Arizona

Start this incredible hike by parking at the Yavapai Point parking lot. Start the short hike (0.13 miles) on the Kaibab Trail which will run into Yavapai Vista Trail (0.27 miles) towards the Slim Shady Trail. Here you will have an incredible view of Bell Rock and Courthouse Vista an excellent pla...

Coming from the campground, you'll want to backtrack back towards Navajo and Fifty Foot falls, crossing the bridge that you came over coming into the campground. Continue on the trail until you see a picnic table with a small canopy with a big piece of tarp/burlap hanging from the front. Go past ...

Parking for this hike is about 35 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. It should take less than an hour to get there from any of the hotels. There is easy, fee-free parking on the north side of Hwy 93. No permits are required, but a map is extremely helpful. Maps were available at a trail sign after y...

Bear Mountain is one of the more difficult hikes in Sedona but has very easy access. There is a parking area between Doe Mountain and Bear Mountain. The trailhead is across the street and the initial approach is very flat. The red rock bluff you first see on the approach is only part of B...

After taking Peralta Road all the way to the end, park your car in the parking lot and you'll see the sign for the trail head. Sign in at the register and then begin our hike on Peralta Trail. This trail winds through the canyon and then takes you up switch backs until you reach the saddle. The ...

From the trailhead you start your hike with views over the East Fork of the Little Colorado River as it winds through grassy meadows filled with summer wildflowers. About 1.5 miles in the trail heads into the forest, on your left before you enter the forest is a nice primitive campsite where we s...

Off of the 89, just north of Flagstaff AZ, there is an unmarked dirt road just before a gas station. It leads out to privately owned land that's open to the public. Some friends and I went out there to get away from our day jobs. As we headed down the road, the land opened up in vast expanses of ...

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is home to the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth for nighttime optical and infrared astronomy and daytime study of our sun. With 26 telescopes on the premises and partnerships with world-leading institutions such as the Massachuse...

There is a fee to enter this area $7 per adult as of 2025 (see AZStateParks.com for updates). There are 4 trails with many viewpoints from the parking lot, all of which are out and back. We followed the recommendation of the ranger working at the visitor's center and took the Gowan Trail down to ...

The entrance for the Piestewa Peak area is located at 2701 E. Squaw Peak Drive. The Mojave Picnic Area & Trailhead is the first parking area on the right. This is a very popular trail when the outside temps drop a bit so get there early for sunset hikes to ease parking. The trail begins on t...

The free camping in the Coconino (as well as the many other national forests) is generally along the old Fire Roads, and old Forest Service Roads. You can tell if a road is one of these by a brown sign with an FS 123 or any other number, FS meaning Forest Service Road. There are many of these roa...

Getting There About 18 miles south of Flagstaff on the 89A, turn into the Cave Springs parking lot and look for the trail just right of the first bridge. Hike up the chossy hill until you reach a giant sandstone slot canyon in the northwest. Climbing This canyon contained the crags, known as the ...

The late Fall turned out to be the perfect time to visit the Grand Canyon. You still run into a number of people tripping over rocks with selfie sticks, but we had no trouble finding peace and serenity on distant overlooks and throughout the trails.  We arrived around 4 pm on a Saturday after 21...

Three Sisters is a huge rock formation in the southern area of the Superstition Mountains.  This spot is only about an hour outside of Phoenix and it's a great spot to do photography in the evening or morning.This is accessed from the Wave Cave parking lot on the way to the nearby Peralta Trailhe...

Point Imperial is the highest point in the Grand Canyon, lying in the North Rim, at 8800ft and offering incredible views of staggered mountains. The trail itself is relatively easy.  If you're not acclimated to the elevation you'll feel short of breath, but beyond that it mostly takes you through...

Start off at Bright Angel Trailhead, then hike down into the Grand Canyon on one of the higher-quality trails. Hiking down to Plateau Point (furthest option) is well worth it. The hike down is a total of 6 miles, with a 3,000 foot drop in elevation. As you can imagine, this means the way back ou...