United States

What a hidden gem! A martian landscape full of faultline desert rock formations and joshua trees against a mountainous backdrop of the San Gabriels. Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area features a 1 mile well-marked, well-maintained single track loop trail inside the Punchbowl (great for kids) and a 7 ...

While hiking up the Koko Head trail, don't get too intimidated, there are grandparents and young kids hiking up these tracks. Take a sip of water, muster your mental toughness, and put one foot in front of the other along the rail trail. Once you're moving, there's no way you'll turn back! When y...

From Road's End State Park, map your way to the end of NE Port Street and park on a pull off next to the described gate: on your right you'll see the gate with three skinny trees to the right of it. You'll want to park as close to this gate as possible, this will be in between some houses on a hi...

From the park entrance there are several ways to get to Skyhy Tree House, and the trail system allows for loops of varying distances and difficulty. There’s a large map about a quarter mile down the main trail from the park entrance, and paper trail maps are usually available at this sign. The tr...

The Baker Beach Sand Ladder is a section of the Pacific Coast Trail that is comprised of 200 ten foot poles tied together to form stairs down to North Baker Beach from Lincoln Blvd. If you’re looking for a lung and butt-busting workout, and you’d like a break from your standard routine, you need...

Have you ever reached the bottom of a hike with some friends and thought, 'That was nice, but I'd still like to hike more... a lot more.'? Then the Skyline Traverse is for you. Instead of hiking just Green Mountain or Bear Peak, the Skyline Traverse links South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak, Green Mou...

Maryland Heights is at the convergence of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia, as well as the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The Appalachian Trail and C&O Canal Towpath are also easily accessible from the trailhead parking lot. The parking lot holds about 16 cars and is between Locks 33 and ...

Wander through a classic Inland Northwest pine tree forest as you climb up to Mineral Ridge. At the top, explore historical Caribou Cabin and take the spur trail to the left to an abandoned mine. There is a lot of history scattered on this short loop hike! Continue past the cabin and take in v...

I'm always surprised at how few people know of this beautiful garden. I'm often alone when I visit, which allows for perfect serenity. Visit in early spring for maximum blooms. Park on Euclid Ave, which is where you'll find the entrance to the amphitheater (you can't miss the giant sign). Spend ...

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a free, fantastic get-away for a quick dose of the outdoors in the middle of the busy city. Safe and family-friendly, this preserve has a wide variety of visitors doing every type of activity, from jogging to mountain biking to drone flying. The playground sits nex...

Gray whale cove trail is a splendid, short, and easy hike for the entire family with beautiful ocean views. The starting point is conveniently located near a parking lot that accesses Montara State Beach. From the south end of the parking lot, follow the trail up through the coastal scrub. Within...

There are two places to park for this specific loop- the main parking area on Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) and a smaller parking lot on the western end of the park. I would recommend parking at whichever is closest. Find directions to both on Openspace.org. From the main parking lot, the trail ...

This hike is an alternative to the famous Matt Davis to Steep Ravine Loop. The hike starts at Stinson Beach, just behind the fire Station. I recommend parking at the Beach parking lot. The Matt Davis trail is one of the best constructed trails I have ever seen. After 2.2 miles, turn left on the ...

Park at the little league baseball fields that are across the road from the access point where the trail meets the road on the southeastern corner of the preserve that you can see on the map. Hike up a gentle incline NW on the Ridge and Valley Trail for about fifteen minutes to the trail intersec...

This moderate hike begins at Iron Creek Trailhead in the Sawtooth Mountains. Follow the trail through the forest and alongside Iron Creek. At 1.1 miles you will officially enter the Sawtooth Wilderness and soon after come to a marked junction. Turn left to follow Alpine Way Trail across Iron Cree...

This is a great trail to get some exercise close to downtown Austin, Texas. The trail at Natural Preserve at River Place is well maintained and has stairs and plenty of elevation gain to make your legs a little wobbly by the time you get back to your car. The trail is a 5.5-mile out-and-back hike...