Mesa Verde (literally “green table”) is great because it provides more than just fantastic wilderness hiking trails, it’s a way to experience ancient American history. Teddy Roosevelt created Mesa Verde National Park in 1906 to preserve the Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites found in southwest Colorado. Construction of the cliff dwellings is believed to have begun around 1400 years ago, only to be abandoned around 700 years later due to droughts. Today much of the ancient

Nearly everyone on the continent (maybe the world?) has either been to, or at least seen a picture of, the largest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon. The title of “the biggest” has garnered it much attention since it became an official national park in 1919. Throngs of visitors come from all over the world to take in that boundless beauty firsthand. It certainly is grand. Indeed, “the one great sight which every American should see1” seems to attract more and more tourist

Great Sand Dunes National Park is a unique location in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. It contains 30 square miles of Sahara-like sand dunes flanked by classic views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a combination unlike any other in the United States, a place that needs to be seen to believe. But before visiting this special place, there are some things you should know… The Sand is Difficult to Walk Through – The deep sand can be frustratingly slow to traverse, espe

Having the opportunity to view wildlife in it’s natural habitat is just one of the major perks to what we love to do. But often not having an understanding of species can lead to misunderstanding, and mistakes with how to conduct ourselves. This is particularly true when it comes to encountering bears. All wild animals should be treated with respect especially potentially dangerous animals. While there are many factors to avoid negative confrontations with bears probably t

With mountains to trek and ski, canyons and boulder fields to climb, and everything in-between, Utah really has it all, it’s actually really surprising they have to advertise to adventurers. The topography and environment in this west-southwest state provides adventurers with endless backcountry entertainment. In fact, Utah is home to five national parks, one of which being Zion. Zion is a canyon oasis of high cliffs, lush valleys, and water carved stone. It’s a menagerie of

I saw a meme recently that read, “nothing, my favorite thing about Wyoming.” This is of course meant to be a positive sentiment saying there are only open skies and wild landscapes, and to the backcountry athlete this is the most alluring factor about this wild-west state. So in the case of the common view between something and nothing, I’m sure we can agree that “nothing” is far more appealing. Contrary to this meme, however, Wyoming is full of skyscrapers. Except they’re in

Edward Abby once said: Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity to the human spirit. Those of us, who regularly trek steep mountain trails, climb boulders and vast rock walls, and journey through deep forests, know there to be no truer words. The relaxation and fulfillment that comes with exploring the deep backcountry is second to none. There are many forms of therapy, relaxation, and escape from the hustle, bustle, stress of daily life, and transitions from one norm to an

Badlands National Park is a well-known park and fairly popular to those traveling either east or west along the I-90 through South Dakota. It’s a beautiful area of towers and crests made up of layers of mounding rock and sediment. Depending on the time of day, the deep red, yellow, orange, brown, and gray layers of earth either shine in the sun or deepen in rich intensity creating a vibrant scene in every direction. There is also a very diverse group of animals including e

This year break away form the norm and celebrate your newfound freedom, milestones, and thank mom and dad with adventure. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, and all the bachelor and bachelorette parties this time of year give plenty of reasons to celebrate. It’s how you celebrate that separates the norm from the unique, however. What better way to celebrate your newfound freedom after years of school, your new life with your best friend (or your last hurrah with your fr

The trail has led me to some gorgeous parts of this beautiful part of the country and many of them have been difficult to reach. Sure, there are a few places like Clingman's Dome, Newfound Gap, and Hot Springs, NC that are easily accessible by car and/ or a short walk. But the majority of places that are forever etched in my mind - the old pine forest in the Smokies, Max's Patch, and Lover's Leap Rock - take some true effort to reach. But what I have found that can make those