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Spending much of the trek above tree line, Hurricane Pass is situated at 12,730 feet above sea level and offers up views of Poughkeepsie Gulch (a more extreme off-road trail) and sapphire blue mountain lakes, such as Lake Como. One of the most beautiful roads in the lower 48 states, Hurricane Pass, which is also a great spot for lunch can be paired with other 4WD roads like California Pass.  Lo...

The ghost town of Animas Forks, CO is located in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 11,200 feet. There are several original buildings remaining. The best way to explore the region is by Jeep or other high-clearance 4×4. The cabins began being built by prospectors in 1873. Three rivers meet nearby, one of them being the Animas River, leading to the name Animas Forks. By 1876, Animas Forks...

The Pigeon River is a dam controlled river that winds its way through North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The river provides beautiful views as one paddles along via raft or kayak.  Cutting through portions of the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests, this pristine river offers unbelievable beauty and offers enthusiasts of many outdoor activiti...

Located off Regent Lane/Cedar Grove Road near Goreville, Illinois, Bork's Falls is a beautiful waterfall with little visitor traffic. The bottom of the falls is accessible from either side of the ravine with a very short hike. This waterfall generally flows year round, unlike most other waterfalls in Shawnee National Forest. Spend a day or spend an hour and enjoy one of the most beautiful place...

The 9.3 (one way) section of the 44.5 mile that begins at the Tunnel Hill access point and travels south to Vienna, Illinois is one of the most picturesque stretches of Southern Illinois.  The former Norfolk Southern Railroad line connects to many other popular trails like the River to River Trail and the Trail of Tears.  As you start out southward from the site office at Vienna you get a view ...

The Elk and Bison Prairie is a photographers dream within a 700 acre enclosure of native grassland habitat that was common to Kentucky over a century ago. Visitors travel within their enclosed vehicle via a 3.5 mile paved loop road.  About 50 bison and 50 elk call the area home. Entry fee is $5.00 per vehicle. Every experience is different, but very often, Large Elk and Bison will be close enou...

Columbus-Belmont State Park is a stop along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway that combines pivotal Civil War history with dramatic cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River. The park is also a stop along the Trail of Tears National Historical Trail and the Civil War Heritage Trail.  The two mile self-guided trail within the park will take you along massive trenches and earth works that...

Oak Point Campground is located in the Lake Glendale Recreation Area, there are 34 full hook up sites and 25 primitive tent camping sites. Group camping is also available at the Duck Bay Shelter and the Goose Bay Shelter. All sites are first come first serve and does get crowded on Summer weekends and holidays. 14 of the sites have lake views and access to portage canoes and kayaks. There is al...

The Lincoln Memorial Park is the site of a 1859 debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. This marks a stop on the Lincoln Historic Trail and was an important milestone in the growth of Abraham Lincoln. The site has several interpretive markers and memorials where the men once stood and spoke to onlookers. Today their are several picnic shelters, a playground next to creeks and ponds ...

Giant City is a popular weekend retreat because it provides for all levels of camping. There are 85 campsites in the Class A Campground which provides water, electricity, showers and restroom facilities for tent and trailer camping. Some facilities such as showers are closed for the winter. A separate Class A equestrian campground is located off the horse trail in the southwest corner of the pa...

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this mile loop trail leads you along a bluff line to the ruins of a historic village of Woodland and Mississippian Native Americans.   Mississippian Natives established a village here between 1000 and 500 years ago. The older Woodland Indians built a stone wall on top of the bluff), and you can still see the depressions marking the sites of th...

Spend a couple of hours to discover the incredible legacy of an ancient people at Tuzigoot National Monument.  Start at the Visitor Center, then take a self-guided, half mile loop trail that will lead around and through an incredible 110 room pueblo. The large building was home to the Sinagua people between the years of1125 and 1400. The trail also offers outstanding views of the Verde River be...

Take a leisurely 6.2-mile paddle along this stretch of the Tennessee River. River access via boat ramps at both ends makes this a beginner-level paddle with breathtaking views and plenty of wildlife along the way.  Be sure to have a shuttle car parked at the takeout. 

Located within the picturesque town of Ouray, Colorado, Cascade Falls is what most city parks strive to be. This park and amazing waterfall are located on the edge of town along the longer 5+ mile Perimeter Trail and provides a place for picnics, relaxing, and further days hikes through connector trails. A quick .50 mile round trip hike begins at a parking lot. A small incline up to a great vi...

Joy Falls (aka "Mandy Falls") is a great cascade and shelf that falls of about 10 feet await along the roadway a few miles from Mantle Rock Nature Preserve. Glades and barrens also provide for rare wildlife and countless wildflowers in the spring and summer. Spend an hour or five minutes enjoying the solitude at this easy to access waterfall. There is a small spur trail nearby that will lead ...

At the summit of Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the lodge sits at a elevation of 6400 feet. It is the only "accommodations" inside the park boundaries. It is the highest lodge in the eastern United States.   Accessible only by hiking one of the five trails to the summit, one can rent a small cabin with bunk, kerosene lantern, and a small propane heater. Bedding is prov...

Rocky Bluff Trail in Southern Illinois is part of the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge near Carbondale. It's a relatively easy loop hike at 1.7 miles. This trail is not stroller or disability friendly. The parking lot is small and requires a $2.00 daily use tag you can obtain at the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 8588 Rt. 148, Marion, Illinois. Dogs can also enjoy this trail, but on a...

A great short hike in Ferne Clyffe State Park with a big payoff that is nearly wheel chair accessible with compact crushed gravel as a path. The trail leads to a 100-foot tall intermittent waterfall. The trail is lined with huge boulders, meandering stream, and progressively narrowing canyon becoming more scenic as you progress towards the waterfall. The waterfall almost always is wet, but the ...

This wandering intermittent creek inside of Giant City State Park only flows in periods of heavy rain or after snow melts. Prior to a confluence with Drury Creek, the path comes to a mid sized shelter bluff wall. What this shelter lacks in sheer size, it made up for in importance to Native Americans who used the south facing wall for shelter. By facing this way, the bluff would get morning sun,...

Most visitors to the historic Wormsloe Plantation only explore the iconic tree-lined Oak Avenue and the historic areas – but they also miss out on a larger portion of the historic site. A 3.2-mile loop explores the park’s popular and historic areas before ending at a Civil War-era Confederate earthworks "fort" on the Battery Trail. The tour begins at the park’s entrance, a stone arch raised in...

Crescent Moon Ranch was established in the 1880's, and now serves as a day use facility for the U.S. Forest Service. It lies on Oak Creek directly below Cathedral Rock, one of the most iconic towering monuments in Sedona. The ranch is beautiful, and is popular for picnic's, swimming, hiking, and photography. Most of the Cathedral Rock photos you will find in Sedona's gift shops were taken here...

This portion of a trek to the Pikes Peak begins about 13,000 feet. From the parking lot walk across the road back to the Northeast side and look for the hikers trail that begins by paralleling the road. By hiking this path you will have the time to enjoy the amazing views of the mountain range and the valley below. The air is very thin up here. The trail got its name because lightning bounces ...

Hundreds of people will drive past this trail and arch on the weekends and never know they just drove past one of the best sights within the Garden of Gods Wilderness of the Shawnee National Forest. It is a few hundred feet off the road on the way to the more popular Garden of the Gods Observation Trail.  To find it, look for the first pull out on your way to the main attraction of Garden of t...

For 59 miles, the North-South National Scenic Trail winds up and down wooded hollows as you make your way along the length of Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area. A National Recreational Trail, the North-South has a great mix of coastal views of Kentucky Lake (one of the largest artificial lakes east of the Mississippi River). This is a great introductory trail to overnight backpack...