Last November, while I was visiting Death Valley National Park, I decided to take a trip over the mountains to check out the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. One of my favorite EPs from 2020 (actually late 2019, but who’s…
The Lower and Upper Reaches of Fall Canyon
My favorite canyon we did in on our last visit to Death Valley National Park was Fall Canyon in the central part of the park. It even beat out Sidewinder Canyon, which is saying a lot since Sidewinder Canyon was…
The Tunnel in Arches
Last fall, en route back across the country, we took an unexpected side-trek to Arches National Park. I’d been reading about off-the-beaten-path arches in Arches, so our first hike was off-trail down Courthouse Wash to The Tunnel. As features in…
Walk along Lake Ontario: Sterling Nature Center to Fair Haven State Park
Did you know that you can walk for several miles along the shore of Lake Ontario north of Fair Haven State Park? It’s not exactly easy walking (lake stones are rough footing), but it’s doable. You’ll also get to see…
Trona Pinnacles: Spires Galore!
West of Death Valley National Park and east of the town of Ridgecrest, the Trona Pinnacles National Landmark is a very unique place to visit. The signs on-site said that the pinnacles are made of tufa (calcium carbonate), the leftovers…
1 Day, 3 Day, and 5 Day Hiking Itineraries in Arches National Park
Arches National Park may have the most fantastic scenery concentrated into the smallest space of any national park in the United States. The park is less than 120 square miles, and almost every hike in the park is along one…
Lathrop Trail: Rim to White Rim Road
There are several premier trails that take hikers from the mesa of Island in the Sky to the White Rim Road. I’m sure they’re all very nice, but out of them all I chose to hike the Lathrop Trail… and…
The Alabama Hills’ Mobius Arch Loop
On our last trip to California, we mostly stuck to famous parks. But one of our few excursions outside of national parks was to the Alabama Hills to hike the Mobius Arch Loop. I’d read about it online, and it…
Views of Eastern Canyonlands from the Lathrop Canyon Overlook
Island in the Sky has some amazing trails. Murphy Point, Grand View, White Rim Overlook, Mesa Arch, and others offer fantastic views without a whole lot of vertical-gain effort. Others – like the Gooseberry Trail, Wilhite Trail, or Murphy Hogback…
Adventuring up 20 Mule Team Canyon
A few weeks ago, I talked about exploring around 20 Mule Team Scenic Drive in Death Valley National Park. Well, partially by accident, and partially intentionally, I also ended up exploring 20 Mule Team Canyon, also located along the scenic…