Christian MurilloExplorer

Matheson Hammock is a beautiful park in the heart of one of the oldest sections of Miami, just off of Old Culter Road.  This is far off the tourist map which is mostly confined to South Beach. However, it is just 20 minutes from the beach and 10 minutes from Downtown.  The park is enjoyed by many locals during the day, due to the mossy oaks in its interior, intimate mangroves, and breezy palms ...

The Everglades National Park is a superb spot for viewing wading birds and alligators off an easy paved path. There are a number of observation decks along the way, off of the main path. The trail begins at the Visitor Center, following Taylor Slough. The Anhinga Trail is one of the best places to see alligators in this part of the Everglades, so be sure to walk to the end of the paved path an...

The paddle to Minnie's Lake from Stephen C. Foster State Park covers some of the most beautiful territory in all of the Okefenokee swamp.  Not only will you immerse yourself in beautifully flooded cypress forests, but you will also see plenty of wildlife along the way.  Bring your Canoe, Kayak, or SUP on this 7.6 mile round-trip paddle to experience the true beauty of the swamp. Note: You can r...

Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park offers a truly unique combination of natural beauty and opportunity for recreation.  The easy one-mile Lake Trahlyta trail circles the emerald colored lake and has a short deviation that leads to a calming, yet impressive waterfall.   The trail starts on the edge of the lake nearest the parking lot and visitor’s center.  You can take the trail either direction,...

Jonathan Dickinson State Park has 3 main trails, the East Loop Trail (9.8 miles), Hobe Mountain Trail (0.4 miles), and the Kitching Creek Loop (7.5 miles). In this adventure, I will only talk about the Kitching Creek Loop and the Hobe Mountain trail. The Hobe Mountain Trail can be easily paired with the other two trails because of its short distance and accessibility. The Kitching Creek Loop pr...

The hike to the five waterfalls on the Emery Creek trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in Georgia. This trail is moderate in climb, yet secluded in the Cohutta Wilderness and challenging enough to keep crowds away. Two things to note about this trail: it is wet (there are 20 creek crossings), and it can be tricky to navigate if you do not stick to a few simple tips. The first tip for th...

Alexander Springs Recreation Area is an incredible natural area that provides something for any adventure seeker to love.  The main attraction here is the beautiful headspring, which is one of the 27 first magnitude springs here in Florida.  This spring in particular maintains a cool 72 degrees fahrenheit year round and is the only spring in the Ocala national forest where Scuba Diving is permi...

Hot air balloon rides are super cool pretty much anywhere, but Cappadocia's lunar landscape provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to see bizarre rock formations from a truly unique angle. If you ever find yourself in Turkey, definitely make it a priority to take a hot air balloon ride in one of the top three hot air ballooning spots in the world.Most of the ballooning companies will pick yo...

Jacks River Falls is one of Georgia's most impressive waterfalls.  Containing several cascades that combine to an 80 foot waterfall, this destination provides spectacular views and refreshing pools to take a dip in.  You can approach the falls from either Jacks River Falls trail or the Beech Bottom trail, but in this article I will outline only the Beech Bottom trail.The Beech Bottom trail star...

Just North of Carters Lake lies one of its tributaries, Tails Creek.  The Tumbling Waters Trail follows along a scenic stretch of this creek as it cascades its way towards the lake.  This trail is moderately trafficked and considered a local favorite. The Tumbling Waters trailhead also contains a boat ramp for recreational use.  A daily fee of $3 is required to use these facilities and the mone...

Fort Mountain rises prominently from the plateau to the West, serving as the start of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in Georgia. The Gahuti Backcountry Trail circumnavigates the mountain, with several overlooks with views in all directions.  At 8.1 miles, this hike is moderately difficult, but can be done by most in a half-day.   The Gahuti Trailhead is at the parking lot for the Cool Springs Ov...

Just outside of the small town of Pemberton in Western Australia are three towering Karri trees that you can climb to to their highest branches.  The Karri tree is the third tallest species in the world, just behind the famous Sequoias and Douglas Firs.  With the help of bolted pegs that spiral around the massive tree trunks, you can slowly make your way up to panoramic viewing platforms above ...

All of the pictures were taken during the epic collaboration between The Outbound Collective and The North Face in the Basecamp Orlando event. Just an hour north of Orlando lies the expansive, diverse, and beautiful Ocala National Forest.  The Ocala National Forest boasts some of the bests hikes in the state, and while this short hike might not blow your mind, it fully immerses you in the deep ...

At the foot of Blackrock Mountain just outside of Highlands, North Carolina, lies one of the most unique and secluded natural playgrounds around.  Granite City is composed of several massive granite boulders, ranging between 10-40 feet tall.  This spot is most popular for bouldering (mostly V0-V2), although it is equally cool for just wandering around the labyrinth of narrow slots between the b...

The Twin Lakes trail starts winding through a pine forest, with a couple bridge crossings over crystal clear trout-filled streams.  The marsh-like water is very slow moving, and even though it is indeed beautiful, it is also a prime location for pesky mosquitoes in the summertime.  Be sure to load up on bug spray for this section.  The trail continues on a gentle climb as you leave a large sect...

Although it is not much of a hike at just 0.3 miles, it is accessible to people of all fitness levels.  A climb up a series of stairs leads you to a trail overlooking Mingo creek.  You will then find a 20 foot wide bridge which serves as the viewing platform of the falls.   If you care to adventure further, feel free to hop your way over some timber and boulders to the base of the waterfall.  ...

Hiking Sitton's Gulch is a great option for those who want to get a little more distance than what the 2.1 mile Waterfalls trail has to offer.  This bit of extra distance will separate you from a lot of the weekend crowd and will expose you to two more waterfalls, in addition to Cherokee and Hemlock Falls. The trailhead is the same as the Waterfall trail trailhead, at the end of Cloudland Canyo...

Paddling along the St. Johns River is the perfect relaxing escape that lets you see the real Florida.  Bring your Kayak, Canoe, or SUP to explore one of the few rivers worldwide that flows North. Just 45 minutes from Downtown Orlando, this adventure is great for someone who either wants to see the real Florida or simply wants to get away from the crowds of the city and its theme parks. The curr...

Just 35km South of Margaret River lies one of Western Australia's best natural gems, Hamelin Bay.  The best part about this beach is that calm and shallow waters of the bay here are home to many beautiful sting rays.  Although you will not find this beach in most tourist pamphlets, that does not mean that it is not worth seeing.  Several different species of sting rays come to feed on fish scra...

About a mile and a half NE from the Laxman Julla Bridge in Rishikesh lies one of the best natural escapes around.  A series of three stunning waterfalls make up the Neer Garh falls.  Although Rishikesh is a city that is driven by a booming tourist economy, you will find that these waterfalls are more of a "off the beaten path" type of spot, where mostly locals go to take a dip in the cool pools...

The Takesi trail is a 40km section of the Inca trail that covers some of the most diverse landscapes in the region, and has significant pre-columbian history that will keep you engaged the entire time.  Although the trek is not too difficult, there is a fairly significant climb in the beginning of the hike and over 2,500m of descent down to “Los Yungas” (the jungles), after the 4,700m pass at “...

Just a short drive from La Paz, Chacaltaya makes for a perfect short day hike if you are visiting Bolivia’s high altitude capital.  At 17,700’, Chacaltaya was once the highest elevation ski run in the world, with a rudimentary lodge and rope lift at the top of the mountain.  Unfortunately, due to climate change there is no glacier left to ski on since 2005, and the lodge and ski lift have been ...

The West Metolius River trail is one of the finest river trails in Central Oregon due to its easy terrain, beautiful blue water, volcanic spring fed waterfalls, and forest views.  The hike starts just downstream from the Lower Canyon Creek Campground, where there is a bathroom and some picnic tables.  This part of Deschutes National Forest is open year-round, but may not be accessible after a b...

Sweetwater Creek State Park has a lot to offer in terms of adventure. One of the best things about this park is its proximity to the city of Atlanta. It is incredible how easy it is to feel like you are hours away from the city, even though Sweetwater is only several miles west of the city. It might just be my love for the water, but kayaking the George H. Sparks Reservoir is one of the best wa...