United States

Great Bear Ski Valley is a ski area in Sioux Falls that also has wooded trails that run throughout the property. The trails are free to hike and offer a secluded, private place to get outside and away from the city.  In the winter, the trails can be used to cross country ski as well. We found thi...

Big Ferry Loop in Skidaway State Park near Savannah, Georgia is approximately 3.4 miles and takes a little over an hour to complete. Unless of course, you're taking a little additional time to enjoy your surroundings and views of the local wildlife. This trail is located close to the campground ...

Roughly an hour east of Raleigh, N.C., sits the college town of Greenville. Downtown Greenville is on the Tar River, which flows into the Pamlico Sound. To my knowledge, one of the oldest European records of the Pamlico Sound was in 1524, when Italian Explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano mistook the s...

While visiting the charming Northwoods town of Siren, I detoured for a hike on the Gandy Dancer Trail segment.   This trail was constructed to connect townships using old railroad beds.   Even the name honors the rhythmic, synchronized efforts of the workers in their rail nailing dance.   In tota...

At 11,347 ft., Sawmill Pass lies on the Sierra Crest and enters Kings Canyon National Park in the Woods Creek area. Both the John Muir Trail (JMT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) can be accessed through this pass. The Sawmill Pass trail is a steep and arduous climb, gaining over 6700 feet of e...

This scenic overlook is along the Highland Scenic Highway. The highway runs through the Monongahela National Forest. The overlook has an amazing view and is a great area to explore. There are two trails that lead off from the overlook and they have a gorgeous spruce forests.  

Located within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and along one of the most scenic lakes within the Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois Little Grassy Lake Campground is a awesome place to camp for a night or a whole week. There are 14 full hook up campsites. 54 sites have water and electric acc...

If you're visiting the Mohegan Bluffs, you should take the extra time to see the Lighthouse next to them. There's a beautiful overlook looking out onto the Atlantic and a bench to relax in the grassy hill. It's free to walk around the grounds and it's only about 2 miles from the town the ferry po...

Gray Quarry is a perfect destination for scuba diving in TN! The quarry is about 70 feet deep with ~3 acres of clear water. They have sunk a plane, bus, truck, firetruck, boat, seedoos, and more to the bottom. There is also a large variety of aquatic animals in the quarry. This is an awesome, loc...

The Crooked Creek Nature Preserve features many unique and rare plant species including an oak barrens community, oak-hickory forest, and prairie species such as: Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem and Prairie Dock. In addition to these species are five rare plant species including: Starry False Solom...

In 2009, the people that lived in the neighborhood, close to the stairs, wanted to find a way to fight the graffiti that was being put on the structures and stairs themselves. Artist Ricardo Mendoza was commissioned to paint a giant mural that would cover most of the concrete walls that surround ...

Adjacent to the beautiful Bald Knob Cross monument is one of the most scenic drives in Southern Illinois. The road winds and turns through this rugged and remote wilderness.  Highlights along the way for hikers are the Bald Knob trail loop and the linear Godwin Trail which connects into Clear Spr...

This trail can be hiked at different times of the year. In the spring there are several species in bloom and in the summer wildflowers. There are good views of the Franklin Mountains and West El Paso.

...When you research hiking gems to explore in New Mexico, this cave most likely won't be one of the first ones to pop up. This amazing landmark, called Kit Carson Cave, is a short drive off the I-40 and is located near the town of Gallup.  After a long day of driving, or if you're just looking ...

This trail is rated as moderate and is a hot spot for hiking and fishing. Note that there are certain sections of the trail that have steep inclines, narrow paths, and rocky areas. For this reason, it may not be the easiest or best trail to bring small kids on. Be sure to wear appropriate footwea...

The trailhead, or pair of trailheads actually, is at a location on the Angeles Crest Highway (CA-2) called Dawson's Saddle.  There are a couple of parking areas along the side of the highway, and each of the pair of trailheads begins at either end of this parking area.  The trailheads aren't mark...