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Located within the picturesque town of Ouray, Colorado, Cascade Falls is what most city parks strive to be. This park and amazing waterfall are located on the edge of town along the longer 5+ mile Perimeter Trail and provides a place for picnics, relaxing, and further days hikes through connector trails. A quick .50 mile round trip hike begins at a parking lot. A small incline up to a great vi...

The Hematite Trail is a great loop for hikers and trail runners located in the heart of Land Between the Lakes Wilderness. Beginning your hike near the picnic grounds adjacent to the Nature Station, this hike is great year round and is good for all skill levels, including families. From awesome lake views, to hiking over boardwalks above the swamps and bottomlands, you are sure to see wildlife ...

This easy trail crosses a truss bridge over the Cache River and features a floating boardwalk in the middle of one of the most beautiful and accessible Cypress-Tupelo swamps in the Midwest. There are 10 interpretive panels located along the trail to guide your way. The floating boardwalk section should not be missed. It takes you out into the swamp so that you can experience the beauty of the s...

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this mile loop trail leads you along a bluff line to the ruins of a historic village of Woodland and Mississippian Native Americans.   Mississippian Natives established a village here between 1000 and 500 years ago. The older Woodland Indians built a stone wall on top of the bluff), and you can still see the depressions marking the sites of th...

California Pass’s summit is a jaw dropping 12,960 feet above sea level. A long way from the valley floor, California Gulch, but, as drivers start their trek, the valley floor starts to shrink and gives way to steep climbs and switchbacks. Off road vehicles are needed to reach the top, and drivers begin to climb up and above tree level with rocky mountainsides and seemingly endless elevation gai...

Like the rest of the park, the Giant City Lodge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's. The lodge's architecture will remind someone of great lodges of the West with its hardwood timber and sandstone blend that has a two story fireplace and rotunda to enjoy one of the best meals in Southern Illinois. The rustic beauty of the building is found no where else in Illinois....

If you were to place the Statue of Liberty in Blue Spring, the torch of the monument would still be 5 feet below the surface. As part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Blue Spring is a must see and pinnacle of the nature preserve. The 6th largest spring in Missouri with water discharge at an average of 90 million gallons per day, Blue Spring helps feed the Current River with a year round ...

Giant City is a popular weekend retreat because it provides for all levels of camping. There are 85 campsites in the Class A Campground which provides water, electricity, showers and restroom facilities for tent and trailer camping. Some facilities such as showers are closed for the winter. A separate Class A equestrian campground is located off the horse trail in the southwest corner of the pa...

Parking in Rocky Mountain National Park is tricky for Chasm Falls. Depending on where you are able to park, the hike will be a 0.1 mile, 2.8 mile, or 4.8 mile round-trip hike. It’s also important to know that Old Fall River Road is closed during the winter months from Nov 30th until the end of March. The parking area at the falls trail head is small and often is filled by early morning. The hi...

At first glance, Cove Spring Park looks like any normal city park. In reality, it is a waterfall filled, 240 acres nature preserve hiding in plain site of Kentucky's capital city. The property is filled with wetlands, streams, springs, waterfalls, and historic structures that make this a great getaway if in the Frankfort or Lexington area. Along the parks trail system (6 in total), there are fa...

Most visitors to the historic Wormsloe Plantation only explore the iconic tree-lined Oak Avenue and the historic areas – but they also miss out on a larger portion of the historic site. A 3.2-mile loop explores the park’s popular and historic areas before ending at a Civil War-era Confederate earthworks "fort" on the Battery Trail. The tour begins at the park’s entrance, a stone arch raised in...

Built in 1790 by Major William Croghan and Lucy Clark Croghan (William & George Rogers Clark's sister), Locust Grove became a place where major national figures who helped shaped our nation collaborated and provided a gathering space for rest while within the Kentucky Frontier. James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, Aaron Burr all have stayed at the estate. Lewis and Clark also were ...

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, was born in a small cabin in Sinking Spring just south of Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. When he was just two, his family moved to Knob Creek Farm, northeast of Hodgenville, where they remained until 1816.  The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park preserves these two separate farm sites in LaRue Cou...

On the last day of 1862 one of the bloodiest conflicts in the American Civil War started. By the time the Battle of Stones River ended on 2 January 1863 each side had suffered the highest percentage of casualties. For many reasons this was one of the major battles of the Civil War. The Battlefield is now part of a 570 acre park managed by the National Park Service.  Moments in history such as t...

Spending much of the trek above tree line, Hurricane Pass is situated at 12,730 feet above sea level and offers up views of Poughkeepsie Gulch (a more extreme off-road trail) and sapphire blue mountain lakes, such as Lake Como. One of the most beautiful roads in the lower 48 states, Hurricane Pass, which is also a great spot for lunch can be paired with other 4WD roads like California Pass.  Lo...

One of Illinois' best kept secrets, the Kincaid Lake Spillway is a awesome swimming hole just outside of Murphysboro. The three level cascade makes for a great place to spend a hot summer day. People sit, splash, or even slide down the tiers into the pools below.  There is a small side trail that will allow those not wishing to get wet access to the top for a great view of the 2,750 acre Kincai...

The road to Clear Lake offers wonderful views of the South Fork Mineral Creek, and the San Juan Mountains. Some people make the 9-mile round-trip hike with 2,600 feet of elevation gain, others drive as far as their vehicle will allow and hike from there, and some make the drive all the way up. It is not really a technical drive, but it is not for the faint of heart, and it does require a high-c...

Corkscrew Gulch is named for the narrow and winding switchbacks that "corkscrewes" up Red Mountain Two. It is hard to miss this area of the San Juan Mountains, because the deep reds, oranges, and yellows blanket all three of the named "Red Mountains". The red color in the mountains is caused by oxidation of hematite or iron ore. Most of the time this trail is very popular with the 4WD crowd due...

The Pigeon River is a dam controlled river that winds its way through North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The river provides beautiful views as one paddles along via raft or kayak.  Cutting through portions of the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests, this pristine river offers unbelievable beauty and offers enthusiasts of many outdoor activiti...

Located off Regent Lane/Cedar Grove Road near Goreville, Illinois, Bork's Falls is a beautiful waterfall with little visitor traffic. The bottom of the falls is accessible from either side of the ravine with a very short hike. This waterfall generally flows year round, unlike most other waterfalls in Shawnee National Forest. Spend a day or spend an hour and enjoy one of the most beautiful place...

Pioneers had not seen skyscrapers, so these sheer bluffs seemed like the “streets of a giant city” to them. Thus became the naming of a pinnacle state park in Illinois. Giant City State Park is a paradise for hikers, climbers, campers, and lovers of nature. Parts of the park reminds you of the Missouri Ozarks or Cumberland Plateau rather than a piece of the "Prairie State" Illinois. Begin the j...

Spend a couple of hours to discover the incredible legacy of an ancient people at Tuzigoot National Monument.  Start at the Visitor Center, then take a self-guided, half mile loop trail that will lead around and through an incredible 110 room pueblo. The large building was home to the Sinagua people between the years of1125 and 1400. The trail also offers outstanding views of the Verde River be...

Take a leisurely 6.2-mile paddle along this stretch of the Tennessee River. River access via boat ramps at both ends makes this a beginner-level paddle with breathtaking views and plenty of wildlife along the way.  Be sure to have a shuttle car parked at the takeout. 

The road into Jackson Falls is rough and sometimes has washouts. A high clearance or 4x4 vehicle are almost required. Once you reach the parking or primitive camping area, take the short path to the top of the falls. It is close to only a 0.25 miles. This will give you a visual of the rest of the hike.  There are two really nice waterfalls. The biggest one is just down the trail from the parkin...