Monthly Archives: January 2020

Artist’s Drive (Death Valley National Park, CA)

Artist’s Drive is a popular, 9-mile one-way scenic road in the heart of California’s Death Valley National Park that weaves through craggy badlands and skirts colorful hillsides in the shadow of the Black Mountains. The drive bears east from Badwater … Continue reading

Posted in California, Death Valley National Park, Scenic Byways | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Natural Bridge (Death Valley National Park, CA)

California’s Death Valley National Park sports many natural archways, but there is none more prominent than the natural bridge in Natural Bridge Canyon, which slices through the Black Mountains south of Furnace Creek and Artists’ Drive. The natural bridge is … Continue reading

Posted in California, Death Valley National Park, Easy Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fall Canyon (Death Valley National Park, CA)

Carving a dramatic gorge hundreds of feet deep in the Grapevine Mountains, Fall Canyon is a relatively popular destination in California’s Death Valley National Park. The hike through the lower reaches of the canyon is moderately difficult but climbs relentlessly, … Continue reading

Posted in California, Death Valley National Park, Moderate Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Teutonia Peak Trail (Mojave National Preserve, CA)

Mojave National Preserve is a wild playground of desert peaks, sand dunes, Joshua tree forests, rocky jumbles, and dry lakebeds situated in southern California, near the Nevada and Arizona borders. Considerably less crowded than nearby Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave … Continue reading

Posted in California, Moderate Hikes, Mojave National Preserve | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bald Mountain Loop (Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, CA)

Towering above California’s wine country, Bald Mountain (2,729’) is the highest point in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and one of the tallest peaks in the Mayacamas Mountains, a subset of the Coast Range in the North Bay. While the main … Continue reading

Posted in California, North Bay, Strenuous Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fremont Peak Trail (Fremont Peak State Park, CA)

Fremont Peak, one of the highest in the Gabilan Range south of the Bay Area, takes its name from the 19th century explorer, military officer, senator, and presidential candidate John C. Fremont, whose survey expedition passed through the area in … Continue reading

Posted in California, Moderate Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chalone Peak Trail (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Rising to 3,304 feet, Chalone Peak is the highest point in California’s Pinnacles National Park and a worthy challenge for peak-baggers who seek to brave the exposed sun and 2,000 feet in elevation gain to reach the summit. The Chalone … Continue reading

Posted in California, Pinnacles National Park, Strenuous Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

South Wilderness Trail (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Every national park has one: a trail that, despite lacking any particularly notable beauty, exists seemingly to be hiked only by those seeking the satisfaction of completing every trail in the park. In Capitol Reef National Park, a former focus … Continue reading

Posted in California, Easy Hikes, Pinnacles National Park | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bear Gulch Cave – Rim Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Sporting one of California’s finest talus caves and shoreline access to a picturesque, rock-hewn reservoir, the Bear Gulch Cave Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Pinnacles National Park. Here a jumble of boulders, so large and tightly-packed … Continue reading

Posted in California, Moderate Hikes, Pinnacles National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Top 10 Hikes in 2019

2019 has come and gone, and it was an excellent year for hiking. Over the course of the year, I added 43 posts to Live and Let Hike and notched nearly 150,000 site visits (81,000 visitors). As always, the travel … Continue reading

Posted in California, East Bay, George Washington National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Jefferson National Forest, Moderate Hikes, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Pinnacles National Park, Santa Cruz Mountains, Strenuous Hikes, Virginia, Wyoming, Yosemite National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments