Mike FennellExplorer

The Northwest Ridge is the most easily accessible and popular route, and for good reasons. The trailhead is on the side of Hwy 82, otherwise known as Independence Pass, about 14.5 miles from the Hwy 24 junction, or about 10 miles from Twin Lakes to the east. The trailhead is hard to miss, and you can park right there at the parking area on the side of the highway. Do not drive further down the ...

The trailhead is to the Independence Pass viewing deck is located at the Summit parking area, which is about 20 miles from Aspen and 24 miles west of Highway 24 on the Leadville side. At the parking area you will notice a paved walkway that takes you to the viewdeck, which is a easy five minute walk and worth checking out. The tundra around the area is easy to navigate about and fun to explore ...

From the Kitimat Service Centre head north along Enterprise Avenue until you reach the Wedeene Mainline Forestry Road. Continue north along the mainline for approximately 1 km. Turn left and follow the rough road for approximately 2 km. to the trailhead. Trail is gated approx 0.5 km from trailhead in summer months to restrict motorized access.This is a challenging hike because it pretty much go...

The trailhead for this hike is 9 km south of the town Súðavík at the inside tip of the fjord Álftafjörður. There‘s a small dirt parking lot off the road just before the small bridge. You can park your car here and begin your hike into the valley Seljalandsdalur. At the south end of the parking lot, there is a trailhead sign that says 2 km to Valagil. Even from the trailhead you can see one of t...

Located on the Niagara River, which is the border of Canada and the USA, it dumps water from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. There are technically three waterfalls in close proximity that have come to form what is now just known as Niagara Falls. From largest to smallest there is Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. The combined falls produce a flow rate that is the highest of a...

Located within the Lake Ouachita State Park, the Caddo Bend Trail is an wonderful 2-3 hour hike. Although promenently covered by shade the entire 4 miles, the Ouachita Lake area can be very hot in the summer and the trail should be done in the morning or late afternoon. Either way, I nice dip in the refreshing lake after your hike with cool you right off!The State Park is located off Mountain P...

Form Terrace, drive south for approx., 14 km along Highway 37 to Gruchy’s Beach day use area.The beach is accessed by an easy 1 km trail that follows along Williams Creek through and old growth forest. The trail has a number of boardwalks and nice views of the creek, which can provide sights of Salmon swimming at the right time of the year. The trail leads to a sandy swimming beach with good wi...

I did this trip during the end of autumn, and was pretty much the only person on the entire lake. With it being so serene and so quiet, I had the perfect nature getaway. I made sure to watch an epic sunrise on Two Medicine Lake, then spend the day taking my time to the upper lake and back, with a few small side trips along the way. Once you have reached Two Medicine Lake by car, find the Upper...

From Interstate 70, the road can be accessed from the west just a few miles from Highway 6, and from the east just near the town of Richfield. It also meets up at the north end of Highway 12 at the town of Teasdale. There is a major campsite at Capitol Reef National Park, but also many RV sites and small motels along the highway. In total the highway is 160 miles, but the best part is the 50 mi...

From Aspen drive down Maroon Creek Road until it comes to its winter closure located by T Lazy 7 Ranch. The Ranch offers snowmobile tours and keeps the six mile snow covered road to the Bells groomed. Most popular with cross country skiers, the snow road can also be hiked, fat biked, and skinned. Dogs are allowed, and there is no fee.Quite simply follow the well groomed snow road from where the...

The turnoff for Ross Lake Provincial Park is 3.3 km east of the Hazelton Visitor Center. Take Ross Lake Road for 1.5 km until it ends at the parking lot. The Rainmaker Trail is an easy 3.5 km hike along the perimeter of Ross Lake. The trail is very well maintained and is just about flat the entire way. Views of the lake can be had along the whole trail, but the best view for sunset is at beach ...

Park at the Buttermilk Ski Area parking lot and begin your hike up the mountain at the bottom of the Summit Express chair lift. Follow the 4x4 dirt road the entire way up Buttermilk. There are other small hiking trails that you can follow too, and with the entire mountain being a ski area, it's simple enough to follow any of the ski runs uphill in the summer. However, if you want to keep it sim...

Wapiti is the largest campground in the park with 644 campsites. The campgrounds are equipped with running water, showers, flush toilets, a camp kitchen and fire pits at each site. Firewood is available for purchase at the campground with a fire permit. Wapiti is more forested than the other campgrounds, providing a little more privacy per campsite. With the town in close proximity to the campg...

At the round-a-bout that leads into the town of Aspen, take the Castle Creek Road exit. Follow this road for 12 miles until you get to the ghost town of Ashcroft. The road itself is very scenic, so be prepared to pull over and whip out your camera!During winter, the road ends at Ashcroft and a cross country ski trail replaces it. In my opinion, the snowshoe trail is much better and more intimat...

Maroon Mountain is among the Kitimat Mountain Range, and can be accessed from the unincorporated town of Rosswood. Follow the Nisga'a Highway north of the city Terrace for 34.5 km. Turn right onto the Wesach Creek forestry road (1.3 km north of the Maroon Creek highway bridge), and follow the signs for the next 2.5 km to the parking area at Hall Creek. The Hall Creek bridge has been removed so ...

The trailhead is located a few hundred yards from highway 16 on a relatively smooth gravel road. The turnoff is marked by a blue sign saying Watson Lakes Trail. From Terrace the turnoff is 33 miles east, and from Kitwanga Junction the turnoff is 23 miles west. The first half of the hike is a steady uphill hike along switchbacks until you reach the first lake. There are plenty of great views of ...

Wabasso has 228 campsites and offers toilets, showers, a camp kitchen, and fire pits. You can purchase fire wood at the campground with a fire permit. Some of the sites are located next to the Athabasca River, so if you're lucky, you can snag one of those.  Keep in mind that all of the campsites are pretty open and exposed, so you won't have too much privacy from your neighbors.  For a map of...

Whistler's is home to 604 campsites. During the summer, the campground can get pretty crowded due to its size. The campground offers water, toilets, showers, electricity, camp kitchens and fire pits. Firewood can be purchased with a fire permit. From the campground, you can easily head into the town of Jasper, which is a close 3kms away. Book your campsite here: https://reservation.pc.gc.ca/J...

From Mammoth Hot Springs drive south of US-89 approximately 4.8 miles towards Norris Junction. The trailhead is on the left as you exit Golden Gate Canyon. After about 100 yards on the trail, take the left fork and from there on the trail is well marked out to the top. Sunset and Sunrise are great times to climb this peak and you should give yourself 40-60 minutes to reach the top.

The trail to Quartz lake begins on southend of the Bowman Lake beach. I recommend going in a clockwise direction and getting the steep bit out of the way, but the ~13 mile loop can be done either way. Follow the Bowman Lake shore on the West Lakes Trail for about half a mile and then you will find the split where the loop begins. Turn left if doing the trail clockwise. The next 4 miles will be...

One of the best spots in Bariloche to watch the sunset, this hour-long hike uphill will be highly rewarding. It's a not the least bit commercialized like some of the other hilltop views in Bariloche like Cerro Campanario, but the trail is very well maintained and easy to follow. The panoramic view from the top is very peaceful and you might find yourself sitting up there for hours since there i...