Adventure Travel Photography Blog
The Wild Pacific Trail travels along the rugged coastline and through the magnificent rainforest of Ucluelet, BC on Vancouver Island.
The trail may be hiked in three sections, the Lighthouse Loop, Big Beach Section, and Browns Beach to Rocky Bluffs including Ancient Cedars Loop. Each section has a parking area and is extremely well marked.
HAPPY HIKING!
I spent several mornings hiking during my week in Ucluelet and Tofino. Despite the mud, I particularly enjoyed the Canso Bomber Trail, which is a 3.2 mile hike to the crash site of a WWII bomber.
HAPPY HIKING!
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park…what a find!! The park is only 13 miles south of Gainesville and 29 miles north of Ocala. It was a perfect getaway for me and my dog Annie in between horse shows at the World Equestrian Center.
I typically don’t visit state parks because unlike National Forests, dogs have to be on a leash and there is an entrance fee. At Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, the fee was only $4. I couldn’t believe it! I am so glad I visited this 22,000 acre wilderness over two days.
HAPPY HIKING!
The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a 110-mile linear park which spans from the Gulf of Mexico to St John’s River. It’s 70,000 acres features 300 miles of trails for paddling, biking, hiking, horseback riding and multi-use activities.
HAPPY HIKING!
The Alum Cave Trail is an extremely popular hike in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is located 11 miles southeast of Gatlinburg and the drive on curvy scenic roads in the parks takes about 30 minutes.
Due to its popularity, the parking area at the trailhead fills up by 7am. If you are not an early riser, you can go around 2pm to get a spot as the parking lot clears once the early birds finish up.
HAPPY HIKING!
McKittrick Canyon Trail is a popular hike in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. As the name suggests, it is located in the McKittrick Canyon Area of the park whose gates are open between 8 am and 5 pm MOUNTAIN time. Mountain is capitalized because there is a chance your watch is wrong!
With limited hours and hot temperatures in the summer, I recommend hiking the McKittrick Canyon Trail in the spring or fall since early starts are not possible.
With two historic cabins, a grotto, the notch, and ridge, the challenging 21.3 out-and-back trail affords hikers many options. During my visit, I hiked only 7 miles which highlights the Pratt Cabin, the grotto, and the Hunter Line Shack.
HAPPY HIKING!
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in West Texas’ Chihuahuan Desert with Carlsbad, New Mexico being 55 miles to the north and Del City, Texas being 44 miles to the south. Fill up with gas in one of these two cities, as the area is remote.
During my drive through the West Texas desert plains dotted with oil wells, I wondered to myself, why is Guadalupe Mountains a National Park? I mean, yes, there are some high desert mountains featuring southwestern terrain and lovely fall foliage, but what makes it special?
While the park doesn’t display jaw-dropping scenery like Yosemite, Rocky Mountain National Park, or the Grand Tetons, it is pretty and home to the highest point in Texas. But the main reason for the 135 square miles being designated a national park is for it being the largest exposed reef in the world!
I had no idea I’d be hiking through the Chihuahuan Desert loaded with marine fossils while exploring historic ranches, admiring cool rock formations, and hiking to the top of Texas. Guadalupe Mountains National Park pleasantly surprised me.
For those who enjoy hiking and visiting historic sites, plan to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park for three days and spend at least one day at nearby Carlsbad Caverns.
EXPLORE!
I’ve been wanting to hike to the highest point in Texas for a while now. I finally made it to Guadalupe Mountains National Park this past April and knocked out Guadalupe Peak. I’m surprised I overlooked this National Park when I was visiting Carlsbad Caverns during a year long road trip across the USA. I was less than 30 miles away from the park that otherwise requires some effort to reach, as indicated by the many “No Gas” sign warnings dotting the highway.
Carlsbad, New Mexico is approximately 50 miles north of the park and the closest public airport to Guadalupe Peak is in El Paso, 110 miles to the southwest. Definitely come with a full tank of gas and provisions to complete this 8.1-mile roundtrip hike that begins at the Pine Springs entrance.
HAPPY HIKING!
After hiking 5.1 miles in the Penhas Douradas region of the Serra da Estrela Nature Park the previous day, we enjoyed a leisurely 5th day on our Mountain Travel Sobek hiking tour to historic villages in Portugal. Today, we visited the highest point in mainland Portugal, hiked from Foz d’Égua to Piódão, and dined in an old Palace in Lousã where we stayed for the evening.
Upon leaving Casa das Penhas Douradas, our driver maneuvered our Sprinter Van, complete with USB charging stations, along the winding mountain road. We enjoyed the beautiful views, while he focused on the two-lane passage.
EXPLORE!
On our fourth day of our Hiking to Portuguese Historic Villages Tour with Mountain Travel Sobek, we spent the morning in Serra de Estrela Nature Park. Via the Volta das Penhas Douradas Trail, we hiked a 5.1 mile loop to the lake of Vale do Rossime, rather than to a village.
This was a very enjoyable hike which began from the Casa das Penhas Douradas, a 17-room mountain resort perched at 4,921 feet (1,500 meters). Interestingly, the modern hotel, decorated in natural, local resources, was once a sanatorium.
The sanatorium was constructed after expedition leader and scientist Dr. Sousa Martins determined that Serra de Estrela, with its high altitude and clean air, would be a good place to treat tuberculosis in the late 1800’s.
HAPPY HIKING!