One of the most overwhelming places I’ve ever visited, the Grand Canyon totally lives up to its status. It’s a magnificent place, of such magnitude I can’t imagine that someone would not be impressed by it. The sheer size of this thing boggles the mind, impossible to picture if you haven’t actually seen it in real life.
Even though I’ve spent only a day there, Mount Rainier is already one of my favorite American national parks. In this article, I wanted to talk about the Skyline Trail Loop, one of the park’s greatest trails, and share a few pictures I took during my hike.
Awe-inspiring, unique, bedazzling and perfect. These are just a few words that have been used to describe Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. By all accounts and standards, it’s one of the most enticing national parks in America. And unsurprisingly, there are plenty of things to do in Crater Lake National Park.
In total, there are seven national parks in the USA that lie partially or entirely on islands. All but two of them lie in a (sub)tropical region, making them without question the best national parks for summer vacations. The other two, just because of their northerly location, are also best visited in summer.
The definition of a thru-hike is the end-to-end completion of a long-distance hike in one hiking season. For most people, it will be impossible to thru-hike any of the three major long-distance hikes in the US. What is possible, however, —with some willpower, planning and cooperative employers—is hiking these nine awesome thru-hikes under 1,000 miles.
Although it’s the national parks that get all the spotlight, it’s often the state parks where families, friends and couples go for weekend outings. Whether it’s for a Saturday hike, a Sunday picnic or an overnight camping trip, the state parks in America might just be more closely interwoven with people’s everyday life than their national cousins.
Although it may look small, dwarfed by the Australian mainland, Tasmania is actually a pretty large island. Only 25 islands in the world are bigger in size. And what’s more, over 40% of its surface area is protected, including a huge UNESCO World Heritage Site and no fewer than nineteen Tasmania national parks.
From the calm waters of the Missouri River to the lush Pacific Northwest forests of the Cascade and Siskiyou ranges, national monuments in the West feature a wide variety of ecosystems, wildlife and landscapes. If you’re looking for new adventures in 2018, consider adding these beautiful public protected lands to your list.
Hiking in Zion National Park is the one and only way to explore this epic national park in Utah. And although there are a number of superb hiking trails in Zion, from easy walks on flat paved walkways to thigh-crunching climbs, there is one that stands out from the rest—the Observation Point Trail.
Italy is a lot more than just art, history, and architecture. There are some extraordinary landscapes, lots of wildlife and a bunch of beautiful national parks in Italy. These amazing parks protect the jaw-dropping wild, rugged corners in and natural wonders of the Italian landscape.
After a few hour’s drive through the rolling farmlands of central California’s Salinas Valley, the towering landscape of Pinnacles National Park seems out of place. And it literally is. The steep canyons, monumental monoliths and boulder-covered caves of the park are the remains of a twenty-million-year-old volcano.
From driving Skyline Drive to sunset hikes and stays at historic lodges, wonderful Shenandoah National Park has plenty to offer. What I haven’t talked about in greater detail, though, is the best waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park.
There are a few summits and overlooks that are downright spectacular, which made me rave about this national park’s potential before. And that was when I hadn’t even hiked up to Stony Man, which I now have to say is the best sunset hike in Shenandoah National Park.
The Doyles River-Jones Run Loop is easily my all-time favorite waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. An occasionally strenuous circuit hike, this loop trail takes you past three large waterfalls and countless smaller ones.