United States

There are 2 campgrounds close to Rincón, but Carpinteria State Beach is a little bigger and easier to find a spot. There are 4 campgrounds: Santa Cruz, Anacapa, San Miguel and Santa Rosa. Most of them are RV sites, but if you stay at Santa Cruz Campground you can set your tent right at the beach,...

Shelf Road is secluded, rural, and has great climbing. There are so many areas to choose from and it has a great diversity of route levels (mostly sport routes). My personal favorite area is "The Gallery" and "The Bank." Everyone is friendly and gives each other a hand.Sand Gulch Campground, righ...

The Gitchi-Gami is a paved bike path that will eventually extend from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. As it currently stands (2015), there's a really great segment that starts in Gooseberry Falls State Park and runs all the way to the town of Beaver Bay (total of 16 miles one way). I chose to do a ...

If you have never been whitewater rafting, you should definitely go for the first time to the Grand Canyon of the Snake River. It's an amazing experience, and you can float the river in about two hours depending on the water levels. Afterwards, you can spend the rest of the day at nearby Jackson ...

With beautiful lakeside views and a swinging bridge as a destination, the Ankle Express hiking trail in Greenleaf State Park provides a decent amount of uphill hiking and scenery. The Ankle Express trail head is located just across the Deer Run campground at Greenleaf State Park. There is parkin...

The trail to Quartz lake begins on southend of the Bowman Lake beach. I recommend going in a clockwise direction and getting the steep bit out of the way, but the ~13 mile loop can be done either way. Follow the Bowman Lake shore on the West Lakes Trail for about half a mile and then you will fi...

Clear Lake State Park is only two hours from downtown San Francisco and Sacramento. The state park offers amazing opportunities to photograph deer in the area and pick blackberries for breakfast on a morning stroll. On my visit I saw over 15 deer and one buck in full velvet. The sunrise and sunse...

Head to Rooster Rock State Park off exit 25 on I-84 E in the Columbia River Gorge. Park at the west end of the park.There are multiple paths at the west end of the park heading south to I-84. If you go too far west, you will hit water. Pick one of these paths which lead to the edge of the freeway...

Traveling east from Seattle on Highway 2, take a right hand turn onto Foss River Road (Road 68) just after the township of Skykomish. The pavement ends in 1.1 miles, beyond that be cautious of potholes. Continue along this road for a further 1.3 miles, at which point you will pass under a railroa...

My friends and I recently visited this abandoned mercury mine. The site was cleaned-up by the EPA many years ago, but much of the old equipment remains. Up the hill from the equipment are several deep cuts in the earth and a humongous hole in the ground. The sediment at edges of this hole are VER...

From the USFS website:  "Mammoth Cave, at 8050 feet in elevation opens to one of the largest lava tubes in Utah with over 2200 feet of passages. Formed by cooling lava and flowing water, Mammoth Cave is part of the Markagunt Plateau. Geologists believe that some of this lava is only several thou...

The 3.5 mile Cliff Walk is a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. I chose to start at the western end of Easton's or First Beach at Memorial Blvd. and walk south. The first two-thirds of the walk is very easy walking conditions. Parts of the southern half of the walk are...

Mine Hill Tour is a self-guided driving tour focused on Mackay's mining history. Stops showcase artifacts of the once-vibrant towns that housed miners and their families.Much of the tour is available to passenger vehicles. Begin by picking up a Mine Hill Tour map from any local merchant in Mackay...

You do need a Northwest Forest Pass to park in the lot overnight. You can buy a day use E-pass online here (pick Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest from the drop down menu) and print it out and it's ready to use. Or you can buy the annual pass here.The adventure to Artist Point begins in the ...

Get on E Speedway Blvd, and follow it West until it turns into W Gates Pass rd. Follow this for 3 miles and the parking lot will be at the top of the pass. There are a few viewing platforms that offer shade from the desert heat. There are numerous trails that you can follow to get whatever view y...

Glenwood is best known for its large hot springs pool, kept between 90 and 93 degrees, while the minerals in the water are meant to provide a natural therapy to the body. There is also a smaller therapy pool, at 104 degrees, and a spa, as well. You'll find all the amenities you need here, and wi...