Eric BennettExplorer

Saratoga Hot Springs is a natural, geothermally heated pool located on the northwest shore of Utah Lake, about 35 minutes south of Salt Lake City. It's free, publicly accessible, and one of the few hot springs in Utah that doesn't have a strong sulfur smell — which makes it a popular spot for first-timers and regulars alike. What to Expect The water temperature is consistently warm — hot enou...

This amazing waterfall is right off the road near the Fallen Leaf Campground. Once you enter the campground keep driving straight just a bit further and you will see a pull off on the right hand side. Pull off here and you should see the cascading waterfalls between the trees. Park here, get your gear ready, and take a REALLY short walk to set up for the shot. If you are going to be here for a...

The Trail Follow the trail for just a little bit and when it forks, stay to the left and you will arrive to Donut Falls. Once at the waterfall, climb up the rocks to get to the cave at the top, which is not visible from the bottom. To take pictures inside of the cave, you will most likely get your feet wet. This is a really short hike, so it's great if you are short on time and want to see so...

Let me just start by saying that this is probably the raddest hike I have ever done. Although the ideal way is to start from Glasgow and hike all the way up to Ft. William, the scenery just gets better and better as you get closer to the Ft William area, so if you just have a few days, you can do it backward and go until you run out of time. This is a very popular hike during the dry season. D...

You will find great views of the Tetons throughout this trek, which takes you past the gorgeous Jenny Lake and String Lake, as well as to Hidden Falls, a massive cascade along a river with many other waterfalls and awesome sights. There is also lots of wildlife in this area, including foxes, marmots, birds, squirrels, and elk. This is a must-do day hike if you are in the Tetons for a weekend. ...

There are hotels nearby, but if you are staying in San Jose this is a great day trip since it is only a couple of hours away by bus. Jaco is a big, wide open beach with room for everyone. Even on packed days, it doesn't feel very crowded. It's a pretty famous surf spot in Costa Rica, but even with its popularity, you will still be likely to get your fair share of waves. There are palm trees fo...

While you may have seen the hundreds of shots of this place at Sunrise or Sunset, very few people come here at night to shoot the barns. Every time I have gone I have been the only one out there. Avoid the crowds and wait for the stars to come out to get some amazing milky way photos.If you aren't familiar with shooting the Milky Way, you will first need to check at what time the moon will be s...

If you are in Southern California and want to find a good place to watch the sunset, this is the place. Laguna Beach, Orange County is loaded with awesome beaches to shoot photos of the famous California sunsets. This is one of my favorites because of so many options.When arriving to the beach, head to the left for some cool rocks and a small cave opening or also to the right there are rocks an...

If you find yourself in Chiriqui, Panama, Los Cangilones de Gualaca river canyon is a great spot to spend a carefree afternoon, about 40 minutes by bus from the David Terminal. The water is warm and welcoming, and also plenty deep, so don't worry about diving in.This is a safe area for bringing camera gear, just keep an eye on it at all times. Particularly on the weekends, this is a popular sit...

Just a 45 min drive from Jackson Hole, the Colter Bay Campground on Jackson Lake is a great spot to camp overnight, fish and canoe in the spring and summer time when the ice has melted. This is an ideal location to shoot some star photos and catch a beautiful sunrise in the morning.The best thing about the Grand Tetons is that you will for sure see tons of wildlife like moose, foxes, rams, goat...

While I was in Iceland for 10 days, I was blessed enough to see the northern lights every single night. Because of all the opportunities, I was able to learn some lessons about them.The best times to see the northern lights in Iceland are late fall, early winter, or early spring. It will only get dark enough to see them in the winter whereas during the summer it never really gets dark at all so...

This is a great spot to camp if the park campgrounds are full (particularly in the summertime). There is a designated camping area at Gros Ventre Campground, but if you're a little too late on the reservations or, like me, would prefer to get away from the crowds, head out into the National Forest, where it's first come, first served.The parking lot is located off of Gros Ventre Road, past the ...

Just off the side of the highway, look for the pullout for Olmsted Point on your Map. There is a parking area with about 25 parking spots and the lookout point with the tree is right next to there. Come in the summertime and during a new moon to get the best views of the Milky Way. Never crowded, more low key spot spot for viewing and photography than Glacier Point.

During the day this spot will be packed with people. Come back here at night time to get some beautiful night sky photography with the amazing hot springs and geysers in the foreground, without the crowds.If you are new to night photography, you can read my adventure on Mormon Row where I explain the essentials and the basics so you can get started. I've also included it below for reference.Thi...

You can book this through pretty much any travel agency you find in Thailand, in Chiang Mai or Bangkok. The trek is done in the jungles of Chiang Mai which you can get to via 14 hour train ride for about $15 from Bangkok. The price of the trek varies between around $100-200 for the 3 day trek (which I definitely recommend). Food, gear, and an awesome guide are all included. Each place you camp ...

Didn't make a reservation? Are all the Zion campgrounds full as usual? Don't worry, the less popular and more secluded Lava Point Campground is just about a 45 minute drive away and it's free! We camped here because we rolled in late at night to Zion National Park and everything was full. It turned out to be an awesome experience and we had an amazing view of the sunrise. I would definitely com...

The hike is only 6 miles roundtrip, but it's pretty steep the whole way. It will take about 1.5 - 2 hrs to get up and about 45 min - 1hr to get back down. This can be longer depending on weather conditions and if you choose to loop the lake. At the Mills B Trailhead, you will head to the far end of the parking lot and follow the paved walkway for about 5 minutes until you see the Lake Blanche T...

This Waterfall is located along the Colombia River Gorge and is surrounded by many other, much more trafficked waterfalls so it gets a lot fewer visitors. This is a beautiful spot to relax at, take photos, and get away from some of the crowds. The bottom of the falls end right at the parking lot and it's just a short hike up to the bridge. From there, you can continue hiking up to Fairy Falls o...

Coming from Provo, at about 2.5 miles make a right hand turn for Nunn's Park/ Bridal Veil. Go straight through the intersections and pass Bridal Veil Falls (on your right) and continue until you see a park on your right (Upper Falls Park). Park here and cross the bridge over the creek and then follow the trail that goes up behind the concrete structure. The trail branches off to the left but ju...

The Batu Caves which are just north of Kuala Lumpur are reachable by the subway train. A ticket is just 2MR and you will need to get a hold of a map to see which train you need to take on the Red Line. The train drops you off right at the caves where there is a huge gold statue of Lord Murugan and a flight of 250+ stairs leading up to the cave.There are monkeys all over the stairway leading up ...

Heading in the canyon you will drive along a winding road for a while until you pass through a gate (Closed during Winter, this is where you will need to pull over and continue down the road on foot) about a mile up you will see a trailhead on the left called "Bennie Creek" and right after you will see the "Grotto Trail" sign on the left just up the road. You will see many mini trails branching...

Just about 15 minutes from Punta Cana, this beach is located in Bavaro. There are resorts and hotels on the beach, so it is touristy, but not as much as Punta Cana. I met a lot of awesome locals hanging out on this beach every day.The sun rises right out of the water, so it is a great spot to show up to early. It is also an awesome beach to swim at because the sea is really calm. You can hire p...

Stansbury Island: Utah's Hidden Great Salt Lake Gem Unique scenery you won't find many other places. Amazing sunrises and sunsets. Incredible reflection photography shots. Rarely will you ever see another person at the underrated Stansbury Island, the second largest island within the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Even though a dirt causeway connects it to land, it is still considered an island. Th...

This beautiful 4 mile hike takes you past several small lakes and ponds, and offers amazing views of the backside of the Matterhorn.To hike around the Jungfrau-Aletsch glacier and Alps, begin at Bettmersee Lake, just next to the village. Facing the lake, with the village behind you, head left and follow the trail to another small lake, Blausee Lake. Continue onwards, keeping to your left, and o...