After 229 miles in Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Trail (AT) spends a relatively brief 41 miles running through Maryland, mostly following the lengthy ridgeline of South Mountain. While thru-hikers will breeze through the state in 2-3 days, day-trippers can complete the Maryland portion in seven discrete sections. (Note: This is the breakdown outlined in the excellent …
Montgomery County’s Seneca Creek State Park offers quiet isolation in one of Maryland’s most densely populated areas, particularly the park’s wild southern section. Here two moderate paths—the Seneca Greenway Trail and Seneca Bluffs Trail—snake through the Seneca Creek stream valley between Highway 28 and the Potomac River; combined, the two make for a long day …
Continue reading Seneca Greenway – Seneca Bluffs Trail Loop (Seneca Creek State Park, MD)
With its sweeping views and hair-raising ascent, the Beehive Trail is one of Acadia National Park’s most iconic hikes. Along with the Beech Cliff Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail, and Precipice Trail, Beehive is one of the park’s four “iron rung routes”: strenuous climbs that require negotiating ladders, iron aides, and steep staircases to mount exposed …
Continue reading The Beehive Loop (Acadia National Park, ME)
The Acadia Mountain Loop is a challenging hike on Acadia National Park’s quieter west side that affords fantastic views of Mount Desert Island, Echo Lake, and Somes Sound. Granite outcrops make for excellent vantage points—but also significant obstacles—on this 2.9-mile stem-and-loop. After summiting the mountain, the trail drops 600 feet to the banks of Somes …
Continue reading Acadia Mountain Loop (Acadia National Park, ME)
The Beech Cliff Trail, situated in Acadia National Park’s peaceful western section, is one of the park’s four “iron rung routes”: strenuous climbs that require negotiating ladders, iron aides, and steep granite staircases to mount exposed cliff sides. Compared with the other three, the Beech Cliff Trail is arguably the least harrowing: the biggest obstacles …
Continue reading Beech Cliff Trail & Canada Cliffs Trail Loop (Acadia National Park, ME)
Continuing where the Dickey Ridge Trail – Section 1 left off, the second half of the Dickey Ridge Trail extends five miles from the Dickey Ridge Picnic Area to Compton Gap in Shenandoah National Park’s North District. Highlights include a beautiful viewpoint from a clear cut near the start and Fort Windham Rocks toward the …
Continue reading Dickey Ridge Trail – Section 2 (Shenandoah National Park, VA)
Live and Let Hike hit its stride in 2016, nearly tripling the number of visitors and page views seen in 2015. I also passed a new milestone—my 200th blog post—and greatly expanded the geographic breadth and depth of hike descriptions, including posts from Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, DC, and Quebec. Taking a break …
The Sutton Mine Trail—situated just south of Ouray, Colorado—rewards hearty hikers who brave the initial, gut-wrenching ascent with spectacular views of Ouray, Uncompahgre Gorge, Bear Creek Falls, and Abrams Mountain. Ending at an abandoned mine, this 2.2-mile jaunt packs nearly 700 feet in elevation gain into the first half-mile before leveling out atop a rocky …
Continue reading Sutton Mine Trail (Uncompahgre National Forest, CO)
Buzzard Rock, situated at the northeast corner of Virginia’s Massanutten Mountain, is not a singular monolith as the name implies. Rather, it is a razor-toothed spine of sandstone more than a quarter mile long, perched high above Fort Valley and Passage Creek. While it lacks the heights of the nearby Signal Knob Loop, this 4.5-mile …
Continue reading Buzzard Rock via Shawl Gap (George Washington National Forest, VA)
Beginning on the outskirts of Front Royal, Virginia, the Dickey Ridge Trail holds the distinction of being the northernmost hike in Shenandoah National Park—and, by association, the closest to I-66 and Washington, DC. While perhaps not the most awe-inspiring ramble, the Dickey Ridge Trail offers at least a sense of accomplishment: climbing from the base …
Continue reading Dickey Ridge Trail – Section 1 (Shenandoah National Park, VA)
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