John MauriziExplorer

From the parking area at the visitor center, pick up the Backbone Trail marked with gold blazes.  The trails are well marked with signage and arrows.  Follow the Backbone Trail for 2 miles under you reach the trail junction of Powhatan Forks Trail.  After a half mile the this trail splits with the Riverview Trail on the right. The Riverview Trail is 1.5 miles long and ends at a sand beach along...

The Osborn Loop trail itself is not a loop.  It connects to a 2.5 mile section of the Appalachian Trail.  Hiking these together creates the loop.  Start at the trail head for the Appalachian Trail on South Mountain Pass Road.  There is parking for two or three cars.  Walk up the road a short distance until you see the white markers for the Appalachian Trail.  This is the steepest section as you...

This is a difficult hike! Plan on a lot of time and an early start. I did this hike in a clockwise direction (Peralta Trail) which really doesn't matter much but I recommend the direction to get the steepest part of the hike done first. Most people just do an out and back hike to Freemont Saddle to view Weavers Needle. This is the first section and very steep. If you are doing the loop plan on ...

Ken's Lake is an excellent location for peace and quiet. It is operated by the Bureau of Land Management and you can register on site or the reservation system at Recreation.gov. There are three group sites and 30 tent sites so relatively small. Faux Waterfall is within walking distance and a nice place to explore. Ken's Lake does have a beach and swimming is permitted but there are no lifeguar...

This loop is a great option to avoid crowds on the west side of the Washburn trail.  Start at the same trailhead for the Washburn Trail.  The Cornish Trail is on the left and there is an obvious sign at the trail split a few feet from the parking area.  The Cornish Trail is an old road from about 70 years ago when families lived on the mountain.  You will pass several old stone ruins, one which...

The Moab Brand Trails are a series of trails about 7 miles north of the Colorado River, north of Moab.  They get their name from four of the major trails that spell out "MOAB."  They include the Bar M, Circle O, Rockin A and Bar B. I was curious how they came to the names and my local bike shop mechanic informed me they are named after Cow branding irons used by local ranches.  There is much mo...

Prasat Kravan is a small temple in an open area south of Banteay Kdei and Sras Srang.  The temple is a row of five brick towers with the central tower being the tallest. The towers are aligned north to south and are constructed in the Khmer style. Inside the central tower you will find the best preserved carvings however, much of the carvings at Kravan have eroded. There is some signage describ...

Banteay  Kdei complex is located southeast of Ta Prohm and typically visited as part of the small circuit through Angkor. It is best for your Tuk Tuk driver to drop you off at the west end of the temple and wait for you at the east end of the temple.  This way you can make your way through the temple and not have to back-track. Banteay Kdei is not as well preserved as Ta Prohm or some of the ot...

This point to point hike can be done in either direction. There is parking at the entrance to Worthington Campground. Cross Old Mine Road and start up the Garvey Spring Trail (orange markers). The trail passes Laurel Falls on the right then ascends steeply until you reach an old forest road.  The trail follows this until it breaks off and ascends another single track section. The trail ends at ...

The Trumbull Trail starts on the grounds of the Renaissance Resort at the central part of the north coast. There is free parking at the resort. From the parking area walk along the hotel road toward the tennis courts. As you walk up a hill there is an arch bridge leading to the trail head. Once on the trail you are leaving the resort property. A short way in the trail splits. Follow the trail t...

The parking area is about 1 mile from the Laguna de los Tres trailhead to Fitzroy.  Follow the dirt road to the right.  If you have a car, you can drive all the way to the Chorillo del Salto trailhead where there is a good parking lot. The initial half mile is a flat well maintained trail to the base of a 60 foot waterfall.  There is several social trails that can be followed tot he left.  They...

Leadfield is located on Titus Canyon Road and requires a high clearance vehicle to get back and explore. There is a marker designating the site so it is easy to find. There is about three in tacked buildings and several other ruins along with a few mine shafts. Copper and lead claims were filed in the early 1900's but the town boomed in 1926 with advertising of a rich lead find. This was mislea...

Signs at the trail head for the Taber Trail state it is 1.1 miles long. That is much shorter than the actual 1.8 miles my GPS put it at. The trail sign also claims it is wheelchair accessible. I can see that for a little ways but as the trail begins to climb, I think this would be a tough go.  The trail is an out and back hike but loops through some old growth Redwoods at the end. I enjoyed thi...

Trillium Falls trail is a nice little hike through a second growth and old growth redwood forest. The trail is lined with sweet smelling ferns and has plenty of shade the entire route. This would be good for a midday hike in summer.  The trail starts from the Elk Meadows Day Use parking area. Start from behind the restrooms and walk down the paved bike path. Soon you will see a sign directing ...

This loop hike form the Notch Trail northern trailhead on Route 9D.  There is enough parking at this trailhead for about 5-6 cars.  The Notch Trail is identified with blue trail markers.  It is well maintained and plenty of markers to guide your way.  This is important because there are many unmarked fire roads in this area and it is very easy to lose your way.  As part of this loop h...

The Mescal Mountain Loop Hike circles Mescal Mesa uses three different trails. Park at the Mescal Trail parking area on Long Canyon Road.  The Mescal Trail is 2.4 miles long and winds up to the base of the mesa where it travels along beautiful open slick rock. It is an easy hike but the trail is also open to mountain bikers. For them, the trail is rated difficult to moderate. There are a few di...

The Mag 7 a relatively new mountain bike route in 2012 that parallels Gemini Bridge road where the trail begins. The trail consists of 4 sections, Bull Run, Arth's Corner, Little Cyn, Gold Bar and Gold Bar Rim. Everyone is talking about this route and it is all great. I have to agree. This will become a classic and a must do if you are mountain biking the area. There are several ways to acces...

This loop hike starts at the Andante Trailhead at the end of Andante Road on the edge of Sedona. From the parking area, turn left (west) onto the Andante Trail and follow it for a short distance until the trail ends on the Thunder Mountain Trail. Turn left and follow the Thunder Mountain Trail until you reach the trail junction with the Lower Chimney Rock Trail. Turn right and follow it a short...

I really enjoyed this hike. I recommend hiking the trail as a loop hike from the Kinney Road parking area. Also, the best time to hike is just before sunset. The hike is just over 4 miles total out and back with only about 500 feet of elevation gain. It has a climb at the beginning then rolls along a ridge with beautiful views of the Tucson Mountains.  Be prepared for the trail conditions. The ...

Just outside of Death Valley National Park, Rhyolite is 35 miles from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on the way to Beatty, Nevada. Rhyolite Ghost Town is a result of the gold rush in Nevada. The town was very lively, with active citizens who enjoyed baseball games, dances, basket socials, tennis, a symphony, Sunday school picnics, basketball games, Saturday night variety shows at the opera ho...

Depending how you approach this 800 mile trail, I did the first 4 miles or last 4 miles as an out and back from Stateline Campground on the Utah/Arizona state line and the border of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. This section of the trail does not pass through Vermilion Cliffs N.M. but offers amazing views of the mountains in the park. The trail is difficult and seldom hiked. It is...