Michael MattiExplorer

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain)...here This hike is very short (1 mile roundtrip) but does take some time to do. The trail leads down from the road into a stream bed. You follow the stream bed upstream through a narrow gorge. At the entrance to the gorge there is a large log jam. This requires some balance to...

Disclaimer: Hiking into the caves is extremely dangerous as there is potential for the ice to fall. We do not recommend hiking inside of them and if you choose to do so, you're doing it at your own risk. This is a short hike at just 2.3 miles roundtrip with little elevation change. The hike takes you through the forest to the side of Big Four Mountain where the Big Four Ice Caves are. The offi...

Multnomah Falls is worth a quick stop anytime you're visiting the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon. This waterfall is the tallest in the Oregon at 620 feet and the third largest in the Pacific Northwest behind Bridal Veil Falls (1,289 feet) and Green Lake Falls (979 feet) and has an average flow rate of 150 cu ft/s over two drops. The falls are only about 30 miles from Portla...

This is a relatively short hike, at only 2.6 miles round trip, that takes you up to the nearly 5600 foot summit. The hike may be short but it is extremely steep, gaining 1300ft in the 1.3 miles to the summit, so be prepared for a good leg workout. On the way to the top you will walk through fields of wildflowers if the time of year is right. I went in early August and it was beautiful. At the t...

The Milky Way and Mount Rainier is a beautiful combination. In order to get a photo of the Milky Way over Mount Rainier you need to be in the right spot at the right time of year. The spot seen in the photographs is a great spot in that it isn't too far of a hike and provides an unobstructed view of the mountain and the milky way. To reach the spot, park at the Sunrise Visitor Center in Mt. Rai...

Second Beach is recognized as one of Olympic National Park’s crown jewels, and its views and surroundings don’t disappoint. It's a great place to spend a night but it can also be done as just a day trip if you wish.To access the beach, you’ll need to make an easy 0.7-mile with minimal elevation change (~100 feet). Once there, scout out a good spot along the beach to set up camp, and enjoy some ...

This 5.4 mile loop hike begins at the Paradise Visitors Center in Mount Rainier National Park. You just follow the skyline trail that begins from the steps with the John Muir quote on them. The hike goes up 1700 feet to its highest point at 7100 feet. From this high up you have some amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding land. The view from Panorama point is well worth the effort it t...

Latourell Falls is a beautiful and unique waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. This amazing waterfall is just a few hundred yards from the road and parking lot. Once you park, there is a viewpoint for the falls that is straight ahead. The view from there isn't that great compared to what you will find if you take the short trail that starts near the bridge and goes to the base of t...

This hike begins at the Eagle Creek Trailhead. This is the same trailhead that goes to popular Punchbowl Falls. The trail to reach Tunnel Falls is 12 miles roundtrip on an out and back trail. If you continue another 0.5 miles on the trail after Tunnel Falls you will reach Twister Falls. The hike takes you past several other waterfalls on the way to Tunnel Falls including: Punchbowl Falls, Metla...

This is an easy 2 mile roundtrip hike that leads to beautiful Franklin Falls. The trail is very well maintained and is easy for even young hikers to travel. The trail goes through the forest and along a gorge as you gain 400 feet in elevation to the falls. There are a few places you can scramble down into the gorge which has a few really small waterfalls in it. But non of these falls compare t...

Snow Lake is a beautiful lake in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. You can do the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike to the lake as either a day trip or as a backcountry camp. To camp at one of the two sites on the lake you must secure a permit from the permit office at Longmire. The hike to the sites does have some elevation gain (700ft) as it goes up and down a few small hills. The hike also g...

The trailhead for this short hike is right off of the Columbia River Highway just west of Multnomah Falls. You can't miss the parking lot for it; there is a sign for Bridal Veil and the parking lot is visible from the road. The hike is only 0.6 miles and has hardly any elevation gain (70 feet). The trail is well traveled and is definitely good for families. The hike may not be much, but it doe...

For this hike, you park at the same parking lot as the Snow Lake hike. The trailhead to Snoqualmie Mountain is an unmarked trail just 30 feet or so before the Snow Lake trail. This is a tough hike even though its only a ~4 mile out and back trip because you gain 3100 feet to reach the summit. The trail isn't an official trail but it is fairly easy to follow as it takes you up a dried creek bed...

To get to this hike you drive up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. The drive up to Hurricane Ridge is on a winding road with amazing views of the mountains. Once you reach the visitors center at Hurricane Ridge you can fill up water bottles or use the restroom. The trailhead for Hurricane Hill is just a few minutes drive further down the road. The hike up Hurricane Hill is a 3 mile ...

Santorini is a fun little Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea. While the island does have a small airport, the most common way to get there is via a ferry from Athens.There are several ferry operators that differ in speed and price. I took a Blue Star Ferry and got to the island of Santorini in about 8 hours. Once on the island you can take a bus from the port to Fira. Here you can either re...

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia's largest national park and is just a few hours away from the capital city of Zagreb. There are public buses going to the park from Zagreb as well as from a few other cities in Croatia. You buy your ticket into the park at the entrance to the park. Tickets range in price from around $5 to around $25 depending on your age and the time of year of your visit...