John MauriziExplorer

Pueblo La Plata is the largest ancient Indian ruin in Agua Fria National Monument and dates back to before 1200 A.D. The ruin at one time had 80 to 90 rooms for living quarters. Now the sight seems like just a pile of rubble. However there is significant research continuing on the mesa of Agua Fria which has about 400 sites. The community was quite large.Today, few people visit the site because...

I'm always find dinosaur tracks fascinating. Willow Springs has a few cool tracks not as defined as others but definitely noticeable. There is also an interpretive sign describing the tracks installed by the Bureau of Land Management. To find the tracks, drive north on 191. Over the Colorado River and drive until you pass route 313 on the left. Willow Springs rd is the second right after route ...

This was one of the more enjoyable drives I did in the park. I explored the area late one afternoon, checking out Aguereberry Camp and the Eureka Mine when I decided to explore further up to the end of Aguereberry Road.  The drive is awesome, especially late in the day.  The road is accessible by two wheel car but the last few hundred yards are steep but easy enough.  At the end is a wide are ...

This loop trail has two different starting points. You can start at the south end of Rogers Lake (which is what I did) or the north end. I hike in a clockwise direction. This is recommended if you are hiking in the late afternoon as I did. The sun will be at your back during the section that has full exposure to the sun as you hike along the basin. This direction also offers great views of the ...

From the Mossy Cave trailhead, follow the wide easy trail along the Tropic Ditch stream for .35 miles. At that point, the trail splits. To the left is Mossy Cave and to the right is Water Canyon Falls. The trail is lined with beautiful colored cliffs and hoodoos that Bryce Canyon is famous for. The trail is about 1 mile round trip, but further exploration is possible up Water Canyon along the T...

Faux Falls is located near the Ken's Lake campground off Route 191, 20 minutes south of Moab. When I was there it was during several days of thunderstorms. The waterfall was really gushing. Not sure how much water is running when there hasn't been rain in a while. The falls can be seen from the campground. Follow a dirt road that leads right the base of the falls but you cannot drive this sect...

This loop hike can be started from several different places.  I chose to start from Allison Park which overlooks the Hudson River in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.  From the parking area, walk out to the entrance road and travel south to Saint Peter's College.  The Long Path Trail, which you join from Allison Park, travels along the college property and the Palisades Interstate Parkway.  At times the tr...

There are some great view points along this route.  Start from the Mount Beacon Park trailhead parking area.  This leads to the Casino Trail (red markers).  The trail climbs steeply to some old ruins of a casino.  Most of what remains is only the brick structure housing the mechanics for a trolley to the summit. The Casino Trail ends on the Wilkinson Memorial Trail (yellow markers).  Turn left ...

The Rubicon Trail is a through hike connecting D.L. Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay State Park.  You can start at either point.  I opted to start at D.L. Bliss State Park to avoid the long walk uphill to catch the Nifty Fifty shuttle.  Also, there is more available parking at Bliss.  Park your car as far down as you can to the lake as you can.  The hike follows a well maintained trail along La...

Beaver Pond is a small body of water created by a dam that was constructed during the days of iron ore mining in the area.  The pond is crystal clear and has a wonderful tree line right on the water.  The best time to visit here is early morning in the fall.  With the leaves changing color they make an awesome reflection in the water.  There is several places here to relax and have lunch or jus...

Just north of Moab driving out on route 191, look for Potash Road, also known as route 279 just after the Colorado River. Turn left on Potash road and and drive five miles south.  You will see a paved pull-out on the Colorado River side of the road with a sign for the petroglyphs. The rock art is about 25 feet up on the sandstone wall and it spans about 125 feet.  Be careful crossing the road ...

This is my favorite trail in all of Sedona. The trail head is at the end of Boynton Canyon rd near the entrance of Enchanted Spa and Resort. The trail goes along the property of Enchanted Spa for about 1 mile. This is the rockiest part of the trail as you pass by a large cliff.Soon after leaving the view of the spa, the trail becomes flat and sandy. A pleasure for hiking and very easy. The path...

Laguna Esmeralda is one of the easier lagunas to hike to if you have a car because the trail head and parking are right on Route 3 just outside Ushuaia.  Fortunately we had a car.  Without the car you have to rely on hitchhiking or taxi.  From the trail head, you descend into a Lenga Forest.  The trail is narrow and a bit creepy and eerie.  The trail meanders through the forest until it exits i...

From the parking area, pass through a gate and hike up the trail which is lined with fields of Buttercup flowers. This lasts for about 0.5 miles when you gradually enter the forest. At this point, the trail gets incredibly muddy. Some attempts at trail maintenance are apparent with logs placed across the trail, but many have sunk into the mud. There is really no way around the mud, and it lasts...

A Kora is a walk or trek that circumnavigates a holy location, typically a monastery or stupa. The Potala is the former home of the 14th Dalai Lhama. It was built in the 7th century and has over 1000 rooms and tens of thousand historic Buddhist text and relics.  It is one of the most holy locations for Tibetans. Many locals and pilgrims walk or prostrate the Kora daily. Most people start from e...

Not many people visit this petroglyph site because of the steep access trail. From the Poison Spider parking lot, walk the trail that leads to the slab with an obvious dinosaur track highlighted when people put plaster in the track to make a mold. This, of course, is prohibited.  Work your way up to the cliff above. Along that wall and on a few fallen slabs are some very nice Petroglyphs.  Expl...

Along Point Arena Lighthouse Road there is an access trailhead to Stornetta Public Lands, which is part of the Bureau of Land Management system. There is a wonderful coastal trail that offers great views of the rugged coastline. From the trailhead, you will be walking south across an open field with views all around. I walked about 2.5 miles out and back. The trail went on further. I wish I had...

Pete Agueberry came Death Valley in 1905. After a legal battle, Pete gained control of the Eureka Mine in 1909. He worked the mine alone for nearly 40 years before his death. The original cabin that Pete lived in is still on the site. The buildings in the front were built in the 1940's as guest houses. These buildings seem to have more items intact. One building still has a water heater and old...

This is a difficult loop hike that has several different starting points.  I chose to start at the Washburn Trail Head, which is the lowest starting point you can select.  Nearly on the Hudson River, the trail ascends immediately along a well maintained road designated by white disc markers.  After a short way you will reach a quarry. The trail turns right here and ascends a shoulder as several...

This is an easy hike that meanders a bit more than any of the other trails in the park. It is also the most diverse in what you will see. The trail itself ranges from an easy foot path with a pine needle bed trail then passes through swamps and bog's via well crafted wood boardwalks with great views of the Bald Cypress and Spanish Moss. The trail is a loop hike of about 1.8 miles. If you only h...

There is only one company that has a permit to go on Martillo Island, while all the other tours take people to shoot photos from a boat. The company that has the permit is Pira Tour. We paid $100 usd (it was a little less because we drove ourselves one hour to Harberton. It was so worth it!!! If you don't do anything else while in Ushuaia, please don't miss this experience! From the Acatushin M...

Just outside of Death Valley National Park, Rhyolite is 35 miles from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on the way to Beatty, Nevada. Rhyolite Ghost Town is a result of the gold rush in Nevada. The town was very lively, with active citizens who enjoyed baseball games, dances, basket socials, tennis, a symphony, Sunday school picnics, basketball games, Saturday night variety shows at the opera ho...

The trailhead parking is at the end of Timberbrook Road, before the road enters Camp Winnebago (Boy Scouts). I hiked this in a clockwise directions starting on the Timberbrook Trail (yellow markers).  After about 1 mile the trail ends at a junction with the Four Birds Trail (white markers).  Turn right and follow for two miles to the top of Riley's Rise.  There is no view from the trail but you...

This trails starts at a small park in Woodbury called Gonzaga Park.  Closed from mid-November to April, you are still able to park just outside the gate if that is the time of year you are hiking.  Three different trail names share this path.  The Jessup trail starts/end at Gonzaga Park and travels through all of Schunemunk State Park.  The Highlands Trail and the Long Path also share this trai...