LaSalle Canyon, Starved Rock State Park, June 2022 Note: This is the second of four posts covering hikes in northern Illinois’ Starved Rock State Park, which boasts 18 sandstone canyons, dozens of waterfalls, and an impressive network of trails along the southern shores of the Illinois River. This post covers a 4.4-mile stem-and-loop hike from …
Continue reading French, Wildcat, & LaSalle Canyons Loop (Starved Rock State Park, IL)
St. Louis Canyon, Starved Rock State Park, June 2022 Note: This is the first of four posts covering hikes in northern Illinois’ Starved Rock State Park, which boasts 18 sandstone canyons, dozens of waterfalls, and an impressive network of trails along the southern shores of the Illinois River. This post covers a 2.75-mile out-and-back from …
Continue reading St. Louis Canyon and Aurora Canyon (Starved Rock State Park, IL)
Mitten Park Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, June 2022 Situated just north of Echo Park on the Colorado side of Dinosaur National Monument, a sudden break in the cream-colored Weber sandstone produces a multi-hued swirl of color—a peculiar twisting formation where the horizontal shelves suddenly thrust upward into vertical stripes, culminating in one of the area’s …
Continue reading Mitten Park Trail (Dinosaur National Monument, CO)
Sound of Silence Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, June 2022 Like Canyonlands or Capitol Reef in southern Utah, Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado features nearly two dozen sedimentary rock layers that span the Permian through Cretaceous periods (66-300 million years ago). The view from Cub Creek Road at the trailhead for the Sound of …
Continue reading Sound of Silence Trail (Dinosaur National Monument, UT)
Jones Hole Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, June 2022 Although most famous for its prehistoric fossils, Dinosaur National Monument in northeast Utah and northwest Colorado covers more than 200,000 acres of canyon country that rivals the “Mighty Five” national parks farther south. Here the Green and Yampa Rivers—and their various tributaries—have carved a labyrinth of snaking …
Continue reading Jones Hole Trail & Ely Creek Falls (Dinosaur National Monument, UT)
Timpanogos Falls, Mount Timpanogos Wilderness, June 2022 Below the imposing massif of Mount Timpanogos (11,749’)—the second-highest peak in northern Utah’s Wasatch Range—lies a wonderland of aspen groves, cascading streams, and verdant meadows, many of which are a stone’s throw from the popular, 20-mile Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. Ambitious day hikers can set out to tackle …
Continue reading Timpanogos Falls (Mount Timpanogos Wilderness, UT)
Timpanogos Cave, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, June 2022 Nestled high above American Fork Canyon in northern Utah’s Wasatch Range, three limestone caves—connected today by man-made tunnels—are the prime attractions of Timpanogos Cave National Monument, a popular park in the Salt Lake City/Provo area. Discovered around the turn of the 20th century, the three caves were …
Continue reading Timpanogos Cave Trail & Cave Tour (Timpanogos Cave National Monument, UT)
Balconies Cave Trail, Pinnacles National Park, March 2022 Talus caves—formed when crashing boulders fall into chasms, flooding the canyon with darkness—are an intriguing feature of central California’s Pinnacles National Park, which boasts two such pseudo-karst caverns. The most popular of the two is Bear Gulch Cave, most easily accessible from the east side of the …
Continue reading Balconies Cliffs – Balconies Cave Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)
Panorama Trail, Andrew Molera State Park, March 2022 Traversing a scrubby escarpment above the Pacific Ocean, the Ridge – Panorama – Bluffs Trail is a pleasant 8-mile jaunt in the Big Sur area and one of the best hikes in Andrew Molera State Park. Don’t be fooled by the gads of visitors at the parking …
Continue reading Ridge – Panorama – Bluffs Trail Loop (Andrew Molera State Park, CA)
Pfeiffer Falls, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, March 2022 More than 12 years after suffering significant damage in the 2008 Basin Complex Fire, the Pfeiffer Falls Trail in California’s Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopened for the first time in June 2021. The new and improved route—with its fresh boardwalks, staircases, and bridges—is an impressive …
Continue reading Pfeiffer Falls Trail (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, CA)
Live and Let Hike 