of the park is incredibly important as it's quite massive and I found that Hidden Valley Campground is strategically placed smack dab...

Beginning at the Ten Lakes trailhead, the trail to the lakes is a moderately strenuous uphill grind to Ten Lakes pass, followed by a quick downhill into the lake basin. We met a woman at the top who made sure we didn’t miss the short side trail to a vista point on the pass that offered a sweeping...

Park in the lot near the Hamburg Reservoir and hike around the barrier and up the gravel road. Shortly on your right the Appalachian Trail branches off the road. Follow the white blazes of the AT for around 2 miles to the Pulpit Rocks, just before the trail passes the Lehigh Valley Astronomical S...

If you live in the Palo Alto area and are looking for a place to hike or run, The Dish is a close, and great way to get that exercise. Located right on the corner of Stanford Ave and Junipero Serra, you'll see that small gated entrance right when you drive on by. As far as parking goes, you're le...

Horseshoe Bend is an iconic viewpoint, and a must-see for photographers. Check out Tiffany Nguyen's post, Hike to Horseshoe Bend, for more details on that part of the adventure. Because of its popularity and easy access, the Horseshoe Bend viewpoint is thoroughly photographed and can be very cro...

Located along the Hamilton Mountain Trail, the Hardy and Rodney falls out and back hike is a good alternative for those looking for a shorter hike compared to the 7.6-mile hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain. From the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead, you will follow the trail through thick trees fo...

Truly a hidden gem, this trail seems to get little to no attention, yet is absolutely amazing. To get to the trail from I-40 near Crossville, Tennessee, take Highway 127 north toward Jamestown. Before getting to Jamestown, turn right on State Route 296 east, toward the town of Allardt. In Allardt...

Located in Haleakala National Park on Maui's southeastern coast, this trail is well maintained by the National Park Service and is quite popular with visitors. Like most popular hikes, it is advised you get there early and try to go on a weekday and in the offseason if possible. Entrance to the p...

Getting There North of Flagstaff on the 89A, take a left turn directly after a sign for Sunset Crater. This road winds up a well-developed path; when it ends, turn right. After the road banks left, take a right at the next fork and continue on the dirt road up a single lane path until you enter t...

Starting at the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead near the Tuolumne Meadows parking lot (if parking is full at the TH), this trail wanders through the classic High Sierra forest with large white granite boulders and pine trees. After approximately 4 miles of quiet solitude in the forest, you will reach ...

Rainbow Falls is one of the most scenic waterfalls in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. The Horsepasture River swells in the rainy season, dumping a cascade of water 150 feet. The plume of mist at the bottom creates a distinct rainbow effect, giving the falls its name. Hike to Rainbow Falls ...

Start off at Bright Angel Trailhead, then hike down into the Grand Canyon on one of the higher-quality trails. Hiking down to Plateau Point (furthest option) is well worth it. The hike down is a total of 6 miles, with a 3,000 foot drop in elevation. As you can imagine, this means the way back ou...