Great Basin National Park in itself is a less-visited park than many in the national park system. Add to this fact that most of the people who do visit go to see Lehman Caves, climb Mt. Wheeler, and/or see the…
Prettiest Hike in Organ Pipe: Bull Pasture
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument may be known as much for being directly on the Mexican boarder as for the cactus that gives it its name. From almost anywhere in the park, you can look south and see into a…
Wyoming’s Black Hills-Fire Tower View: Cement Ridge
I’ve heard that Cement Ridge in western Wyoming is the best place in the Black Hills to see the aspen if they’re turning color. After visiting the ridge in early October, I’d have to say that if it’s not the…
Hoodoos in a Desert Meadow: Chesler Park
Chesler Park is one of my favorite places in Canyonlands National Park. It’s so pretty and awe-inspiring with red and white sandstone towers and hoodoos rimming a desert meadow filled with desert grass and low scrub. Chesler Park is the…
Alpine Scenery to Stun You at Mt. Baker’s Twin Lakes
A beautiful location to visit if you’re anywhere near the Mt. Baker Highway is the Twin Lakes, located near the town of Glacier. The turquoise lakes surrounded by high mountain walls are quite the destination unto themselves, whether for a…
Prettiest Scenic Drive I’ve Found in Utah: The Potash Road
One evening in May, we decided to drive to the end of Rt 270 from Moab, Utah, to find a place to camp. After the Potash plant, the road becomes dirt, but it’s a fairly good road as dirt roads…
Cooper Spur: Highest Trail on Mt. Hood
Have you ever seen Mt. Hood? It is a well-known landmark, especially in its home state of Oregon. Many people come every year to climb it, and thousands of others to admire its shapely appearance. One of the best ways…
Experience Volcanic Remains Up Close at Newberry
There is one terrific thing about Newberry National Volcanic Monument: the volcanic features here are really cool, and you can actually experience them without signs saying, “Say out! Stay off! Unsafe! Fragile!” Some of the areas are like experiencing another…
A “Hidden” Desert Meadow: Hidden Valley, Moab
Located just outside of Moab, Utah, it’s surprising that more people don’t know about Hidden Valley. If this scenic desert meadow was inside of one of the national parks in that area—Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, or even Canyon…
An Awesome 13er: Fitzpatrick Peak
At the end of a recent trip to Colorado, we suddenly realized that we’d climbed mountains that were 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 14,000 ft high. We decided that we definitely needed to climb a 13er just to complete our record. …