Chris MongeauExplorer

When I planned my road trip through Iceland, I found plenty of information and advice online for the southwestern part of the island, as well as up north in the area around Akureyri and Lake Myvatn, but there isn't a whole lot to be found about the northwestern region. Snæfellsjökull National Park is one of the countless gems in the area, and it's a great beginning point if you plan to explore ...

If you're in New England during September or early October, a drive up north into Vermont is an absolute must for prime fall foliage. I-89 brings you through the state from I-93, and is in itself a beautifully scenic drive. Stowe, Vermont is a small ski resort town located just outside of Mt. Mansfield State Forest. Surrounding the picturesque, New England village, there are incredible brewerie...

Driving the Kancamagus Highway is something you can do as a way to cross the White Mountain National Forest quickly from I-93 in the east to Conway, or it can be an entire day's activity. In the fall, it's almost impossible not to stop at every turn-off on the scenic highway as it winds through the mountains beneath a covering of vibrant foliage. If you're starting from I-93, you'll access the ...

The Bar Harbor shore path is a simple walking trail that runs along the eastern shore of Mt. Desert Island. There's little to no elevation change since it's on the water's edge, but the views of this picturesque harbor are always worthwhile.  Despite being a mellow walk, this is something you really have to do with each visit to Bar Harbor. If you've never visited before, there are signs along...

Rhode Island isn't exactly on everyone's map, I've even met strangers in other parts of the U.S. who have no idea where the tiniest state in the country is. It's usually lumped in with Connecticut and Massachusetts, but for us locals from little Rhody, Rhode Island is it's own world of adventure spots, and Beavertail is one of the best. Beavertail State Park is on the island of Jamestown, whic...

Douglas State Forest is located off of Rte 16 in south central Massachusetts. To access trails and the lake, head to the parking area on Wallum Lake Park Road. From the parking lot, you can access the Coffeehouse Loop Trail, as well as a few other shorter trails by the lake. The Coffeehouse Loop Trail is a short, 2.2 mile loop that traverses through a varying area of terrain as well as the Aldr...

The White Mountains offer some of the most prime foliage sightseeing (aka 'leaf peeping') in New England. Tourists flock to the Franconia Notch State Park area and surrounding parts of the White Mountains every October, but camping is generally less common. October can be a cold month in New Hampshire, with an average low of about 36 degrees Fahrenheit, but if you have the right gear, the foggy...

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is full of campgrounds and dunes to explore, but the best of the two are located at the very end of the cape, around the areas of Truro and Provincetown. Travel to the very beginning (or end, depending on how you look at it) of historic U.S. Route 6, which spans from Provincetown, MA to Long Beach, CA. One of the nicest campgrounds I've found is Dunes Edge Campground, w...

The Flume Gorge in Franconia State Park is beautiful year round and every season has it's unique benefits. During the summer, the Flume is a highly frequented tourist destination and is usually crowded with groups of kids and families. Technically, the Gorge is closed during the winter and there are no shuttle buses from the entrance to where the trail begins, but it's a perfect opportunity for...

The Bar Island Trail is something I was a little hesitant to do at first, mainly because of my tendency to wander and take a lot longer on a trail than I anticipated. This trail is unique in that you can only access it and Bar Island at low tide by foot (crossing the sand bar) or if you have 4-wheel drive, you can drive out to the island.  A warning in advance: the tide comes in extremely fast...

The Basin is just one stop on the Pemigewasset Recreational Trail that follows along I-93 through Franconia Notch. The parking lot for the Basin is easily accessible from either north or south on I-93, and it has it's own exit sign which can't be missed.Park in the lot and follow the signs towards the Basin. While the main attraction here is obviously the Basin itself, hiking through these wood...

Portland Head Light is one of Maine's most iconic and picturesque lighthouses that offers stunning views year round. Located just about 15 minutes outside of Portland, Maine, it's the perfect place to go to watch an early winter sunset and enjoy some ocean views. To get to the light house, you will enter at Fort Williams Park and follow the winding road up a short hill towards the parking lot. ...

Gorham Mountain Trail is one of the relatively shorter and easy trails in Acadia National Park, and it's a perfect morning spot to catch a sunrise in Acadia (much less crowded than the highly-visited Cadillac Mountain). To access the trail head, you'll need to drive into the park and down the Park Loop Road. A good access point if you're driving out of Bar Harbor on Route 3 is to turn left ont...

The best place to park when doing this hike in the winter is at the Lafayette Campground. The campground and parking lot are typically empty in the cold winter months, aside from occasional cross-country skiers on the Pemigewasset bike path. The Lafayette campground parking lot is directly accessible by I-93 north and south. To start the hike, walk through the campground and follow the signs th...

To begin the Great Head Trail hike, you'll want to park at the parking lot for Sand Beach located on the Park Loop Road. From the parking lot, you will cross the beach entirely, which is a nice morning walk in itself, especially on the foggy days Acadia is famous for. When you reach the end of the beach, the Beehive (small mountain beyond the tidal pools) will be to your left. There is a sign ...

The Frankenstein Cliff trailhead is located in Crawford Notch State Park directly off of Route 302. If you're traveling from the south (Bartlett/North Conway) the parking lot for the trailhead is on your left hand side about 12 miles from Bartlett. There are signs for Arethusa Falls/Frankenstein Cliffs right before the turnout for the parking lot. If you are traveling from the north from US-3, ...

To hike to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Greenleaf Hut, the best route for a day hike there and back is the Old Bridle Path. This hike is certainly doable in a day if you're interested in just hiking to the Greenleaf Hut. You have a lot of options when hiking this trail. I am going to focus specifically on just hiking the Old Bridle Path to the Greenleaf Hut and continuing on to the summit of...

Lago Sofia is a small lake just about 20 minutes north of Puerto Natales off Route 9 on Y-280. The lake is surrounded by mountains and a horse farm fills the valley where you're able to camp. If you're heading into Torres Del Paine from Puerto Natales, this spot is awesome for camping at if you got a late start or want to do something relaxing in the area before heading into the park to trek.Dr...

The Window Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Big Bend National Park. Whether you're visiting for a day or camping at one of the sites in the park, the Window Trail is a hike worth doing, and can be done in just a couple of hours at a leisurely pace. The Window itself is a V-shaped canyon that overlooks the desert into Mexico and offers stunning panoramic views, especially at sunset. To...

If you've ever felt the urge to go to Iceland and explore one of the planet's most geographically fascinating locations, you've most likely seen photos similar to mine: dilapidated wreckage of an old airplane on a black sand beach. The United States Navy Douglas Super DC-3 in Sólheimasandur was forced to make an emergency landing on November 24, 1973, and since the crash, it has remained in it'...

The White Sands National Monument is one of the most surreal locations in the southwest. Located just north of Las Cruces, NM, White Sands is about a 45 minute drive from the city of Las Cruces. To access the park from any location, you'll take Route 70, and from Las Cruces it's one straight shot to the entrance. The gypsum, white sand of the Tularosa Basin is unlike anything else in the world...

Blackwoods Campground is one of two campgrounds located within Acadia National Park. Since the park does not permit backcountry camping, options to stay outdoors in the actual park are limited to this campground and the Seawall Campground further south on Mt. Desert Island. There are places to camp outside of the park, but Blackwoods is the best for easy access to all of the major points in Aca...

As a kid, I spent many of my summer and winter vacations on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire and can say without a doubt that it is one of the first places to spark my love for the outdoors. If your'e heading up to the White Mountains in the winter time to ski/snowboard, a drive around Newfound Lake in Bristol, NH is well worth the 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how often you stop to take ph...

Located on the Ottauquechee River, Quechee State Park offers camping options right beside one of Vermont's most famous gorges—Quechee Gorge. The steel bridge that passes over the 165 ft. gorge is just one of many spectacular views in this area. Quechee State Park is on Route 4 and easily accessible from I-89 coming from north or south. For information on reservations and rates, visit the park'...