My Favorite National Park Hikes

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I like to think I’ve done my fair share of National Park exploring over the last year.  Some parks I did hiking, others I just had time to drive through.  Today, though, I’m sharing my favorite hikes in National Parks around the US.  

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Return to Rocky Mountain National Park

I went back to Rocky Mountain National Park!  And this time I knew what to expect.  It was the end of November, and we were on our way back to Utah, then Wyoming for the winter.  The Rockies were our last exciting stop before starting work again.  We set off from Fort Collins with mountains on our mind.

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Ichetucknee springs state park florida

Visiting Florida’s Springs at Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Crystal clear and 72 degrees year-round.  Those are Florida’s famous springs, conveniently located near Gainesville, where we were.  There are tons of springs to see, but we were going to the Ichetucknee Springs State Park in Fort White to see the Blue Hole, mostly.  We only saw one or two other people while we were in the park, but November isn’t the peak swimming month there, either.  But, if you want to avoid the crowds and visit when it isn’t 1000 degrees plus humidity, this is the time to go.

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big talbot state park jacksonville florida

A Cold Day at the Beach in Big Talbot State Park

It was almost time for us to leave Florida, but we had to do one thing before we left: go to the beach.  We decided to go to Big Talbot State Park in Jacksonville, Florida.  It was a little cloudy when we left, but we held out hope for it to brighten (and warm) up.  It didn’t, but we didn’t let that stop us.

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Hiking Hot Springs Arkansas

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Hot Springs National Park is a little gem, actually one of the smallest parks, near Little Rock, Arkansas.  It’s a really cool park that has a focus on history, but still has plenty of hiking trails to explore.

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seven magic mountains las vegas

Seven Magic Mountains: The Coolest Outdoor Art In Las Vegas

When I flew home for a few days this summer out of Vegas there was one thing I knew I needed to in the short time I was there, and it technically isn’t even in what everyone thinks of as Vegas, the strip.

I had to see the Seven Magic Mountains, just a short drive from the strip.  The piece was done by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone.  There are seven fluorescent rock towers arranged out in the middle of the desert.  Two of the things I love.  Art and the desert.

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vegas flamingo

Vegas Through VSCO

This was my first time actually experiencing Las Vegas.  I flew out of it to go home the month before, but I didn’t do anything there.  This time was different.

I met up with a few friends from home for a birthday.  I was only there for a couple days.  The first was spent drinking, like you do in Vegas, wandering around Ceasars, and more drinking because, like I said, Vegas.

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hiking to rainbow bridge

Boating + Hiking: How To See Rainbow Bridge On Lake Powell

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I’ve been to Rainbow Bridge on Lake Powell twice.  It’s one of those things you have to see on Lake Powell eventually.  I won’t lie.  I didn’t love it. 

It’s not my favorite thing on Lake Powell.  It’s not my favorite place to go in Utah.  But it is cool to see and you should definitely go to Rainbow Bridge if you’re visiting Lake Powell.

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best views in zion

The Other Side of Zion: Kolob Terrace Road

On our way to Vegas we had a couple extra days before we really needed to be there.  We decided to explore Zion a bit.  This was my third time there, but I still haven’t done Angels Landing or The Narrows.  Our plan was to do at least one of those.  We got there, mid September, and it was SO busy, we would have had to park outside of the park and take a shuttle in.  We just weren’t having it.

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Lost in Little Wild Horse Canyon

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I think it might actually be impossible to get lost in Little Wild Horse Canyon unless you climbed up and wandered off the trail.  But I don’t know, I didn’t do that.  I didn’t even follow the whole trail.  Rounding out around 8 miles, we didn’t have time and the weather was not ideal for slot canyons.

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Finding Mountain Lions in the San Rafael Swell

This place gives me the creeps.  That’s what I’m starting with.  Makes you want to go there, right?  Yeah, totally. . .

This was my first time there, I eventually went back, but that’s for later.  This time I just knew I wanted to go the direction away from Goblin Valley, so straight instead of turning towards it.  I had no idea what was back there, but I needed to find out.  Turns out there are some pictographs and some pretty cool canyons and views.

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Hike To The Fire Wave And Pastel Canyon In Valley of Fire State Park

The two things I wanted to see in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada on our way to Vegas were the Fire Wave and Pastel Canyon.  The Fire Wave is rumored to be super cool, almost rivaling, and not to be confused with, The Wave in Arizona.  More on that later.  And Pastel Canyon is supposed to look a little bit like Easter threw up all over it.  It’s safe to say my expectations were high after taking a gander at good old Google images.

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Finding Petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park

After reading about Valley of Fire on Alex in Wanderland and knowing I was going to Vegas in September, I figured why not make a stop there since I’ll be in the area.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect, well hot, but that’s about it.  I knew about the Fire Wave, which is supposed to be TOTALLY WICKED, and Pastel Canyon, which looks SUPER COOL on Google, and that was it.

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