In 2018, we enjoyed exploring the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. But we wished we had been able to visit other areas of the park too. So, the following year, that’s what we did. After researching, we decided on a four day, three night backpacking trip through Salt Creek Canyon in the Needles District. Salt Creek Trail has a lot of draws and is located in one of the more remote areas of the Needles District….
Our trip to Arches National Park was an adventure. We’ve captured our favorite hikes, dislikes, what we wished we had done, and other tips. We also provide information about visitation statistics and weather which are important considerations when visiting any national park. Here are our takeaways – we hope you can use it as a planning guide for your trip to Arches. Overview Arches National Park, located in eastern Utah near the town of Moab, was established to protect the…
We don’t go backpacking too often in the middle of summer (travels aside). But we had a free weekend, and we wanted to test out some new gear and get in shape for an upcoming trip to Glacier NP. So it was back to Shenandoah National Park for a quick one-nighter. Initially we wanted to hike Jeremy’s Run, one of our favorite backpacking routes in the park. In reading some trip reports, it seemed like the trail could be laden…
Surprisingly, this was our first hike in the southern section of Shenandoah National Park. Before this, the furthest south we had travelled in the park was Bearfence Mountain. Most of the well known hikes are in the central and northern districts. And while we consider Shenandoah our “home park,” driving there from Northern Virginia can take a while. We spent a weekend at Big Meadows Lodge, and planned to hike Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Loop Trail, one of the most…
Spring is a great time to go for a hike and see wildflowers in Shenandoah National Park. This time, we decided on a hike to Rapidan Camp in the Central District. The camp was a summer getaway for President Herbert Hoover between 1929 and 1933. It is also important as it helped initiate the construction of Skyline Drive. In 1933, the Hoovers donated the land to Shenandoah National Park. It was later used as both a boy scout camp and…
We don’t usually hike in the winter. It’s cold (obviously), and daylight is lacking. Ice and downed trees often close off Skyline Drive, so you can’t access most of Shenandoah National Park. We had been trying to hike for weeks in Shenandoah, but the central district had been closed. I’m not a fan of winter and was eager to put it behind me. Finally, with some warmer weekend weather, we found ourselves hiking Stony Man Trail. It was getting warmer…