Point Lobos Loop, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, March 2022 On area maps, at least in comparison to the much larger Monterey Peninsula to the north, Point Lobos appears as little more than a minor jut – a triangular peninsula between Carmel Bay and the rest of the central California coast to the south. But …
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Carpenter Peak, Roxborough State Park The primary attraction of Roxborough State Park—situated at the edge of the Front Range to the southwest of Denver, Colorado—is a stunning collection of red-hued sandstone outcrops, rising from the earth at a roughly 60 degree angle and stretching for more than two miles north to south. Here the slanted …
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Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, January 2022 Why settle for Twentynine Palms when you can see Fortynine? While the exact count is likely no longer quite right, Fortynine Palms Oasis is one of five desert fan palm oases in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. Here, secluded in a rugged canyon just south …
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Wildhorse Trail, Saguaro National Park, January 2022 Abutting the northwestern fringes of the Rincon Mountains, the Cactus Forest in Saguaro National Park’s eastern district boasts a rich diversity of plant life, including prickly pear, red barrel, and saguaro cacti and various cholla species. A network of hiking trails crisscrosses the desert ecosystem, while a subset …
Continue reading Bridal Wreath Falls & Little Wildhorse Tank Loop (Saguaro National Park, AZ)
King Canyon Trail, Saguaro National Park, January 2022 Wasson Peak (4,687') is the highest point in the Tucson Mountains, a small range of cactus-dotted heights situated just west of Arizona’s second largest city. Reaching the summit is one of the more popular hikes in Saguaro National Park’s Tucson Mountain District, but the nearly 8-mile loop …
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Potato Harbor, Channel Islands National Park, September 2021 The largest island in California and most visited destination in Channel Islands National Park, Santa Cruz Island spans more than 61,000 acres in the Pacific Ocean. Sporting only a modest visitor center, campground, and kayak company—with no restaurants, stores, or other concessions—exploring Santa Cruz Island is a …
Continue reading Cavern Point – Potato Harbor Loop (Channel Islands National Park, CA)
Mott Lake Trail, John Muir Wilderness, August 2021 Generally less frequented than nearby Yosemite or Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, the John Muir Wilderness spans 650,000 acres of mostly unblemished mountain terrain in the heart of California’s Sierra Nevada. The region is dotted with hundreds of alpine and subalpine lakes, each of which shimmers …
Evolution Lake, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon National Park, August 2021 The past year brought new milestones for Live and Let Hike, with the Covid-era bump in traffic continuing for a second year. In fact, annual viewership rose by more than 50 percent compared to 2020 and more than 100 percent relative to 2019—Live and …
Boomerang Lake, Desolation Wilderness, June 2021 Desolation Wilderness spans around 64,000 acres of the Sierra Nevada in northern California’s Eldorado National Forest, including dozens of alpine lakes, towering granite peaks, and glacial streams. The wilderness, due to its close proximity to Lake Tahoe, is known today as perhaps the state’s most popular backpacking area, but …
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Wildcat Peak, Tilden Regional Park, May 2021 Truly unobstructed panoramas with views in all directions are a relative rarity in the Berkeley Hills of California’s East Bay, but Wildcat Peak in Berkeley’s Tilden Regional Park offers one of them with excellent vistas of the San Francisco Bay, the Carquinez Strait, the Briones Hills, Mount Diablo, …
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