United States

The RTS trail at Utah's Olympic Park (ski jumping, bobsled, skeleton, and luge), is a fantastic beginner-to-intermediate trail. Since it's a short loop at only 2.6 miles and 366 feet of elevation gain, it's perfect for kids and beginners. Most of the sections are smooth dirt that winds through as...

From the mount hood scenic byway in Government Camp, Oregon turn on the road that heads up to the Timberline Lodge. Follow that road to the end and park in the lot all the way at the top. In the ski season you need a pass to park there, but if you go in June, July, Or August (aka when the wildflo...

Surrounding the Castle Rock Campground on the East and West sides are slot formations that have formed over centuries by wind and rain as it erodes softer earth from the harder rock. There are no designated trails, but footpaths are visible, follow them up and start exploring. This area is part o...

This is an awesome hike to do with limited time. It only took about 2 hours total with time to chill at the overlook. There's a map at the beginning of the trailhead which also shows how to connect over to the Appalachian Trail via the War Spur Connector Trail if you have more time in your day.F...

The hike to this waterfall is very short and well worth it. The waterfall is about 40 feet tall and has a large volume of water.  This makes for a great place to swim. The bottom of the pool is about 15 feet deep and offers cool mountain water. To get there it is just outside of Cashiers, North C...

To get to The Rincon, you will first want to park your car and rent a boat (or bring your own power boat) at Bullfrog Marina. The marina does rentals for everything from houseboats to power boats to jet skis and kayaks/SUP boards. For this adventure, I recommend either a houseboat or a power boat...

Peep Sight Peak in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness off Highway 4 provides solitude and wonderful views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada including the Mokelumnee and Emigrant Wildernesses. Even on summer weekends you'll likely have the peak and surrounding area all to yourself. Peep Sight Peak can b...

Soon after entering Mt. Rainier National Park via the White River Entrance, pull into the Owyhigh Lakes Trail parking area. From the parking lot, walk across Sunrise Road to the Owyhigh Lakes Trailhead to begin an exceptional hike to the summit of Tamanos Mountain.Start by hiking 3.5 miles on the...

From the entrance booth of Lava Beds National Monument drive south. There will be a left hand turn labeled Schonchin Butte, take it. Drive down a dirt road about a mile to reach Schonchin Butte trailhead parking. It is less than a mile hike to the fire lookout with elevation gain of 475 feet. The...

This kayaking adventure begins at East End Beach at the Eastern Promenade in Portland. There is an easy boat launch zone if you have your own sea kayaks, but if you need to rent, Portland Paddle is right at the launch zone! It is $45 for 2 hours with a tandem sea kayak, which is what we opted for...

Located just south of Charlevoix is Fisherman's Island State Park. The park offers miles of biking/hiking trails, and campsites directly on the beach of Lake Michigan.  Although located just outside of town, there is no service in this area, leaving you completely cut off from the outside world. ...

When the golden fall color is at its peak is when this trail (and Locket Meadow camping) is the most popular.  I recommend getting there as early as possible, because parking goes FAST.  And note that the drive up to the trailhead is a bit sketchy as well… Beginning at Lockett Meadow, the start o...

With easy parking right off Hwy 35 on the east side of Mt Hood, Bennett Pass is a perfect destination for a straightforward lap on cross country skis, snowshoes or accessing easy backcountry terrain for skiers and boarders.  Bennett Pass Road is a well-graded 5.1 mile out-and-back with several tr...

Both the eastern and western trailhead have ample parking and access to the Blackhand Trail, which winds its way along the banks of the Licking River for a 4.3 mile one way trip.  While the trail isn't terribly long, it makes up for it in its scenery, staying within eyesight of the Licking River...

There are multiple different boat ramps to launch at along Black Creek. I chose to paddle roughly 11 miles from Moody's Landing to Cypress Creek Landing, but you could do all 21 miles of the creek if you desired. It is about a 5-7 hour paddle to Cypress Creek Landing from Moody's Landing. That's ...

This is a pretty challenging hike but the view is most definitely worth the effort. There are two sides you can hike up on: the east and west. The west side is more popular as it gives a view of the Austin skyline as well the Pennybacker Bridge. However, the east side is good for sunset viewing. ...