Josiah RoeExplorer
The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark. - John Muir
Explore Emerald Bay by Boat from Zephyr Cove
Glenbrook, NevadaZephyr Cove on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe is a fantastic starting point for a host of water sports and activities including a boat ride across Lake Tahoe to explore Emerald Bay.
To get to Zephyr Cove take Highway 50 north for 7 miles out of South Lake Tahoe and turn left into the Zephyr Cove Resort. As an alternative you can take Highway 28 till it turns into Highway 50 from Incline Villag...
Hike to Jordan Hot Springs via Little Bear Canyon Trail
Catron County, New Mexico
13.5 mi
/ 1500 ft gain
The Gila Wilderness is the oldest wilderness area in The United States, and Jordan Hot Springs rests right in the heart of Canyon of the Middle Fork of the Gila River, along a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail and some 7 miles from the nearest road.
The most direct road by either car or trail is to take New Mexico State Road 15 north out of Silver City through Pinos Altos for four miles u...
Hike the Lau'ulu Trail to the Kalapawili Ridge
Kula, Hawaii
3 mi
/ 2200 ft gain
If you are looking for something akin to true backcountry travel and scrambling in Maui, the Lau'ulu trail and the Pohaku Palaha summit on the north/north east rim of the Haleakala volcano is a great option. You will find solitude, unparalleled views of the crater, surreal high-altitude tropical rainforest, Maui, the Big Island in the distance and a sunrise that is impossible to describe.
Note:...
Hike the Powerline Trail in the Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
Loveland, Colorado
3.8 mi
/ 1100 ft gain
Powerline Trail is a 1.9 mile spur off the Valley Loop Trail in the Bobcat Ridge Natural Area that climbs 1,100 feet from the valley floor to Mahoney Park.To get to the start of the trail, take the Valley Loop Trail .9 miles in the Bobcat Ridge Natural Area from the main entrance of the Natural Area, just off W County Road 32 C near Masonville, west of Fort Collins and the Horsetooth Reservoir....
Camp at Molino Basin
Tucson, Arizona
0 mi
/ 0 ft gain
Molino Basin Campground is the only campground of the Catalina District of the Forest Service to be open year round due to its lower elevation at only 4500'. Its position along the Mount Lemmon Highway makes Molino Basin a perfect basecamp for further adventures in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and the Arizona Trail passes right through the Basin along Molino Creek which flows strongly in the S...
Fly Fish the Truckee River from Wingfield Park
Reno, NevadaAt just 121 miles long from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River continues to produce the largest trout in the Lower 48. Fly fisherman commonly divide the river into two reaches – East & West, and there is excellent fishing to be found right in downtown Reno all along the Truckee and in Wingfield Park, an island right in the middle of the river that is crossed by S. Arlington Avenu...
Surf Brooks Street Beach
Laguna Beach, California
5.0
Brooks Street Beach is just a couple of blocks off the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. Parking can be tricky, so be forewarned that you may need to walked a few blocks.
Winter can be good, but during the summer and big south swells are when you want to go surfing, so be sure to check out surfline.
This adventure was featured in our Spring 2019 Lookbook!
Hike the West Ridge Trail
Laguna Beach, California
5.0
1.5 mi
/ 150 ft gain
Beginning at Alta Laguna Park at Top of the World, the West Ridge Trail is a popular starting (and ending) point for adventures into the Laguna Coast Wilderness, leading to trails and areas like Car Wreck, Big Bend, and Willow Canyon. You can also do it in reverse from the north. The ridge itself is the southern ridge overlooking Laguna Canyon, and is great for trail running, mountain biking, a...
Paddleboard Lake Marie at the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park
Winchester Bay, OregonThe Umpqua State Lighthouse is an emerald gem of Oregon Coastal perfection: dense forest intermingled with lakes and streams spill out onto a massive dune system that plays gatekeeper to the Umpqua River as it empties into the roaring Pacific Ocean.
Lake Marie sits nestled in the heart of the park and is a perfect place for a sunrise paddleboard sessions. Don't forget to book a campsite or yur...
Artist Point
Park County, Wyoming
4.8
0.23 mi
/ 125 ft gain
Artist Point, thought to be named by park photographer F. J. Haynes as early as 1883, provides what is perhaps the most beautiful views of the entire Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and of Lower Yellowstone Falls some 308 feet high. It is a breathtaking place to photograph year round and at all times of the day, though in winter it can be closed.
To get there head towards Canyon Village on the...
Firehole Falls and Cascades
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
5.0
2.21 mi
/ 341 ft gain
The Yellowstone Supervolcano is one of the most active geothermal areas on earth with more hot springs than anywhere else on the planet. The walls of the massive caldera of often hidden under snow and forest, but in places like Firehole Canyon you can see the Firehole River cut through massive lava flows.
The Falls themselves can be found along Firehole Canyon Road about 16 miles east of West ...
Climb Old Razorback Mountain
Pershing County, Nevada
5 mi
/ 1650 ft gain
The trip begins by turning off Nevada highway 447 onto the unmaintained Jungo Road (county road 49) and driving 19 miles to the end of the northeast spur of the mountain at a clear turnoff and rise in the road.There is an obvious use-trail for the first 500 meters or so, and simply follow the ridge to the obvious summit. There are a couple of false summits where contouring slightly below the hi...
Mammoth Cave Lava Tubes
Hatch, Utah
3.0
0.34 mi
/ 21.43 ft gain
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 thousand years old – relatively young in geologic terms! During summer months, the cave is a popular nig...
Lower & Upper Relief Valleys and the East Flange Rock
Pinecrest, California
21.6 mi
/ 3600 ft gain
The Lower and Upper Relief Valleys are beautiful alpine valleys cut by Relief Creek in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness and are an excellent alternative to Yosemite National Park if you're looking for solitude and no crowds. The East Flange Rock juts prominently over Lower Relief and is an easy scramble up and around the ridgeline from Upper Relief Valley.
To get there, take the Huckleberr...
Photograph Wild Goose Island
Glacier County, Montana
5.0
Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park is one of the most iconic photography locations in the park. As a subject it differs wildly from time of year and time of day; a gorgeous 14' tall element surrounded by a vast alpine lake in the heart of a glaciated valley set against glacier-carved peaks.The Wild Goose Island viewpoint can be found along the eastern end of Going-To-The-Sun Road along ...
Camp at Puerto Agua Verde
25.515194,-111.071335, MexicoThe tiny fishing village of Puerto Agua Verde has a church, a sometimes open bodega, and two "restaurants" which are rarely open and are exactly what you would picture of a small beach eatery at the end of a dirt road some 60 miles from the nearest gas station.
The gorgeous, quarter-mile long beach is the center of the community, as the small bay provides a relative safe place for a handful of ...
Trail Run the Boat Road and Laguna Ridge
Laguna Beach, California
4.3
4 mi
/ 600 ft gain
There a numerous trails in the Laguna Coast Wilderness that proceed up and along the ridges and down into the canyons (or the reverse), and most are excellent for trail running, hiking, and mountain biking.
A classic out-and-back (with many options for loops) begins at the end of Dartmoor Street and proceeds up the ridgeline on the Spur/Laguna Ridge fire road. Near the summit is a turnoff to th...
Drive Fins & Things
Moab, Utah
5.0
9.4 mi
/ 900 ft gain
Fins & Things is a 9.4 mile classic Moab ATV / 4WD trail rated 5 by the Red Rock Four-Wheelers. It is steep, has great traction, some fantastic slalom cutes and of course, glorious views of the Moab redrock scenery.
The one-way trail is broken into three sections and begins at campsite E-6 in the E campground, roughly 2 miles from the Sand Flats Recreation Area entrance station.
From the Gr...
Stand Up Paddleboard the Ventura Harbor
Ventura, CaliforniaThe Ventura Harbor provides a protected entry/exit to the Pacific Ocean and is a great place to start a paddleboarding adventure. Marina Park, at the end of Pierpont Boulevard, has a ton of parking, a free public launch, and there are boards to rent along the harbor.
From the launch you can head south and west, out to the jetty's and the Pacific, or you can go East (left) and explore the homes...
Stand Up Paddleboard the Mermaid Riffle on the Rogue River
Agness, OregonThe Rogue River is famous the world over for rafting and for its Steelhead runs, possessing a dramatic undeveloped canyon untouched by road and man, and being one of the Original 7 Wild & Scenic Rivers designed by Congress.
And not only is it fantastic for rafting but entire sections are perfect for paddleboarding and the Mermaid Riffle, tucked away in the mountains in the town of Agness, i...
Photograph a Sunset on Wolf Mountain
Grass Valley, California
5.0
While all of the hiking trails to the Wolf Mountain summit cross private land, Wolf Mountain Road provides public access to several excellent viewpoints overlooking the Central Valley and the nearby ruins of old radio towers.To get there take McCourtney Road west from CA Highway 49/20 and go 3.2 miles and go left onto Wolf Mountain Road. Go 3.8 miles on Wolf Mountain Road until it dead-ends in ...
Catch a Sunset at Keys Beach
South Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaOwned by the State of California, Keys Beach sits at the end of a peninsula bordered by the Tahoe Keys marina inlet to the west and the Upper Truckee River to the east. This relative isolation along with its only access being by water or a single trail keeps the beach remarkably quiet relative to the surrounding "tourist" beaches, making it an ideal place to take in one of Tahoe's unparalleled ...
Bike the Ventura River and Ojai Bike Trails
Ventura, California
32.6 mi
/ 1030 ft gain
The Ventura River and Ojai Valley Trail, effectively the same trail, is a gorgeous 32 mile trail that runs from Seaside Park in Ventura to downtown Ojai. It runs along and across the Ventura River and through the Ventura Canyon, with views up and down numerous side canyons and ravines.
The trail is entirely off-road, is a Class 1, and perfect for families. The route alternates between shaded an...
Camp in Cataviña
29.760430,-114.759446, Mexico
5.0
Cataviña is place unlike any other in Baja and therefor unlike anywhere else in the world. Massive boulder-features akin to Joshua Tree or the Alabama hills are surrounded by deep-cut washes, pinturas rupestres (painted caves), towering tentacle-like boojum, and massive cardon cacti, creating an otherwordly landscape that most only take brief note of as they push south towards more well-known l...
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