Tag Archives: loop hike

Fire Wave Trail – Seven Wonders Loop (Valley of Fire State Park, NV)

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

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. … Continue reading →

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White Domes Trail (Valley of Fire State Park, NV)

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

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 … Continue reading →

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Saratoga Gap – Ridge Trail Loop, including Castle Rock Falls (Castle Rock State Park, CA)

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

Situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains just south of Silicon Valley in the South Bay, Castle Rock State Park is known primarily for its rock climbing—but the 34 miles of hiking trails are worthwhile as well. To avoid the tech … Continue reading →

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Phantom Falls Loop (North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, CA)

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

Each year, for a brief period—after recent rains in winter and early spring—the usually dry and dreary landscape of northern California’s North Table Mountain comes alive with color, flowing streams, and stunning seasonal waterfalls. And these are no run-of-the-mill cascades: … Continue reading →

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Chiricahua Big Loop (Chiricahua National Monument, AZ)

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

At first glance, the Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona appear little different from the hundreds of other small ranges of the Basin and Range area, which spans from southern Oregon and Idaho down to Mexico: an abrupt north-south range rising … Continue reading →

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Fort Bowie Trail Loop (Fort Bowie National Historic Site, AZ)

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

– Civil War Series – At a time when most eyes were on the major battlefields of the Civil War out east, the Union Army was engaged in 1962 in a series of smaller skirmishes in the American Southwest with … Continue reading →

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Scenic – Packrat Trail Loop (Saguaro National Park, AZ)

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

Southern Arizona’s Saguaro National Park—split into two districts separated by the San Luis Valley—feels in some ways like a local park due to its proximity to Tucson, Arizona’s second-largest city. Taking off from this neighborhood or that, numerous hiking trails … Continue reading →

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City of Rocks Loop (City of Rocks National Reserve, ID)

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Andrew Wojtanik

Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve—one of only two national reserves in the National Park system—protects a 14,000-acre tract that includes an extensive cluster of granitic formations known as the “Silent City of Rocks.” While the chalky white and grey … Continue reading →

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Medicine Bow Peak Loop, including Lakes Trail (Medicine Bow National Forest, WY)

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

At 12,013 feet, Medicine Bow Peak is the highest mountain in southern Wyoming’s Snowy Range, a small but exceptionally scenic slice of the broader Medicine Bow Mountains, which extend into northern Colorado. The peak is accessible via a relatively straightforward … Continue reading →

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Mexican Canyon Trail Loop, inc. Scenic View Trail (Fort Robinson State Park, NE)

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Fort Robinson, a former U.S. Army base dating to the late 19th century, may be the most popular destination in the state park that bears its name—but the natural highlights lie beyond to the north and west in the sedimentary … Continue reading →

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