Paria Canyon Wilderness, Utah Trail Name: Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch Summary: A sandy wash gives easy access to dramatic and exquisitely carved slot canyons, deep in the Utah canyonland wilderness. Highly Recommended One Day Hike Trail Description Buckskin Gulch, a narrow chasm gouged deep into the Navajo sandstone of the Colorado plateau, is probably [...]

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Trail Name: Cub Lake Summary: A delightful walk through meadows and aspen groves to a tranquil lake backed by Stones Peak. Trail Description This is one of the Park’s good early season hikes, as it becomes snow-free much earlier than the higher trails around Bear Lake. However it is popular, [...]

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Trail Name: Dream and Emerald Lakes Summary: A climb to three mountain-framed lakes, ending at the rugged saddle beneath distinctive Hallett Peak. Trail Description The Bear Lake area is understandably popular – the scenery is majestic as you are so close to the mountains. An extremely popular 0.5 mile nature [...]

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Trail Name: Mills Lake Summary: A definitive Rockies trail, encompassing a gushing waterfall, a pristine lake and magnificent mountain views. Highly Recommended One Day Hike Trail Description The trailhead is directly across the road from the parking area. Ignore the path on the right to Bear Lake, cross the bridge, [...]

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Sliding Sands-Halemau’u Summary: Explore the massive basin at Haleakala’s summit, an eerie volcanic landscape of colorful cinder cones. Trail Description At the summit of Haleakala is a giant depression, 7.5 miles long, 2.5 miles wide, and up to 3,000 ft deep. It was formed by water eroding the volcanic [...]

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Pipiwai Summary: Climb from a rugged volcanic shoreline through lush, tropical rainforest to two majestic waterfalls. Trail Description The Kipahulu Valley drops 9,000 ft from the east rim of Haleakala’s huge summit basin to the ocean. It is a rainforest wilderness, home to numerous rare plants, birds and insects. [...]

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Sliding Sands Summary: A half-day hike into the alien volcanic landscape of Haleakala’s giant summit depression. Trail Description The world’s largest dormant volcano, Haleakala (“House of the Sun”) dominates south Maui. At its summit, the forces of erosion have formed a huge depression, rather misleadingly called Haleakala Crater (a [...]

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Waldron Ledge-Sulphur Banks Summary: Dramatically contrasting scenery at the summit of Kilauea volcano. Trail Description This hike combines several of the interconnecting trails at the summit of Kilauea: Waldron Ledge Loop (itself formed of sections of Crater Rim, Byron Ledge and Halema’uma’u Trails), Sandalwood and Sulphur Banks Trails. [...]

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Kilauea Iki Summary: Cross the floor of ‘Little Kilauea’ Crater, the site of Hawaii’s most furious eruption. Trail Description One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea is also one of the most accessible, with a road snaking right up to the summit. At the top, just east [...]

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Trail Name: Halema’uma’u-Byron Ledge Summary: Cross the floor of Kilauea Caldera and peer into the depths of steaming Halema’uma’u Crater, home of Pele the fire goddess. Trail Description Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Of the 150 miles of trails [...]