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Christian MurilloExplorer

My love for natural landscape photography is what first got me outside. Now, I can hardly stay indoors. My sense of adventure has led me to travel all over the US (mostly in the SE), and also drove me to complete a +42,000 mile trip around the world.

This hike can either be a hell of a leg workout and absolutely stunning, or it can be a hell of a leg workout and just short of impressive. No matter when you go, you will be surrounded by beautiful scenery. However, if water levels are low (depending on the season and rainfall) there just might not be any waterfalls to marvel at. The winter is usually the best time of year to see the falls in full force. You can call the state park ahead of time to get an idea of what it is going to look like.

Waking up early in Bar Harbor is well worth it if you head to the water to watch the sunrise. There are walkways, and open lawn, and benches along the way so whatever your morning routine is, take it outside and watch the sunrise as the fog lifts from the harbor. To sweeten the deal, you are putting yourself in a prime position to grab some fresh muffins and a hot cup of coffee from Coffee Hound Coffee Bar. Rise and shine!

This hike is simply awesome. Parking is not super easy, because there just is not much space on the side of the road to park. This is just one more reason why I recommend you start the hike late and catch the sunset views from the summit. There are some grassy patches on the summit that are perfect for pitching a tent. Even though the hike up to the summit is pretty short, it is all incline at just short of 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The elevation at the summit is 4,696 feet, but you do not actually ascend that entire height in this hike. If you do opt for the overnight option, make sure to get up early for the sunrise too! This will give you enough time to pack up and grab a warm cup of coffee and a scrumptious breakfast at Bella's Junction Cafe.

This is an incredible low-mid distance hike to do in Yosemite that does not have the crowds of Glacier Point, but is easy enough for my parents (in their late 50s and not avid hikers) to do. You get a killer view of Half Dome and the whole valley in both East and West directions.

You know whats better than dozens of waterfalls? Dozens of waterfalls with Auroras blazing above them with the mountains in the backdrop. If you come between September-April, I highly recommend camping near the Skogafoss waterfall and taking a midnight hike up to the Skogar river to gets away from the light pollution of the nearby hotel. Bring your sleeping bag and find yourself a nice comfortable spot on the soft tall grass and watch the most beautiful natural light show on earth unfold before your eyes. If you want to take epic pictures, you have endless waterfalls and sections of the river to set as your foreground!

One thing to note about this trail is that it can be very wet and muddy from snowmelt in the spring. I did it in late April and the trail was very muddy and slippery at the steeper parts so just make sure you have good and grippy waterproof hiking boots. Thankfully there are stakes and chains to hold on to during the steep parts. There is also a log crossing the river that you will have to make your way across. This part can be tricky even though there is a cable wire you can hold on to. One major recommendation I have is to not settle for the frontal view of the waterfall. Although it is a good view, your best bet is to keep climbing up and then come back around to get to the last ledge almost directly over the waterfall. Even if you are not afraid of heights, it is such an adrenaline rush looking down and seeing the water plunge almost 1,000 feet below you. Obviously, be extremely careful here, but the view is so worth it. Looking up from the waterfall, you will be able to see down the whole canyon and down the river into the mountains and the ocean in the distance. Trust me on this one.

If you are planning on doing the full 'O' circuit already, then you have made a great choice! It is a fantastic trek and you will find many marvels along your path. Most people find that they can finish the 'O' in 7 or 8 days. If you do and have given yourself a buffer day, definitely consider finishing the trek strong on the last section to complete the 'Q' circuit. I know what you are thinking, "after 8 days of trekking I will be exhausted and completely over it". Maybe thats not you, but it definitely was me. However, the hike from Refugio Paine Grande to the Park Administration is the easiest section of trail in the whole park. Your packs will also be at their lightest since you have already gone through most (if not all) of your food. Trust me when I say you will fly through this section. However, flying through this section of the trek might take the glory away from it. Since you will be leaving the park, you will have the marvelous views of the 'Torres' over Lago Pehoe to your back. Every time you need a breather, just remember to look behind you and take it all in. The further you get from the mountains, the more impressive your experience seems. I remember that I could not stop thinking, "I really hiked all the way around THOSE mountains?". Don't get me wrong, seeing the towers from up close is incredible, but seeing them from a distance also gives your journey a rewarding sense of scale. The last great thing about this section of trail is that there are no crowds! If you get a relatively early start from Camp Italiano or Camp Grey (depending which direction you are coming from), you can get to the Park Administration center well before the last Bus leaves the Park at 6pm.

What is incredible about the Everglades is also what keeps many people away. The swampy nature of this national park is a haven for bugs (and the rest of the food chain that relies on these bugs). Although it is a short trail, you want to avoid going in the hottest summer months when the mosquitos will bite right through clothes and even mosquito repellant. Since the ponds surrounding the Anhinga trail retain their water year-round, in the dry seasons the trail becomes somewhat of an oasis for the abundant fauna. Lucky for you, this also happens to be in the not-so-hot time of year. December until late April are typically very dry for Florida standards and the Mosquitos do not really start to come out until May. One drawback that some may see as a positive of visiting this paved trail in the winter/spring is that the great Florida storm clouds are much more common in the summer months. If you have big landscape photography in mind, you might want to wait for some dramatic storms to roll in. For wildlife photography, go earlier in the season and save yourself from both the bugs and the heat. Enjoy!