Tara Schatz
I'm a part-time adventurer and lover of beauty, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. When I'm not off exploring, I am writing from a little blue house in Vermont.
This was the first trail we tackled after rolling into Badlands National Park. There is a nice juniper forest that you have to walk through. Since we were there in the middle of the day in the summer, there were lots of deer in the woods trying to get out of the sun. They were not at all afraid of people! The views from the Cliff Shelf Trail are awesome, and it's easy enough for families with small kids.
5.0
This campground is WAY out there! It's 100% free, but you probably pay for it in the long run with wear and tear on your car. No water or fire rings, but there are picnic tables, some of which have a roof for shade. The sites do fill up and it feels a bit like festival camping since there aren't any trees. There was a resident buffalo when we were there. He just wandered around the campground ignoring everyone. Very cool experience!
4.0
We started at the campground and hiked around the lake after hitting Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Once we got past those hot spots where the ferry lands, it was so quiet. We didn't see another person - just awesome mountain views! We heard from another hiker that there was a black bear and a cub in the area, but we never saw them.
5.0
There are a lot of things to do here, especially if you like spending time near the water. Swimming is good, you can rent canoes, go crabbing off the pier, or just relax on the beach. There is a short nature trail, but I don't recommend it - there was so much poison ivy, and it was hard to avoid!
4.0
We parked here and took one of the trails down to the river. There are signs warning about bears in the area, so we tried to be loud and didn't travel too far beyond where the trail meets the river. This is such a gorgeous spot. The water was frigid in July!
4.0
This really is an underrated trail! The summit of Bald Mountain has tree cover, but if you stand on the big pile of rocks near the trail sign, you get a view over the trees. About 3.5 miles up is a view that the locals call White Rocks. This is a much better view than the summit. You can see all of Bennington, Mount Anthony, and parts of New York. Our favorite time to hike this is early fall.
4.0
I did this hike last week on a Tuesday afternoon. It was quiet, peaceful, and colorful! Loved it. The falls were just a trickle, but the leaves made up for it!
4.0
This is a beautiful spot with great water access and the historic Point Wilson Lighthouse, which is really cool! The Point Wilson Lighthouse is located right at the entrance to the Puget Sound at Admiralty Inlet at the tip of Fort Worden State Park. It is a vital navigational aid for ships coming and going in the area. The original lighthouse was built in 1879 and sat atop the lightkeeper’s house. The current lighthouse and fog signal building were both constructed in 1913. It is one of 19 U.S. lighthouses still standing along the Puget Sound.
5.0
The best place to see the ponies is on Wilburn Ridge! They are so fun to watch and to photograph. We stayed at Hickory Ridge Campground and did several trails during our visit, but this trail was by far the most memorable! The herd of Grayson Highlands Ponies is about 150 strong and they are charged with keeping the foliage trimmed along the balds and posing for photos.
5.0
At first glance, Chittenango Falls State Park looks like a typical day-use area. There’s a grassy picnic area with tables and grills, a row of port-a-potties, and some nice woodland trails. The highlight though, is Chittenango Falls, a 167-foot waterfall that cascades over a wide swath of sculpted bedrock. The base of the falls is home to a rare snail that isn’t found anywhere else on earth. We didn’t actually see said snail, but it’s cool knowing it exists.
4.0
The Skyline Trail begins near a huge parking lot just north of Chéticamp on the Cabot Trail. The size of the parking lot will give you an idea of how popular the trail is but don’t be discouraged, there’s plenty of room to spread out once you get walking. The highlight of the trail, and the reason thousands of visitors hike it each year, is the boardwalk down to the headlands with spectacular views of the Cabot Trail, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the town of Chéticamp in the distance. This is where the crowds convene, but sharing a sunset moment with nature lovers from around the world, is one of the finer things in life — even for me, who generally detests crowds.
5.0
The gorge trail is amazing and far less crowded than the famous Watkins Glen State Park. What Buttermilk Falls has that Watkins Glen doesn't is an awesome swimming area at the base of a waterfall. There seriously are waterfalls around every corner! It's especially beautiful in the fall, but of course, it's too cold to go swimming then!
5.0
We visited Desert View Campground in April and were surprised to find that it was pretty quiet! It is very dog-friendly and there are a number of trails that lead directly from the campground to the rim of the Grand Canyon. The trail behind site 46 leads to a great secluded pot on the rim. The Desert View General store is just a short walk from the campground and has all the amenities - groceries, beer, wine, and camping supplies.
5.0
This is a great trail for families and dogs. It's well marked and easy, with a few ups and downs that will get your heart pumping. The first part of the trail travels next to Lye Brook with great access to the water. There is not easy access to the water at the falls - pools are small and hard to reach. The best time to view the falls is in the spring after the snow starts melting. Be on the lookout for mushrooms and red efts in the trail!
4.0
Big views for very little work! We visited toward the end of October as the fall foliage season was winding down. The trailhead parking area was full when we got there at 9 am, but we didn't see a lot of hikers on the trail until we were coming down. By noon, there were cars parked up and down the road for a 1/2 mile! Stunning views of the surrounding high peaks!
5.0
This is an awesome spot to spend an afternoon! The swimming area is great for families because there are plenty of shallow pools. As you swim upstream toward the falls, the river gets progressively deeper. There are a lot of cliff jumpers! You can go behind the falls here, which is really cool!
5.0
Texas Falls is a beautiful spot in the Green Mountain National Forest. The trail is pretty easy and there are a lot of vantage points to view the falls. Swimming is not permitted, but there is a nice picnic area across the road that has river access for wading (not deep enough for swimming).
5.0
This is an easy trail to a lovely waterfall - not more than 1/4 mile long. You can certainly make it longer by continuing on the Appalachian Trail all the way to Kent Pond or to Gifford Woods State Park. The trail was busy when we went - Saturday in August.
4.0
This is a great drive and both Lincoln and North Conway are worth exploring. There are lots of national forest campgrounds along the river with awesome swimming in the summer and tons of cool hiking trails. We visited in the summer, which was amazing and not too busy. I hear fall is insanely beautiful, but also really crowded.
5.0
I love Jumbo Rocks campground! We were able to pitch our tent in front of yes, a jumbo rock, to block the wind during our winter visit. The campground was quiet, and there are so many cool formations and trails to explore from the campground. Note that there isn't firewood or water here, so be prepared to bring your own.
5.0
The Indian Ladder Trail is not open in the winter. It was closed for many years after a falling rock resulted in a death. It is open again, but visitors now have to hike the trail one-way. It's 100% worth doing, especially in the fall. The views are amazing.
5.0
Yes, this is a beautiful hike, but it's just too crowded to be enjoyable on most days. If possible, visit when it's raining so that you have more time to enjoy the falls without feeling like you're in a parade. The hike is fabulous and the falls are amazing.
4.0
We visit the area often and have explored all of the state parks and waterfalls in the area. Robert Treman State Park is our absolute favorite, especially the gorgeous swimming area at the base of the waterfall. I recommend hiking the Gorge Trail and then heading here for a swim before going back to your car.
5.0
There are four trails that lead up to the top of Mt. Ascutney, and the Weathersfield Trail is the best in my opinion. You can also drive to the top and hike the summit trails. If you do this trail in the summer or fall, you will have to deal with the crowds of people that drive up. If you wait until the state park closes for the season, you'll have the summit all to yourself!
3.0
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