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Chesler Park and Joint Loop Trail

Chesler Park and Joint Loop Trail

Canyonlands National Park

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Time flies when you’re having fun, and sadly it was the last day of our trip to Canyonlands National Park. We had completed a 4-day backpacking adventure in Salt Creek Canyon, followed by a much needed one-day break. On our last full day in Utah, we decided to check out Chesler Park, a dayhike in the Needles District. We planned to hike the 10.2 mile lollipop loop called Chesler Park and Joint Loop Trail. It features spectacular views and a…

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Backpacking Salt Creek Canyon

Backpacking Salt Creek Canyon

Canyonlands National Park

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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….

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Arches: In Skyline Arch
Best Hikes, Itinerary and Planning Guide

Best Hikes, Itinerary and Planning Guide

Arches National Park

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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…

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Devils Garden Campground

Devils Garden Campground

Arches National Park

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Once again it was spring break, and time to explore our national parks. This time, we were headed to Utah. Most of our time would be spent in Arches National Park, with a couple days in Canyonlands. Based on flight cost and arrival time, we decided to fly into Grand Junction, Colorado and drive almost two hours to Moab, Utah. We planned to spend our first two nights at Devils Garden Campground, the only developed campground in Arches National Park….

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Crater Lake: Another Beautiful Sky at Mazama Campground
Mazama Campground

Mazama Campground

Crater Lake National Park

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Our drive from Redwood National & State Parks to Crater Lake National Park was uneventful, other than a few stops to see some carnivorous plants and wildflowers. We spent seven days in the park, which was enough time to see *almost* everything. Our plan was to spend three nights at Mazama Campground on the southern side of the park. Mazama is the largest and most centrally-located campground in the park. When we visited, it was managed by Xanterra, a concessioner…

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Jedediah Smith Campground

Jedediah Smith Campground

Redwood National Park

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After a great backpacking trip along Redwood Creek and Tall Trees Grove we drove to our home for the next two nights: Jedediah Smith Campground. The campground is located in Jedediah Smith State Park, at the northern end of Redwood National and State Parks. It’s also just outside Crescent City, which gave us the flexibility to check out some local restaurants during our stay. Glamping, anyone? We reserved our campsite the day it became available so we wouldn’t miss out….

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Backpacking Redwood Creek & Tall Trees

Backpacking Redwood Creek & Tall Trees

Redwood National Park

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There are plenty of places to backpack in Redwood National & State Parks. All backcountry camping must be done at designated campsites – except for Redwood Creek, located in southern Redwood National Park. Along the creek, camping on gravel bars is allowed. We only had time to do one backpacking trip in the park, and Redwood Creek was our choice…

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Gold Bluffs Beach Campground

Gold Bluffs Beach Campground

Redwood National Park

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When I heard about Gold Bluffs Beach Campground in Redwood National & State Parks, I immediately wanted to stay there. I pictured myself sitting on the warm sand, soaking up the sun. I had only been to Northern CA once before so…in my mind, it was a combination of camping and a beach vacation. Reserving a campsite at any campground in Redwood can be a challenge. Back in 2017 when we reserved a site for Gold Bluffs, we were online…

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Shenandoah: Mathews Arm Entrance
Mathews Arm Campground

Mathews Arm Campground

Shenandoah National Park

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Over the years, we’ve been to Mathews Arm Campground many times. It’s the closest campground in Shenandoah National Park to our home in the DC suburbs. It had been about a year since we had camped there, so we wanted to stay there at least once before the weather cooled off. We considered the campground to be our home-away-from-home since we found it to be well-organized, quiet, and close to hiking trails.

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Backpacking Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trails

Backpacking Overall Run & Beecher Ridge Trails

Shenandoah National Park

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I had been wanting to check out Overall Run Falls in Shenandoah National Park for some time.  At 93 feet, Overall Run Falls is the highest waterfall in the park, but you don’t hear as much about it as other waterfalls like Dark Hollow Falls or White Oak Canyon.  So on a warm spring day, we went to see for ourselves.  We planned for a one-night backpacking trip to see the falls and make a lollipop loop with Overall Run and Heiskell Hollow Trail.  Our plans changed slightly during the hike, and we returned on Beecher Ridge Trail instead of Heiskell Hollow Trail, creating an 11.6 mi lollipop…

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