United States

'The Crack' is a cliff jumper's dream, but it also offers something for everyone, with smooth rocks for sunbathing and shallow waters for wading. To get to The Crack, it's about a 3.5-mile hike each way, making it slightly less popular than Sedona's more accessible swimming holes. While you only ...

Craters of the Moon National Monument in Southern Idaho is a vast ocean of lava flows, with scattered islands of cinder and splatter cones created by volcanic activity 15,000 years ago. Over 618 square miles, this surreal field displays the strange geography that can be caused by significant erup...

Starting at the Devil's Garden Trailhead, this 4.1-mile looped moderate hike features flat sandy paths to narrow sandstone slabs with narrow ledges. The best time to complete this hike is early in the morning. Getting to the Devil's Garden Trailhead at sunrise will almost definitely guarantee you...

Elfin Forest is one of the most beautiful and unique trails in all of San Diego, CA. The parking is free as well as the overflow parking area. There is an Interpretive Center located in the staging area where you can speak to park rangers, learn about the wildlife and trail locations. The parking...

Cathedral Rock is one of the most popular landmarks in Arizona. This amazing rock formation is located in Sedona, Arizona. The hike is steep and requires a bit of climbing in some spots. The 1.5 miles roundtrip is pretty strenuous, leading you up a moderately steep incline, but well worth the re...

Intro McAfee Knob is one of the most photographed and picturesque locations along the Appalachian Trail. Once you reach McAfee Knob, you'll have almost 270 degree views of the the Roanoke Valley to the East, Catawba Valley and North Mountain to the West, and Tinker Cliffs to the North. Due to t...

Alan Davis is what the locals call it, but the official name is the “Ka’Iwi Scenic Shoreline” and it's known to be a good place to do some cliff jumping because of the easy access, clear water, and poles that are already positioned for jumpers in the rocky shoreline. Park in the same lot that ta...

The Sawtooth mountain range consists of hundreds, maybe thousands, of small, crystal clear lakes. Because of the sheer number of lakes, there are many destinations where the foot traffic is considerably low. Most weekend packers will stick to the familiar: they find themselves hiking to Sawtooth ...

This is one of my favorite quick "getaway" loops in the Pisgah Ranger District. Turn onto Black Balsam Knob Road (Mile Marker 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) go until you reach a dead end and park at the parking lot. You'll see the Sam Knob trail to the right of the public bathrooms. From there, i...

Park your car on the residential road and look across the street into the woods for the trail. The trail winds around through a bamboo forest with streams winding in and out. The trail splits and you can either take the high road or low road closer to the river. Both trails meet back up near the...

Head into Big Sur and get a campsite at Plaskett Creek. You can either make a reservation through recreation.gov or show up and hope to luck out on one of the first-come, first-serve campsites. The campground is much more crowded during the prime summer months, so if you want to get better surf ...

The Chimney Tops Trail is one of the most visited trails in the Smokies, which is why I recommend going up just before sunset to beat the crowd! During the summer and fall months, it's common to see a hundred people taking in the views on the same trail, but if you scramble on out after hours, y...

This natural spring is easily one of the best hidden gems in Florida. The pool of water is crystal clear for swimming, scuba-diving, and jumping in from off on a cliff to the side. The water is also about 70 degrees - a perfect compliment to the hot, humid climate of Florida. A rip current in the...

If you're looking to camp somewhere with exceptional hiking and beautiful waterfalls, Southeastern Tennessee locals know not to look further than Lookout Mountain. Located on the western edge, Cloudland Canyon State Park straddles Sitton Gulch Creek and is perfect for a weekend exploration.If sta...

Have you ever been inside a stump house? This is your chance! Just outside of Seabeck, Washington lies a hobbit stump house tucked into a mossy forest on the shores of Guillemont Cove. Drive to Seabeck, turn right onto Miami Beach Road, bear left onto Stavis Bay road and continue for 4.5 miles...

If you want to see the real Grand Canyon, this is it. The 3 day backpacking will take you down into the canyon to where few people visit. Although the South Kaibab trail is steep, has no shade cover and water and the views are gorgeous. It is best to start from the South Kaibab, hike down to the ...