Josiah RoeExplorer

While you can make a day-hike out of it by driving up the gorgeous Sur-Nacimiento Road from Highway 1 to the Coast Ridge Road and take a 2 mile trail to the summit with 1300' of elevation gain (4 miles roundtrip), the more adventurous types do a Sea to Sky, starting at Kirk Creek Campground and up Vicente Flat Trail (23 miles roundtrip). You can camp at Vicente Flat 5 miles in. Another 2.5 mile...

The vast diversity of terrain of Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands National Park is matched in uniqueness only by its own flora and fauna, in particular the endangered and endemic Torrey Pine. The best way to view and experience these strange, broad trees is via the Torrey Pines Trail, which in addition to having several massive ravines filled with pinecones, also has incredible views up...

Words fail in describing the beauty of the Channel Islands National Park and Santa Rosa Island, the second largest of the Channel Islands and perhaps the most diverse in terms of terrain, flora and fauna, and also the only to allow backcountry beach camping. While the opportunities for exploration are endless, Black Mountain at 1,298' provides for fantastic access to sweeping views all along th...

The Napa Vally Vine Trail is an ongoing project of the Napa Valley Vine Coalition which has the stated goal of creating a 47 mile long bike trail along the entire length of Napa Valley. Currently 12.5 miles of trail is available between downtown Yountville and Kennedy Park in the city of Napa. You can begin in either location with a bike of your own or you can rent one from Napa Valley Bike Tou...

The Umpqua State Lighthouse is an emerald gem of Oregon Coastal perfection: dense forest intermingled with lakes and streams spill out onto a massive dune system that plays gatekeeper to the Umpqua River as it empties into the roaring Pacific Ocean.  Lake Marie sits nestled in the heart of the park and is a perfect place for a sunrise paddleboard sessions. Don't forget to book a campsite or yur...

Zephyr Cove on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe is a fantastic starting point for a host of water sports and activities and given the protected nature of the cove, a great place to do stand up paddle board. Depending on the time of year and the water level on the northern end of the beach there are several rock islands which can be explored. To get to Zephyr Cove take Highway 50 north for 7 mile...

There are endless swimming holes on the South Yuba River the feature crystal clear water, massive granite boulders and pristine pocket beaches, particularly those lower in the foothills. Many are separated by sections of rapids, but can be reached via the growing trail system of the South Yuba River State Park. The Edwards Crossing swimming hole, just upstream from the single-lane arch-truss E...

Caleta Almeja is why explorers and adventurers go to Baja. And then go back again and again. The little bay is absolutely teaming with sea life and the setting is absolutely breathtaking. Getting there is the hardest part. It is *at least* a two day drive from the US-Mexico border and about 2 hours north of Loreto, the nearest town with an airport of any size. Available maps are inaccurate at b...

Of the nine or so beaches where you can camp and/or find lodging along the eastern shore of Bahía de Concepcíon in Baja, El Requeson is arguably the most beautiful. It has no facilities, no cell service, and no amenities other than the occasional local vendor who may (or may not) come by in the morning to offer water or empanadas for sale. To get there, if you are heading south along Highway 1 ...

Zephyr Cove on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe is a fantastic starting point for a host of water sports and activities including a boat ride across Lake Tahoe to explore Emerald Bay. To get to Zephyr Cove take Highway 50 north for 7 miles out of South Lake Tahoe and turn left into the Zephyr Cove Resort. As an alternative you can take Highway 28 till it turns into Highway 50 from Incline Villag...

Father Crowley Overlook is an easily missed overlook on the western edge of Death Valley National Park off State Highway 190 overlooking Panamint Valley. It is easy to miss because the parking area doesn't appear to have a particularly notable vista, but leading off from the parking area to the south east is a dirt but maintained road leading to the actual (and epic) Father Crowley Vista.  Many...

The jetty's of Oceanside Harbor serve to protect and stabilize the mouth of the San Luis Rey River meaning the sand and subsequent breaks remain fairly consistent and sand bars last for quite some time. After heavy rains large sand bars will form making for decent waves. It is also a great place for beach running (so bring your swimrun shoes). The best swells are mixed: big S-SW with a smaller ...

King's Peak is the tallest peak in the King Range, the home of the famous and spectacular "Lost Coast". At an elevation of 4,000' and less than 3 miles from the ocean, King's Peak provides stunning views in all directions: of canyons, beaches, foggy valleys, and the many greenhouses that dot the Humboldt County backcountry. King's Peak is perhaps the only coastal peak that can be compared to B...

Trego Hot Springs resides on the southeastern edge of the Black Rock Desert just off of County Road 49 aka Jungo Road, about 17 miles from the small town of Gerlach, Nevada. Jungo Road is rugged and unmaintained, and as an alternative approach one can cut across the Black Rock Desert from County Road 34 to the north to the railroad crossing near the hot spring.  Note that the desert *and* the t...

Tucked away in a remote corner of northwest Nevada on the Oregon border, Bog Hot Springs is perhaps the ideal of the Nevada Hot Springs experience: public land, no amenities, minimal-to-no-development, an abundance of wildlife, and solitude almost year round (hunting season excepted). The Hot Spring itself is actually a creek that has been damn in a series of pools, with the hot springs themsel...

Beginning at Alta Laguna Park at Top of the World, the West Ridge Trail is a popular starting (and ending) point for adventures into the Laguna Coast Wilderness, leading to trails and areas like Car Wreck, Big Bend, and Willow Canyon. You can also do it in reverse from the north. The ridge itself is the southern ridge overlooking Laguna Canyon, and is great for trail running, mountain biking, a...

There a numerous trails in the Laguna Coast Wilderness that proceed up and along the ridges and down into the canyons (or the reverse), and are quite popular for mountain biking, hiking, and trail running. A great mountain biking loop begins in Emerald Canyon at the end of Emerald Canyon Road and proceeds 1.8 miles to the intersection with Old Emerald Trail. Go right on Old Emerald Trail and c...

Hidden Valley Park is a large, 480-acre regional park in southeast Reno, of which 65 acres are developed that features an extensive trail network along with equestrian grounds, a dog park, playground, and numerous other features. The Highland Loop Trail is a great way to experience the park and its excellent views across Reno towards Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada, and is great for hiking an...

Cabo Pulmo is rustic, with jaw-rattling washboard roads leading through the vast Baja Sur desert to an epic point that overlooks the oldest of the only three reef systems on the Pacific side of North America.The town itself is little more than a collection of dive centers and a couple of restaurants and just north of town on and below the point of Cabo Pulmo itself is a wonderful white sand bea...

Playa Ligüí south of Loreto is effectively the last public beach on Highway 1 before it heads west over the Sierra de la Gigantes mountains, and while not the pristine white sand beach of other nearby beaches it is still absolutely dramatic with fantastic views of the Sea of Cortez, Danzante Island, and the east face of the Gigantes. To get there take Highway 1 south out of Loreto about 37 kilo...

Cedar Breaks National Monument is a gorgeous multi-colored limestone amphitheater that many consider to be more beautiful than Bryce Canyon National Park given its greater depth over a shorter distance and higher elevation. It is far less traveled than its neighbors of Zion and Bryce. The Sunset Trail is a recently-built, 1-mile (2-mile out-and-back) trail that runs along the eastern rim of the...

Beryl Spring, so named for its aquamarine-like color, is one of the hottest springs in all of Yellowstone and is an easy stop off the Grand Loop Road about 17 miles west of Canyon Village. There is a large parking area and a elevated walkway providing viewing access. Under no circumstances should you touch the water which is extreme hot and dangerous. An excellent time to visit is on those occa...

Zephyr Cove on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe is a fantastic starting point for a host of water sports and activities and given the protected nature of the cove, a great place to wake surf and to *learn* to wake surf To get to Zephyr Cove take Highway 50 north for 7 miles out of South Lake Tahoe and turn left into the Zephyr Cove Resort. As an alternative you can take Highway 28 till it turns ...

The Bellvue Dome, known locally as "Goat Hill", was created by the same geological forces that made the Rocky Mountains, but what makes this structure unique is its shape, the steep cliff on its western edge carved by the Cache la Poudre River at the base, and its prominent location dominating the skyline just north of Fort Collins along Highway 287. Despite this, the Dome is rarely if ever cli...