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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Goldstrike Canyon Hot Springs, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, February 2023 Most visitors flock to Lake Mead National Recreation Area—straddling the Arizona-Nevada border, a short drive from Las Vegas—for water-related activities on the United States’ largest reservoir by volume. However, adventure-seekers of the land-bound sort are also treated to a fair amount of challenging and …
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Parfrey's Glen, Devil's Lake State Park, July 2022 Given the significant focus on Utah and the American West, narrow canyons and slots feature heavily on Live and Let Hike. But these beautiful features can be found in surprising places, such as the limestone gorges of Starved Rock State Park in northern Illinois and southwest Virginia’s …
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Box Canyon Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, June 2022 Two short and easy hikes take off from the parking area at the end of Cub Creek Road (Josie Morris Cabin) in the Utah portion of Dinosaur National Monument. The longer—and arguably better—is the Hog Canyon Trail. But there is a shorter alternative—Box Canyon—which wanders ¼ mile …
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Hog Canyon Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, June 2022 One of two short and easy hikes beginning from the old Josie Morris Cabin in the Utah portion of Dinosaur National Monument, the Hog Canyon Trail parallels the sandstone pitches of Split Mountain before turning and following a narrow cut partway into the Weber sandstone mass. This …
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Wiregrass Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 Highly weathered and rimmed with chalky hoodoos, natural arches, and tafoni, Wiregrass Canyon is an intriguing side drainage in southern Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The relatively-accessible canyon eventually empties into Glen Canyon and (what’s left of) the reservoir at Lake Powell. Those wishing to …
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Cathedral Wash, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, May 2021 Appearing modest from the trailhead, Cathedral Wash quickly deepens into a spectacular canyon that cuts through the Kaibab Limestone and Toroweap Formation in northern Arizona’s Glen Canyon area, ending at the Colorado River and a narrow sliver of Grand Canyon National Park. Don’t be fooled by …
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Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, May 2021 Stretching for more than a dozen miles through south-central Utah, the dark, undulating narrows of Buckskin Gulch are a sight to behold, a wonder of the American Southwest. Considered to be the longest slot canyon in the world, Buckskin Gulch is part of the Paria …
Continue reading Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass (Paria Canyon – Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, UT)
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