Loop offers variety of classic desert vistas Clambering over boulders and ambling across strangely angled slickrock awaits hikers of the Canyonlands National Park’s Slickrock Trail in southea…

Lily Pond Pothole, Minnesota Interstate State Park The northern section of Minnesota Interstate State Park – also known as the Pothole Area – offers day hikers a number of trails to explore the are…

Sunset at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is so large that unless you spend years there, you won’t see all it offers. So when you’ve only a week or so to vi…

View of Milford, Pennsylvania, from Milford Knob Overlook. Day hikers can head to an overlook that offers a charming view of historic Milford, Pennsylvania. The Milford Knob Trail runs 2.4-miles ro…

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults. F…

The Stone Pools sit in a narrow canyon where boulders capture flowing water. Day hikers can explore the San Jacinto Mountains backcountry on their way to exotic stone pools in Palm Springs, Califor…

View of the Transept from Widforss Trail. Getting away from the Grand Canyon National Park’s crowds doesn’t mean require a backcountry hike far off the beaten path. Two long trails leaving from the…

Cana Island Lighthouse overlooks Lake Michigan. Day hikers can explore a lighthouse that has stood sentinel over Lake Michigan for more than 150 years. The 0.5-mile round trip Cana Island Lighthous…

Fall colors from Stony Man Overlook. Shenandoah NPS photo.  Fantastic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and its famous Shenandoah Valley await day hikers on a segment of the Appalachian National Sc…

Mount Pierce seen from the Crawford Path White Mountain ranks as among the most popular of New England’s national forests, and for good reasons – beautiful fall leaves, alpine peaks, clear mountain…

Risk-takers are the kind of kids who climb up rocks from which they could readily fall or drown. Risk-taking shouldn’t be allowed. If an injury occurs, the hike could then very well be over. Someti…

Blossoms of the big huckleberry. Variety of unique wildflowers also found on Annie Creek Trail Some 7,700 years ago, Crater Lake National Park was the sight of incredible destruction, as lava and a…

Big Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park Day hikers can circle a beautiful subalpine lake in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park on the Bear Lake Loop. The 0.6-miles round trip trail is pa…

River View Trail, Gooseberry Falls State Park. Photo by Kieran Bignell. Three waterfalls and an agate beach await day hikers on the River View Trail at Minnesota’s Gooseberry Falls State Park. The …

A male anhinga dries its wings at Everglades National Park. Photo by Everglades NPS. Day hikers can walk over a slow moving river populated by alligators and Burmese pythons on a perfectly safe tra…

The Mount Lafayette and Franconia Ridge Trail Loop traverses New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Day hikers can ascend three peaks in New Hampshire’s beautiful White Mountains on the Mount Lafay…

Photo courtesy of NOAA With spring’s arrival, wind storms and tornadoes become more frequent. Unfortunately what may have started as an exceptionally warm spring morning that was perfect for a day …

Upper Franklin Reservoir We’ve all seen the opening credits of “The Andy Griffith Show,” where Andy takes Opie to his favorite fishing hole – Myers Lake, located in Stokes County, N.C. The truth is…

The Painted Wall, Colorado’s tallest cliff. Photo courtesy Black Canyon of the Gunnison NPS/Lisa Lynch. Among the best ways to see Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s major sights is…

A segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through Taylor County Forest. Day hikers can enjoy a hemlock and aspen grove and a panoramic view of a forest on a segment of the Ice Age Nationa…

Big Bend National Park Among the best ways to see Big Bend National Park’s major sights is via a day hike. Though the park is vast, three short trails will allow you to enjoy the park’s major highl…

Marginal Way Lighthouse Marginal Way is an iconic coastal trail, stretching 2.2 miles along a paved walkway. It’s perfect for those needing a break on their drive to Acadia National Park or for tho…

Knowing how many steps you need to take to reach 100 yards can keep you from becoming disoriented on the trail. A useful navigational technique to know when hiking is pacing. This technique allows …

A humpback whale flashes its tail in Glacier Bay. Photo courtesy Glacier Bay NPS. Short shoreline day hike offers opportunities to see marine life Families can encounter an array of marine wildlife…

Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Trail, Newspaper Rock Trail, Pothole Point Trail, Utah

Echo Lake at Minnesota’s Moose Lake State Park. State gemstone, great fishing found in Moose Lake park Day hikers can discover some of the oldest agates in the world on the west segment of th…

Hot Springs Mountain pagoda on Hot Springs Mountain Trail. Hot Springs NPS. Though hardly a backcountry wilderness experience, Hot Springs National Park does offer a number of forested trails to en…

The rock shoreline of Great Wass Island. Day hikers can walk through some of the largest jack pine stands in coastal Maine and see harbor seals hanging out on granite ledges at Great Wass Island Pr…

Topographical maps give contour lines and other important details for crossing a landscape. You’ll find them invaluable on a hike into the wilds.

Santa Cruz Island coast Among the best ways to see Channel Islands National Park’s major sights is via a day hike. Though the park covers several islands, four short trails allow visitors to enjoy …

Inner canyon of the Black Gunnison. Black Canyon of the Gunnison NPS photo. An array of wildlife and a canyon bottoms that almost never sees sunlight are in store for day hikers walking Warner Poin…

Doughboys Nature Trail at Copper Falls State Park, Wis. Hikers can tour Wisconsin’s geological history in some of the most breathtaking scenery this side of the Mississippi on Doughboys’ Nature Tra…

New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia bridge is continent’s largest spanning steel arch Day hikers can enjoy fantastic views of North America’s longest spanning steel arch bridge at New River …

Katahdin Stream on Falls on the Hunt Trail at Maine’s Baxter State Park. Day hikers can summit the highest point in Maine at Baxter State Park. The 9.2-miles round trip Hunt Trail heads from …

Day hiking with kids isn’t quite as simple as taking the kids onto a trail and walking. Many parents have no idea where there even is a trail. They wonder how to keep their kids properly dressed fo…

Wiley Canyon Trail near Santa Clarita, Calif. Wiley Canyon Trail easily reached via I-5 north of San Fernando Valley Greenery amid the desert, unique rock formations and oil naturally seeping out …

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Ospreys can be spotted along the Tamarack River in Minnesota’s St. Croix State Forest. Day hikers will find a number of great trails in Minnesota’s St. Croix State Forest, a 42,105-acre sprea…

Stony Man Trail at Shenandoah National Park. Trail leads to incredible vista on Stony ManFantastic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and its famous Shenandoah Valley await day hikers on a segment o…

Western Bay on Big Woods, Fern and Shore trails at Indian Point Blagden Preserve Day hikers can see some of the oldest trees in the Acadia National Park area and possibly even catch a good view of …

This is the main reason to take your kids hiking: to spend quality time with your children. The trail marks a place where you can grow closer together, where unhindered by the distractions of mobil…

The colorful Great Basin collared lizard resides in the Mecca Hills’ many washes. Day hikers can see dinosaur-like creatures in a remote canyon of California’s Mecca Hills. Well, that’s…

Organ pipe cactus can grow up to 16 feet high. Day hikers can see the rare organ pipe cactus and enjoy a great vista in south-central Arizona. The 2.7-mile Bull Pasture and Estes Canyon Trails Loop…