Though not the most beautiful—nor the most diverse—hike in the area, the short, self-guided Nature Trail at Kodachrome Basin State Park is the most accessible, making this the best option for aging travelers, families with small children, and visitors in wheelchairs. The well-graded path (a hard-packed dirt-gravel mix) weaves through a dense community of junipers …
Continue reading Nature Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
Kodachrome Basin State Park’s Grand Parade Trail is a short, pleasant loop along a wide, sandy trail with minimal elevation gain—making this hike good for families with children. The distinctive geological feature of Kodachrome Basin is the park’s collection of 67 “sedimentary pipes”—mysterious stony spires thought to be most likely formed by underground water sources—and …
Continue reading Grand Parade Trail (Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT)
After a failed attempt earlier this month when I unintentionally ended up at a higher, more distant point, I returned to the area two weeks later seeking out a rock feature known as “The Motorman” in western Capitol Reef National Park. Though sometimes hard to spot, the spire is visible—and best accessed—from a paved pull-out …
Continue reading The Motorman (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Connecting Highway 24 and the Fremont River with the Scenic Drive, Grand Wash is one of only six drainages cutting east-west through the 100-mile Waterpocket Fold. It also happens to be one of the flattest and easiest hikes in Capitol Reef National Park. The scenic walk, a great option for children or those looking for …
Continue reading Grand Wash Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
In a move partially influenced by a thirst for additional fodder for this blog, I just started a temporary gig as a seasonal interpretive volunteer at Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah. Often overshadowed by nearby national park behemoths like Grand Canyon or Zion, Capitol Reef is nonetheless a fantastic place (to work in or …
Continue reading Petroglyphs Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Alderfer/Three Sisters Park has the look and feel of a local park, populated mostly by trail runners, bikers, dog-walkers, and Evergreen residents on their evening strolls. (On the Saturday evening I visited, a gaggle of high-school girls were filming a skit for their Spanish class.) The rolling foothills and pine-lined meadows at Alderfer/Three Sisters are …
Continue reading Bluebird Meadow – Homestead Trail Loop (Alderfer Three Sisters Park, CO)
Note: This post is the second of two trail descriptions from a blissful October day at Pine Valley Ranch Park, an hour’s drive from the Denver area and a refreshingly quiet alternative to the crowded Jefferson County parks around Evergreen or Morrison. (The first, the 2.1-mile Buck Gulch – Strawberry Jack – Park View Trail …
Continue reading Narrow Gauge Trail – Eastern Section (Pine Valley Ranch Park, CO)
In Europe’s great cities—from Paris to London to Rome—public parks, though grand and well-manicured, are a dime a dozen. But rushing waters, bounded by colossal canyon walls, indeed a fisher’s or rock climber’s paradise—just a 20-minute walk from the city center? Now that is a rare sight…and a feature that makes Sarajevo—the political and economic …
If looking for an easy, yet high elevation, hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, the fairly level trail to Timberline Pass is a safe bet. Skirting the south side of Tombstone Ridge, the views of Forest Canyon, the Continental Divide, and Longs Peak from this route are spectacular. Though the western section of the Ute …
Continue reading Ute Trail – Tombstone Ridge & Timberline Pass (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
As visitors will know, the “hike” to Chasm Falls is not much of a hike at all. Rather, it is a pleasant place to quickly stretch your legs (and get your heart pumping on the return ascent) on the drive up lovely Old Fall River Road. At the bottom of the short trail, visitors can …
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Live and Let Hike 