Half Dome is the most popular hike in Yosemite National Park. It’s both a thrilling and heart-stopping experience but also requires careful planning! One of the planning steps is securing a permit - whether day hiking or backpacking. This post provides all the details you need to know to get one of the coveted permits.
Everyone should experience the iconic beauty of Yosemite - epic waterfalls, famous rock faces, breath-taking alpine meadows - in person at least once! From a stroll in the woods, rock climbing, to a serious backpacking adventure on the John Muir Trail, Yosemite offers an adventure for everyone.
The Teton mountain range is a marvel unto itself. As impressive as the mountains in Grand Teton National Park are, the lakes are equally awe-inspiring and open to a range of adventures! Even if camping is not your thing, consider making an exception and experience the magic of a lakeside campground.
Whether sitting by the lake or seeing it from a mountain top, the intense and dazzling blue color of Crater Lake is mesmerizing. While the lake is the core attraction of Crater Lake National Park, there’s so much more than the Lake to experience here including the most intense starry night skies.
Unlike other National Parks, outdoor activities are not the primary reason to visit Mesa Verde National Park. Created with an explicit purpose of preserving the archaeological heritage of the area, visitors can learn about the history of the land through the over 5,000 artifacts and 600 dwellings that exist within the Park.
The naturally forming rocks at Arches National Park makes this a memorable place to visit. Because the trails in Arches are short, I was able to combine several hikes into a day, experience much of the park in two days, still not feel exhausted, and visit the three other National Parks nearby.
Glacier National Park gives new meaning to wilderness and was the place I most anticipated experiencing on my road trip. Unfortunately, the wildfires of 2018 interrupted my plans for a three-day adventure. I still managed to see some of the beauty of this magical place - Grinnell Glacier, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass, and countless wildlife!
Bryce Canyon National Park neighbors Zion but offers a dramatically different experience. It was an experience to walk (and ride a horse for the first time!) among the famous hoodoos, magical-looking sand structures that cover Bryce. Unfortunately, I didn’t get experience the other hiking adventures Bryce offers because a wildfire closed most of the park.
Zion National Park’s slot canyons, sandstone formations, and rock walls make a spectacular background for a range of adventures. Rocking climbing and canyoneering are popular and well worth experiencing. Zion is also a hiker's paradise with Narrows, a hike in the Virgin River, and the steep and dizzying climb to Angel’s Landing among the most famous.
Winter came early to Yellowstone (in August!), so I scrapped my hiking plans and opted to drive the much of the loop of Yellowstone National Park. Known for its thermal features, grizzly covered backcountry, stunning waterfalls, and large lakes, it is hard to capture the adventure possibilities of Yellowstone in one blog post.
Hiking Misadventures 