Gregory Canyon is the canyon that runs between Green Mountain, Boulder and Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder. It is a pretty easy, beautiful hike through the canyon that ends at the Long Canyon Trail / Ranger Trail. Along the way there is great views of...

The peak of Green Mountain offers some of the best views of Boulder and the plains east of Boulder. Green Mountain, at 8144 is the shortest of the three large peaks just west of Boulder. It's profile is perhaps the most familiar one.

Snoqualmie Falls is 268 ft (82 m) waterfall on Snoqualmie River between Snoqualmie and Fall City, Washington, USA. There is a nice trail from the observation deck above the falls to the river below the falls.

The Walker Ranch Loop is 7.2 miles long, mostly singletrack with a few rocky technical sections. There is a short stretch of dirt road, and a steep set of stairs that must be walked. There is a little over 1200 feet of elevation change, but none of...

Rabbit Mountain offers an easy hike or mountain bike ride at the confluence of the Great Plains and the Rocky mountains. The trails offer sweeping vistas of the plains of central Colorado as well as the Rocky Mountain Continental Divide. The...

Betasso Preserve is a hilly meadow in the foothills of Boulder. It has great views of the back of Green Mountain, and views of Boulder and the eastern plans. The primary trail is a loop that offers both mountain biking and hiking. It is a down...

The Green Mountain West Ridge Trail is the easiest route to the summit of Green Mountain, Boulder. It has about 559 feet of elevation gain to reach the peak and is mostly flat until the last section. This is a good family trail, as older kids can...

In February of this year we visited Parque Nacional de los Glaciares in Argentina. It a spectacular setting with huge glaciers snaking their way down from the Andes terminating into huge inland lakes. The most famous glacier in this park is...

This is a nice, easy 4.5 mile hike that takes you through farm country east of Boulder. You walk by a restored gravel pit and Boulder Creek. Along the way this provides you good views of the rural valley and many waterfowl.

Flagstaff Mountain is one of Boulder's best known landmarks and hikes. At the top of Flagstaff Mountain there are wonderful views of Boulder and the plans east of the foothills. Flagstaff Road winds itself up Flagstaff Mountain and offers...

The Dungeness Spit is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. It extends 5 miles into the Strait of Jaun Def Fuca. In 1915, a 756 acre refuge was established, the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Over 250 species of birds have been...

Just a little north of Ka Lae (South Point) on the Big Island is Papakolea Beach (the Green Sand Beach) located at Mahana Bay. The sand contains Olivine, or Peridot the birth stone for August, a green semiprecious stone that gives the sand an...

The Waipio Valley is one of the most beautiful spots in Hawaii. Access to the valley is from a very steep road, that should not be driven in the family rental car. The biggest black sand beach on the big island is in the valley.

The trails to the top of Mount Sanitas are two of the many trails maintained in the foothills West of Boulder by the department of Boulder County Parks and Open Space . The hike up Mount Sanitas is a short and steep climb that offers a great...

At 8549, South Boulder Peak is the highest of the three tall peaks close to Boulder. It's profile is the least familiar however, because it is hidden by Bear Peak. The top offers some amazing views of the back range and eastern plans.

Shadow Canyon is a very steep, deep canyon with really nice views of the back of Devils Thumb and the ridge it lies on. The hike up the canyon is one of the toughest hikes in all of Boulder. When you reach the top, there is a ridge trail that can...

The Homestead trail runs parallel to the Towhee trail along the top of a ridge. The trail runs through a beautiful mix of mountain meadows and Ponderosa pine forest. There are great views of the plains to the east.

The Towhee trail starts at the Doudy-Debacker-Dunn House and runs west through a small valley with a small seasonal stream. It run parallel to the Homestead Trail to the south and the Mesa Trail to the north. During the spring, the trail is lush...

The lower West Fork of Oak Creek is one of the easiest, highest traffic and most spectacular hikes in the Red Rock Country of Sedona, or perhaps in all of Arizona.

The Mesa Trail is a 6 mile point to point trail that runs from Chautauqua Park south to the South Mesa Trailhead on Eldorado Springs Drive. As you go south, you pass by six major canyons, Bluebell, Skunk, Bear, Fern, Shanahan and Shadow. The trail...

The Crown Rock Trail is a short but steep trail that goes from Gregory Canyon to the Flagstaff Trail. It goes straight up the side of flagstaff in a series of switch backs.

The Doudy Draw trail is a point to point hike starting at the Doudy Draw Trailhead and ending at the Flatirons Vista Trailhead. It walks slowly upward through a beautiful grass prairie. The first 0.3 miles is paved and wheelchair accessible. The...

Sedona offers numerous opportunities for some fantastic day-hikes, most of which are easy to moderate in difficulty. Quoting Robert Stone from his book listing his 25 favorite hikes (near Sedona), "There is an old saying that God created the...

A relatively flat hike from the trail head to Parsons Spring. The hike crosses the Sycamore Creek several times and goes through a densely wooded habitat that includes Cottonwoods and Sycamores. Summers Spring is found approximately 1.2 mile from...

The Honanki Heritage Site cliff dwelling and rock art site, the Sinagua, ancestors of the Hopi, lived here from about AD1100 to 1300. The road getting into the site is very rough. These ruins and the Palatki Heritage Site, Sedona ruins can be done...

There are two trails at Palatki Heritage Site, one trail that takes you to the Sinagua cliff dwellings, and a second that goes to the rock art alcoves. These ruins and the Honanki Heritage Site, Sedona ruins can be done at the same time.

This is a quick hike up an un-named box canyon off of Dry Creek Road. There is a ruin this is mostly intact, and the box canyon is majestic. Well worth hiking if you are doing other hikes off of Dry Creek Road.

Bear Peak has a very prominent and familiar silhouette if you live in Boulder. The peak is very pointy and at 8461 feet, it is taller and a little south of Green Mountain, Boulder. It also hides South Boulder Peak, Boulder from view in most of...

Boulder Colorado offers a wide array of excellent hiking opportunities. There are hikes in the foothills and on the plans. There are some very strenuous day hikes that will test even the fittest hiker. There are hikes that take you to the top of...

Devil's Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area. The arch is 50 feet high. There are two trails, one takes you to the base of the arch and the second takes you to the top of it.

This hike is a short, easy hike along the bottom of the Sterling Canyon to the Vultee Arch. The hike is in the Coconino National Forest, within the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. The arch is about 40 feet high spanning 50 feet.

This is really more of a walk than a hike. It is a wheelchair-accessible trail around the plateau behind NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). It offers nice views of the flatirons. It also branches to provide access to the Mesa Trail,...

The Bear Canyon hike, west from the Mesa Trail, Boulder follows Bear Creek up the canyon crossing the creek several times. It leads to a junction at the top of the canyon, from here you can either climb to Bear Peak or Green Mountain, Boulder.

This is perhaps the toughest hike in the Boulder Foothill. The trail goes through the narrow, and steep Fern Canyon and then follows a ridge to the summit of Bear Peak, Boulder at 8461 feet. You cover approximately 2100 vertical feet in 1.2 miles....

These are the Superstition Mountain hikes in the Pheonix area.

There are a number of really nice hikes in the area known as the "Arizona Strip" which is located East of Page, AZ., along the Arizona/Utah border. This is a very special part of the world - enjoy!

This is a list of kid-friendly hiking trails in Boulder, Colorado. These are hikes that are easy for smaller kids and which are kid friendly.

The Greenman Trail takes an alternate route to the top of Green Mountain, Boulder. It is accessed either from the Ranger Trail, Boulder or from the Saddle Rock Trail, Boulder. It is a very nice hike to the Top of Green Mountain, though it is...

The Ranger Trail leads to the top of Green Mountain, Boulder from a point that is close to the summit of Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder. It travels through dense coniferous forest along the way. The last portion of the trail is steep as you approach...

The Saddle Rock trail is a steep trail that lead to Saddle Rock, one of the most prominent rock formation visible in Boulder. From there it continues E. M. Greenman Trail. This lead to the peak of Green Mountain, Boulder.

The Amphitheater Trail is a short trail passes under a semicircle of sandstone formations called the "Gregory Amphitheater" which is a popular area for rock climbing. The hike is steep with many stair steps leading to the top.

From the top, you will be treated to a spectacular panorama of the Phoenix Valley. When soon as you reach this Phoenix City Park, the trail is easy to find, just follow the crowd! This trail is used by all kinds of people, for all kinds of...

The ruin at St Clair looks to be about as large as the ruin at Tuzigoot National Monument but it has not been restored. Most of the walls have been leveled, none-the-less it is easy to see how extensive this settlement was and pottery shards are...

The Buena Vista Lookout is just North of the parking circle at the end of the road. The lookout is the trail head for Geronimo trail which heads down the ridge in a northerly direction and is now called Hieroglyphic Canyon trail. The trail is easy...

Peralta Trail is a popular trail in the Superstition Mountains. It is a popular, busy trail which is crowded with hikers and frequent horseback riders. The trailhead is a use-fee area - parking cost $4.00. There is limited parking at the...

Without a doubt, this is one of the best "un-managed" ruin that I have been able to visit. Many of the walls are well preserved (either reconstructed or natural - I wasn't sure) and the Mesa is impressive in general.

The Seven Springs picnic and campground is a fee-use area. The Cave Creek trail receives high traffic from the throngs of people who can easily reach the popular area from Phoenix. The trial is easy to find and follow with the portion that I hiked...

The Black Mesa trail is an easy climb to an interesting plateau which is covered by a "forest" of jumping Cholla and Mesquite. The Black Mesa trail then proceeds down to the South Eastern corner of the Garden Valley basin were it joins...

The semi-precious gemstone is Merikanite Obsidian. Obsidians are nature's glass which forms in conchoidal shapes (convex exterior but fractures concave) and the nodules are found in sizes as small as peas to the size of softballs. Walking...

The bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Travertine is calcium carbonate rock that "grows" by the action of the growth and decay of organisms and micro-organisms living on its surface. The life...

It is reported that the Mazatzal Wilderness north of the East Verdi river contains numerous ruins which are so rich in artifacts that two fulltime rangers are employed in the area to deter would be poachers. My initial trek was an exploratory...

Horton Spring is wonderful - the water literally gushes from the side of the mountain to flow immediately into a picturesque pool. The habitat is lush - it is well worth the trip. The pool and spring are fenced off to keep cattle away. Close the...

Fossil Springs is a wonderful riparian community supported by several springs which reportedly produce a combined million gallons of water per day. The water is a consistent 70 - 72 degrees F. year round which supports a rich variety of flora and...

The ruin on Black Mountain is indicated on your Topo Map. A rule of thumb seems to be that if a ruin is listed on topography maps, there is not much chance of finding artifacts.

When you see pictures of Boulder, the most beautiful are almost always of the Flatirons as seen from Chautauqua Park. Chautauqua Park is the starting place for many activities, including hiking - Flagstaff Mountain and Green Mountain are popular...

Buckskin Gulch is a very popular entry route to the Paria River with the Wire Pass Trailhead being the one of the most popular starting points. Camping is allowed in the canyons but there are no good camping spots in the Buckskin Gulch beyond...

The Wave is an amazing hike. The name comes from the sandstone formation that folds on itself like a wave. The trailhead is in Utah but the hike traverses south and crosses the border into Arizona just a few hundred yards before reaching this...

This is a quick and easy hike that I learned about from a local while we were having lunch at the Wave. It is a scenic hike back to small bench that is loaded with the "toad stools" which are formed when a hard cap rock lays on softer,...

The Cobra Arch is a natural arch which looks like a cobra head.

Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo lands and payment of a fee to the tribe is required in order to visit these slot canyons. In addition you must "hire" a guide who also collects a fee. The Antelope Canyons are divided into upper and...

There are three ruins within the Tonto National Monument. As you take the path to the "lower" ruin, you should be able to see another ruin slightly to the right of the "Lower" ruin. The public is not allowed in that ruin and...

Cherry Creek Canyon and it's tributaries of Devil's Chasm, Cold Springs, Pueblo Canyon and Cooper Forks (on the East bank) and extending further North is an extremely dense archeological area. There are numerous ruins and old mines located...

There is no water available at the trailhead or on the trail and the summer months can be deceptively hot so bring plenty of water if you intend to hike up to the ruins on Strawberry Crater. The elevation gain during the hike is not severe, but the...

The trail into Red Mountain is an enjoyable and popular walk. The trail is easily followed, joining and following a dry wash emanating from the mountain.

The road to the Painted Rock State Park petroglyphs is a good paved road. There are camp sites available at the recreation area but the only facilities are out-house type toilets. No water is available. There is no use-fee for this State Park.

West Clear Creek is reported as the longest drainage system on the Mogollon Rim making this trek of about 4.5 miles just a short introduction to the canyon. The trail leaves from the Bull Pen camping area on the left side (North) of the creek which...

Walnut Canyon National Monument is a part of the National Park Service and is a use-fee area. There are two trails leading away from the Visitor Center, the 0.7 mile Rim Trail and the 0.9 Island Trail. The Island trail leads down 240 steps to...

Bell's Trail is a very popular and relatively easy trail which follows along and above the Wet Beaver Creek for a distance of approximately 3.25 miles before reaching Bell's crossing. The trail initially follows an old road until it reaches...

Some authors rate the hike as Moderate but you must account for the 1100 foot decent and climb in the 1 1/2 miles from and to the Hualapai Hill Top, coupled with an overall 10 mile hike through very loose, powdery soil to the campground. If you...

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is centrally located within the Navajo Reservation and access to the bottom of the canyon is controlled by the Navajo Nation. Breaking with the National Park System tradition, there is no entrance fee for entering...