470-foot-high dune, the highest single structure dune in North America. Park at the picnic area at the eastern end of the dune. Hike to the top of the dune, As you stand with your legs straddled over the knife like edge of the top, you can look down both sides. Walk, run, or roll back down. I recommend an early evening hike when the temperatures are cooler and the lighting is great

275 acres of brilliant white gypsum dunes. Pull over in one of the many established parking areas along the drive and get out and play in the dunes.

4.2 mile roundtrip hike from the Pine Springs Trailhead, along a streambed of Pine Springs canyon. It then climbs a rocky staircase to Devil's Hall.

1/2 hour round trip trail which starts at the base of the mesa and climbs through a series of switchbacks to the summit. Along the way there are numerous petroglyphs and outstanding views of the Sandia Mountains.

Shortened day hike version of the most popular hike in the park. Instead of going the whole 7.7 miles down to the Colorado River, hike the 1.5 miles down to One-and-a-Half-Mile House and back. The views along the way are breathtaking.

1-mile self-guided trail through the Bonito Lava Flow at the base of Sunset Crater. An inexpensive booklet that accompanies the signs along the trail is available at the Visitor Center.

Strenuous 1-mile round trip hike that descends 185 feet into the canyon providing access to 25 cliff dwelling rooms. This trail is one of the best ways to experience the park. To exit the canyon, you must climb the 240 steps back up to the rim.

3.5 mile roundtrip hike up the 460-foot-high dune and along the the top to great views of Lake Michigan.

Section of the 9.2-mile trail that traces the rim of the canyon past most of the attractions of Grand Canyon Village.

.5-mile roundtrip hike to Sable Falls (at the Grand Marais end of the Lakeshore)

Short loop hike from Visitor Center down into Painted Canyon

2.5 mile loop trail around the shores of Swift Current Lake. There are grizzlies in this area

Moderately strenuous 3-mile roundtrip hike, which starts at the Logan Pass Visitor Center and climbs 800 feet on a series of boardwalks to a beautiful overlook of Hidden Lake.

1.5 mile roundtrip hike, which climbs to a great panoramic view of the area.

.5 mile trail that takes you past waterfalls and into the canyon. There are also many grizzlies in this area.

1.5 mile trail that climbs 300 feet through a thermal region to the Upper Terrace, where there is an outstanding view of the terraces and springs below.

Steep descent down 57 steps to an overlook with a wonderful view of the Lower Falls and Canyon

Steep descent down 328 steps to the river

.75 mile roundtrip hike on a level boardwalk through thermal springs and geysers

1.5 mile roundtrip hike on a level boardwalk through thermal springs and geysers past Steamboat Geyser, the world's largest geyser (very infrequent eruptions)

2/3 mile trail through bubbling mud pots, steaming vents, and hissing pools, which fill the air with the aroma of rotten eggs

2-mile long round-trip hike which begins at the end of the Zion Canyon scenic drive near the Temple of Sinawava. The paved trail follows the Virgin River upstream to the Zion Canyon Narrows.

3.5 mile hike with a 320-foot elevation change. From Sunrise Point, take the Queen's Garden Trail down into Bryce Amphitheater which takes you to the park's most fanciful formation--Queen Victoria sitting on her throne. Connect with the Navajo Trail which climbs steeply out of the canyon to Sunset Point. Walk the Rim Trail back to your car.

1/2 mile nature trail along a narrow peninsula past Angel's Window (opening that frames the river below) to the overlook at the tip of Cape Royal

1/2 mile self-guided nature trail which leads to a rock alcove with a spring and hanging gardens of ferns and wildflowers. The trailhead is along the Zion Canyon scenic drive.

Very easy .3 mile round trip walk up to and around the precariously Balanced Rock

Easy 1 1/4 mile round trip hike to North and South Windows and Turret Arch.

Easy .5 mile round trip hike to the 3rd largest arch opening in the park. At the end, you can go a little further and climb right up under the arch.

2 1/2 mile round trip hike from the Devil's Garden parking lot to the 306-foot long Landscape Arch, one of the most beautiful arches in the park.

1.3-mile easy hike around the base of Devils Tower.

1.5 mile, fairly strenuous hike that requires climbing a steep, shaky ladder and traversing the side of a steep gully to a break in the wall called

Trails that lead from the campground over Mt. Tom and back down to the beach and along the shore to Devil's slide overlooking the pavilion

3.6 mile out and back trail from Bear Lake Trailhead with spectacular scenery of mountains reflected in the mountain lakes. The trail passes Nymph and Dream Lakes on its way to its final destination, Emerald Lake.

Very popular .6 mile hike to the beautiful Alberta Falls from the Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead.

1.5-mile hike through an old-growth forest and over a bridge to a small island in the Ohanepecosh River, dominated by huge ancient giant red cedar, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock trees.

Easy 1.2-mile hike through the meadow to the base of the Nisqually Glacier.

The .75 mile Hall of Mosses Trail and the 1.25 mile Spruce Nature Trail pass through a lush rainforest with giant ancient cedars, spruce, and hemlock trees, measuring more than 25 feet in circumference and over 300 feet high.

Forested trail along the Rosario Beach shoreline with great views of the rocky shores of Fidalgo island and the waters of Rosario Strait. A special highlight was the Maiden of Deception Pass totem pole at the end of the trail.

3.5 mile hike with a 521-foot elevation change. Take the steep Navajo Trail from Sunset Point down into Bryce Amphitheater amongst the hoodoos. Connect with the Queen's Garden Trail which takes you to the park's most fanciful formation--Queen Victoria sitting on her throne. The trail leads you back out of the canyon to Sunrise Point. Walk the Rim Trail back to your car.

Most scenic hike in the park. 3-mile round trip, fairly strenuous hike across slickrock and along a narrow cliff. At the end there is a dramatic view of 45-foot-high, 33-foot-wide Delicate Arch perched on the very edge of a slickrock bowl. Because of the heat, this hike should be done late in the afternoon. That's also when the lighting is best for photography.

3-hour ranger-guided walk into the Fiery Furnace, which is named for its sandstone fins that turn flaming red when the lighting is low. Reservations and fee are required and must be made at the visitor center.

Giant dune overlooking the beach pavilion that is great for dune climbing and rolling back down.

Easy one-mile hike along the rim with views of the Confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers 2,000 feet below.

1/4 milt trail from the Chapin Mesa Museum to the Spruce Tree House, the park's best preserved ruin. On this self-guided tour, you will see a cliff dwelling once inhabited by more than 100 people. You can also climb down a ladder through a smoke hole into a kiva.

1-mile one-way trail which starts at the Fremont River, heads into the desert, and climbs 400 feet up to the Hickman Natural Bridge, which has an opening 133 feet wide and 125 feet high. There are views of sandstone capitol domes along the way.

1.5 mile trail along the canyon's rim connecting the North Rim Campground and the Grand Canyon Lodge.

1.3 mile loop on a level boardwalk from the Old Faithful area past such thermal attractions as Castle Geyser (largest cone), Grand Geyser (tallest predictable geyser), Beehive Geyser, and Morning Glory Pool

20-minute stroll along a level boardwalk past some of the most beautiful thermal scenery in the park, such as Emerald Pool.

20-minute stroll across the bridge over the Firehole River to an area with much thermal activity, including the Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest and one of the most beautiful of Yellowstone's hot springs, and Excelsior Geyser, the third largest geyser in the world..

Hike from the campground to the Devil's Slide overlooking the beach pavilion. Great for dune climbing and rolling back down.

1.2 mile out and back hike from a trailhead on the scenic drive.

Small hike up a hill for a good view. The southern slope of the hill is hot and dry with only small plants, while the north slope is wetter and cooler with trees.

.5 mile roundtrip hike along a level boardwalk with lots of thermal activity to the bubbling pink, orange, and blue mud of the Fountain Paint Pots. There are usually about six geysers erupting at the same time in this area.

2-mile roundtrip hike from the Bridge Bay Campground to Natural Bridge, a massive 51-foot high arch

3.5 mile loop around the lake past Balanced Rock and the Devil's Doorway

.75 mile, fairly strenuous hike through a break in The Wall called

Short trail that climbs from the Alpine Visitor Center up a series of steps through the tundra to an excellent viewpoint.

The trail winds through tunnels and over wooden footbridges between the 100-foot walls of Johnston Canyon, which in many places are only 18 feet apart. Much of the trail is along catwalk set into the sides of the canyon, on which you walk over rapids on your way to Lower Johnston Canyon Falls (at 0.8 miles) and the more impressive Upper Johnston Canyon Falls (at 1.8 miles) plunging through the canyon. The hike to the Upper Falls takes about 1 ½ hours. The trail continues for another 3 miles to the "Inkpots" a series of bubbling colorful pools formed by hot springs coming up through the colored rocks. The hike to the Inkpots takes about 4 hours.

Trail goes through marshes in a wildlife habitat along the Vermillion Lakes where you're very likely to see wildlife, especially in early morning and at dusk. Trail is located just outside the town of Banff.

Easy flat trail along the northern shore of the lake from the hotel to the end of the lake.

3-mile fairly strenuous hike from end of the Lakeshore Trail up to the base of Victoria Glacier. At the base of the glacier is a rustic teahouse serving tea and scones.

One of Canada's best hikes. The trail follows the Maligne River as it cascades down into the Athabasca River. Six footbridges cross over the narrow canyon overlooking the cascading river far below. The chasm of Maligne Canyon is only 10 feet across and up to 150 feet deep.

4-mile roundtrip hike from the campground up to the most prominent rock formation in the park--Church Rock. The trail is not very well marked.

.5 mile easy hike to the base of a 165-foot arch

¾-mile strenuous, narrow, and exposed trail that leads 1,000 feet up very steep cliffs overlooking the campground. There are tremendous views from the overlook.

5.5-mile trail along the rim of the canyon from Bryce Point to Fairyland Point with splendid views from above.

30-minute, exhilarating hike from Sand Beach to the top of the Beehive, with stunning ocean views along the way. The hike is not for those with a fear of heights, as it requires the use a series of fixed metal handles to climb up the steep trails and traverse across exposed cliffs.

Short, steep hike from the Meat Cove Campground to the top of Meat Cove Mountain with spectacular views of the highland bluffs and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Mile-long red sand beach on the shores of Aspy Bay

Trail that starts at the Cheticamp campground and runs 8-miles out and back along the Cheticamp River.

4.3-mile loop trail that leads through wind-stunted spruce and fir trees, then across the highlands and out onto a dramatic exposed bluff overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. From there the view is spectacular. On one side you can watch tiny cars winding along the Cabot Trail and on the other you can see pods of whales surfacing in the sea. On your way back, keep your eye out for the moose that frequent this area.

1.5-mile, fairly steep climb to the top of Salt Mountain, with spectacular views of Bras d'Or Lake

2.5-mile out and back hike that leads across the rust-colored plateau which is actually the earth

Trails in the campground lead to two lovely waterfalls on the Little Barachois River.

1½ mile paved trail along the base of the highest and most interesting rock formations

1-mile hike that follows the rim of the canyon from the South Rim Campground to the Visitor Center and Gunnison Point

Easy 500-foot walk to the falls, where the turbulent waters of Clear Creek thunder 285 feet down a narrow gorge. At the end of this trail there is a staircase leading down to a lower observation platform on the Creek. The

1.2-mile roundtrip hike to the base of Sipapu Bridge. The hike, which has about a 600-foot elevation change, takes about 1 hour.

Easy .6-mile roundtrip hike to the base of Owachomo Bridge. The hke, which has elevation change of only 180 feet, whould take about 1/2 hour.

2 ½ mile hike that starts off easy through the orchards along the river and then climbs up to an overlook of the valley

3 ½ mile strenuous hike from the floor of the Grand Wash to the top of Cassidy Arch, where Butch Cassidy is believed to have hid out. There are great views of the park along the way.

Fairly strenuous 4.8 mile roundtrip hike. There are several other noteworthy arches along the way, including Landscape Arch, one of the most beautiful arches in the park. The trail gets rougher and slicker before reaching Double O Arch, a beautiful pair of arches where one arch stands atop another.

Most scenic hike in the park. 3-mile round trip, fairly strenuous hike across slickrock and along a narrow cliff. At the end there is a dramatic view of 45-foot-high, 33-foot-wide Delicate Arch perched on the very edge of a slickrock bowl. Because of the heat, this hike should be done late in the afternoon. That's also when the lighting is best for photography.

Easy .5 mile round trip hike to the 3rd largest arch opening in the park. At the end, you can go a little further and climb right up under the arch.

Most scenic hike in the park. 3-mile round trip, fairly strenuous hike across slickrock and along a narrow cliff. At the end there is a dramatic view of 45-foot-high, 33-foot-wide Delicate Arch perched on the very edge of a slickrock bowl. Because of the heat, this hike should be done late in the afternoon. That

1.4 mile hike to Dark Hollow Falls, the closes waterfall to Skyline Drive. The trailhead is at Mile 50.7 near the Byrd Visitor Center. It is one of the most popular hikes in the park.

Short, but steep .8-mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Bearfence Mountain where you are rewarded with a 360-degree panoramic view. The hike is not for those with a fear of heights, as it requires some rock scrambling with steep dropoffs to the side. The trailhead for this hike is at Mile 56.4.

Hike up the 140-foot-high sand dune (the largest on the East Coast) and roll back down again

1.5-mile trail along a boardwalk over the tannin-stained waters of a swamp where bald cypress trees stand draped in Spanish moss

4 or 5 mile roundtrip hike from Lower Falls Trail upstream past the Middle and Upper Falls

6-mile round trip hike from Williwaw Campground along the Nature Trail to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, and then on to the trailhead for the Byron Glacier Trail.

3/4 mile hike along the Byron Creek to the snowfield of Byron Glacier. With caution, you can climb up onto the snowfield and play in the snow.

3-mile hike from the campground up to the Russian River Falls viewing platform, a great place to view jumping salmon when they are running.

Beautiful 5-mile coastal hike from Lowell Point (Miller's Landing) to Caine's Head State Marine Park. This hike was listed as one of the top ten hikes in Alaska by Alaska magazine. The 3-mile stretch between Tonsina Point and North Beach can only be hiked during very low tide. Many do the hike one way and a water taxi the other.

Short hike through the woods of the campground and down to the rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Easy .4 mile hike on a graded path to the narrow flume and picturesque Sabbaday Falls

1.5-mile trail along a boardwalk over the tannin-stained waters of a swamp where bald cypress trees stand draped in Spanish moss

Easy hike down from the Observation Shelter into and amongst the goblins that inhabit the valley

9.6-mile (RT) strenuous hike from the Valley Floor up 3,200 feet to Glacier Point and back down again. The views from Glacier Point are among the best in Yosemite.

16-mile (RT) strenuous hike from the Happy Isles Nature Center to the top of Half Dome and back. During its 4,800 elevation gain, the trail passes two wateralls (Vernal and Nevada Falls) and meanders through a lovely forest before finally arriving at the back of Half Dome. From there the trail winds steeply up gravel boulders to a set of steel cables that enable you to climb the slick and steep rock the final 400 feet to the top of Half Dome.

Mile-long trail that loops out to one of the largest groves of tufas on the lake.

Clamor around on the pink boulders that surround the campground

Up the Dunraven Pass to the summit of Mount Washburn

Short trail that climbs from the Alpine Visitor Center up a series of steps through the tundra to an excellent viewpoint.

Shortened day hike version of the most popular hike in the park. Instead of going the whole 7.7 miles down to the Colorado River, hike the 1.5 miles down to One-and-a-Half-Mile House and back. The views along the way are breathtaking.

Most scenic hike in the park. 3-mile round trip, fairly strenuous hike across slickrock and along a narrow cliff. At the end there is a dramatic view of 45-foot-high, 33-foot-wide Delicate Arch perched on the very edge of a slickrock bowl. Because of the heat, this hike should be done late in the afternoon. That's also when the lighting is best for photography.

Section of the 9.2-mile trail that traces the rim of the canyon past most of the attractions of Grand Canyon Village.

Fairly strenuous 4.8 mile roundtrip hike. There are several other noteworthy arches along the way, including Landscape Arch, one of the most beautiful arches in the park. The trail gets rougher and slicker before reaching Double O Arch, a beautiful pair of arches where one arch stands atop another

3.5 mile hike with a 521-foot elevation change. Take the steep Navajo Trail from Sunset Point down into Bryce Amphitheater amongst the hoodoos. Connect with the Queen's Garden Trail which takes you to the park's most fanciful formation--Queen Victoria sitting on her throne. The trail leads you back out of the canyon to Sunrise Point. Walk the Rim Trail back to your car.

Beautiful trail following the Cascade River

.8-mile loop, starting at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, offering the best opportunities to view wildlife, including alligators and birds, up close

.4-mile loop, starting at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, through a dense tropical hardwood hammock of Gumbo Limbo trees

3.3 loop trail from the Reverand’s Ridge Campground through Golden Gate Canyon State Park’s upper-montane and lower subalpine forests of lodgepole pine, spruce, and aspen. A highlight of the trail is Panorama Point overlooking a 100 mile stretch of the Continental Divide.

8.4-mile (round trip) fairly strenuous hike to a stunning alpine lake surrounded by the steep flanks of Mt. Meeker, Longs Peak, and Mount Lady Washington

9-mile (round trip) hike with a 2,130 foot elevation gain. The trail begins at the south end of Poudre Lake at Milner Pass and passes through a subalpine forest before reaching the treeline where it climbs steadily along the south side of the Continental Divide. The final half mile involves scrambling over rocks before reaching the summit (12,880 feet).

Paved half-mile paved walk through a grove of giant sequoias, including the General Grant Tree, the third largest living tree in the world.

1.8 mile round-trip hike through a lovely meadow encircled by firs and sequoias. An interesting stop along the way is Tharp’s Log, a tiny cabin built from a fallen, fire-hollowed sequoia. The trail begins 3 miles off the Generals Highway on Crescent Meadow Road.

Large granite dome with 360 degree views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains of the Great Western Divide. The top of the rock is reached by climbing 400 steps carved into the side of the dome. The trailhead is along Crescent Meadow Road.

The largest living thing on the planet. The tree can be reached via either a short walk from the Wolverton Road parking lot or along the Congress Trail, a 2-mile paved walkway past the General Sherman Tree, Washington Tree, Telescope Tree and many more.

½ mile out and back hike to a magnificent view of the lower falls. Access is 2.8 miles past the Cedar Grove turnoff to the signed parking area on the right.

8 mile round-trip hike to one of the largest and most beautiful waterfalls in the park. The trailhead for this park is located at Road’s End.

1.5 mile loop around a lovely meadow, bordered by the Kings River on one side and the granite walls of Grand Sentinel and North Dome on the other.

100 yard walk from the Road’s End parking lot to a large flat boulder along the river from which John Muir delivered many of his Sierra Club talks.

3,373-acre “community-powered” park near Duncans Mill, open to those who work as volunteer stewards of the park.

The trail begins at the end of Pierce Point Road near the historic Pierce Point Ranch. The hike to Windy Gap, where the elk can be seen grazing, is about 2 miles with breathtaking views of Bodega Bay to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Tomales Bay to the east. Hikers can continue another 3.7 miles to the north tip of Tomales Point.

2 to 3 mile loop from the Salmon Creek Beach parking lot across the headlands overlooking the dramatic pounding of the surf against the rocky shoreline below.

State Park located in Sonoma County just north of Guerneville with 805 acres of Coast redwood trees. Although you can drive through the park, the 1.5 mile Pioneer Nature Trail provides a more up-close and personal experience with these giants.

Mile-long trail that loops out to one of the largest groves of tufas on the lake

Strenuous, 7.2 mile round-trip hike to the top of Yosemite Falls, 2,425 feet above the Valley floor. There are spectacular views from Columbia Rock, located one mile from the trailhead, and the Yosemite Falls Overlook on top. Allow 6 to 8 hours for the hike.

6.3 mile round trip hike from the Bear Lake Trailhead to a lovely alpine lake at the foot of Notchtop Mountain.

5.5 mile loop from trailhead behind Paradise Visitor Center up to Panorama Point and then down the Golden Gate Trail. There are spectacular views of Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier on the way up, and of Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens on the way down.

1-mile (each way), strenuous and steep switchback trail down to a rocky shoreline at Cleetwood Cove where the boat tours start. It is the only access to the shore of Crater Lake. The trailhead is located about 4 1/2 miles east of North Junction.

0.9-mile trek (each way) up to the summit of Wizard Island, where you can descend into a 100-feet deep crater. There are wonderful views of the lake along the way.

0.7-mile (each way) hike from the boat dock along rough volcanic rocks to the shore of Fumarole Bay.

2.6 mile loop from the Elk Prairie Visitor Center in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park that has passes several cathedral tree groupings and leads to Big Tree, one of the largest redwoods in the park

State Park, 60 miles north of San Francisco on the eastern edge of Santa Rosa, with miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and trail running

This section of the California Coastal Trail runs from the Cliff House near the Sutro Baths all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge and passes many landmarks including Baker Beach, the Seacliff area, Marshall Beach, and the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

7-mile loop that links the Dipsea, Steep Ravine, and Matt Davis trails for a spectacular hike past waterfalls, through a redwood canyon, and up to expansive views of the coast, before descending once again to Stinson Beach. The 1,600 foot elevation gain made for a challenging and extremely satisfying hike.

Down a steep trail to a beach with tide pools

2.3 mile round trip hike down through the dunes and out to the beach and back.

Short trail from the parking lot to the historic lighthouse and assistant lighthouse keeper’s house.

8.4 mile roundtrip hike to a beautiful alpine glacial lake.

Primarily a rock climbing destination, this park has 34 acres of sandstone slabs and spires. Trails lead along the base of the pinnacles providing views of the surrounding fruit orchards and Enchantment Mountain Range.

Moderately strenuous 3.8-mile hike to the lookout tower and back. From the summit there are spectacular views of the entire Sisters area.

1.4-mile roundtrip hike to the fire lookout atop a cinder cone

Short hike to a large spatter cone

0.5-mile inner loop trail through a natural fortress of lava, where the Modoc Indians hid out for the winter of 1872-1872 during their war with the U.S. Army

Short walk to an interesting volcanic feature, known as a spatter cone. It was created when erupting globs of molten lava piled up on each other leaving a 50 foot deep chimney behind in the center.

2.6 round trip hike to Lassen’s largest hydrothermal area. Boardwalks in the hydrothermal basin allow visitors to walk safely past bubbling hot springs, boiling mud pots, and hissing fumaroles.

1.5 mile trail along the shores of the lake with spectacular views of Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags

5.5 mile, strenuous hike from the Shell Beach trailhead to the windswept top of Red Hill and magnificent views of the coast from Point Reyes to Fort Ross, as well as the mouth of the Russian River. The 1,700 foot elevation gain made for a challenging and extremely satisfying hike.

Steep south trail down to Black's Beach. This trail, which begins just south of the Glider Port, is better maintained than the north trail, in that it has steps and handrails in the steeper segments. The trail is about 1,000 feet long and have an elevation loss of about 320 feet.

2.5 mile hike amongst giant sequoias, such as the Fallen Monarch, Bachelor and the Three Graces, Grizzly Giant, the California Tunnel Tree, and the Faithful Couple

2.5-mile steep hike up a series of switchbacks to an incredible view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between. The trailhead is at the Wawona Tunnel Overlook.

Hike from El Cap Meadow up to the base of this amazing granite monolith and the start of some awe-inspiring climbing routes

5.7 mile (RT) steep hike to the base of Castle Dome. The first 2/3 of the hike leads through thick forest before emerging and winding through the lower crags. The final third of this strenuous hike ascends through granite pinnacles with incredible views of Mount Shasta, Grey Rocks, and Castle Dome.

5.4-mile out-and-back hike along the Metolius River (northwest of Sisters) past gushing springs, beautiful flowers, and a the Wizard Fish Hatchery where you can feed the salmon

This 6.4-mile (RT), relatively flat hike, which leads through a lush rain forest, past dozens of spectacular waterfalls and basalt cliffs, is one of the most popular in the Columbia River Gorge.

2-mile (RT) hike, on the Washington side of the Columbia River, which climbs 848 feet to the summit of this basalt column which once formed the core of an ancient volcano. Despite its steep ascent, the handrails and switchbacks make it a fairly easy hike. From the top, there are expansive views of the gorge and its cliffs, as well as Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams.

5-mile (RT) hike through forests and over rocks to the 1576-foot summit of Little Si where there are phenomenal views of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley

3-mile hike from the north parking lot through a dense maple forest and down along the beach to the historic lighthouse

9.3-mile hike past the Fissures to Taft Point, then along the Pohono Trail to the summit of Sentinel Dome, then onto Glacier Point and back. Fantastic views along the way. While the rest of us hiked back to the car from Glacier Point and drove back to the Valley, Andrew, Tommy, and Celeste hiked the Four-Mile Trail down to the Valley instead.

2.6-mile (RT) steep hike up a series of switchbacks to an incredible view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between. The trailhead is at the Wawona Tunnel Overlook.

9.9-mile hike from North Pines campground, up the Mist Trail to Vernal and then Nevada Falls, and then down the John Muir Trail

9.5-mile hike from the Porcupine Creek Trailhead on Tiogo Road to North Dome. The views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Tenaya Canyon,and the Valley were breathtaking. On the way back we took the spur trail to Indian Rock, the only natural arch in Yosemite. While Tommy and I hiked back to the car and drove back to the Valley, Herb and Andrew took the trail through Tenaya Canyon down to the Valley instead (adding another 5 miles).
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6.3-mile, strenuous hike past May Lake to the summit of Mount Hoffman. The hike starts at 8,710 feet and climbs 2,000 feet, 1,500 of which are in the last mile and a half. The 360 degree panoramic view from the summit is breathtaking, with almost every major peak and feature in the park visible.

4-mile hike from the Ranger Station to the uniformly-shaped hexagonal basalt columns of the Devils Postpile, 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and the Red Meadow Shuttle Stop

4 1/2-mile Methuselah Trail from the Schulman Visitor Center past groves of the world's oldest living trees. The location of the Methuselah Tree, the oldest living tree in the world, estimated to be over 4,750 miles, is kept a secret for fear of someone cutting it down. The twisted and contorted shapes of these trees are both beautiful and a testament to their toughness in surviving adverse living conditions.

More of a walk than a hike, this 1/4 trail leads from the parking lot to the rim of the southernmost crater in a 25- mile chain of craters that stretches all the way to Mono Lake. This and the second crater on the walk are about 660 feet across and contain small lakes, with brilliantly-colored turquoise waters.

11.9-mile hike from the Vikingsholm Parking Lot, down 1 mile to the lakeshore and Vikingsholm Mansion in Emerald Bay State Park, and then 5 miles up and down along the shores of Emerald Bay to Calawee Cove in D. L. Bliss State Park. On the way back we took the side trip to the Old Lighthouse.

Along the dried up river bed and under the railroad bridge

3-mile round trip hike to the top of the California's second largest dune

1-mile (RT) hike to a massive rock span across an interesting the desert canyon. The gravel, often rough, spur road to the trailhead is located off Badwater Road.

2-mile round trip hike through the narrow canyons and golden badlands. For a longer hike, there are two options. From the end of Stop 10 on the interpretive trail, a marked trail leads to Zabriskie point, 2 1/2 miles (one way) from the trailhead with a 950-feet elevation gain. The other option is to make it a 4-mile loop by returning via Gower Gulch. Some rock scrambling is required via this route. The trailhead for Golden Canyon is located on Badwater Road.

Easy ½-mile walk into the canyon narrows, with walls of water-polished marble. It is located at the end of a 2-mile gravel road ¼ mile west of Stovepipe Wells Village.

Steep hike down from the rim to the bottom of a large volcanic crater, 600 feet deep and half a mile across. The hike back up is extremely exhausting because of its steepness and loose gravel. An alternative is to walk the 1 ½ miles around the rim.

1-mile loop trail along the interior of a rock-enclosed valley. Rock climbing is popular in this area

1.8-mile hike through a maze of spectacular rock formations. The loop can be started from several points along Park Boulevard and within the Jumbo Rocks Campground. The highlight of the hike is Skull Rock, a massive rock in the shape of a human skull.

1.3-mile loop to a dam and a small blue lake, whose stagnant waters look out upon a desert landscape. The dam was build over a century ago by ranchers in an attempt to collect some of the desert’s most vital resource, water.

3.5 mile (one way) steep trail to Gunsight Rock Overlook. With a 2,000 foot elevation gain, the hike is not for the faint of heart, but for those that make the climb, the views of wine country and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance are well worth it.

5.1-mile Half a Canoe Trail, which meanders down to the shores of the lake and then back up to the 1,100-foot high ridge with sweeping views of both lake arms.

2.4-mile round trip hike from the trailhead to Mirror Lake, which unfortunately is not really a lake anymore, but a dried up pool in Tenaya Creek. The actual highlights are the cairn garden and the view of Mt. Watkins, which rises above the far north end of Tenaya Canyon.

Very popular 2-mile (each way) hike to Rattlesnake Ledge tremendous views of the Snoqualmie Valley, Mount Si, Mount Washington, Rattlesnake Lake, and Chester Morse Lake. The hike begins in the town of North Bend, about 45 minutes east of Seattle.

Short hike to Mobius Arch, the arch that frames Mount Whitney in the iconic photographs of the mountain. The trailhead is on a turnout along Movie Flat Road.

5.5 mile out and back trail that begins at the Whitney Summit trailhead at the end of Whitney Portal Road and climbs along a series of switchbacks to Lone Pine Lake at 10,050 feet. The lake is surrounded by the imposing granite walls of Whitney Canyon. Although the trail mostly leads through forest, there are frequent openings with expansive views of the Owens Valley and the White Mountains to the east.

2 miles around the rim of a small, dormant crater with spectacular views of the Eastern Sierras, Mono Lake and the Mono Basin. A side trip leads down into the lava dome at the center of the volcano where there are bizarre rock formations and huge chunks of obsidian everywhere.

4.4-mile (round trip) hike to Lundy Canyon, through aspen groves, along Mill Creek, past beaver dams and two beautiful waterfalls. Most day hikers turn around before the trail goes steeply, and somewhat treacherously, along the scree on the canyon walls. To get to the trailhead from Lee Vining, drive 7 miles north on 395, turn left on Lundy Canyon Road, drive for 5 miles on a paved road to Lundy Lake, and then continue for another 2 miles on a dirt road to a parking lot.

3.8-mile (round trip) to a beautiful, crystal clear, deep blue lake at the foot of 12,861-foot, snow-covered Parker Peak. We hiked an additional mile around the lake. To get to the trailhead from the north end of the June Lake Loop, drive 1.3 miles along the Loop road, turn right onto Parker Lake Road, and continue on a dirt road for 2.4 miles to a parking lot.

6.1-mile (round trip) hike to Dog Lake and up the back slabby side of Lembert Dome. From the summit there are magnificent views of the Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.

2.5-mile out and back hike to the top of a flat-topped volcano and down into a series of canyon-like fissures, measuring from 20 to 50 foot deep and only a few feet wide. The fissures were created when Black Point erupted about 13,000 years ago when it was still beneath the waters of a much deeper Mono Lake. When the cinder and lava cooled and hardened under water, the top split open to form several hundred-yard-long cracks, or canyon-like fissures. When the waters of Mono Lake receded after the Ice Age, Black Point became a peninsula. It is the only fully exposed underwater volcano on earth.

6,000-acre park along the rugged northern California coast, about 90 miles north of San Francisco on State Highway 1, named for the cliffs and crevices where salt spray from the sea has crystallized in sandstone depressions forming intricate honeycomb-like network called tafoni.

8.8-mile loop hike in the Hoover Wilderness (just outside the eastern border of Yosemite) through High Sierra backcountry past eight alpine wonderland lakes

7.9-mile out and back hike to lovely Cathedral Lake, a lovely alpine lake surrounded by granite domes. With an elevation gain of 1,450 feet, the hike is moderately strenuous.

5.2-mile (RT) strenuous hike to the rim of the caldera at Lassen Peak (10,457 feet). On a clear day, one can see Mount Shasta about 100 miles to the north, giant Lake Almanor to the southeast, and the Devastated Area from the eruption 100 years ago below.

4.1-mile out and back hike to a picturesque waterfall. Just past the overlook, two footbridges cross above
the falls before continuing to Conard Meadows.

3.6-mile (RT) hike to the summit of Gray Butte near Mount Shasta. From the summit there are spectacular views of Castle Crags and the Trinity Alps to the west and, of course, Mount Shasta to the north.

3-mile out and back hike from Castle Lake to remote Heart Lake, with outstanding views of Mt. Shasta and Castle Lake below.

6.7-mile hike in North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park with gorgeous views of the Santa Rosa Plain and surrounding peaks

5.7-mile loop hike to beautiful Limantour Beach.

Strenuous, 7.2 mile round-trip hike (half of which on snow-covered slippery trails) to the top of Yosemite Falls, 2,425 feet above the Valley floor. There are spectacular views from Columbia Rock, located one mile from the trailhead, and the Yosemite Falls Overlook on top. Allow 6 to 8 hours for the hike.

Steep south trail down to Black's Beach. This trail, which begins just south of the Glider Port, is better maintained than the north trail, in that it has steps and handrails in the steeper segments. The trail is about 1,000 feet long and have an elevation loss of about 320 feet

15.5 mile hike from the Four Mile Trailhead on the Valley Floor up 3,200 feet to Glacier Point, then down the Panorama Trail to the top of Nevada Falls, and finally down to the Valley via the Mist Trail.

3.1-mile stroll along the Tuolumne River past the historic Parsons Lodge, McCauley Cabin, and Soda Springs.

8.5-mile (RT) hike to three very swimmable alpine lakes. A short side trail near the junction with the Clouds Rest trail leads to an incredible view of Half Dome, Tenaya Canyon, and Yosemite Valley.

7.6-mile hike from the Tuolumne Meadows Campground to Dog Lake and up the back slabby side of Lembert Dome. From the summit there are magnificent views of the Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.

13-mile out-and-back trail along the reservoir past lovely, free flowing Wapama Falls and onto the terraced cascades of Rancheria Falls.

7.5-mile, 2,236-foot elevation gain hike with wonderful views of the pinnacle rock formations that give the park its name. We chose to take the “Steep and Narrow” section of the High Peaks Trail, which led us through narrow passageways, and up and over steep rock formations, with near-vertical drop-offs just off to side. Fortunately, in the more precarious sections there were steps cut into the rock to form staircases and handrails to grip onto.

9.8-mile, 1,885-foot elevation gain hike to the Balconies on the west side of the park, with views of pinnacles and interesting rock formations along the way

1-mile loop from atop the Blue Mesa down a paved path through the beautiful, blue-, gray-, and white-striped badlands of the Painted Desert, with colorful petrified logs scattered along the edges of the trail.

2.4-mile loop hike from the Rainbow Forest Museum to the Agate House, an 8-room building constructed entirely of chunks of colorful petrified wood. Archaeologists believe that it was occupied between 1050 and 1300 by ancient Pueblo people. The Long Logs loop passes some of the largest specimens of petrified trees in the park – some as long as 116 feet.

An "Off the Beaten Path" 2.3-mile loop hike to a butte with a solar marker petroglyph, which appears sliced in half (half light / half shade) during the summer solstice sunrise. In addition to the solar marker, there are many other petroglyphs, most of them geometric patterns, but plenty of birds and four-legged animals as well. The trailhead is located at a dirt pullout just before the Dry Wash Bridge near milepost 22.

3.7-mile (RT) hike from the Borrego Springs Campground to the Borrego Palm Oasis, one of the largest and last remaining naturally occurring native California palm groves on the planet

5.4-mile (RT) hike into a narrow canyon to the hidden Maidenhair Falls oasis

1.3-mile (RT) hike along the Fish Creek Wash to the wind caves, a collection of sandstone formations with wind-eroded pockets, some of them large enough to crawl through and sit in. From the wind caves there is a spectacular view of the Carrizo Badlands below.

2.3-mile (RT) hike from Coyote Canyon up a steep trail to a lovely view of Coyote Canyon and the surrounding mountains.

Short 0.6-mile (RT) from the Hellhole Canyon Trailhead into a small canyon. This hike is best when the wildflowers are blooming.

This hike down a steep ravine into a narrow slot canyon is probably the best hike in the park. After exiting the canyon on the other side, we continued our hike along a Jeep road with great scenery, making it a longer 3.3-mile hike.

1.9-mile hike in the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge on the southern shores of the Salton Sea. . From atop the hill, there was a great view of the Salton Sea, as well as numerous birds to observe.

1.8-mile (RT) hike in Blair Valley to a rock with ancient pictographs (which I confess to never finding). The trail continues on through a narrow canyon to the brink of a dry waterfall with a panoramic view of the far off mountains and the Vallecito Valley.

2.3-mile (RT) challenging hike up the steep, shifting sand to the summit. During the steepest parts of the hike, the sand avalanches in rivulets and begins to sing. This “singing sand” phenomena, resulting from the friction of the sand grains sliding against each other, sounds like the bass note of a pipe organ. The views at the top are worth the struggle to get there.

From the Altstadt to the Museum of Modern Art atop the Monchsberg, and then along the top and down to the Augustiner Braustubl

2-mile (RT) hike from the Salat boat ferry dock (at the southern end of Konigsee) to the Obersee, a pristine alpine lake and on to the Rothbachfall, Germany's largest waterfall

13.5-mile (with a 4800-foot elevation gain) hike from the campground to the summit of Mt. Jenner and back. From the viewpoint on Mt. Jenner’s summit (1874 meters) there are spectacular views of the Konigsee and over a 100 German and Austrian snow-covered mountain peaks, including the Watzmann.

6.1-mile (RT) walk from the San Michele campground down to the town of Levanto where we strolled along the beach and the waterfront before exploring the town.

9-miles of stunningly beautiful scenery up and down a steep rocky trail from Montorosso to Vernazza to Corniglia ("tre" of the "cinque" towns). It involves steep climbing up rough stone stairs and walking on loose rocky surfaces. We could only go as far as Corniglia because the trail to the two further towns is closed, because of damage from a devastating flood in 2011. We took the train from Corniglia back to Levanto

12-mile (RT) hike, with a 2,000 foot elevation gain, from the campground, along the Bahnweg to Zermatt, up the Sunnegga-Rothorn funicular, and along the AHV-Weg fpr fabulous views of the Matterhorn, before descending back down into the village of Zermatt and back to the campground

3.6-mile exploration of Tasch - campground to Schalisee, up and along the Hohenweg above Tasch, and back down into the village

8.8-mile hike with a 4,200-foot elevation loss from the top of the Mannlichen cable car station to Kleine Scheidegg and then back to Grindelwald. From Mannlichen, we followed a well-traveled trail for 3 miles down to Kleine Scheidegg, with the majestic Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains laid out before us the entire way. The remaining 5.8 miles were through lovely meadows and verdant pastures, accompanied by the melody of cowbells.

Hike 8.8 miles (RT) with a 4,000-foot elevation gain from Camping Rutti to the alpine villages of Gimmelwald and Murren.

7.1-mile hike around Lauterbrunnen Valley, the valley of 72 waterfalls, stopping along the way to tour Trummelbach Falls

6-mile (RT) hike along Murphy Creek to Polly Dome Lakes

2.1-mile stroll along the Tuolumne River past the historic Parsons Lodge, McCauley Cabin, and Soda Springs.

1.7-mile hike along the rim of the canyon and then down 200 feet along a series of switchbacks to Annie's Creek. From there, the trail followed the creek, crossing several bridges before climbing once again out of the canyon. The wildflowers alongside the trail were beautiful.

3.8-mile out-and-back, fairly strenuous hike from the Crater Lake Lodge along a ridge to Garfield Peak, with tremendous views of Crater Lake and the surrounding mountains along the way. From the 8,060-foot summit the views of Crater Lake and the Phantom Ship are even better.
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4.5-mile hike with 1,000 feet of elevation gain down and along the Crooked River, up the Misery Ridge switchbacks, back down to the river, and then back up to the parking lot.

7.5 mile (RT) hike with an 1,800 foot elevation gain to the summit of a cinder cone. It took us through a forest, along hillsides with grazing sheep, goats, and cattles, and eventually up to the soft grassy summit of the cinder cone, where there are breathtaking views of Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Kohala.

1.5 mile (RT) hike to Ke-awa-iki Beach along a a'a lava trail. Because Herb was sick, we did not continue on to the Golden Pools of Ke-awa-iki.

1-mile (RT) hike from the Mauna Kea Visitor Center (at 6 mile point) to the summit of Sunset Hill where there are nice views of the surrounding area.

2.3-mile loop from the Visitor Center along the Sulphur Banks trail, past the Steam Vents, on to a viewpoint at the edge of the massive Kilauea Caldera of the Halema’uma’u Crater., and back to the Visitor Center via the Ilahi Trail.

4-mile loop from the Kilauea Iki Overlook down through a fern forest to the crater floor, 400 feet below, with several viewpoints into the crater along the way. The descent into the crater is somewhat steep, but there are steps carved into the trail in spots and a few railings to hold onto to ease the way. A series of cairns marks the route across the floor of the crater.

8-mile loop from the 10,000-foot high Visitor Center to the floor of the Haleakala Crater. The trail descends 2,400 feet fairly evenly over a span of 4 miles. The colorful scenery along the way is awesome.

2.5-mile out-and-back hike along an old jeep road than a trail, with great views of the 300-foot high columnar red cliffs the park is known for and the El Paso Mountains in the distance

1-mile loop hike past beautiful sandstone cliffs and interesting rock formations,

4.5-mile, out-and-back hike to a beautiful alpine lake set in a hanging cirque. The trailhead is at 10,200 feet and the lake is another 1,000 feet higher, so altitude makes it a bit challenging.

6-mile, out-and-back hike along the southern shore of Mono Lake in search of sand tufas

2 miles around the rim of a small, dormant crater with spectacular views of the Eastern Sierras, Mono Lake and the Mono Basin. A side trip leads down into the lava dome at the center of the volcano where there are bizarre rock formations and huge chunks of obsidian everywhere.

6-mile, out and back trail from the Buckeye Campground, with somewhat a false advertising as we only got anywhere near the creek by bushwhacking down to it after 2.5 miles.

Very popular (and crowded) 2-mile (RT) hike to a waterfall and a lovely lake. The trail was what our guide book called a “designer” path with stairs cut out of granite and an elaborate wooden bridge crossing over the top of the falls. After the bridge, the trail got a bit rougher and climbed quite steeply to reach the rocky shores of Eagle Lake.

1.5-mile (out-and-back) hike over a sandy ridge to the edge of a cliff overlooking a sharp, dramatic bend in the Colorado River. There are no guardrails and the drop to the river is 1,000 feet, making it a bit intimidating to get close enough to view the entire river rounding the rocky peninsula.

Hike up the wash through interesting rock formations across from our campsite

From the boat to the rock formations of the Waterpocket Fold

Hike from the end of Forgotten Canyon to the Defiance House Ruins, a 700-year-old Anasazi dwelling. The site consisted of two dwellings, a ceremonial kiva, and several kitchen pits, which have been restored by the National Park Service. There is also a large pictograph of three warriors “defiantly” waving their clubs and shields in an apparent duel.

From the boat up to a ridge overlooking the San Juan Arm and the main channel (Colorado River)

1-mile hike to the largest natural bridge in the world - 290 feet tall and 270 feet across. The bridge which was created by water flowing from the Navajo Mountains eroding the sandstone on its way down to the Colorado River. At 290 feet tall and 270 meters across, it is the largest natural bridge in the world.

8-mile hike with a 2,300-foot elevation gain to a lovely alpine lake and then up a rocky ravine and across a talus field to the base of Unicorn Peak

3.5-mile (RT) hike up to another one of Tuolumne's lovely alpine lakes, with views of Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs in the distance.

1.5 mile stroll across a footbridge over the Tuolumne River to a rocky beach along its shore, with wonderful views of Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, and Echo Peaks to the south and Lembert Dome to the north, enhanced greatly by the wine and cheese in our cooler.

1.2-mile (RT) hike to the top of Pothole Dome. From the top, there are superb views of the Tuolumne River flowing through the meadow, as well as many of Tuolumne’s famous domes and peaks, such as Fairview Dome, Lembert Dome, Mount Dana, and Mount Gibbs.

3-mile out-and-back hike from our campsite along the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River, on the Pacific Crest / John Muir Trail

14-mile (RT) epic hike to the summit of Clouds Rest. The last 300 yards of the hike require walking across a narrow and precipitously edged ridge composed of piled sheets of granite resembling huge stacks of pancakes or a line of toppled dominoes, with terrifying drop offs on either side. The 360 degree views from the summit are worth it as all of Yosemite is sprawled out before you -Half Dome looming over Tenaya Canyon, North Dome, Mt. Hoffman, Yosemite Valley, the Clark Range, and all the Yosemite top hits. It was breathtaking.

3-mile hike from the Canyon Creek Trailhead to "The Sinks." It’s called “the Sinks” because in dry years or in late summer, the water from the creek disappears under a pile of debris from a rock fall (“the Sinks”) just upstream and then reappears at the downstream end of the island.

8.5-mile hike through forests and meadows, past three waterfalls, and across granite slabs to a lovely alpine lake

5.5 mile back back across the granite slabs above the Canyon Creek Lakes to the Boulder Creek Lakes junction and then up a steep, rocky trail to Boulder Creek Lakes

On the shores of a lovely alpine lake set in a granite basin, with rugged peaks surrounding it. Along the lake shore are many rocky shelves to sunbathe on and swim from.

9-mile hike back down the rugged, rocky trail to the Boulder Creek Lakes junction, and then back through forests and meadows and past waterfalls to the parking lot

5.5-mile round trip hike, starting at 9,500 feet and climbing over 1,000 feet past five small alpine lakes amidst a backdrop of colorful 12,000+ feet mountain peaks. When ranking trails on the basis of scenery per mile, this one was certainly a winner.

4-mile out-and-back hike with an 800-foot elevation gain, past several lakes before arriving at Crystal Lake, tucked in a hollow below 10,377-foot Crystal Crag.

4.5-mile out-and-back hike to an amazing and unique geological feature on the shores of the lake. These mysterious columns, each about 15 to 20 feet high and connected by high arches, look like an ancient Moorish temple.

3.5-mile out-and-back hike to a canyon with petroglyphs. This hike would not have been possible without the GPS coordinates given in the “Mojave Guide Book,” as there is no trail into Picture Canyon.

3-mile out-and-back hike from the Piute Gorge Overlook (mile 31.4) down into a canyon in search of the Piute Spring. Although we never found the spring itself, it wasn’t too tough to realize we were near, as the dry barren desert was replaced with the lush greenery of willows and cottonwoods along the Piute Creek.

1.3-mile loop hike down a ravine to the second spring along the east-west Mojave Road route. As at the other springs, this too was the site of a military outpost from 1866 - 1867 to protect the U.S. Mail and supply route across the desert. At the beginning of the hike there is an interesting stone structure called the Rock House, made from rocks in the surrounding area. It was built in 1929 by a man named Bert George Smith, who was recovering from exposure to poison gas during World War I. He thought the desert environment would help him regain his health. Well, I guess he was right, because although we was expected to not survive long, he lived in this house for 25 years.

Short 3/4-mile hike (mile 79.0) from a parking lot along the Aiken Cinder Mine Road to and down into a lava tube. There is a metal ladder to help you climb down into the tube.

2-mile hike up into Tahquitz Canyon to a 50-foot waterfall (dry this time of year). The canyon is part of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation, so there is a $12.50 fee to hike

2-mile hike starting at the end of the Aerial Tram with great views. There are five notches along the way where you get different views of the valley below. By far the best view was at Notch 3.

9.6-mile (RT) strenuous hike from the Valley Floor up 3,200 feet to Glacier Point and back down again with tremendous views of Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and more along the way. Unfortunately, snow forced us to turn around at Union Point, making it a 7 mile hike.

Strenuous, 7.2 mile round-trip hike to the top of Yosemite Falls, 2,425 feet above the Valley floor. There are spectacular views from Columbia Rock, located one mile from the trailhead, and the Yosemite Falls Overlook on top. Allow 6 to 8 hours for the hike.

Steep south trail down to Black's Beach. This trail, which begins just south of the Glider Port, is better maintained than the north trail, in that it has steps and handrails in the steeper segments. The trail is about 1,000 feet long and have an elevation loss of about 320 feet

2.5-mile (RT) hike down the road to the Point Loma tide pools (part of Cabrillo National Monument), where we clambered around on the rocks looking for tiny crustaceans, fish, and other sea life that live in these pools.

Scrambling over boulders in a canyon in the Sierra de la Giganta

2.5-mile hike along the San Andreas Fault and up to a steep ridge overlooking the dry creek bed. From there you can see the two almost 90-degree bends in the creek bed, which were caused by a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in 1857, in which the Pacific plate moved 30 feet past the North American plate.

5-mile hike along the flower-covered hills past beautiful California Poppies, Goldfields, Lupines, and much more

7-mile, 1,100 elevation gain loop up Gower Gulch to the Badlands to Zabriskie Point and back down along the golden badlands and narrow canyons of the Golden Canyon trail. The trailhead for Golden Canyon is located on Badwater Road.

1-mile (RT) hike to a massive rock span across an interesting the desert canyon. The gravel, often rough, spur road to the trailhead is located off Badwater Road.

2 ¼-mile hike around the rim of Ubehebe Crater, including a short side trip to Little Hebe Crater.

4.5-mile hike along the refurbished Caminito del Rey. The new boardwalk built o replace the precarious concrete one is wide and had handrails. Hanging off the gorge walls 100 meters above the river, the path snakes around dramatic cliffs, providing breathtaking views around every turn. The only heart-stopping part of the hike was the final stretch when we crossed a long suspension bridge over the gorge through which the winds fiercely whipping, causing the bridge to swing quite a bit. The incredible views of the ravine and the valley beyond were a good distraction.

The 7.5-mile trail runs alongside the Cares Gorge (nicknamed the Divine Gorge) along an amazing footpath hacked out of the cliff face, at the edge of the 1,000 meter deep gorge. At times the trail is rather narrow and a bit precariously close to the edge. It is considered to be one of the most breathtaking trekking trails in all of Europe. The trail goes through Picos de Europa National Parque from the town of Poncebos in the north to Cain in the South.

3-mile (RT) hike to its summit by taking a path from Mari Street in San Sebastian’s Old Town Port Area. At the top you are rewarded with the Castillo de La Mota, a 12th-century fortress; a 40-foot-tall statue of Christ looking out over the harbor; and stunning viewpoints of the Old Town and La Concha Bay.

Awesome 7.5 mile (out and back) hike to from Point Lligat to the Cap de Creus lighthouse. The trail goes through old olive orchards and along a craggy ridge with awesome views the turquoise waters of horseshoe-shaped Cadaques Bay and its many lovely swimming coves. The turnaround point is the lighthouse, at the easternmost point of Spain.

½-mile trail providing a magnificent overview of the painted hills

1.5 mile (RT) hike up a few hundred feet to a rimrock ridge for a birds eye view of the entire area of painted hills. The trail starts from the parking area for the Overlook Trail

1/4-mile stroll through an area of dark red and gold claystone hills

3.35-mile hike, with 760-feet elevation gain, to an overlook with breath-taking views down into the steep canyons and grand vistas of the John Day River valley

1.3-mile hike along the canyon floor through blue-green badlands. Exhibits and fossil replicas along the trail tell the story of the fossil landscape.

1/2-mile stroll ending at a dramatic cliff face and view of colorful geological formations

½-mile (eachy way) hike up a steep dirt road from the Wildhorse Lake Overlook parking lot to the true summit of Steens Mountain. From the top there are incredible panoramic view, including of the Alvord Desert where we had camped last night.

1.3 mile hike from our campsite up a side canyon, along the rim overlooking our Frenchglen and the Donner and Blitzen River, and then back down to our campground.

1 1/2-mile hike along the boulders and cliffs facing the lake to view the many petroglyphs etched on the rocks. The best ones are at the far end of the cliff, about 0.8 miles from the parking area.

Very nice, free BLM campground 4 miles to the south of the visitor center, with a great natural hot spring surrounded by a cinder-block privacy wall

2-mile hike (each way) along the rim from Crater Lake Lodge to the Discovery Point Lookout

1.6-mile hike (out and back) from the south end of the parking area up a series of switchbacks to the Watchman Fire tower and panoramic views of the lake.

10.5-miles hike (each way), with 3,700 feet of elevation gain, and several miles of bushwhacking to the Diving Board of Half Dome, where Ansel Adams took his famous photograph: “Monolith, Face of Half Dome” in 1927

4.5-mile (RT) hike up the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, hoping to meet up with Herb coming down from the Half Dome "Diving Board"

3 mile out and back hike down the Old Big Flat Road to a grove of Giant Sequoias. At the bottom, a short loop path passes through the base of the tunnel tree and continues past several other giant sequoia, both alive and dead. I actually crawled through the inside of the trunk of a dead one. From there we hiked back up the road to the parking lot.

Amazing 8-mile hike with 1,900 elevation gain from South Lake to Long Lake, and around Chocolate Peak past 4 more lovely alpine lakes.

3-mile trail around a lovely alpine lake with crystal clear water, golden aspen trees along its shoreline, and the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

10-mile hike (2,500 foot elevation gain) past Pothole, Gilbert and Flower Lakes to 11,766 foot high Kearsarge Pass and stunning views of the Kearsarge Pinnacles and Kearsarge Lakes of Kings Canyon

Short 0.6-mile hike to Mobius Arch, the arch that frames Mount Whitney in the iconic photographs of the mountain. The trailhead is on a turnout along Movie Flat Road.

Incredibly beautiful 13-mile hike (1,500 foot elevation gain) from Horseshoe Meadow up through a pine forest to a loop with 5 stunningly beautiful alpine lakes.

7.5 km hike from the top of the Funicular de Sant Joan (part of "Tot" ticket) to Sant Jeroni, Montserrat's highest peak. The views of the basilica below from atop the funicular and the rock formations along the trail to Sant Jeroni were stunning.

Mile and a half stroll along the Bluff Trail at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, with stunning views and interesting driftwood benches to sit on. The Preserve is a 364-acre property with 11 trails, bounded on each side by lovely residential areas.

1.5-mile (RT) hike from the Sheep Canyon campground to a spring grotto with a waterfall and tree-shaded pool. No real trail so we got lost several times.

2-mile out-and-back hike from our campsite to the Mud Palisades at the end of the Olla Wash

5-mile hike in the Mecca Hills Wilderness Area of southern California. The trail is a loop that passes through a slot canyon, climbs up to a ridge, then returns along the bottom of Big Painted Canyon. Elevation gain is 967 feet and the hike takes between 2-3 hours.

1-mile out-and-back hike from the Owl Campground along a wash to a cave

Scampering up and down the colorful rock formations along the scenic loop road during Golden Hour

2-mile walk along the marshland and up the road along the slope of the mountain. Stopped to observe pupfish in the pond

3-mile hike up and along the ridges of the pristine Ibex Dunes at Golden Hour

2-mile (RT) challenging hike up the steep, shifting sand to the summit. During the steepest parts of the hike, the sand avalanches in rivulets and begins to sing. This “singing sand” phenomena, resulting from the friction of the sand grains sliding against each other, sounds like the bass note of a pipe organ. The views at the top are worth the struggle to get there.

5-mile, 2,000-feet elevation gain, hike up a mile of switchbacks, climbing about 1,700 to the Druid Stone Boulder field with awesome views of Bishop and the Owens Valley, the White Mountains to the east, and the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west. From there we added on the 3-mile loop Druid loop before hiking back down the steep switchbacks.

Numerous daily wanderings along the Valley - Ahwahnee Meadow, Yosemite Falls, Cooks Meadow, El Cap Meadow, Valley View, Bridalveil Falls, Cathedral Beach, Sentinel Beach, and much more

11.5-mile (RT) strenuous hike from the Valley Floor up 3,200 feet to Glacier Point and back down again with tremendous views of Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and more along the way.

2.6-mile (RT) steep hike up a series of switchbacks to an incredible view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between. The trailhead is at the Wawona Tunnel Overlook.

2-mile out-and-back hike to 48-foot high, 56-foot wide arch

From the boat up to a ridge overlooking the San Juan Arm and the main channel (Colorado River)

2.5-miles from our boat to the rock formations of the Waterpocket Fold

2.5-mile hike around the perimeter of Tenaya Lake, an absolutely stunning glacial sapphire-blue lake, surrounded by glacially-carved granite domes

10.5-mile hike from Coldwater Campground near Lake Mary in the Mammoth Lakes Basin over Duck Pass to Duck Lake. The hike goes past three lovely alpine lakes (Arrowhead, Skelton, and Barney before arriving at Duck Pass, where we continued our hike along a ridge overlooking Duck Lake

There are two short trails in the area. We set off first on the quarter-mile long Timberline Ancients trail, which loops through the grove containing the Patriarch Tree, the world’s largest bristlecone pine. Afterwards, we took the half-mile long Cottonwood Basin Overlook trail, which led up to a vista point looking out over Cottonwood Basin and back overlooking the Patriarch Grove.

4 1/2-mile Methuselah Trail from the Schulman Visitor Center past groves of the world's oldest living trees. The location of the Methuselah Tree, the oldest living tree in the world, estimated to be over 4,750 miles, is kept a secret for fear of someone cutting it down. The twisted and contorted shapes of these trees are both beautiful and a testament to their toughness in surviving adverse living conditions.

7.6-mile out-and-back hike with 1,534 feet elevation gain. The trail starts near the Lake Sabrina damn and leads past Lake Sabrina and onto Blue Lake. The views along the way are breathtaking.

8.8-mile loop hike in the Hoover Wilderness (just outside the eastern border of Yosemite) through High Sierra backcountry past eight alpine wonderland lakes

Beautiful 4.8-mile, 1,050-foot elevation hike through the stunning red-colored, hardened-mud fins and monoliths of the Fisher Towers, which look more like ornate baroque architecture than geological formations.

5-mile, out-and-back hike along a perennial stream, past Navajo sandstone cliffs, to an impressive 243-foot natural bridge.

5.6-mile, out-and-back hike with 1,550 feet elevation gain from our Gooseberry Campsite up to an overlook at Islands in the Sky.

7.5 miles with a 1,330-foot elevation gain passed four pictograph walls - the High Gallery, Horseshoe Shelter, Alcove Gallery, and the real gem, the Great Gallery, a large and well-preserved panel of intricately beautiful human and animal figures, about 15 feet above the ground, stretching over 120 feet along the smooth slickrock wall, covered with 75 pictographs in shades of dark red, brown, and white.

Incredible 10.7-mile fairly strenuous hike with a 1,050 foot elevation gain along and Upper Muley Twist canyon wash and up to and along the ridge of the Waterpocket Fold. The views along the way were breathtaking - colorful Strike Valley to the east, the white sandstone domes of Capitol Reef to the north, and the red Wingate sandstone canyon walls to the West.

Hike from the end of Forgotten Canyon to the Defiance House Ruins, a 700-year-old Anasazi dwelling. The site consisted of two dwellings, a ceremonial kiva, and several kitchen pits, which have been restored by the National Park Service. There is also a large pictograph of three warriors “defiantly” waving their clubs and shields in an apparent duel.

1-mile (each way) along a wash to an incredible grouping of bright white hoodoos. These particular hoodoos (also called spires, columns, pillars, and even goblins) were formed from a relatively soft, bright white entrada sandstone with a harder layer of dakota sandstone protecting them from erosion. Over millions of years, weathering has created these amazing formations. The brown caps of stone atop the towers are the harder, less easily erodable dakota sandstone.

½-mile loop through the a grove of redwoods past the Founders Tree, which is a memorial to the Save-the-Redwoods-League, and the Dyerville Giant, which was once the tallest tree in this region, clocking in at 370 feet, until it fell back in 1991.

1-mile (each way) walk from Coquille Point to Face Rock past the stunning, uniquely shaped sea stacks, such as Wizard’s Hat.

6-mile hike from the campground up a sandy trail through a conifer forest, out on the open dunes past tree islands, and eventually through a lovely, thick forest to the beach - and back, of course

3-mile hike up and down through forests along the Woodland, Walnut, and Overlook trails

5-mile hike through a lush forest of huge Douglas firs, Sitka spruce, western hemlock and red-cedar, with lots of ferns and mosses; past Willaby Falls, and along the shores of lovely lake

1.25-mile stroll along a sandy, driftwood-covered beach, admiring the sea stacks along the way.

1.5-mile stroll along a lovely cobblestone beach, with more driftwood and interesting sea stacks. One of particular interest had two holes in it making for great photo opportunities.

Stroll through a lovely dense forest to a sandy beach with a rocky headland to the north and a large,tree-topped sea stack just offshore.

6.6-mile hike from the campground through a lush conifer forest to a beautiful waterfall and then back through more forest.

Only a partial hike 2 miles up the trail to a viewing point of El Cap, where we hoped to photograph the Firefall. We did!

4.2-mile (RT) hike from Happy Isles to the top of Vernal Falls via the Mist Trail and down via the John Muir Trail.

5-mile, 800-foot elevation gain loop up Gower Gulch to the Badlands and back down along the golden badlands and narrow canyons of the Golden Canyon trail. The trailhead for Golden Canyon is located on Badwater Road.

3.5 mile sunset hike on the backside of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, starting from the Historic Stovepipe Well. In winter the lighting at sunset is better on this side of the dunes.

2.5-mile sunrise hike from the main parking area to the top of the Star Dune, the tallest of the dunes at Mesquite Flat. From there we looked down on a series of pyramid-shaped dunes that changed in color from beige to gold as the sun rose. They were absolutely stunning. In winter, the lighting is best from this side of the dunes at sunrise.

Steep hike down from the rim to the bottom of a large volcanic crater, 600 feet deep and half a mile across. The hike back up is extremely exhausting because of its steepness and loose gravel.

2 ¼-mile hike around the rim of Ubehebe Crater, including a short side trip to Little Hebe Crater.

1-mile sunset stroll out onto the salt flats to photograph the sale polygons in the low light.

4-mile hike with a 937-foot elevation gain into the canyon narrows, with walls of water-polished marble and blue-gray conglomerate rock. The best examples of polished marble occur in the first quarter mile into the hike. At about a half mile, the canyon opens up to an expansive gravel wash, marking the top of the lower canyon, and the place where many people turn around, making it a very rewarding, short 1-mile hike. From this point on, the canyon narrows again and there are more examples of the “mosaic” conglomerate rocks on the canyon walls. Also, there were more and more boulders providing obstacles to climb over. Eventually, we came to a 20-foot dry falls totally blocking our passage. However, we found a bypass around it, which still was a bit sketchy. At the two mile point, we really came to the end of the road at a 30-foot dry falls. Time to turn around, this time maneuvering down the slippery boulders.

6-mile hike around the perimeter of the Point Lobos Nature Reserve, which connects a number of trails to view some of the park’s best highlights

Short 0.6-mile stroll from the Soberanes Canyon Trailhead along a path overlooking the rocky outcrops and sea stacks of Soberanes Cove to a picturesque wooden bridge over the Soberanes Creek, with a lovely two-tiered waterfall beneath it.

Short, out-and-back hike (with some rock scrambling) into a fault-formed valley with sedimentary and sandstone rocks on the left (southwest side) and granitic rock on the right (northeast side)

1-mile, out-and-back hike up and wash and through a beautiful slot canyon with smooth white, sculpted wavy walls. This slot canyon is considered to be one of the best in California

1-mile, out-and-back hike up and wash under an arch and through another slot canyon. The walls of this slot canyon were a bit rougher than the Calcite Slot Canyon and had conglomerate rocks embedded in its walls.

1/4-mile loop through a dense concentration of Cholla Cactus. It is located on the Pinto Basin Road where the upper Mojave Desert meets the lower Colorado Desert.

3-mile, out-and-back hike with a 350-foot elevation gain to a lovely fan palm oasis

3-mile, out-and-back hike with a 1,000-foot elevation gain to the 5,457-foot summit of Ryan Mountain where there is a tremendous 360 degree panoramic view of the jumbled rock formations and Joshua tree forests that surround the peak, as well as the far off San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountains.

4.5-mile hike across rocky terrain and washes and then steeply up a red cinder cone to the giant peace sign

Short 1-mile hike on the Saline Valley Sand Dunes, a pristine and rarely visited set of dunes with the 10,000-foot Inyo Mountains as a backdrop. They are much smaller and intimate than the other dunes in the park - the tallest being only about 40 feet, making them much easier to climb.

1.5-mile hike along a small alkaline lake at the bottom of Saline Valley, where there are interesting salt crystal fomrations along its shoreline. In the early 1900s, salt was mined here, and transported by a Tramway over the Inyo Mountains to the Owens Valley. Some tramway towers and the structure across the lake are all that remain.

7-mile hike with 1,400-foot elevation gain from near the mouth of Titus Canyon, across the alluvial fan deposits along the base of the Grapevine Mountains, down a steep path to a large wash, and into the mouth of Fall Canyon, with its colorful striated walls of orange and black dolomite and limestone. As we progressed, the passage up the canyon got narrower and narrower. After 3.4 miles, we came to a dead end, where a dryfall blocked any further progress up the canyon. So instead of scrambling up rocks, we hiked back from whence we came.

3-mile, out-and-back hike to Lower and Upper Darwin Falls, idyllic waterfalls fed by a perennial creek, in the deep, lush narrows of Darwin Canyon. Some rock climbing skills are helpful for the part between the Lower and Upper Falls.
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8.2-mile hike with a 950-foot elevation gain starting from a trailhead at the end of a 6-mile bumpy 4WD road. From the trailhead parking lot it is a 3.7-mile hike across a rocky, sandy flat just to get to the base of the dunes. From there we climbed up a steep ridge towards the summit of the highest dune, as far as we could before being stopped by a fierce wind and the need to get back before dark.

Short 0.6-mile hike to Mobius Arch, the arch that frames Mount Whitney in the iconic photographs of the mountain. The trailhead is on a turnout along Movie Flat Road.

4.5-mile hike across rocky terrain and washes and then steeply up a red cinder cone to the giant peace sign

2.3-mile (RT) challenging hike up the steep, shifting sand to the summit. During the steepest parts of the hike, the sand avalanches in rivulets and begins to sing. This “singing sand” phenomena, resulting from the friction of the sand grains sliding against each other, sounds like the bass note of a pipe organ. The views at the top are worth the struggle to get there.

7.2 miles, with 500-foot elevation gain, hike to the remote Hidden Dunes. For the first 3 miles we walked on firm, rocky “desert pavement.” At 3 miles, we crossed through a gap between two mountains, and were upon the Hidden Dunes, which stretch for over 2 miles to the South. We climbed the ridge of the first dune to its summit before returning.

1-mile trail along a bluff between Pebble Beach and Bean Hollow State Beach, with opportunities to go down to tide pools along the way.

Scampering up and down the colorful rock formations along the scenic loop road during Golden Hour

3-mile hike (out-and-back) from visitor center parking lot, past Mather Point, and on to Yavapai Point, one of the best places to watch the sunset from the South Rim

3.6-mile out-and-back hike with a 1,425 loss and then gain to two stunning viewpoints: Aah-Ooh Point and Cedar Ridge

After taking the shuttle from Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest, we hiked 7.5 miles back past Pima Point, Monument Creek Vista, the Abyss, and Mojave Point to Hopi Point for sunset. Afterwards we walked the short distance to Powell Point to catch the shuttle back to Grand Canyon Village.

This 3.2-mile trail starts from the Visitor Center along the road and then down a fairly steep, very sandy trail to a wash. From there it was a mostly level hike around the iconic West Mitten Butte across sand dunes and more washes, with good views of the neighboring cliffs and pinnacles.

3.5-mile hike through the remote Bisti Badlands to several unique rock formations, such as Manta Ray, Conversing Hoodoos and Stone Wings. There are no trails or signs, so GPS is definitely required

3.4-mile hike in the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area to the King of Wings hoodoo. There are no trails or signs so GPS is required to find it. Our hike led us across a grassy desert plain and beautiful greenish badlands to the King of Wings, a large boulder balanced atop a clay pedestal with the boulder extending 10 feet beyond the pedestal creating what looks like a giant wing.

3.75-mile hike in the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area through the Valley of Dreams, where dozens of hoodoos are scattered about on a low, yellow hill.Highlights included the tall white formations with golden tops, the petrified wood lying amongst them, and, of course, the Alien Throne, a hoodoo with a lattice of windows between its sturdy base and hard cap. As with the other hikes in the Bisti Wilderness, there are no trails or signs, so GPS is required.

5.2-mile loop hike (which we turned into a 9 mile one) up through a narrow crevasse in the cliff to the plateau above the canyon to various points of interest: Pueblo Bonito Overlook, the ancient ruins of Nuevo Alto and Pueblo Alto, and Chetro Ketl Overlook

5 ½- mile stroll along the pedestrian walkway which loops around the Acropolis, with side trips up Mars Hill, into the Ancient Agora, and through the Anafiotika neighborhood

Hike up the knobby, windswept hill near the western entrance to the Acropolis for great views of the Acropolis. Climbing to the top of this small hill was pretty precarious in that the stone stairs and the rocks on top are so slippery, polished smooth by the crowds of people that walk on them each day.

6-miles and close to 1,000 feet of evelcatin gain
5.5-mile hike from our hotel, through downtown Athens, and up to the top of Lycabettus Hill, the cone-shaped mountain visible from almost anywhere you are in Athens. It is the tallest of the seven hills of Athens. From the summit, there are wonderful views of all of Athens, right to the sea, as well as the Acropolis.

The Prince Philip Steps were named in honor of a royal visit to the islands by Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Philip. The steep-railed stairway leads to a dramatic trail along the lava plains atop the cliffs.

We left the beach and followed a trail inland through a break in the low ledge adjacent to the sea. Off to the left were the remains of a salt mine from the 1930s, owned by a man named Jorge Egas, hence the name Puerto Egas.

The trail eventually led out onto a rocky volcanic formation along the shoreline with a deep pool informally known as “Darwin’s Toilet, because it fills and empties rapidly with seawater rushing in from underground tunnels.

Beyond the beach there was a trail that led through a grove of mangroves to a saline lagoon. Alongside the lagoon we found several collections of sea turtle bones. We also found two new interesting crabs: the fiddler and the ghost.

Along the beach past hundreds of marine iguanas piling on top of each other, male sea lions defending their territories, Sally Lightfood crabs covering the lava rocks by the sea, lava cactus, and the skeleton of a whale

2-kilometer, somewhat strenuous hike through a steep gully to a wooden staircase and then along a gravel track to deep-blue Darwin Lake, an eroded crater 12 meters deep. From there we continued up to the lower lava slopes of Volcan Darwin, where there was a spectacular view of much of the island and Tagus Cove, where the Tip Top IV was patiently waiting for us.

Hike inland where we saw Galapagos Giant Tortoises and land iguanas digging their burrows

From the beach we hiked for about a half mile to a lovely saltwater lagoon where there were lots of flamingos. From there, continued along the trail to the sea on the other side of Punta Cormorant to a very pretty, soft sand beach, where was a large sea turtle nesting area. We got to witness a large female sea turtle crawl up and over the mounds of sand and then slowly but surely make her way across the open expanse of beach to the sea.

On our way back to the panga, we passed by the salt lagoon again where we found the flamingos doing the synchronized courtship dance - head flagging, bopping up and down, and twisting their bodies around. It started to pour but we didn't care. It was too amazing!

From the beach, we took a trail inland across to the other side of the point. Along the way we saw Española marine iguanas, who during breeding season turn a bright red and green, earning it the nickname Christmas Iguana; Nazca boobies nesting in the tall rock formations; and our old friends the blue-footed bobbies sitting on their eggs right in the middle of the trail.

Once on the beach we were able to wander among the Sea Lion colony, while they rolled in the sand, played in the surf, lined up to take a nap in what looked like a long line of sausages, and other cute things.

Fairly strenuous hike uphill (two hours round trip) from the beach to the top of the tuff formation, where it flattens out into a beautiful landscape of tuff cones, colorful vegetation, panoramic views of the sea, and seabirds everywhere.

2-mile hike along a gravel path to the first viewing area, where we looked out over a large volcanic rock, named Arnardrangur, rising from the sand. From there we continued up a small hill, from which there was a great view of Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and its iconic basalt sea stacks known as Reynisrangar.

1.5-mile out-and-back hike into a stunning narrow river canyon with Gothic-like spires and odd geological formations at the top.

2.5-mile hike hike up the 527 steps of the steep path to the right of the waterfalls where we looked down on Skogafoss and its rainbow. From there we continued on for about a mile along a path that traced the Skoga River, passing several other smaller falls and cascades along the way.

Hike along an extremely windy beach to a beautiful basalt cave, known as Hálsanefshellir. A little further down the beach we came close to the two iconic basalt sea stacks known as Reynisrangar.

Stroll through one of the largest lava fields in Icleland. These fields are an example of how plant life begins after a volcanic eruption. At first the lava flow is barren, but then a process of colonization begins, very often, as in this case with mosses.

3-mile hike to the beautiful Svartifoss (“Black Waterfall") known for its beautiful backdrop of black hexagonal basalt columns. Originating from the Svinafellsjokull glacier, the water plunges 80 feet over a cliff into a heart-shaped amphitheater surrounded by tall black basalt columns. It served as the inspiration for architect Guðjón Samúelsson’s design of Reykjavik’s Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland.

3.5-miles to Skaftafellsjökull, a glacier tongue spurting off from Iceland's largest ice cap, Vatnajökull. It was massive, despite the fact that over the last decade, Skaftafellsjökull has been receding dramatically as a result of global warming

3-mile, out-and-back hike up a beautiful canyon to Hangandifoss with the Vatnajökull glacier behind us all the way.

2-miles along the shoreline of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon photographing the milky white and bright blue icebergs in the water

3.5-mile hike from the grass-tufted dunes, across a quicksandy beach, and across a tidal flats to a replica of a Viking Village

3.5-mile, out-and-back hikes to two beautiful waterfalls: Litlanesfoss, notable for the beautiful 20-meter high basalt columns surrounding it, like layers of thick curtains and Hengifoss, known for its distinctive alternating layers of volcanic bedrock interlaced with beds of bright red mud and ash deposits

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2.5-mile hike along a loop trail amongst the boiling, hissing, and bubbling fumaroles (steam vents) and mud pots of the Hverir geothermal area. From there we followed a steep trail up to the summit of an orange-colored rhyolite Mt. Námafjall. From the summit there was a terrific view of the Hverir geothermal area below in one direction and Lake Myvatn and more steaming fumaroles in the other.

0.5 mile kike along the rim of Viti Crater. Its brilliant aqua blue water is due to elements brought up from the geothermal activity in the area. It is still considered an active volcano today.

2.5-mile hike on a trail through the lava fields of nearby Leirhnjukur, part of the Krafla volcano that erupted in 1984, creating lots and lots of lava. It is still a very active volcano. The craterous landscape was like stepping onto another planet.

3-mile hike up to and around a massive tephra explosion crater - a full km wide and 460 feet deep. It was a fairly steep trail, with an elevation gain of about 700 feet. It is dark and has a beautiful almost perfectly circular shape, like a stadium or an amphitheater, with a large mound in the middle.From the rim, we could look out towards lovely Lake Myvatn on one side, and the ubiquitous steam rising from the earth on the other.

1.7-mile hike first along the west side of Godafoss, then across the pedestrian bridge and along the east, all the time watching kayakers plunge over the falls.

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Short hike along a lovely yellow sand beach surrounded by a dark black volcanic landscape and then across the road to a 4,000-year-old lava field

2.5 miles through the lava fields, to the beach, and then up along the ridge to Dritvik Harbaor and back

3.5-mile, out-and-back hike along the beautiful coast between Arnarstapi and Hellnar, across the Hellnahraun lava field, having coffee at the Fjöruhúsið Cafe, and exploring the white-and-black-pebbled beach and basalt cliffs below the Cafe before returning the way we came.

Beautiful 2.8-mile, out-and-back hike, north along the coast, past Gatklettur, the Stone Bridge, a lovely pond with Amtmannshúsið across the way, an Arctic Tern colony, and the Harbor and back

1.2-mile hike along a boardwalk past steaming volcanic vents, fumaroles, mud pots and boiling hot springs and then climbing through the steam along a lava field to the 400-foot-summit of a hill overlooking the entire geothermal area. The view from the top was definitely worth the climb. The hills were painted in earthy hues of golden brown, red, yellow, white, and gray, with Lake Kleifarvatn in the distance.

3.5-mile hike along the area of the 2022 volcanic eruption past lots and lots of lava flows that look like syrup running into the valley

6,000-acre park along the rugged northern California coast, about 90 miles north of San Francisco on State Highway 1, named for the cliffs and crevices where salt spray from the sea has crystallized in sandstone depressions forming intricate honeycomb-like network called tafoni.

2.5-mile hike along Black Sands Beach, the beginning of the backpacking trip through the Lost Coast

7.5-mile, out-and-back hike from the northern trailhead of the Lost Coast Trail to the Punta Gorda Lighthouse and back. In addition to climbing the lighthouse, we ate lunch while watching a group of elephant seals on the sandy beach by the lighthouse. They were putting on quite a show, posturing and sometimes even fighting, in their attempt to establish male dominance.

Caution: there is one section of this hike that is impassable during high tide

Lovely short hike, about 0.9 miles each way, through an old-growth, moss-laden forest, across two scenic bridges over flowing creeks, and then 200-feet up a set of stairs to two picturesque viewpoints of 90-foot high Marymere Falls.

1.7-mile, out-and-back cramble up to the Cox Bay Lookout for a fabulous view of Cox Bay and the surrounding beaches, islands, and mountains. The trail is not signed or marked in any way and requires some bush whacking and rock and root scrambling.

2.3-mile loop through a lovely forest of twisted, weather beaten trees, past the iconic Amphitrite Lighthouse, and on to Inspiration Point to capture the sunset

4.9-mile hike on the Big Beach Section of the Wild Pacific Trail to scout out good vantage points for sunset. The especially photogenic views are along the Artists Loop section of the trail

2.7 mile, out-and-back hike to the sunset vantage points we had marked earlier in the day. The best section was called Artists Loop

3.2-mile out-and-bake hike, with 800 foot elevation gain, from the end of Hurricane Ridge Road up a paved trail, through a beautiful subalpine meadow with spectacular views of the glacier-covered Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

5-mile hike with a 1,036 elevation gain from South Lake to Long Lake, which is at 10,800 feet

1-mile hike along the Discover Trail in the Ancient Bristlecone forest past a particularly twisted, weather beaten group of bristlecones

9-mile (1,162-feet elevation gain), out-and-back hike from the trailhead in Rock Creek to the Gem Lakes. Along the way we passed several other lovely alpine lakes before finally arriving at turquoise blue Gem Lake, situated in a bowl below sheer granite faces and steep boulder fields.

3-mile trail around a lovely alpine lake with crystal clear water, aspen trees along its shoreline, and the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Awesome 4.5-mile, with 1,000-foot elevation gain, hike through an ancient bristlecone grove and up to Wheeler Peak Glacier, set at the base of Wheeler Peak, in a protected cirque around 11,500 feet in elevation.

3-mile, out-and-back hike through a beautiful slot canyon, where the soft light reflects off the canyon calls painting the rocks red, and interesting holes, niches, and swirls carved out by water action on the walls. It was stunning.

2-mile hike from Observation Point down a short path into the Valley of Goblins and wandered aimlessly amongst the goblins. There really was no specific trail to follow, so we just kind of randomly headed towards any formation that captured our fancy.

1-mile hike sunrise stroll from Observation Point down a short path into the Valley of Goblins, this time heading to the left, rather than the right, to a different set of fanciful goblins that looked like aliens.

1/2-mile up a steep hill to a saddle and then left up an even steeper section of trail to a large block of rock, from which you get the best vantage point, of the 100-foot-high Long Dong Silver and its shorter side kick. From there I walked several times back and forth from the high vantage point to the spire, so Herb could get a "tiny Lolo" in his photos

A short, rolling trail leads to an excellent view of Upper Cathedral Valley. The panorama is highlighted by a line of monoliths in the valley below known as the Cathedrals.

This short path affords views of the upper reaches of South Desert, flanked on the north side by steep cliffs, and the Henry Mountains to the east. After a short stretch across relatively level terrain, the footpath climbs steeply to the top of a rocky outcrop with a 360-degree panorama.

Very popular 6-mile (out-and-back) hike through a beautiful red Navajo Sandstone canyon, passed pictographs, to an incredibly beautiful waterfall, cascading 126 feet down a streaked, moss-covered wall.

0.75-mile (170-foot elevation gain) hike and rock scramble up to the Bighorn Sheep petroglyph panel and the 100 hands pictograph panel

3-mile loop through a valley with colorful sand pipes, and Indian Cave with carved out handprints, an interesting rock formations such as the Ballerina Slipper spire, the wide-brimmed pedestals in the Hat Shop, and the teepee-shaed rocks in the "Secret Passage."

1.6-mile, very popular hike across a wide sandstone bench 100 feet above the park with amazing views of the Entrada badlands to the north, a cluster of small buttes and sand pipes to the south, and an extensive outcrop of red sandstone to the west.

One-mile hike from the parking lot of Red Canyon State Park Visitor Center up into a ponderosa pine forest past spectacular orange-red sandstone pinnacles, spires and hoodoos

3.5 mile hike with a 521-foot elevation change. We took the steep Navajo Trail from Sunset Point down into Bryce Amphitheater amongst the hoodoos, where we then connected with the Queen's Garden Trail which took us to the park's most fanciful formation--Queen Victoria sitting on her throne. From there we followed the trail up to Sunrise Point and then walked along the Rim Trail back to our car.
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Sunrise hike up to the Upper Inspiration Point Viewpoint to photograph sunrise

I never met a dune I didn't like to climb, so off I went before Herb could stop me

3-mile out-and-back hike from Shipwreck Beach along a rugged rocky coastline with beautiful ocean views.

First 2 miles (each way) of the Kalalau Trail from Ke’e Beach to Hanakapi’ai Beach. It was extremely muddy, rocky, and slippery, but beautiful

1-mile, out-and-back hike in the Volcanic Tablelands to find the secretive and well-hidden Sky Rock, an ancient petroglyph thought to be created by the Paiute-Shoshone people thousands of years ago

6.5-mile hike through the Alabama Hills, starting at the Shark Fin and then wandering through the bulbous rock formations and arches, eventually coming to the iconic Mobius Arch .

The “Beach,” a large bright patch of white in the foothills of the White Mountains northeast of Bishop in an area known as Gunter Canyon. The white stuff spread across the ground is not sand at all, but rather fine-grain pumice tailings, remnants from the old Hidecker Pumice Mine that used to operate here

One mile out and one mile back on a fairly precarious trail that runs along the ridge to the right of the Zabriskie Point parking lot. It requires some rock scrambling, walking on narrow trails with steep drop-offs, and slipping on loose rocks (scree). The views, however, are breathtaking. Golden Canyon and Manly Peak were constantly before us and presented a different perspective than that at the viewing platform.

1.25 miles of wandering around and over the colorful hills. There really were no set trails, so we just went whichever way looked good.

7.7mile, 1,300-foot elevation gain loop up Gower Gulch to the Badlands and back down along the golden badlands and narrow canyons of the Golden Canyon trail with a side trip to Red Cathedral. The trailhead for Golden Canyon is located on Badwater Road.

2-mile out-and-back hike into the canyon narrows, with walls of water-polished marble and blue-gray conglomerate rock. The best examples of polished marble occur in the first quarter mile into the hike. At about a half mile, the canyon opens up to an expansive gravel wash, marking the top of the lower canyon, and the place where many people turn around, making it a very rewarding, short 1-mile hike.

3.5 mile sunset hike on the backside of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, starting from the Historic Stovepipe Well. In winter the lighting at sunset is better on this side of the dunes.

Nice hotel across from the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes with a restaurant and pool on site. We had a room with a view of the dunes

2.4 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain up the steep, back slabby side of Lembert Dome. From the summit there are magnificent views of the Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.

6.2 mile with a 1,220-foot elevation gain loop hike up the smooth granite surface to the summit of Sentinel Dome, then along the Pohono Trail past the Fissures to Taft Point where we stood at a metal railing at the edge of a cliff gazing out at all of Yosemite Valley

2-mile, out-and back hike across the infamous O'Shaughnessy Dam, through a 500-foot, dark tunnel, and along the reservoir. We could definitely see how John Muir compared this place to Yosemite Valley. There was even a little El Capand a miniature Half Dome.

7-mile hike from the campground, past Mirror Lake (now dry), along the southside of Tenaya Creek, across a footbridge, and back along the northside of the Creek. All along the way we had spectacular views of Half Dome and Mt. Watkins looming over us. The lack of crowds provided a type of peace you don’t expect in Yosemite any more.

2-mile evening stroll to celebrate our arrival in Yosemite Valley

11.5-mile (RT) strenuous hike from the Valley Floor up 3,200 feet to Glacier Point and back down again with tremendous views of Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and more along the way. All to get the photo for the 2022 Gaidus Family Christmas Card

10.3-mile with 1,924-foot elevation gain hike from the Porcupine Creek Trailhead on Tioga Road to North Dome. The views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Tenaya Canyon,and the Valley were breathtaking.

7-mile, with 1,331-foot elevation gain, hike through the Lower and Upper groves, where there are about 500 giant sequoias, many of which are more than 3,000 years old. They are considered to be the largest living things on earth – almost 300 feet tall, 50 feet in circumference, and about 2 million pounds.

A rewarding 2-mile, out-and-back hike, scrambling over rocks and along a creek - either through it or along precarious ledges above.

1.5-mile, out-and-back hike to the Nankoweap Granaries, cut into a limestone wall by Native Americans from the Ancestral Puebloan culture almost a thousand years ago

2.7-mile with a 614-foot elevation gain hike up the canyon from the camping area to a slot canyon with sculpted sandstone walls. There was a bit of rock scrambling to do as well.

8-mile with 2,500 foot elevation gain from our campsite up along Tapeats Creek and then the Thunder River to a beautiful waterfall bursting from the limestone canyon walls. It was 108 degrees and took us 8 hours. Thankfully, we could cool off in the creek along the way

2-mile, out-and-back, from the boats to Phantom Ranch, an historic oasis nestled at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It’s the only lodging below the canyon rim, and can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River. Teddy Roosevelt once stayed here. Like many national park structures, this one was built of wood and native stone to blend in with the natural beauty of its surroundings. Herb and I bought ice-cold lemonades, the first non-warm beverages we had since we left Flagstaff. It was amazingly good.

2-mile, out-and-back hike to the Deer Creek Patio and Deer Creek Falls, with a stop at the Patio for a dip and a group nap, and a cooling off in the Deer Creek Fall pool

2.25-mile, out-and-back hike along Havasu Creek to a series of ledges and pools to relax and swim in.

3.5 miles stroll along the South Shore Trail from Weston Beach to the Bird Island trail, which loops out onto a peninsula between China and Gibson coves on its way to Pelican Point. Halfway around the loop is Pelican Point, where there was a large colony of pelicans on Bird Island. TAfter finishing the Bird Island Loop, I headed back north on the South Shore trail, going right past Weston Beach and continued north to the Sea Lion Loop before heading back to Weston Beach to join Herb for sunset.

1-mile loop along the lovely Cypress Grove trail, with old-growth cypress trees, bright orange/red moss, and stunning coastal views. It is considered one of the most beautiful trails in the park - and that is saying a lot.

2-mile walk along the marshland and up the road along the slope of the mountain. Stopped to observe pupfish in the pond

3-mile hike up and along the ridges of the pristine Ibex Dunes at Golden Hour

3.5-mile sunset hike on the backside of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, starting from the Historic Stovepipe Well. In winter the lighting at sunset is better on this side of the dunes.

7.5-mile loop from the 10,000-foot high Visitor Center to just above the floor of the Haleakala Crater. The trail descends 1,900 feet fairly evenly over a span of 3.75 miles. The colorful scenery along the way is awesome.

1.8-mile, very popular, out-and-back hike (Mile Marker 2) to 3 waterfalls: Lower Falls, which has a lovely pool to swim in beneath it; through a bamboo forest to Upper Falls; and then through a jungle and across two streams to Caveman Falls, a hidden oasis tucked away in a jungle setting, with an actual cave behind the falls.

At Mile Marker 9.5 we stopped to hike the Waikamoi Ridge Trail, but no-see-ums biting every bit of our exposed skin coupled with missing the turn-off to the look-out made this less than a trip highlight. We aborted the hike before finding the picnic viewpoint.

5.3-mile, with 820-feet elevation gain, out-and-back hike in the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park. The trail took us past Makahiku Falls lookout, to a 100-year-old, 60-foot in diameter banyan tree, through a bamboo forest, and up steps and across bridges to the end of the trail, where there was a view of 400-foot tall Waimoku Falls, cascading over a sheer lava wall. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in Maui.

2-mile, out-and-back hike which began by climbing down onto a beautiful black sand beach, which would more appropriately be called black “pebble” beach. From there we went north up along the lava cliffs and walked to Pukaulua Point, along a portion of the ancient Hawaiian Kings Highway, which was once a vital footpath reserved exclusively for Hawaiian royalty. Along the way, we climbed out onto 4 different rocky outcrops for views of a giant blowhole and thunderously crashing waves. At Pukaulua Point, we came across an ancient burial site. From there the trail (if you could call it that) became more difficult to follow as we were really navigating our way across a vast lava field, so we turned around and returned from whence we cam.

Challenging, very popular hike on the eastern side of the West Maui peninsula that climbs over 1,700 feet in 5 miles with magnificent views of Waihee Canyon, Makamakaole Falls, and lovely Waihee Valley along the way. A series of switchbacks and stairs leads to Lanalili peak (2,563 feet) at the end of the hike.

Short walk to an intriguing rock formation created when the lava flow from a volcanic eruption half a million years ago collided with fierce winds and waves, which drove the lava back onshore, sweeping them upward where they cooled and hardened into what looked like dragon’s teeth.

3.4-mie, out-and-back hike from a parking lot on La Perouse Bay at the end of Makena Road (“the end of the road” in South Maui), along the coastline, across small sandy beaches covered in lava and coral, up and over rocky lava outcrops, past a herd of feral goats, through a lava field, to the lighthouse at Cape Hanamanioa. The contrasting landscape of black lava rock, white coral, and turquoise waters was stunning

6.5-mile, with 1,250-foot elevation gain loop hike with breathtaking views of Lake Tekapo, the Southern Alps, and the Mackenzie Basin on it's way to the silver domes that house the telescopes of the Mount John Observatory atop the summit. The summit of Mount John is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, renowned for its exceptional stargazing conditions because of the lack of light pollution. It's a working astronomical research observatory and it’s very popular for the Dark Sky Project’s stargazing tours, where visitors see the night sky through the powerful telescopes within those domes.

3.4-mile hike to Lake Matheson, known for its stunning reflections of Mount Cook. However, those reflections only occur when the water is still and the sun is shininng. Unfortunately, today was very cloudy, so we couldn’t even see the real Mount Cook, nevermind its reflection. Still it was a very nice hike.

1-mile stroll along Hokitika Beach from the Shipwreck Memorial at Sunset Point, where the Hokitika River flows out into the Tasman Sea, to the HOKITIKA sign made of driftwood. The beaches around Hokitika naturally accumulate large amounts of driftwood providing lots of raw materials for driftwood artists, so we really enjoyed seeing the many unique and imaginative creations.

1.75-mile hike around and among the interesting rock formations at Castle Hill along the Great Alpine HIghway. From the parking area, we walked along a dirt road toward a cluster of weird rock formations, rising from the landscape like ancient, weathered sculptures, or perhaps an old ruined castle. We really could go wild with our imagination here. Upon reaching the boulders, we followed the track around them and sometimes wandered in and amongst them along a natural maze with a confusing network of passages, hidden corners and dead ends.

7-mile (out-and-back) hike that winds through the Hooker Valley, over three swinging bridges, past alpine streams and glaciers, in the shadow of Aoraki/Mount Cook. The track leads to Hooker Lake, offering views of the glacier lake.

Challenging, 5-mile hike with 1,644 feet of elevation gain with breathtaking views of Diamond Lake, Lake Wanaka, and the surrounding mountain ranges. From the summit of Rocky Mountain there is a beautiful 360-degree panorama.

From the parking right over the bridge, it’s just a short walk to Christie Falls, which can be seen right from the Milford Sound Road - no effort required. However, there is a little known trail to the left of Christie Falls, which leads you about a 1/4 mile through a jungle up a very steep, barely marked trail, covered in roots front he surrounding trees to a beautiful hidden waterfalls that few people know about.

1-mile walk along the coastline of Milford Sound with stunning views of the iconic Mitre Peak, rising 5,522 feet steeply from the sea, and Bowen Falls plunging 162 feet into Milford Sound.

On our long 6.5 hour drive to Fox Glacier, we stopped to stretch our legs on the Dune Lake Walk, which starts from the Ship Creek visitor shelter. From there, it follows a boardwalk behind the dunes through a beautiful section of wind-stunted coastal rainforest before coming to a platform looking over Dune Lake. After continuing to another viewpoint above the beach, we headed down to the beach itself to experience closeup the pounding of the surf from the Tasman Sea.

Our tour started with a short helicopter ride through a valley to the foot of 13-km long Fox Glacier. Along the way, we passed lovely Victoria Falls, which is the melt river from the hidden Victoria Glacier. After landing, we gathered as a group on a set of benches where we were given our crampons and instructions as to how to put them on and how to best walk with them. Once all 4 helicopters had arrived and everyone had their crampons on, we split into two groups, each of which had our own guide. We then spent 3 hours on the glacier exploring some spectacular, brilliantly blue ice caves, arches, and tunnels. We were then picked up by our helicopters and brought back down through the valley to Fox Glacier Guiding

2-mile, out-and-back hike to a rocky outcrop overlooking the incredibly vibrant turquoise waters of the gorge. We’ve seen a lot of beautiful turquoise blue lakes and rivers this trip, but this and Lake Pukaki were by far the most vibrant. And to think it was all the result of sunlight hitting “glacial flour,” which are finely ground rock particles created by the grinding action of glaciers.

This short 0.75 track winds through native forest, with beautiful views of the Tasman Sea on its way to the “pancakes.” These intriguing rock formations were formed approximately 30 million years ago. They have a unique appearance due to the layering of hard limestone and softer sandstone, which has been eroded over time by rain and wind. At high tide, the sea bursts through underwater channels and escapes via vertical blowholes, creating a spectacular display.

Actually more of a random ramble amongst the hoodoos, domes, and arches

5.5-mile, 3+ hour loop hike through two distinct slot canyons: Peekaboo, which features a precarious climb to enter it, and Spooky for its tight squeezes. Both canyons showcase vibrant orange, pink, and red-orange sandstone walls

10-mile strenuous hike (round trip) through Neon Canyon to the Golden Cathedral, a massive-dome-shaped alcove carved out of towering Navajo sandstone walls, with three natural “skylights” in its ceiling, through which sunlight beams down, reflecting on the pool of water below. The hike takes approximately 7 hours.

Strenuous 9.4-mile roundtrip ascent offering 360-degree panoramic views of the Waterpocket Fold and surrounding landscapes. Starting at the Hickman Bridge Trailhead, it's a strenuous climb with over 1,600 feet of elevation gain, largely exposed to the sun. While some hikers turn back at the Rim Overlook for a shorter trip, reaching the summit of Navajo Knobs rewards with one of the park's most spectacular vistas.

Short hike to a fossilized ancient sand dune, formed from a process that began over 195 million years ago. From the trailhead we hiked down to the base of a rocky escarpment and then scrambled up and along slickrock, eventually finding ourselves standing in what looked like a large bowl or “amphitheater.”

3.5-mile hike along the lovely Hidden Pinyon trail, up to an incredible overlook over the Canyon, and then onto and up over the Petrified Dunes.

4.6-mile with 934 elevation gain popular hike to Lye Brook Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Vermont, cascading approximately 125 feet down a series of tiers. The trail starts off on a wide, flat path before entering a mixed hardwood forest. From there, we followed an old logging railroad before the trail began to gradually climb on much rockier terrain. We crossed a few small streams and muddy places before coming to a fork where we took the one to the right, which led us on a spur trail to the falls. This section of the trail narrowed and hugged the side of a hill, with some interesting rock faces and running water.

5.5-mile walk from our hotel to Mangere Lagoon Path to the Watercare Coastal Waterway to Ambury Regional Park, and the Kiwi Esplanade, before Ubering back to the hotel

4.75-mile hike, with 1,017-foot elevation gain with so many diverse highlights: Punaruku Falls, Golden Rapids, Silica Rapids, across a lava field, through a lovely Red Tussock meadow, and great views of Mount Ruapehu and MoNgāuruhoe

Awesome 12.5-mile hike, with over 3,000-foot elevation gain, with so many diverse highlights: lava field above Taranaki falls, tremendous views of Mount Ruapehu along the way, hiking through a red tussock field on the saddle between Mount Ruapehu andMt. Ngauruhoe, beautiful two-toned Lower Tama Lake, the climb up the steep scree ridge to incredible ink-blue Upper Tama Lake, slipping and sliding back down the ridge, and lovely Taranaki Falls

1.5-mile easy walk along a boardwalk through a surreal "lunar" landscape of explosion craters, fumaroles (steam vents), and bubbling mud pools

Our 2.5-mile hike started with a short ferry ride from the visitor center across Lake Ohakuri to the “Hidden Valley.” From there, we followed the self-guided 1.5-mile loop through a "Hidden Valley" filled with some of the most active geothermal features in New Zealand: colorful silica terraces, active geysers, steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and the unique Ruatapu Cave

3.8-mile, 594-feet elevation gain, out-and-back hike from our campsite to the end of Pa Road where the trail actually begins. The hike from the trailhead to the summit lookout is only 0.4 milesThe trail started off through a grove of ancient pōhutukawa trees. Not much further , we came to the Summit Lookout, atop a grassy headland. From there we could see the entire length of Hahei Beach and the white cliffs leading towards Cathedral Cove to the North and the Mercury Islands.

6.4-mile, 1,096-elevation gain, out-and-back hike to the iconic Cathedral Cove. Because of the damage to much of the track due to landslides from Cyclone Gabrielle, we had to take a 1.4-mile detour to get to the Grange Road trailhead. From there we hiked two miles on the main track to a steep 150-step staircase that brought us down to the beach. Highlights included Cathedral Cove Arch, Smiling Sphinx Rock, and Te Hoho Rock.

3.7 Mile hike to a beautiful 130-foot, three-tiered falls, with a deep emerald swimming hole below. We hiked to both the top of the Falls, where people were hanging out in small "infinity" pools and to its base.

Short hike to the summit of Mount Mangere, a dormant scoria cone volcano, one of Auckland's 53 volcanoes. There were views along the way of the Auckland city skyline, the Sky Tower, and Manukau Harbor. From the summit, we could see the walls of the crater. The crater and heavily terraced slopes were once home to thousands of the Tupuna Maunga tribe. It was the site of one of the largest and most strategic pā (fortified settlements) on the Auckland isthmus, and of deep cultural significance to the local Māori.

Short 0.6-mile stroll from the Soberanes Canyon Trailhead along a path overlooking the rocky outcrops and sea stacks of Soberanes Cove to a picturesque wooden bridge over the Soberanes Creek, with a lovely two-tiered waterfall beneath it.

This trail, also referred to as the Carmel River State Beach to Monastery Beach hike, was short but had a lot of bang for the buck, as it showcased the transition between the Carmel River and the jagged Pacific coastline, all in less than a mile

3.5 miles stroll along the South Shore Trail from Weston Beach to the Bird Island trail, which loops out onto a peninsula between China and Gibson coves on its way to Pelican Point. Halfway around the loop is Pelican Point, where there was a large colony of cormorants on Bird Island.

1-mile loop along the lovely Cypress Grove trail, with old-growth cypress trees, bright orange/red moss, and stunning coastal views. It is considered one of the most beautiful trails in the park - and that is saying a lot.