June 19, 2017
In
Backpacking,
Family Adventures,
Hiking,
International Adventures,
National Park Adventures,
Paddling,
Skills |
Tagged
backpacking with children,
Canyonlands National Park,
Capitol Reef National Park,
children outdoors,
Eagle Cap Wilderness,
family backpacking,
family hiking,
family outdoor adventures,
family paddling,
Glacier National Park,
Grand Teton National Park,
hiking with children,
Jotunheimen National Park,
kids outdoors,
raising outdoors-loving kids,
Rocky Mountain National Park,
tips for new parents,
tips for new parents who love the outdoors,
tips for outdoorsy parents,
tips on taking children outdoors,
tips on taking kids outdoors,
Zion National Park |
1 Comment
By Michael Lanza
So, you’ve been an avid [circle all appropriate terms: hiker/backpacker/climber/trail runner/skier/kayaker] for years, and now you’re spending big chunks of your days changing diapers and your nights wondering when you’ll sleep again. You’ve never gone this long without getting out into the mountains, and you see no remedy for that shortfall in the foreseeable future. Your new baby is more wonderful than you’d ever imagined—and yet, you’re feeling a little despair over what’s missing from your life lately.
I know where your head is right now. And I have good news for you: I’ve seen the bright light at the end of the tunnel, and you can get there faster than you might think. Here’s how. Continue reading →
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June 12, 2017
In
Family Adventures,
Hiking,
National Park Adventures |
Tagged
best national park hikes,
Best uncrowded national park dayhikes,
Big Spring Canyon,
Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River,
Blacktail Deer Creek Trail,
Box Top Trail,
Boy Scout Trail,
California,
California hiking,
California national parks,
Canyonlands National Park,
Capitol Reef National Park,
Chimney Rock Canyon,
City of Rocks National Reserve,
Clouds Rest,
Colorado,
Colorado hiking,
Death Valley National Park,
Eagle Peak Trail,
family hiking,
Grand Teton National Park,
Great Sand Dunes National Park,
Heather Pass Maple Pass Loop,
High Sierra,
hiking Grand Teton National Park,
hiking Wyoming,
Joshua Tree National Park,
Lost Canyon,
Mount Rainier National Park,
North Cascades,
North Cascades National Park,
North Fork Circle Creek Trail,
Peekaboo Trail,
Southern Utah hiking backpacking,
Squaw Canyon,
Static Peak,
Stripe Rock Loop,
Taylor Canyon Zion,
Tea Kettle Trail,
Telescope Peak,
Tenaya Lake,
The Needles District,
Utah,
Utah parks,
Washington hiking backpacking,
Wonderland of Rocks,
Wyoming,
Yellowstone National Park,
Yosemite National Park,
Zion National Park |
2 Comments
By Michael Lanza
The best-known dayhikes in America’s national parks are certainly worth adding to your outdoor-adventure CV. Summits and hiking trails like Angels Landing in Zion, Half Dome in Yosemite, the North Rim Trail overlooking the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Glacier National Park’s Highline Trail, and many others represent the highlights of the crown jewels of the National Park System. But for that very reason, unless you take those hikes outside the peak seasons or times of day, you can expect to encounter a lot of other hikers.
But there are other national park dayhikes that remain off the radar of many hikers—so they attract a small fraction of the number of people flocking to the popular trails. On these 12 hikes, you’ll find scenery just as majestic as those famous trails, while possibly having these spots to yourself (as I did on several of them). Continue reading →
June 8, 2017 |
In
Ask Me,
Hiking,
National Park Adventures |
Tagged
Alaska Basin,
Ask Me Grand Teton,
Avalanche Canyon,
Avalanche Divide,
Cascade Canyon,
Death Canyon,
Grand Teton National Park,
hiking Grand Teton National Park,
Hurricane Pass,
Jenny Lake,
Snowdrift Lake,
South Fork Cascade Canyon,
Static Peak,
Static Peak Divide,
Sunset Lake,
Teton Crest Trail,
Teton Range,
Wyoming hiking |
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Backpackers on the Teton Crest Trail on Death Canyon Shelf, Grand Teton National Park.
Hi Michael!
How are you? I have a quick question. Jerry and I always do a long day hike for our anniversary. This year is our 24th, so we’re looking for a 24- to 26-mile epic dayhike and we want to do the Teton Crest Trail. But we can’t swing the entire 40-miler this year. We heard that there’s a 25-mile route that is epic in itself, from Death Canyon to Static Peak Divide to Cascade Canyon.
Where do we start and end? I read your great blog post on the entire hike, but curious about the 25-mile section.
Thanks!
Shelli
Lander, WY Continue reading →
June 5, 2017
In
Family Adventures,
Hiking,
National Park Adventures |
Tagged
Andrews Bald,
Angels Landing,
Anhinga Trail,
Appalachian Trail,
Arches National Park,
Bryce Canyon National Park,
California,
California hiking,
California national parks,
Canyonlands National Park,
Capitol Reef National Park,
Cascade Pass,
Chesler Park Trail,
Clingmans Dome,
Cohab Canyon Trail,
Death Valley National Park,
Delicate Arch,
Everglades National Park,
family hiking,
Fying Pan Trail,
Garnet Canyon,
General Sherman Tree,
Giant Forest,
giant sequoias,
Glacier National Park,
Grand Canyon National Park,
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River,
Grand Canyon South Rim hikes,
Grand Teton National Park,
Grandview Trail,
Granite Park Chalet,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
Half Dome,
Heather Pass Maple Pass Loop,
High Sierra,
Highline Trail,
Hiking Bryce Canyon,
hiking Grand Teton National Park,
hiking Half Dome,
hiking Wyoming,
Horseshoe Mesa,
John Muir Trail,
Logan Pass,
Lower Yellowstone Falls,
Mist Trail,
Montana,
Mount Rainier National Park,
Navajo-Queens Garden Loop,
Nevada Fall,
North Carolina hiking backpacking,
North Cascades,
North Cascades National Park,
Olympic National Park,
Peek-a-Boo Loop,
Sahale Arm,
Sahale Glacier Camp,
Sequoia National Park,
Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park,
Skyline Trail,
South Kaibab Trail,
Southern Olympic Coast,
Southern Utah hiking backpacking,
Strawberry Point,
Sunrise Point,
Sunset Point,
Tags: Best national park dayhikes,
Telescope Peak,
Third Beach,
Toleak Point,
Upper Yellowstone Falls,
Upper Yosemite Falls,
Utah,
Utah parks,
Vernal Fall,
Washington hiking backpacking,
West Rim Trail,
Wyoming,
Yellowstone National Park,
Yellowstone North Rim Trail,
Yosemite National Park,
Yosemite Valley,
Zion National Park |
2 Comments
By Michael Lanza
America’s most stunning landscapes are protected within our 59 national parks, and some of the finest corners of our national heritage can be reached on dayhikes. Many can be done by kids and novice hikers. I’ve spent a few decades exploring most major U.S. national parks, making numerous trips to popular ones like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Grand Teton, and Zion (lead photo, above). From the thousands of very scenic miles I’ve hiked over the years, I’ve assembled here a list of the best dayhikes you can walk in our parks. Start ticking them off this year. Continue reading →
May 30, 2017 |
In
Backpacking,
National Park Adventures,
Skills |
Tagged
Bright Angel Trail,
Capitol Reef backcountry permit,
Capitol Reef National Park,
Glacier National Park,
Glacier National Park backcountry permit,
Grand Canyon backcountry permit,
Grand Canyon National Park,
Grand Teton backcountry permit,
Grand Teton National Park,
how to get a first-come national park backcountry permit,
how to get a first-come national park wilderness permit,
how to get a walk-in national park backcountry permit,
how to get a walk-in national park wilderness permit,
John Muir Trail,
Mount Rainier backcountry permit,
Mount Rainier National Park,
national park backcountry permits,
national park wilderness permits,
North Cascades backcountry permit,
North Cascades National Park,
North Kaibab Trail,
reserving a hard-to-get national park backcountry permit,
Rocky Mountain backcountry permit,
Rocky Mountain National Park,
Sequoia backcountry permit,
Sequoia National Park,
South Kaibab Trail,
Teton Crest Trail,
Wonderland Trail,
Yellowstone backcountry permit,
Yellowstone National Park,
Yosemite National Park,
Yosemite wilderness permit,
Zion backcountry permit,
Zion Narrows permit,
Zion National Park |
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Mark Fenton enjoying the dawn above the Lyell Fork Canyon of the Merced River in Yosemite.
By Michael Lanza
You really want to backpack in Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Teton, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Rainier, or another hugely popular national park this summer—but you didn’t apply to reserve a wilderness permit months ago? Well, you’re in luck: Most parks have a system for getting a last-minute permit. The bad news? It requires jumping through some hoops, good timing, and a bit of luck. Here are the tricks I’ve learned from numerous backpacking trips to major national parks over the past three decades. Follow them and you just might go backpacking this year in a classic national park. Continue reading →
