Horsetail Falls, Desolation Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest, July 2023 Set in the southern reaches of the Desolation Wilderness, Horsetail Falls is a local landmark visible to those driving along U.S. Route 50 between Placerville, California and Lake Tahoe. More of a series of tumbles than a sheer drop, the waterfall on Pyramid Creek drains many …
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Five Lakes Trail, Tahoe National Forest, July 2023 The cluster of subalpine tarns known as Five Lakes, nestled in a mostly wooded saddle northwest of bustling Lake Tahoe, are mediocre by area standards; they lack the dramatic granite backdrops or aquamarine hues that characterize some lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada. But on the short Five …
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Taughannock Falls Overlook, North Rim Trail, Taughannock Falls State Park, June 2023 At 215 feet tall, Taughannock Falls in central New York is the tallest single-drop waterfall in the northeast United States, boasting a height that exceeds even the nearby—but much more-famous—Niagara Falls. Taughannock Falls is the centerpiece of a state park bearing its name …
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Gorge Trail, Buttermilk Falls State Park, June 2023 A quick glance at this and my previous blog from Ithaca’s Robert H. Treman State Park suggests this post may be merely a duplicate. But a closer look reveals that there is indeed also a Gorge Trail and Rim Trail combination in nearby Buttermilk Falls State Park, …
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Lucifer Falls, Rim Trail, Robert H. Treman State Park, June 2023 Uplift, receding glaciers, and subsequent erosion have blessed central New York with terrific stone gorges, many containing rushing waters and dramatic waterfalls that drain into the 11 Finger Lakes. Enfield Glen, one such canyon, is the centerpiece of Ithaca’s Robert H. Treman State Park—an …
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Emilie Jonas Falls, Emilie Jonas Falls Nature Preserve, June 2023 Waterfalls abound in the narrow gorges in and around Ithaca, New York, with some drawing regular crowds while others attracting only hearty falls-seeking sleuths keen on novelty and solitude. Emilie Jonas Falls is a gem for the latter group: it is not the tallest, widest, …
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Gorge Trail, Chittenango Falls State Park, June 2023 Chittenango Falls—situated roughly 20 miles southeast of Syracuse, New York—tumbles an impressive 167 feet into a limestone gorge and is easily viewed on a short, ½-mile loop hike. The best views are from a pedestrian bridge below the waterfall along the Gorge Trail, the premier walk in …
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Seven Wonders Loop, Valley of Fire State Park, February 2023 In a hike combining Valley of Fire State Park’s most Instagram-famous spot with the wilder and more adventurous Seven Wonders route, this scenic loop traverses some of the park’s most spectacular scenery, from narrow slot canyons to vibrantly-hued sandstone knobs. The wonderful diversity makes this …
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White Domes Trail, Valley of Fire State Park, February 2023 There is perhaps no other place in the American Southwest where the sandstone erupts in such a range of color—from pastel pink to orange, cream, gold, and deep red—as Valley of Fire State Park in southeast Nevada. As one enters the Las Vegas-area park, the …
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Anniversary Narrows, Muddy Mountains Wilderness, February 2023 Anniversary Narrows is Nevada’s best answer to the challenge laid down by neighboring Utah: give us your best, most picturesque slot canyon. Better yet, extend the slot for more than 1/3 mile, place the trailhead less than an hour’s drive from the state’s largest metropolis (Las Vegas), and …
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Live and Let Hike 