I had two goals (among many lesser goals) for my most recent adventure: 1) Visit White Pocket in Arizona, and 2) Hike all the trails I’ve never taken in Bryce Canyon National Park. Both were ambitious, but both were also…
The National Parks Ranked by Scenery!
There are currently 63 national parks in the United States. They cover scenery and natural features as diverse as deserts, rain forests, salt basins, tide pools, waterfalls, volcanoes, coral reefs, mountains, canyons, lakes, wildlife, and so much more. I’ve visited…
Best Hikes for Kids in Utah’s Big 5 National Parks + Grand Staircase-Escalante
Southern Utah is a favorite destination for tourists and locals alike. Who can resist giant arches, towering hoodoos, sculpted slot canyons, and rock formations galore? The good news is that the national parks in southern Utah (namely, Zion National Park,…
Walking the Zion Narrows
I first did the Zion Narrows in 1997. Or, should I say, I first set foot in the Virgin River in 1997, and we went around the first bend and turned around. The kids were too young; one of the…
Sneak Peak: A California Trip through Desert and Snow
Well, I just got back from a fantastic trip to California! We saw the desert, and we saw snow (lots of snow!), not to mention some truly fabulous views of mountains, cliffs, slot canyons, salt flats, and the beautiful NorCal…
Terrifying Trails of the Western US
Hiking any trail can have its frightful aspects – walking away from civilization and the comfort of your car and into the unknown wilds of who-knows-where (not to mention scary stuff like spiders, snakes, bears, wolves, and sheer drop-offs). But…
Epic Day Hiking Road Trip to Southern Utah
Southern Utah packs so much beauty into a small area. Arches, rock formations, turrets, towers, spires, mountains, canyons, cliffs, meadows – there’s so much to see, and often so little time to do it. So here are some of the…
15 of the Best Day Hikes in Southern Utah
If I had to pick one desert state to say was my favorite, Utah would almost certainly win. I love the rock formations, the arches, the canyons, the scrubby desert; it’s all lovely in a very rustic sort of way. …
Angel’s Landing: Best Views in Zion National Park
Ok, so I’ll admit it: I’ve never been fond of Zion National Park. Every time I’ve visited since 1997 it seemed there was nothing to do that got you far enough away from Zion Canyon to allow you to appreciate…