A few days ago, I wrote about hiking down the Golden Stairs Trail and (almost) into the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. After we had descended to the Dollhouse Road, we decided that we 1) hadn’t had enough adventure…
Golden Stairs Trail into the Maze District
It’s not easy to access the true Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. In fact, most of what is known as the “Maze District” is actually the Orange Cliffs District of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This includes Hans Flat,…
Drive or Hike Hole in the Wall Road
If you’re looking for a non-traditional hike (or a nice, non-technical 4×4 ride) in the main part of Death Valley National Park, the Hole in the Wall Road is a good option! The scenery is beautiful, there are cool rock…
The Nautilus: An Easier Wave?
There are a few places in southern Utah that are known to mimic the famous swirls of the Wave – but that don’t require a very difficult-to-obtain permit. One is the Beehive Trail just north of Page (nicknamed “the New…
Grand Canyon Views at Jicarilla Point
I’m always on the lookout for cool new hikes in my favorite national parks. So I was super excited to read about hiking to Jicarilla Point, well west of Hermit’s Rest, on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It seemed…
La Boca Arch & Harold Arch
La Boca Arch (and its neighbor, Harold Arch) is often overlooked because it’s a long distance down a dirt road well outside of the typical parks near Moab, Utah. But if you happen to be in the area (say, to…
Glade Creek Trail to Kate’s Falls
A short distance off of I-64 in New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia is an old rails-to-trails. It’s not especially well known or well-traveled, but it is a pretty little ride beside Glade Creek. I started at the…
Finally Finding Skylight Arch!
High above US-89 north of Page, Arizona (but before Big Water), a hole in the cliff can be seen up on a butte on the west side of the road. This is Skylight Arch. While it’s difficult to view from…
Driving the Waterhole Flat Road into the Maze
One of the most scenic dirt roads in Utah that I’ve had the pleasure of driving is the Waterhole Flat Road into the Maze District of Canyonlands (maps call it NP-633, the Flint Trail, and Canyonlands National Park Road among…
Climbing up Observation Rock
One of the most beautiful (and adventurous!) hikes we took in the Maze District in Canyonlands was the scramble up Observation Rock. No trail leads to the summit; there’s not even a cairned route to its base. But the views…