Lightning Lake Loop
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Continue reading...Category Archives: Keepers
Observation Point and Echo Canyon
The Observation Point Trail is one of the best hikes in Zion National Park and so when we returned to the park this fall, we hiked the 8 mile out and back trail once again. The trail winds up the lower slopes of Cable Mountain, then crosses into Echo Canyon, following the canyon upstream for 1.2 km. At that point … Continue reading…
The Frozen Falls in Red Canyon
In the winter the streams that run off the south side of the top of Red Plateau will freeze up. I have found 4 frozen waterfalls recently and I am still exploring to look for more. One of the more interesting falls is at the end of a 2 km hike into a deep canyon between the Dewdrop Trail summit … Continue reading…
Exploring the Snag Hills
Rush Lake Loop
On an exploratory hike on the snow, I went south from the Inks Lake Road, climbing old decommissioned double tracks, but as they ran out, I wandered through the forest up the hill. Much of the area has been selectively logged so the scenery was all trees, logs and stumps, and snow. It was a grey day in January, a … Continue reading…
Across the East Zion Slickrock
Zion National Park is a busy place and all of the hiking trails in the main canyon are very well-used, but routes can be hiked in the East Zion area which few people venture into. Most of these are routes … Continue reading →
Continue reading...Chinle Trail
The desert hills of southwestern Utah run from the border with Arizona right up to the first peaks of Zion National Park. There are some trails through these hills outside of the park that are too hot to hike, except in shoulder season or in winter. In late fall, we hiked a couple of them while on a trip to … Continue reading…
Northgate Peaks
Hiking trails starting on the Kolob Terrace Road in Zion National Park are far less busy than the hikes that start in Zion Canyon. The road starts in Virgin, 23 km west of Springdale/Zion. The paved road climbs into the desert hills and goes through grasslands and then open forest and continues on as a dirt road into the … Continue reading…
Many Pools and Tallstack Canyon Slot
The East side of Zion National Park is the area accessed off SR9 between the Zion-Mt.Carmel tunnel to the (East) Park Gate. There are a few pulloff parking spots and we can hike up or down the washes in canyons or we can strike off across the slickrock. Many Pools and Tallstack Canyon Slot can be hiked from a parking … Continue reading…
The Watchman Trail
The Watchman Trail starts right by the Zion National Park Visitors Center and then climbs to a fine viewpoint and back. It is a popular hiking trail because of its easy access and rewarding views. Signs lead the way along the river, then up the gully into the rocky bluffs. As the trail climbs, we are provided with a landscape … Continue reading…
Balancing Rock Loop
Balancing Rock is a well- known landmark in our area, but not many people actually hike down to it. The parking spot is at a pull-out and gate 1.5 km west of the Six Mile Viewpoint on the TransCanada Highway. Drivers need to make a careful turn if there are other vehicles nearby since it requires a sharp turn on … Continue reading…
West Rim Trail from the Top Down
The West Rim Trail in Zion National Park has been our favorite trails of the park for many years. We hike it every time we are in the area, but it is a long trail with some significant elevation gains so we were pleased to have a two vehicle shuttle system organized for us to hike the West Rim Trail … Continue reading…
Kiholo Bay
Kiholo Bay is accessed via a rough road at the mile marker 82 north of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Kauai. The road winds down through the lava flows to a parking area near the by and then we can hike north or south along the coastline. One of the featured spots is a water-filled lava tube (Keanalele). There … Continue reading…
The Sleeping Giant
Nonou or The Sleeping Giant is a small mountain overlooking the east shore of Kauai near Wailua. It is a popular hike near the population centers of Kapa’a, Wailua, and Lihue. There are 3 trailheads – from the southwest (longest), from the west, or from the east. All 3 trails join up on the ridge. We chose the east … Continue reading…
Eagle Crags
The Eagle Crags are spires of rock at the northern end of the Vermillion Cliffs, just outside Zion National Park. Access to the trailhead is in Rockville. Take Bridge Road to cross the Virgin River and go straight up the hill at the intersection (not right to Grafton). The road is gravel and some sections will not be suitable to … Continue reading…
Kiholo South
Kiholo Bay is found on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. The whole area was covered in lava flows less than 200 years ago so access is often a rough road through ragged, barren black lava beds. Trails are really just paths along the shoreline, partly broken up by waves and partly cleared by people who throw … Continue reading…