Think our national park units are only good for hiking and scenic drives? Think again. The array of protected landscapes throughout the national park system house some of the most pristine, jaw-dropping gorgeous swimming holes in the entire country. Think waterfalls with deep plunge pools and ice-cold backcountry lakes.

I’d be remiss to not include a note about safety. Like all of the adventures we cover at 国产吃瓜黑料, swimming in the wild comes with some inherent risks. Currents can be swift, obstacles can be hidden under the surface of the water, and there could be parasites or in that inviting blue pool. Test the waters before you jump from any height by swimming through the landing zone first, feeling for rocks. Scout the eddies where you can safely swim to if there鈥檚 a current, and try to keep your mouth closed when plunging under water to keep any water-born creatures out. If you have an open wound, just hang out on the shore and enjoy the sun鈥攃uts are an invitation to infection.

This summer, consider packing your bathing suit on your next national park trip. Here are nine of the best swimming holes in our national park system.

1. Muir Rock, Kings Canyon National Park, California听

The Park: Kings Canyon doesn鈥檛 have the recognition of other, more famous units in our park system, but it has the terrain to go toe-to-toe with any national park in the country. Think towering granite cliffs and peaks, massive old growth forests, and one of the deepest canyons in the U.S. Kings Canyon is more than 8,000 feet deep at one point, and rock walls typically rise 4,000 feet above the valley floor inside the park.

The Swimming Hole: is a large, granite boulder hanging over the Kings River in the belly of the park鈥檚 canyon. It鈥檚 a long-standing tradition to jump from the rock into the deep pool of emerald green water below. It鈥檚 only a 15-foot drop, so I鈥檇 put this in the family-friendly category of leaps. The water is cold, though, and the canyon walls are steep, so show up mid-day if you want the most sun. A bit of local lore: Famed conservationist John Muir would often hang out on this rock and give speeches about the importance of the landscape to passers by enjoying the scenery.

How to Get There: Muir Rock is super easy to get to, as it sits near the parking lot at the end of Highway 180 in the heart of Kings Canyon. Simply take the short side trail from your parking space and you鈥檒l be plunging in no time. But you should take the time to hike to before you go swimming. Starting from the same parking lot, hike the eight miles round trip to this tumultuous waterfall that slides over a basin of granite. Stand at the bottom and feel the mist after the water crashes into the rock at the base of the falls.

2. Bass Lake, Point Reyes National Seashore, California听

The Park: Point Reyes is best known for its beaches, as it protects 80 miles of rugged Northern California coast, where steep bluffs drop directly to the Pacific Ocean. It鈥檚 the only National Seashore on the West Coast and protects some of the most pristine coastal ecosystems in the country, from the species-rich tide pools to the cliff-top grasslands where endemic elk roam.

The Swimming Hole: While the beach is the main draw for most visitors, Point Reyes also has a trio of backcountry lakes, including the 7-acre Bass Lake, which is tucked into an evergreen forest within the seashore鈥檚 Philip Burton Wilderness. It鈥檚 a picture-perfect scene, as the bowl of water is tucked into a depression formed 10,000 years ago by a rock slide, and it has several secluded coves where you can float. Keep an eye out for a rope swing, which can sometimes be found hanging from a thick pine on the shore.

How to Get There: Part of the appeal of Bass Lake is the hike. It鈥檚 a three-mile trek on the from the Palomarin Trailhead, starting on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, but then moving inland through grassland and forest. Bass Lake also sits at about the halfway point along the Coast Trail to Alamere Falls, a 40-foot waterfall that drops directly over a cliff onto the beach.

3. Ely Creek Falls, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah听

The Park: Yes, Dinosaur National Monument, which protects 200,000 acres straddling Colorado and Utah, has plenty of dinosaur fossils to check out (there are more than 1,500 bones inside the park), but it also has a surprising amount of water. The Monument encompasses several canyons, many of which have active streams, and a gorgeous slice of the Green River.

The Swimming Hole: Ely Creek Falls is a small waterfall in the Jones Hole Creek Area of the monument, where Ely Creek is funneled into a notch inside a small canyon before dropping 15 vertical feet over a sandstone cliff. It鈥檚 a pretty scene, with evergreens sprouting from the upper shelf of the falls, and an ideal place to cool off after a good hike through the desert (see below). The pool at the bottom of the falls is shallow though, so you won鈥檛 be doing the backstroke. Consider this more of a backcountry shower.

How to Get There: Hike the Jones Hole Trail as it follows the creek through a canyon for four miles on its way to join the Green River. Jones Hole Creek itself offers pristine backcountry trout fishing in crystal clear pools with a rocky bottom, known for its brown and rainbow trout (there鈥檚 a fish hatchery upstream). You鈥檒l also have the chance to see pictographs and petroglyphs created by the Fremont people more than 1,000 years ago. Two miles into your hike, you鈥檒l hit Ely Creek as it meets Jones Creek. Head upstream for .25 miles and you鈥檒l hit Ely Creek Falls. You can also follow the Jones Creek Trail for the entire four miles to its junction with the Green River, where there鈥檚 a rocky beach where you can watch rafters cruise by.

4. Firehole Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho听

The Park: Yellowstone National Park is arguably the most iconic unit in the entire park system. It was the country鈥檚 first, established by Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, and helped serve as a model for wide-scale environmental preservation across the world. Today, Yellowstone is probably best known for its thermal pools, with bizarre geysers that erupt at regular intervals and backcountry ponds that reach triple digits and present all the colors of the rainbow.

The Swimming Hole: Swimming in Yellowstone鈥檚 thermal features is illegal (and really dumb as most of them are too hot), but swimmers are welcome to jump in the Firehole River at the Firehole Canyon Swimming Area. It鈥檚 a gorgeous setting, as the river spreads out into a broad, deep pool flanked by a grassy bank and steep, granite walls. There are a handful of low-hanging boulders to jump from, too. Look downstream and you can see the river carve through a broad valley thick with a green forest. It gets crowded on warm weekends, so show up early to get a parking spot. Keep an eye on the park鈥檚 website for access. The swimming area is usually closed until mid-summer to allow the spring runoffs to pass through.

How to Get There: Firehole Canyon is easy to access. Drive the two-mile Firehole Canyon Drive off of the Grand Loop, which cruises along the Firehole River to an overlook of Firehole Falls, before hitting the parking area for Firehole Canyon.

5. Sandbeach Lake, Rocky Mountains National Park

The Park: Rocky Mountain National Park is 287,000 acres of high alpine beauty, with a landscape that features more than a hundred 11,000 foot peaks, five glaciers, and a bevy of high alpine lakes. Even the scenic road through the park, Trail Ridge Road, crests at more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Swimming is not necessarily your first instinct when you鈥檙e exploring high alpine terrain, but Colorado summers can get warm. And cold plunges are good for you, right?

The Swimming Hole: Visitors are actually allowed to swim in most lakes inside the park (except Bear Lake) as it鈥檚 just not that popular of an activity because many lakes are glacier and snowmelt fed. But if you鈥檙e looking to take a dip, head to , a 16.5-acre lake that sits at 10,320 feet that boasts a rare feature in the Rocky Mountains: a sandy beach. From the beach, you can see the 13,000-foot Mount Copeland rising from a curtain of evergreens on the other side of the lake. One thing to consider: leeches are common in Rocky Mountain National Park鈥檚 lakes. It doesn鈥檛 stop people from taking a dip, and they actually help keep the lakes clean. If you get a leech, gently pull it off your skin and place it back in the water.

How To Get There: Part of the joy of Sandbeach is its location deep in the backcountry of the park鈥檚 Wild Basin area. Beginning at the Sandbeach Lake Trailhead, hike and gain 2,000 feet on the trail of the same name through a ponderosa pine and aspen forest to reach the edge of the pond. There are backcountry campsites along the trail and at the lake if you want to make an overnight out of it ($36 fee).

6. Doubtful Lake, North Cascades National Park, Washington听

The Park: North Cascades National Park is only a few hours from Seattle, but somehow it manages to be one of the least visited national parks in the country year after year. But don鈥檛 mistake the lack of crowds for a lack of beauty; North Cascades is stunning, with more than 300 glaciers spread across the jagged peaks of Washington鈥檚 high alpine. The towering peaks and glaciers have made the park a destination for hardy mountaineers for decades. Lakes, evergreen forests, and meadows full of flowers and berries fill in the lower elevations throughout the park.

The Swimming Hole: You want a cold plunge? Take a dip in Doubtful Lake, a pristine basin that sits at the bottom of Sahale Glacier that鈥檚 constantly being fed by melting ice water. From the edge of the lake, you鈥檒l see the granite Sahale Mountain (and its glacier) as it rises 3,000 feet from the water. Look higher up Sahale Mountain and you could spot a waterfall of melting snow. A small island can be found on the far side of the lake closest to Sahale Mountain, which seems like a natural destination for hardy swimmers. But it鈥檚 also okay to just dip a toe in the lake and enjoy the scenery.

How to Get There: Combine the with a short side trail to reach the lake. All in, you鈥檙e looking at a 10-mile out and back day hike. The views along the trail make every step worth the effort, even if you don鈥檛 want to take the plunge, as you鈥檒l be treated with rotating views of some of the most impressive peaks in the Northwest, including long range shots of Mount Baker. You can also watch for adorable pikas while hiking through scree fields and blueberries in the high alpine meadows during summer.

7. Little Falls, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama

The Park: The Little River Canyon was made for swimming in the wild. The 11,000-acre preserve is home to a series of waterfalls and pools along the Little River, all of which are tucked into a deep, forested canyon through the center of Lookout Mountain, a broad plateau that occupies a corner of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. There鈥檚 sandstone rock everywhere, in the form of boulders and bluffs, and there are hiking trails scattered throughout the preserve, but it鈥檚 the cold pools of water that attract most visitors, especially on hot, Southern summer afternoons.

The Swimming Hole: The 45-foot Little River Falls is the main attraction within the preserve, as the waterfall puts on quite a show as it drops over a sheer, vertical cliff into a pool below. I鈥檝e jumped from the top of this falls before, although it is highly discouraged by the national park service for obvious reasons. Instead, take a quick trail to the bottom of the falls to swim in one of the pools downstream. Little Falls (dubbed Hippie Hole by locals) is the most popular swimming hole. Here, the river drops over a much smaller sandstone shelf, the entire length of the river. The swimming hole is at the base of the shelf, encompassed by a sandstone alcove.

How to Get There: From the Canyon Mouth Day Use Parking Area lot at Little River Falls, take the Little Falls Trail for .75 miles down into the bottom of the gorge. The trail finishes with 137 stone steps (but who鈥檚 counting) to the edge of the water.

8. Steel Creek Campground, Buffalo National River, Arkansas听

The Park: Our first National River, the Buffalo flows free for more than 130 miles through the Ozark Mountains, carving a canyon of limestone cliffs and steep, forested walls in its wake. The Buffalo is renowned for its multi-day, wilderness canoe opportunities.

The Swimming Hole: The Buffalo River offers a number of swimming opportunities during its 135-mile journey through the mountains, although as a free flowing river, the water levels are dependent on rain. The most scenic pool might be at the base of Roark Bluff, a 200-foot-tall gray, limestone cliff that rises directly from the river鈥檚 edge. If the water level is right, you can wade across the river to a gravel sandbar that forms, where you can lounge and sun yourself at the base of the cliff. If you want more time on the river, consider from Steel Creek to Kyle鈥檚 Landing, an eight-mile stretch that is arguably the most scenic of the whole Buffalo thanks to the prevalence of cliffs.

How to Get There: Park at the campground or the canoe launch at Steel Creek and look for paths through the woods to the Buffalo River. Head to a bend in the river where the tall, gray Roark Bluff rises from the edge of the river. If you want to spend more than one day here, Steel Creek is a 40-site campground ( up to six months in advance; $20 per site). The sites aren鈥檛 terribly scenic鈥攖hey鈥檙e in a grassy field backing up to a hardwood forest鈥攂ut you can鈥檛 beat the location.

9. Midnight Hole, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee听

The Park: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moist. The 500,000-acre swath of the Southern Appalachians is borderline sub-tropical in its climate, with a high annual rainfall and hundreds of miles of streams and rivers. The mountainous park is hot and humid during the summer, and it鈥檚 packed with potential swimming holes, from rope swings on the edges of lakes to deep pools at the bottom of waterfalls.

The Swimming Hole: Midnight Hole is a favorite for my family because it鈥檚 relatively easy to get to (see the hike below) and delivers an ideal balance of scenery and adventure. Here, Big Creek tumbles over a ledge in the bedrock, dropping six feet into a deep hole. Local legend has it that the hole is so deep, nobody has ever touched the bottom. That鈥檚 not for a lack of trying; the waterfall is surrounded by tall, round boulders offering a variety of launching pads for leaping. The stream is crystal clear; bring goggles and you can see fish downstream of the popular pool.

How to Get There: The waterfall is located on the northern edge of the park, on the North Carolina side of the border. From the Big Creek Trailhead, follow the along the river for three miles until you see the falls on your left. It鈥檚 an easy hike on an old road grade.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He loves a good swimming hole. He recently wrote a guide to visiting overcrowded and underfunded national parks this summer.听

The post The 9 Best Swimming Holes in Our National Parks appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Think the beach is just for lounging? Think again. I found seven gorgeous hikes that trace the coast, from quiet beach walks to heart-pounding cliff treks. Some of these trails are multi-day affairs, giving you the chance to disconnect for extended periods of time, while others are quick day hikes designed to get you away from the summer crowds. Pack the reef-safe sunscreen, but maybe leave that trashy beach read at home 鈥� it鈥檚 time to hit the coast.

Mountains to Sea Trail: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Distance: 82 miles听

This is the dramatic finale of the 1,175-mile long Mountains to Sea Trail, which begins in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ends at the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina. Along the way, the trail hits the tallest mountains in the eastern U.S. and passes through rolling farms in the Piedmont, but the last 82 miles is predominantly a beach walk passing between tall, grass-covered dunes and the Atlantic Ocean.

This section of the starts in Ocracoke, which can only be reached by ferry, and does some island hopping through Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It鈥檚 a flat hike, although you鈥檒l have the chance to climb the 208-foot tall Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and the final push ascends the 100-foot sand dunes of Jockey鈥檚 Ridge State Park. Beyond the coastal scenery, I like this hike because it oscillates between isolated beaches and vibrant towns, including the charming Ocracoke Village, which still retains its fishing hamlet charm. You鈥檒l also have the chance to surf, eat fresh seafood, and take flight (see below).

Best Campsite

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has four established campgrounds scattered throughout the islands. There are also plenty of hotels and cottages throughout the journey if you want to create your own inn to inn hike. But I like the tent sites at , which has a row of sites on each loop that are just inland of the dunes, so you鈥檙e blocked from the wind coming off the ocean but have easy walking access to the beach ($28/night).

What to Know Before You Go

You鈥檒l need to catch two to complete this route (from $5 per person), and while you鈥檒l spend most of your time on the beach, the MST moves away from the sand in a couple of spots, for a mix of singletrack and road walking.

Wildlife Watch

Legend has it that the 鈥淲ild Banker Ponies,鈥� a herd of that have been present in the Outer Banks since the first European settlers established homesites in the 1730s, are castaways from shipwrecks during the late 1600s. They used to roam free, but after the main highway was built in the 鈥�50s, the National Park Service moved them to a fenced-in pasture on Ocracoke to keep them safe from traffic.

Bring Your…Sense of 国产吃瓜黑料

A number of surf shops offer lessons and board rentals along this route, and Jockey鈥檚 Ridge State Park operates a where you can take flight from its tall dunes ($149 per person).

The Oregon Coast Trail, Oregon

Distance: Up to 425 miles

The (OCT) sounds too good to be true: More than 400 miles of hiking along the Pacific Northwest鈥檚 coastal headlands, bouncing between isolated beaches, cliff tops, dense rain forests and the occasional fishing village. It might be the perfect coastal long hike, and the only problem might be that you can鈥檛 get away for the month or more it takes to complete all of it end to end. Fortunately, you don鈥檛 have to thru hike the Oregon Coast Trail to enjoy its goods.

The OCT is broken into 10 sections of varying lengths, each of which can be knocked out in shorter multi-day stretches. What鈥檚 the best? Arguably , a 36 mile jaunt that begins at Oregon鈥檚 border with Washington, where the Columbia River divides the two states, then travels south through the beach of Fort Stevens State Park, where you鈥檒l see the historic Peter Iredale shipwreck before climbing to the top of Tillamook Head, a cliff that stands 1,200 feet above the Pacific. Hikers will also see the iconic Haystack Rock, a seastack rising from the surf, and get to hit the beach town of Cannon Beach before finishing the hike in Oswald West State Park.

Best Campsite

It鈥檚 hard to beat the three Adirondack-style hiker shelters on Tillamook Head, each of which has four first come, first serve bunks. You can pitch a tent in the area if the bunks are full. A short walk from the shelters to the edge of the cliff gives you a view of the Tillamook Lighthouse, which sits on a rock a mile offshore.

What to Know Before You Go

Some sections of beach, especially near the southern end of this section in Ecola State Park, can only be crossed at low tide, so check NOAA鈥檚 before starting your hike.听 Also, if you try your hike in the spring, rivers might be too high from snow melt to ford.

Wildlife Watch

Keep an eye out for gray whales, which are headed north to Alaska along the coast during spring (from March to June).

Bring Your…Appetite

The fish doesn鈥檛 get any fresher than what you鈥檒l find in the coastal towns like Cannon Beach and Seaside, both of which have long-standing fishing traditions where boats provide restaurants with catch taken from the sea daily. is known for using line and hook methods (no nets) to catch the fish they sell. Fish and chips, with halibut or cod, depending what鈥檚 in season, are a staple.

Loop Trail, Santa Rosa Island: Channel Islands National Park, California

Distance: 7.5 miles

The Channel Islands, off the coast of Southern California, offer one of the most unique hiking experiences in the country. Five of the eight islands are protected as a national park and essentially offer a glimpse of what Southern California was like before development took over. I had the chance to visit the park on an expedition cruise, and Santa Rosa Island was the highlight thanks to its tall cliffs, endemic species, and hiking trails that are full of eye candy.

I like the 7.5-mile Loop Trail, which starts at the pier in Becher鈥檚 Bay, passes through a historic ranch with expansive grasslands, and climbs up to a grove of Torrey Pines overlooking the Pacific. From there, the hike drops back down to the edge of the cliffs above the ocean. On your way back to the pier, you can either hike a mix of the coastal road and singletrack that hugs the edge of the cliff, or drop down to the Water Canyon Beach and hike the two-mile long stretch of white sand back to the pier.

Best View

There鈥檚 no bad view along this hike, but the perspective from the grove of Torrey Pines gives you a broad field of vision that takes in the grasslands, cliffs, and Pacific that stretches on for eternity.

What to Know Before You Go

You鈥檒l need a boat to reach Santa Rosa, or you can hop a ride from , which runs a ferry from Ventura and drops off hikers, backpackers, and kayakers at the pier in Bechers Bay. There are three day trips to Santa Rosa a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday/$95 per adult) or you could spend three days/two nights on Santa Rosa, and grab one of the 15 sites at the island鈥檚 small ($15 a night). Some of the beaches are open seasonally to primitive camping (check the national park鈥檚 website for the current closures when you鈥檙e planning your trip).

Wildlife Watch

The Channel Islands are considered the 鈥淕alapagos of North America鈥� because the islands evolved in isolation and have 23 . I saw a bunch of cool animals during my time on the islands, but the native fox was the cutest; at roughly the size of a house cat, it鈥檚 one of the smallest species of fox in the world. I was fortunate enough to see one in the shade of the Torrey Pines during my hike.

Bring Your鈥ove of History

The native Chumash thrived on Santa Cruz for 10,000 years, developing a society that was based on trade and a shell bead currency. Cultural sites can be found throughout the island, but you鈥檒l also find some native plants that the Chumash depended on, like the delicious lemonade berry, which tastes like鈥emonade.

Chapel Loop: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan听

Distance: 10.5 miles

Think there鈥檚 no coast in the middle of the country? Think again. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore protects some of the wildest coastline in America, with miles of sandstone cliffs dropping to the water, isolated beaches, sand dunes, even waterfalls. It just happens that the coast we鈥檙e talking about is on Lake Superior. There are a lot of short hikes in the national lakeshore that lead to scenic views of the lake. The best of these has to be the 2-mile round trip from Miners Castle to Miners Beach, a mile long, narrow stretch of sand flanked by green, pine forest and cliffs.

For a bigger adventure, hike the 10.5-mile , which takes in the area鈥檚 history and scenic glory, as it passes multiple waterfalls tucked into the pine forest before tracing the edge of the cliff above Lake Superior where you鈥檒l cruise by the iconic outcroppings of Indian Head and Chapel Rock. Hikers will also have the chance to lounge and swim from two beaches, Mosquito Beach, which is flanked by sandstone cliffs, and Chapel Beach, which sits at the mouth of Chapel River with a view of Chapel Rock, a sandstone arch with a solitary pine tree perched on its expanse.

Best View

Lover鈥檚 Leap is a broad sandstone arch that stretches from the band of cliffs out into Lake Superior鈥檚 clear waters north of Mosquito Beach. You can see the arch from various points along the trail between Mosquito Beach and Miners Castle.

What to Know Before You Go

During the summer, the Chapel Loop parking lot fills quickly (often before 9 A.M.). Multiple trails leave from the parking lot, so hikers spread out throughout the park, but you鈥檒l need to be an early riser to get a space.

Wildlife Watch

The diversity of species in Pictured Rocks is impressive, ranging from the occasional moose to the gray wolf and bald eagle. Keep an eye out for the , a small, white shorebird that鈥檚 listed as endangered but is known to live within the national lakeshore. You鈥檒l likely see them hunting for food along the beaches.

Bring Your鈥ayak

The hiking in Pictured Rocks is great, but kayaking along the shoreline offers the best views of the sandstone arches and waterfalls that tumble into the water. Don鈥檛 have your own boat? offers tours where they launch from a larger boat offshore to cut down on the miles you need to paddle (from $99 per person).

Lost Coast Trail: Kings Range National Conservation Area, California听

Distance: 25 miles

You can鈥檛 write about coastal hikes and not include this Northern California gem, which traverses 25 miles of cliffs, waterfalls, and black sand beaches through the managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Lost Coast earned its name because the wilderness area was too rugged for highway construction (elevations reach 4,000 feet just three miles from the ocean), so a 35-mile stretch of coast between the small towns of Shelter Cove and Petrolia, California was lost to development.

It has since become a hotspot for backpackers looking for secluded beaches and grand views. It鈥檚 become so popular the BLM has had to limit visitation; a caps use to 60 hikers per day between May 15 and September 15 and costs $6 per night as well as an additional $12 鈥渟pecial area fee鈥� per hiker. You can get permits three months in advance on a rolling basis. But if you score a permit, you鈥檒l have two to four days of mostly beach hiking with 100-foot-tall bluffs on one side and iconic California waves on the other. Beach camping, the occasional waterfall, and the chance to climb Punta Gorda Lighthouse, round out the highlights.

Best Campsite

There are no designated campgrounds, but the various creeks that meet the beach make popular campsites that will have reliable water. The Sea Lion Gulch site, at mile 4.5, sits on the edge of the bluff, offering big views of the beach below and Pacific beyond, but you鈥檒l likely deal with windy conditions. Big Creek, at mile 9.5, is the most popular campsite with sites at the mouth of a broad creek that travels through a narrow, fir-covered gorge before meeting the beach. You can choose from beach sites or forested sites away from the wind.

What to Know Before You Go

High tides create impassable zones on three sections the Lost Coast Trail, where the water swallows the thin beach until it retreats. Plan your hike according to the and time your trek across these beaches as the tide is retreating to give yourself the biggest window.

Wildlife Watch

are huge, weighing up to 8,000 pounds, and were once in danger of becoming extinct, but they鈥檝e found safe breeding ground on the isolated beaches of California鈥檚 Lost Coast. You鈥檒l see them throughout this journey, including a large colony that can often be found lounging in the sun near the Punta Gorda Lighthouse. During the summer, these animals come ashore to shed their outer layer of skin.

Bring Your鈥elephoto Lens

Your chance for cool wildlife photography is off the charts on the Lost Coast Trail, from deer grazing the grasslands to black bear and the aforementioned elephant seals. Bring a telephoto lens and keep your distance while you snap away.

Wilderness Trail and Beach: St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida听

Distance: Up to 12 miles

(that鈥檚 a mouthful!) protects 20 miles of Cape San Blas, a primitive peninsula that divides St. Joseph Bay from the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of mainland Florida. Head to the northern tip of the cape, which is protected as wilderness, and you鈥檒l get legitimate deserted island vibes, as the wilderness area has been undeveloped, giving you a sense of what Florida was like before the condos and theme parks. The six-mile passes through the center of the cape between gnarly pines and oaks, with optional trails to the Gulf side of the peninsula giving you the opportunity to create a loop hike (or out and back) of your choice where half of your mileage will be on sugary white sandy beach.

A beach access trail begins at the parking lot and another can be found three miles up the beach, making for an ideal six-mile loop. Tall dunes topped with sprouting sea grass line the interior of the beach throughout the hike, and the sand is so fine and powdery that it will squeak beneath your feet as you walk. Hurricane Michael split the peninsula in half in 2018, and damaged much of the park鈥檚 infrastructure, but the divide has been filled in and the wilderness area of the park has proved to be resilient, bouncing back to its former glory in the several years since the hurricane. Bring your bathing suit and beach supplies; there are no services in the wilderness area, and the Gulf water is warm and ripe for swimming and snorkeling.

Best Campsite

You can treat this hike as a day-long excursion, but the has 14 primitive campsites tucked into the dunes and palms. Site #14 sits at the end of the Wilderness Trail, on the water, in the shade of a handful of palm trees ($5 per night, per person).

What to Know Before You Go

You need a permit to explore the Wilderness area. You can pick one up at the state park鈥檚 ranger station on the day of your journey. Be sure to be back at your car and exiting the area an hour before sunset, a rule that helps protect the various nesting animals on the cape.

Wildlife Watch

My family and I camped at this state park for spring break one year, and we spent most of our nights battling a feisty raccoon who had plans for our cooler. But the park is brimming with more fun wildlife, including the snowy plover, an endangered migratory shore bird that nests on the peninsula.

Bring Your鈥addleboard

The state park has several kayak launches, giving you the chance to paddle the calm and clear waters of St. Joseph Bay or the Gulf of Mexico.

Gorham Mountain Loop: Acadia National Park, Maine听

Distance: 3.5 miles听

This captures some of the best terrain in Acadia National Park, allowing hikers to scramble up and over cliffs, hit a summit with long range views, and drop down to the edge of the Atlantic. The best part? Unlike summiting Cadillac Mountain, you don鈥檛 need to score a permit to hike Gorham Mountain. There鈥檚 a good mix of terrain too, from dense spruce and pine forest to cliffs and beaches. Be sure to tack on the .3-mile Cadillac Cliff side trail and you鈥檒l climb ladders and iron rungs up and over cliffs that were formed when sea levels were much higher than they are today.

From there, climb to the summit of the 525-foot Gorham Mountain, where you鈥檒l have a view of Cadillac Mountain on one side and the Atlantic on the other, before dropping down to the ocean, passing a freshwater pond along the way. Once you hit the coast, you can take a dip at Sand Beach before continuing on Ocean Path to the iconic Thunder Hole, a sea cave that catches waves from large swells creating a thunderous boom, before returning to the Gorham Mountain trailhead.

Best View

There are iconic Maine coastal views throughout much of this hike, but it鈥檚 hard to beat the all-encompassing view from the summit of Gorham Mountain, where you can see the rugged coastline below, including Sand Beach, and the Porcupine Islands rising from Frenchman Bay.

What to Know Before You Go

While you don鈥檛 need a permit to hike Gorham Mountain, the parking lot fills quickly, often by 9 A.M. on weekends, so start your hike early if you can. Or consider taking the park鈥檚 free shuttle, the , which you can pick up at various points throughout the park and neighboring communities.

Wildlife Watch

Acadia National Park is one of the best birding locations on the east coast, with more than 300 species identified inside the park. One of the most exciting species is the , which has rebounded from the edge of extinction and has been documented breeding and nesting on various cliffs inside Acacia. In the summer, you can see fledglings learning to fly near Cadillac Mountain.

Bring Your鈥athing Suit

Sand Beach, which is comprised of crushed shells, is the largest beach inside the park and a popular spot for swimming. Brace yourself for a cold plunge though, as water temps rarely hit the 60s, even in summer.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He likes any hike that ends at the beach. He recently wrote about the best small adventure towns in the U.S. and quiet destinations where you can escape the noise of modern life.

The post The 7 Most Beautiful Coastal Hikes in the U.S. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Surfing has an undeniable allure. The ancient Polynesian practice combines both power and grace and forges an intimate connection between a surfer and the ocean. The pros, like John John Florence and , make wave riding look effortless. But even experienced surfers are regularly humbled by the ocean. First-timers often get pummeled just trying to paddle out.

I still recall my first surf experience as a kid on the Jersey Shore. I had borrowed a friend鈥檚 shortboard and couldn鈥檛 make it past the relentlessly pounding breakers. Exhausted from being clobbered by the incoming waves, I gave up and tried to ride the whitewater. I ended up with a bathing suit full of sand and water leaking from my nose for what seemed like days.

After a few more failed solo sessions, I booked a lesson and my frustration instantly turned into enjoyment thanks to some basic pointers. Even one hour under the tutelage of an instructor can be a gamechanger, especially if you鈥檙e a total novice. Intel such as where to paddle out at a break, how to read the incoming sets, and knowing which size board is right for you, can transform your surf experience. Most newbies consider standing up on the board a success. But here鈥檚 a little secret. Learning to read the ocean and being able to paddle into a wave on your own, without a push from an instructor, is the real beginner鈥檚 success.

Now in my 40s, I consider myself an intermediate surfer. But I still try to take a lesson at least once a year, particularly when I travel to a new destination. Surfing is a lifelong practice, and the ocean is an ever-changing arena. You can always be learning and improving. And you鈥檙e never too old to hop on a board. One surf instructor I know says he regularly teaches students in their 60s and 70s.

Whether it鈥檚 your first time paddling out or you鈥檙e looking to fine-tune your bottom turn, the following surf schools can help get you up and riding and take your skills to the next level.

Hammer Surf School, Jersey Shore

Pro surfer Sam Hammer has chased waves around the world from the tropical beaches of Costa Rica to the frozen shores of Iceland to star in Chris Burkhard鈥檚 hit film, Under An Arctic Sky. But he hasn鈥檛 forgotten his Jersey Shore roots. His namesake surf school hosts private 75-minute lessons throughout the summer in several Shore towns, including his hometown of Lavallette. And most locales, like Spring Lake and Bay Head, can be accessed by train from New York City via New Jersey Transit. Hammer personally teaches the Sunday sessions in Spring Lake and you can book him for private coaching. I grew up on the Jersey Shore and know first-hand that if you can surf in Jersey, you can surf just about anywhere. The waves tend to be weak, yet steep, so they鈥檙e harder to paddle into, and, once you鈥檙e in, tougher to navigate. Summer conditions tend to be more mellow, but still, if you earn your surfing chops on the Shore, you鈥檒l feel like a pro on the slow, peeling waves in other destinations.

Beginner Tip: “Don’t overthink your movements on a surfboard,鈥� says Hammer. 鈥淟ike with any sport, you learn mechanics slowly and will instinctually move faster through repetition.”

Details: $99 for a 2.5-hour adult group surf class; $113 for a 75-minute, one-on-one private lesson;

Mario Surf School, Todos Santos, Mexico

Over the years, Los Cerritos beach has been discovered, but even with the crowds, it remains one of my favorite surf spots. Located just 10 minutes south of the hip town of Todos Santos and 45 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas, it鈥檚 incredibly accessible to reach and its mellow, smooth waves and a sandy bottom make it a friendly place for beginners. But those aren鈥檛 the only reasons Mario Becerril, a Baja native and former pro, chose to base his surf school there nearly 20 years ago. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also one of the few beaches in Mexico that has gradual wave zones suitable for all levels,鈥� he explains. This helps ease the congestion and is great for progression. Becerril鈥檚 school is known for its three-step, beginner-focused pop-up technique and also for offering more advanced learning options, such as multi-day clinics, and its surf excursions, which showcase the region鈥檚 best waves, like premier point break Punta Conejo.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to surf on a bigger board when you are learning and work your way down to smaller boards progressively,鈥� says Becerril, 鈥渁nd remember the best surfer out there is the one that has the most fun.鈥�

Details: $67 for a 60-minute group lesson; $80 for a 60-minute private lesson; $180 for a three-day clinic; $350 for a private eight-hour surf excursion

Mary Osborne Surf Academy, Ventura, California

Champion longboarder Mary Osborne has over 25 years of teaching experience and excels at tailoring lessons to match her clients鈥� goals. Her Ventura-based camp offers lessons year-round, but she suggests clients book between late August through December to score magical weather and epic right-hand point breaks. The area has a variety of surf breaks, making it ideal for progression. She starts beginners at Mondos Beach. 鈥淚 call it the Waikiki of California, because it is very easy, slow, safe, and great for learning,鈥� she says. And she coaches experienced riders how to cross step toes to nose on a longboard. Most adults book her 90-minute private lessons, however she also offers two-hour group adult classes on Saturdays, lessons with apr猫s surf brunch, music, yoga, and massages, and she can customize beachfront rental homes, dining reservations, and activities for visiting clients who book multi-day lessons.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淎 lot of times people will want to book a lesson everyday for a week, which sounds incredible,鈥� says Osborne. 鈥淗owever, the reality is the body gets tired and you may need a break every other day.鈥�

Details: 90-minute private lesson from $150;

Pro Surf School Hawaii, Waikiki, Oahu

In my opinion, Waikiki is one of the best spots to learn to surf. Legendary two-mile Honolulu beach has gentle, forgiving waves, plus it鈥檚 the birthplace of modern surfing, which makes it all the more special. Kai Sallas, the reigning International Surf Association longboard champion, was born and raised in Waikiki and operates his surf school from the stylish on the quieter, eastern edge of the bustling neighborhood. You don鈥檛 need to be a hotel guest to book a lesson (though if you鈥檙e visiting from out of town, it鈥檚 a relatively affordable, super convenient base, with the best brunch in town). Sallas and his team cater to both beginner and intermediate riders, educating on everything from surf etiquette and wave knowledge to performing more advanced maneuvers like cutbacks and snaps. He鈥檚 also a shaper and can suggest the perfect board for your riding abilities.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淎lways keep your eyes on the ocean,鈥� says Sallas. 鈥淪tudy it before you go out. Watch it as you paddle out and sit in the lineup. And keep examining the wave as you鈥檙e paddling into it.鈥�

Details: From $99 for a two-hour beginner group lesson, $199 for a private one-on-one; .

Skudin Surf, Long Beach and Rockaway Beach, New York听

Over the last two decades, brothers Will and Cliff Skudin have helped put New York surfing on the map with their global big wave pursuits and their community-driven, namesake surf school. Throughout summer, they offer adult lessons at surf spots in Long Beach and Rockaway Beach. Both can be reached from New York City by train (the former via the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the latter on the subway). Summer is typically the best time for beginners, because the ocean is a bit warmer and the waves are more manageable. Dealing with Mother Nature鈥檚 whims is part of surfing, but riders who want to finesse their pop ups in a more controlled environment can book lessons year-round at America鈥檚 largest indoor wave pool in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a 10-minute drive from Manhattan. The brothers also run a nonprofit, , which helps make surfing accessible to the economically disadvantaged and people with disabilities.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淎lways check the conditions before you go out to surf, so you鈥檙e set up for success,鈥� says Will Skudin. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing worse than gathering all your gear, being stoked to get out there, and showing up to flat or dangerous conditions.鈥�

Details: $125 for a 75-minute private lesson at Long Beach or Rockaway Beach; $99 for an hour-long wave pool session;

Surf Happens, Santa Barbara, California

Surf Happens has helped groom pros like Lakey Peterson and brothers Parker and Conner Coffin. The school鈥檚 successful teaching formula鈥攔efined over 25 years鈥攊s rooted in founder Chris Keet鈥檚 experience as a competitive surfer and lifelong waterman.

鈥淲hat sets our curriculum apart is its focus on levels of evolution, principles, and techniques that build upon one another. It resembles a martial art in its progression,鈥� he says. 鈥淩egardless of skill level or ability, from beginning to elite, there are cheat codes to get to the next level within the phases we teach.鈥�

Surf Happens鈥� methodology builds on fundamentals, like evaluating the ocean conditions for hazards, finding line-up markers, reading the winds, waves, tides, and currents, and understanding techniques like paddling and duck diving. The school鈥檚 home beach is Santa Claus Lane, which offers a sand bottom break with idyllic learning waves year round. But Keet and his team take students to various point, reef, and beach breaks in the area, from Campus and Leadbetter Point, to other secret spots. Adults have their choice of private or group lessons, coaching series, surfaris, and week-long custom packages that explore the best waves for your ability.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淭reat surfing like a life skill and be patient, humble, and hungry to learn,鈥� says Keet. 鈥淟earn how the ocean works, be respectful of her power, and the people who you share it with, know your limits and never give up.鈥�

Details: 90-minute private lesson from $150; three-day coaching series from $750; half-day surf safari from $250; week-long surf experience from $1,250;

Surf Simply, Nosara, Costa Rica

This week-long, all-inclusive surf coaching resort in Nosara is widely considered the top dog of surf schools and typically books up six to 12 months in advance, so plan ahead. The sleek, 10-room lodge is just 200 meters from Playa Guiones, a long, wide beach that delivers over 350 surfable days each year, with wave conditions for all abilities. Surf Simply鈥檚 earned a cult following for its unique, analytical style, which provides students a road map of skills and drills. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 teach you how to surf, we teach you how to teach yourself how to surf, or surf better through a combination of video feedback, theory lessons, and in-water coaching,鈥� says Robin Bass, the school鈥檚 logistics manager. This holistic approach includes classroom sessions on swell forecasting and board design, fine-tuning board agility and turtle rolling in the pool, plus mobility work and post-surf massages. Surf Simply鈥檚 team of nine coaches work with just 12 guests per week, ensuring personalized attention. And every guest is sent home with photos of their sessions and a video from the week.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淐ontrary to what a lot of people believe, I don鈥檛 think you need great balance to surf,鈥� says owner Harry Knight. 鈥淲hat you do need to be able to do is to relax your body in this unusual situation, so that your core stability muscles can do their job. The more you rush, the more tense you are likely to be and the harder it will be to find and keep your balance. Good surfing should be slow and smooth, not fast and jerky.鈥�

Details: $8,716 solo and $15,646 per couple for one-week, all-inclusive;

Surf Sister, Tofino, Canada

With more than 20 miles of rugged shoreline, the tiny coastal town of Tofino on Vancouver Island is considered Canada鈥檚 surf capital. The area鈥檚 wild backdrop of snow-capped peaks and old-growth forest are well worth donning a wetsuit to brave the brisk waters (you鈥檒l want a 4/3mm in summer and at least a 5/4mm, plus a hood and booties in winter). Surf Sisters set up shop here in the late 1990s with the mission to introduce more women to the sport. Mission accomplished. They now aim to make the sport accessible to all genders, races, and ages (their oldest client to date was 76).

Beginner lessons start with a briefing on ocean safety and surf etiquette, before moving into waist deep water where students can familiarize themselves with their longboards. A second lesson goes out past the breakers and gets into how to choose and catch a wave and how to begin to maneuver and turn once you鈥檙e up and riding. 鈥淥ur goal is to create a good foundation of knowledge so students can continue practicing and learning on their own,鈥� says Surf Sister staff member, Alyssa Teremy. Experienced riders looking to uplevel their skills can book private coaching with Shannon Brown, the head coach of the Canadian National Surfing Team, who can help with everything from surf psychology to improving stance and style. Conditions determine where you鈥檒l surf, but Surf Sisters typically teaches at South and North Chesterman and Cox Bay. The school also operates a surf shack at on Cox Bay, which caters exclusively to guests.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淭ake your time,鈥� says Teremy. 鈥淕etting into your wetsuit is hard enough when you first begin, so pace yourself with all things surfing and your entire surfing career will be all the better for it.鈥�

Details: 2.5-hour group lesson $99; private $199; $350 for a half-day of private coaching;

South Beach Surf School, Newport, Oregon

After running a surf school in Virginia Beach, Russell McClanan, a former competitive surfer and captain of the USA surf team, relocated to the Oregon Coast and was wowed by the lack of crowds and consistency of the surf. 鈥淚 got tired of teaching in flat conditions,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n Newport, there鈥檚 knee- to waist-high waves nearly every day of summer. The air is 65 to 70 and the water hovers in the mid 50s. A five millimeter wetsuit keeps everyone warm.鈥� His one-on-one lessons are geared to serious wannabe surfers who care more about learning to read the currents and understanding etiquette than popping up on day one. 鈥淓ach surf break is like a different football team that wants to beat you up,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou need to study it and do your research and have a strategy before you paddle out.鈥� Every session starts with 20 minutes of balance exercises and some stretches before entering the water. Once out past the breakers, he hones in on essential techniques, like how to use your legs to spin your board while sitting on it in the lineup. He also offers big wave training and tow-in lessons for seasoned riders looking to up their game.

Beginner Tip: 鈥淧ractice the surf burpee on land so you get used to the mechanics of jumping to your feet,鈥� says McClanan. 鈥淵ou might be able to surf the whitewash crawling to your knees, but you can鈥檛 ride a real wave if you can鈥檛 get to your feet.鈥�

Pricing: $160 for a two-hour private lesson; $300 for two hours with video analysis;

Jen Murphy is a regular 国产吃瓜黑料 contributor and considers herself a lifelong student of the ocean. She tries to take a surf lesson at least once a year and regularly hires a coach or guide when visiting a new destination. She鈥檚 surfed around the world, from the remote shores of Easter Island to the rugged coast of Scotland.

The post The Best Surf Schools in North America appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On a late fall camping trip, my family and I were headed to Picacho State Recreation Area. The remote desert park is situated along a scenic 9-mile stretch of the Colorado River on the border of Mexico near Yuma, Arizona. We were trying to get there before sunset, going as fast as the 18-mile dirt road would let us. We were later than planned. A day earlier, a wildfire closed the desert highway, and we set up camp nearby to wait it out. When we finally arrived, it was golden hour, the sinking sun playing off jagged pinnacles of volcanic rock all around us. We were properly awed by the unexpected andesite formations ignited by the last light鈥攁lmost like we planned it.

California might have more stunning campgrounds than any other state. The area boasts the most national parks of any state (nine), 280 state parks with over 15,000 campsites, 840 miles of coastline, three distinct deserts, and mountain ranges with some of the highest peaks in the lower 48. A staggering number of visitors flock to see these wonders, which makes getting a campsite at high profile destinations (ahem, Yosemite) a competitive sport. The good news is that tons of incredible spots don鈥檛 involve the .

From my home in Los Angeles, my camping preference is for California鈥檚 deserts, where I can get off the grid and soak up the solitude. I dig desert camping so much that I even 鈥�Death Valley and Joshua Tree. But at some point, the deserts get too hot, and I head to the mountains or coast to keep up my four-season camping habit.

Below are some standout under-the-radar California campgrounds broken out by geography鈥攄esert, coast, and mountain. They range from free and dispersed, to supported, to sites with some serious amenities (hot tubs, what?). Pick any of these, and you鈥檒l be experiencing the state鈥檚 incredibly diverse landscape at its finest.

California’s Desert Camping听

Picacho Campground

Location: Picacho State Recreation Area, north of Yuma, Arizona

Located in California鈥檚 remote Colorado Desert, Picacho Campground is the main campground serving a stretch of the scenic lower Colorado River. The 54 campsites are huge and widely spaced, tucked amid striking ancient volcanic rock formations. For being so far out there, it鈥檚 surprisingly well-developed and maintained with concrete picnic tables, shade structures, fire pits, and bathrooms with solar showers.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Fishing for bass, catfish, and bluegill on the Colorado River. Take the short two-mile drive to Taylor Lake to see one of the river鈥檚 scenic backwater lakes. Hike the two-mile round-trip Stamp Mill Trail over volcanic hills for views of the river and mining ruins.

The Cost: $20 per night

Book It:

Kelso Dunes

Location: Mojave National Preserve

The dispersed sites at the Kelso Dunes sit on the edge of the largest dune field in the Mojave Desert. A jaw-rattling washboard road takes you past the official trailhead for the dunes (there鈥檚 no camping at the trailhead) to a collection of widely spaced campsites. Some have fire pits, and vault toilets are available. If you hear an eerie booming sound, that鈥檚 the singing sand; wind or footsteps trigger small avalanches and create deep vibrations.

Don鈥檛 Miss: You can technically climb the dunes anywhere, but there is an . Follow the three-mile round trip route to a high ridge where you will have sweeping views of, you guessed it, more dunes.

Pro Tip: If you are set on having a campfire, bring your own metal container in case you don鈥檛 get a site with a fire pit.

The Cost: Free

Book It:

Juniper Valley

Location: Weed, California

Awesome views are what make the sites at Juniper Valley a good pick. Two sites are perched in Northern California鈥檚 high desert near the Oregon border amid widely scattered Ponderosa pines, juniper, and manzanita. The lack of dense vegetation means that you have open views of a whole crew of impressive peaks in the Cascade Range鈥攕now-capped Mount Shasta, the distinctly shaped Haystack Butte, and Goosenest, an ancient volcano. The camping here is stripped down from the sparseness of the landscape to the amenities. Sites have a picnic table and access to potable water but no bathrooms or fire pits.

Don鈥檛 Miss: The crystal-clear night skies. Also, hiking in the nearby Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The four-mile out-and-back McCloud River Trail winds through a basalt lava rock canyon, passing three waterfalls with opportunities for summer swimming.

The Cost: $50 per night

听

The Inn at Benton Hot Springs

Location: Benton Hot Springs, California

Hot springs are the reason the picturesque almost ghost town of Benton continues to exist. The 13 campsites at the Inn at Benton Hot Springs are a unicorn, each with its own hot tub filled by the natural underground springs on the property. The 1,255 acre-ranch is operated in conjunction with the Eastern Sierra Land Trust to preserve the property from development. Most visitors don鈥檛 leave the campsites, opting to prune up in the tubs while meditating on the foothills of the White Mountains and grazing cows in the field next door. Bring everything you need. The closest town with supplies is Bishop, California, 40 minutes south.

Don鈥檛 Miss: The nearby Volcanic Tablelands, named for a cataclysmic volcanic eruption 750,000 years ago, draws rock climbers for its fantastic bouldering and desert rats for the austere landscape and petroglyph sites.

The Cost: $95 for two-person sites, $105 for three-person sites, plus $10 per night additional person

Book It: up to one year ahead of time; book early

Ricardo Campground

Location: Red Rock Canyon State Park

Campsites at Ricardo Campground are tucked under an unexpected crop of red sandstone cliffs in the northern Mojave Desert. The cliffs rise up out of nowhere along flat and Joshua tree studded desert Highway 14, like you temporarily hallucinated Utah. Most people cut through it on the way to the Sierra Nevada Mountains or Death Valley, but it鈥檚 easy to access from Los Angeles, and a beautiful destination in the fall when temps are lovely.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Hike a series of short trails, including the Red Cliffs Trail and Hagen Canyon Nature Trail to get close to the fluted formations. Venture out on off-road adventures to nearby ghost towns and mining camps including the Burro Schmidt Tunnel, a .5-mile tunnel hand-dug through solid granite.

The Cost: $25 per night

Book It: . Sites can fill by Thursday night or Friday morning in the spring, fall, and on holiday weekends.

Blair Valley

Location: Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The largest state park in California, the Anza Borrego Desert State Park has badlands, palm oases, mountain peaks, and waterfalls all accessed by miles of unpaved roads and hiking trails. It also has 12 campgrounds and tons of open camping. Of all the options, Blair Valley is my go-to for a secluded base camp to explore the park. Primitive sites are scattered along low rocky hills ringing a wide valley. In wet years, this is a hotspot for spring wildflower viewing. There is a vault toilet near the entrance, and some of the campsites have fire pits.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Anza Borrego is a certified dark sky park, and Blair Valley is one of the best places in the park for stargazing. There are also a few short, interesting hikes that leave from the campground. A 2-mile round trip trail up the face of Ghost Mountain (Yaquitepec) leads to 360-degree views and the ruins of a 1930s adobe homestead. You can also check out pictograph panels and ancient grinding stones by following the trail signs at the end of the valley.

The Cost: Free

Book It:

California’s Coastal Camping

Jedediah Smith Campground

Location: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

The Northern California coast is dotted with a long strand of redwood parks, with the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park at the top, near the Oregon border. The campground setting has a primeval feel, situated in dense old growth forest along the scenic Smith River, where banana slugs frolic (okay, maybe move slowly and strangely). There are 89 sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and animal-proof lockers.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Hiking through lush rainforest on the park鈥檚 20 miles of trails. Try the 5-mile , which goes through redwood forest, periodically opening up to views of the Smith River. Or opt to drive the historic Howland Hill Road. The Smith River is good for fishing and kayaking.

The Cost: $35 per night

Book It: Reserve here; available up to six months ahead of time

Jug Handle Creek Farm

Location: Caspar, California

As if its location on the edge of Mendocino鈥檚 famously wild and rocky coast was not enough, Jug Handle Creek Farm has 33 acres of fir forest and meadow as well as its own native plant nursery, community gardens, and nature trails. The farm is actually a nonprofit nature center supporting nature restoration projects in Mendocino County and offering onsite educational programs for kids. There are 11 private campsites situated across the property in a forest or meadow.

Don鈥檛 Miss: A wooden staircase from the farm leads down to scenic coves with tidepools at Jug Handle State Reserve. Be on the lookout for Harbor seals.

The Cost: from $40 per night

听

Freedog Farms at Cactus Flower Ranch

Location: Buellton, California

Freedog Farms is one of my favorite Hipcamp sites, a good resource for unique camping. At the ranch, optimally situated between Central Coast wine country and its beaches, campsites are terraced into 43 acres of rugged hills with incredible views.

Goats, chickens, and dogs run freely throughout the property, hence the name. There are also two vintage trailers where you can stay the night. Even if you are tent camping, the level of amenities automatically upgrades you to glamping status. The features include a central area with a barn for gathering, a firepit, cold dunk tank cowboy pools, hammocks, and a hot outdoor shower. This is a great spot for large groups and families with lots to do and plenty of space for the kids to roam. The owners always have projects in the works and, if they have time, they will give you a tour to go along with your welcome drink.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Have a beach day at nearby Gaviota, Refugio, or El Capitan beaches. Also, do the short hike in Nojoqui Falls Park to an 80-foot waterfall. Afterwards, the Folded Hills Winery Farmstead has a great spot for a picnic.

The Cost: $75 base rate for one person, plus $50 per person, per night; Ages 3-13 costs $10 per person, per night and those under 3 are free

听

Jalama Beach

Location: Jalama Beach County Park

The thing that makes this particular beach so special is seclusion. Jalama Road leaves the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and winds 14 miles through coastal hills to reach the rocky, windswept beach. Plus, the camping here is at beach level, a rarity along California鈥檚 dramatic, bluff-lined coast, with all 107 campsites beachfront or overlooking the ocean. The campground feels like a small village with hot showers, restrooms, water, and a general store with sundries, supplies, breakfast and a 鈥淛alama burger鈥� that people swear by. In addition to the tent and RV sites, the park offers seven cabins.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Jalama Beach for swimming, surfing, whale-watching, birdwatching, and surf fishing.

The Cost: $35 per night standard sites; $50 per night beachfront partial hook-up sites

Book It: Reserve here; reservations available six months in advance

California’s Mountain Camping

Mill Creek Resort

Location: Community of Mill Creek, south of Lassen Volcanic National Park

Mill Creek Resort makes a good base camp for visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park, located 11 miles north. The collection of accommodations, set on 12 acres of cedars and pines, is based around the historic 1930s Mill Creek Lodge. A wooded campground has tent and RV camping, vintage cabins, glamping tents, and retro trailer and RV rentals.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Lassen Volcanic National Park for its steaming fumaroles, idyllic meadows, clear mountain lakes, and volcanoes. Drive the park鈥檚 main road and then choose one of many hikes. Try the 3-mile Bumpass Hell trail past bubbling mud pots or hike the 2.8-mile round trip path from Hat Lake to Paradise Meadows, where you will want to twirl and sing 鈥淭he hills are alive!鈥澨�

The Cost: Camping May through October, cabins year-round, from $28 per night tent sites, from $48 per night RV sites, from $90 glamping tents, trailers, RVs, and cabins

听听

Green Creek Campground

Location: Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, south of Bridgeport

Green Creek has 21 sites tucked into an aspen grove along the banks of the scenic waterway known for excellent fishing. The combination of first-come, first-served sites and the 11-mile unpaved road to the area can make getting a spot feel daunting, but if you鈥檙e willing to chance it, the campground is a gem. On a trip this past Labor Day Weekend, we showed up mid-Friday afternoon and landed a campsite, but they were all full by evening. Group sites are directly along the creek and can be reserved. If the campground is full, you can post up at one of the backcountry sites along Green Creek Road. Strictly no fires are allowed at these sites.

Don鈥檛 Miss: A moderate trail from the campsite heads into the Hoover Wilderness for a six-mile round trip hike through aspen groves to alpine Green Lake. Or change course entirely and head back out to CA-395 to visit Mono Lake, a high desert lake where limestone spires rise from the water to create a hauntingly beautiful sight with opportunities for swimming, hiking, and kayaking.

The Cost: $22 per night, $75 and $100 per night for group sites (25 and 50 people)

Book It: , late April to early October

Rock Creek Lake Campground

Location: Inyo National Forest, northwest of Bishop, California

The forest service leaves a wheelbarrow in the parking area so you can haul gear across Rock Creek to the 28 campsites, tucked into aspen and pine forest at 9,600 feet. It鈥檚 surrounded by the gorgeous John Muir Wilderness, known for granite peaks, creeks, and alpine lakes. Make sure to use the provided bear boxes and keep a bear-safe camp. On my last trip, a surprise visitor showed up at night, enticed by a neighbor鈥檚 buffet of un-stored food and drink.

Don鈥檛 Miss: Fishing and kayaking or canoeing the lake. on the other side of the lake, has kayak and canoe rentals (as well as a small store and breakfast). Trailheads for miles of spectacular hiking begin along Rock Creek Lake Road. Hike the 8-mile round-trip trail through Little Lakes Valley to several alpine lakes and meadows for one of the most scenic and popular trails in the area. For a little more solitude, check out the moderate nine-mile hike to Hilton Lakes.

The Cost: $35 per night

Book It: available six months in advance, May through September

Jenna Blough听is an avid camper and fan of western deserts. She is the author of three Moon travel guides to California including and Moon Joshua Tree and Palm Springs. When she鈥檚 not planning her next camping adventure, you will find her hiking a canyon or driving a dirt road, because that鈥檚 where all the good stuff is. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter and never gets tired of exploring the Golden State.

The post The 12 Best Campgrounds in California to Ditch the Crowds appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Sometimes, we go to Mountain Project for the beta. But sometimes, we go for the chat. And sometimes, the chat is funny. We鈥檝e seen brawls break out over bolts and grades. Stoke-spangled reviews鈥攁nd ho-hum appraisals of testpieces. Crusty cameos. Sketchy ethics. And non-sequiturs that add to the lore of the classics.

Here are 19 of the funniest Mountain Project comments on classic routes in Yosemite.

Note: All comments are only very lightly edited for grammar to retain the casual forum feel and the voice of each commenting climber.

鈥淗ow many days does this take most people. I can preaty [sic] much do a 5.10 blind-folded.鈥�
鈥擲cott Morrison

鈥淕reat route. Few people know that the name comes from the Gogol short story. A man loses his nose, only to find out it had been baked into a loaf bread and subsequently masquerading around town as a local official.鈥�
鈥擲endasaurus Rex

鈥淭his is it folks. The grand-daddy of all shit shows. Score Instagram content as you stand in ladders on perfect hand cracks. Witness behavior that can only be comparable to that seen at the airport on Thanksgiving day. Lastly, make sure to stroke the ego of NIAD鈥檈rs as they go by.鈥�
鈥擲un Dawg

鈥淒reams Transcending!! The Force is strong with this one!鈥�
鈥擬ike Holley

鈥淭his seems like an absurd route. I watched the movie and it looked awful and not fun at all.鈥�
鈥擥iancarlo Rhodes

鈥淚 thought this climb sucked. I hope the rest of is better. We did Beggars Buttress and the Rostrum on the same trip. Both were way better. Maybe my expectations were too high for Freeblast, but considering the location and history you can understand why. Most of the climbing was forgettable awkward or just plain blah.鈥�
鈥擧别辫辫苍别谤诲

鈥淩oute is much easier if you hire a mule to carry your stuff up to the rock. Some may call it cheating. I call it smart.鈥�
鈥擲ean Cobourn

鈥淎fter years of having wet dreams about this route, I was finally offered a chance to make a push for the summit on my 26th birthday. May 2nd, 2015. The spring is running strong and is the best and coldest water you will ever taste. I promise.鈥�
鈥擬isterCattell Cattell

鈥淚 climbed this 27 years ago. I brought my bagpipe up with me and I think I played Bonnie Charlie from the top. They say it was heard in the valley. Note I am not Celtic. Anyway the climb was fun if a lot of extra hiking up and down. I think with all the traffic, someone soloing might get knock off by the crowd.鈥�
鈥攄驳别濒尘补苍

鈥淲ow, there are a lot of redundant comments. Here鈥檚 a new one: **Don鈥檛 piss in the hole you heathens! Traversing over a few feet and peeing on blank rock that no one touches would be better than filling the hole at the belay.鈥�
鈥擪ristoffer Schmarr

鈥淚 got a severe off-the-couch ass-whipping on this one in the early `80s despite being pretty solid on Yosemite 5.9 of the time on hexes and stoppers and yarded and rested on any and everything I could. Was jello by the end of the second day (originally was rated Grade VI, 5.9 A4/5 (?) one of the first in Yosemite). Still a testpiece no matter how you get up it by all recent reports.鈥�
鈥擪ing Tut

鈥淚 took Stefan Glowacz here early `90s and he couldn鈥檛 touch it. He rapped off by threading the rope through a bolt hanger (!). I belayed on the FA and he was doing shit with his feet I didn鈥檛 understand.鈥�
鈥擩oe Hedge

鈥淩ap rings on the summit? C鈥檓on, John Muir soloed up and down it with clogs made of granite. Okay it was leather boots, but still, if an old Scot can do it without sticky rubber, I think you can do it with sticky rubber.鈥�
鈥擩iggs Casey

鈥淥hhh my Buddha! Just did this route, late March 2016, and it was truly an epic and educational experience to say the least. Long approach, which is made much more grueling with haul bags. Essentially, every single pitch was seeping with water (some even mistakable for waterfalls) and the slippery wet exposed third-class top-out was most terrifying (with haul bags on back)! The 11c pitches were pretty stout, had to pull through gear on most cruxes 鈥� To make life much simpler I would totally recommend doing this route in a day if possible. Climbing is climbing though and overall it was still fun as biscuits!鈥�
鈥擬ike Holley

鈥淭his spike of adrenaline due to wasp nest makes the climb significantly easier and may consider as use of doping. I propose to change rating of Waverly back to original 10c, while wasp is active.鈥�
鈥擜lexey Zelditch

鈥淵ou are so right about the ants. :< I almost got eaten alive 鈥� my partner had to basically use me as a punching bag for over 10 minutes just to get all the ants off me 鈥� I think the ants got out some rage on me 鈥� It鈥檚 funny that some actually made it up to Dinner Ledge with me in my draws and they seem to know when you鈥檙e making a hard move.鈥�
鈥擠wook Nicholson

鈥淧artied on Dinner Ledge for my birthday a couple weekends back (weekend of 4/15). 12 fucking people up there! We drank tequila and beers, smoked some herb, watched Ryan lead the Kor Roof at night. It was fucking awesome!鈥�
鈥擬ax McKee

鈥淲ow 鈥� just super major woooooooow 鈥� if I could rename this route I would call it 鈥渨hat even is this life?鈥� I was just that impressed with this climb. It really is so crazy how accurate it is that everyone I talk to about this route says it鈥檚 probably their favorite route ever. Every Yosemite climber needs to climb this route.鈥�
鈥擜ndrew Upchurch

鈥淧itches like this almost make me believe in a higher power.鈥�
鈥擲keletor 69

The post The 19 Funniest Mountain Project Comments on Yosemite Routes appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I drive into the parking lot at Homewood Mountain Resort鈥攁 small, beloved ski area on the California side of Lake Tahoe鈥攐n a recent sunny morning, the place is deserted. There鈥檚 snow on the slopes, but no skiers in sight. The parking lot is empty, save for a few storage containers and idle construction vehicles. The Madden chair, a relic installed in 1966, five years after the ski area opened, is surrounded by orange ropes with signs that read: closed.

This past October, Homewood announced that the ski resort wouldn鈥檛 be opening for this winter, a blow that devastated local skiers who鈥檝e come to call this place home. It鈥檚 not what anyone wanted. This winter鈥檚 closure is just the latest bad news in a series of bad years for Homewood鈥檚 public image. You see, a couple of years ago, word trickled out that Homewood was going to become a private resort for the rich. Think the Yellowstone Club, only with a grand view of Lake Tahoe.

鈥淗ad [Homewood鈥檚 owners] set in front of our community this member-only concept, there would have been lines out the door in protest,鈥� local resident Renee Koijane wrote in a public comment soon after Homewood鈥檚 privatization plan leaked out. 鈥淭his type of plan is the opposite of what any community should be planning for in the wake of climate change, wildfire, and affordable housing issues.鈥�

The threat of Homewood going private came as other small resorts across the country either adopted the business model or entertained it as a way to compete with the ski industry鈥檚 move toward megapasses and consolidation.

In Utah, Powder Mountain has made sections of its terrain accessible only to members of its private ski community. In New York, Windham Mountain Club bills itself as a 鈥減ublic-private mountain community鈥� with skiing for everyone and luxury amenities like access to a private lodge for dues-paying members (memberships start at $200,000). Discovery Land Company has submitted plans to turn a defunct ski area near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, into a private ski and golf resort.

These privatization plans have generated headlines and elicited grumbles in communities across the country. But at Homewood, the prospect prompted a loud and angry response. An outraged group of locals began to put up a fight. They formed a group called Keep Homewood Public and began hanging red signage all over town and holding community meetings to organize a resistance.

Their efforts worked鈥攎ostly. As of March 2025, the it will still welcome the general public when the resort reopens hopefully next winter. But there were consequences to all of the town meetings and angry signs: namely, the cancellation of the 2024-25 ski season. Losing a ski season dealt a financial blow to local businesses and was a loss for area skiers who love this place. The setback left even the most ardent activists wondering if the pushback was worth it.

But the ordeal at Homewood represents something much larger than a small ski area shutting down for one season. If feisty stalwarts can save skiing from becoming something only the rich and richer can participate in, then maybe we all still have a chance.

To understand why you should care about the closure of a small ski area that perhaps you鈥檝e never heard of before, first you need to understand the backstory and know that what is happening here could happen anywhere.

The saga of Homewood is bogged down by bureaucracy, but beneath it all is a clear theme: The world of skiing is getting privatized and you鈥檙e either in the club, or you鈥檙e out of it.

Homewood used to be the kind of place where beginners skied in starter jackets, you could score a $60 lift ticket from the gas station down the road, and passholders were given free breakfast burritos and early lift access on appreciation days. But, apparently, none of that was contributing to the financial well-being of the resort, which has allegedly been in dire straits for years now.

The resort, which sits almost entirely on private land, was purchased in 2006 by a real estate investment firm called JMA Ventures. In 2022, Discovery Land Company, known for its private resorts like Wyoming鈥檚 Yellowstone Club and other ultra-luxe private ski, beach, and golf clubs around the world, partnered with JMA. The following year, Mohari Hospitality, an investment company based in Cyprus that funds luxury properties around the world, became the main equity investor in the Homewood development. Mohari is the one that pulled out their subsidy for this winter, forcing Homewood鈥檚 hand to close.

鈥淭he notion of subsidizing another winter loss without the certainty of the project moving forward caused a lot of ripples,鈥� Andy Buckley, Homewood鈥檚 vice president of mountain experience, tells me when I pull into the parking lot. 鈥淭he closure of the mountain this season is not what we wanted.鈥�

In November 2022, JMA Ventures founder Art Chapman wrote a letter to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the local regulatory agency, that indicated a 鈥渂alance of public and private use鈥� business model. According to JMA Ventures at that time, this exclusive model was needed for the resort to stay afloat.

The letter indicated that Homewood would open to the public several days each month (not on holidays or weekends) as well as on so-called community days, where residents could purchase tickets that would benefit local philanthropic causes. But on all other days, the resort would be exclusively open to property owners. 鈥淚n doing so, Homewood would still be available to the local community, albeit on a more limited basis,鈥� Chapman wrote at the time.

A former mountain manager at Homewood during that time told business owners in the area that things would soon be changing. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to start seeing fur coats,鈥� the resort manager said. Locals were outraged at the thought of losing access to their cherished ski hill. So, in February 2023, that prompted the formation of Keep Homewood Public, which organized quickly and fiercely.

鈥淧ublic access is our number one, number two, and number three issue,鈥� says Candice Wilmuth, a spokesperson for Keep Homewood Public. 鈥淲hen I talk to Homewood employees and they call us the opposition, I say, we are not the opposition. You have the biggest lovers of Homewood in this group. We do not want to stop the development. We want the resort to be open and thriving. All of us want to go skiing there.鈥�

Homewood鈥檚 location on the western shore of Lake Tahoe is both a blessing and a curse. When all the big, flashy ski resorts around Lake Tahoe shut due to wind and blizzards, little old Homewood would keep its eight meager lifts cranking. Some of the deepest powder turns of my life have been on storm days in the trees off Homewood鈥檚 painfully slow Ellis chair. Homewood is where old-school powder chasers, families seeking affordable adventure, and anyone who wanted a quiet, uncrowded place to ski escaped to.

But these days, unless you鈥檙e coming from the sleepy neighborhoods that dot Lake Tahoe鈥檚 west shore, on busy days, you鈥檒l sit in traffic heading to other, bigger ski areas like Palisades Tahoe or Northstar in order to get to Homewood. In recent years, skiers and riders have not been choosing to do that. Even west-shore residents have bypassed Homewood for more amenity-rich mountains. Revenues at the resort have gone down since 2010, and the number of visitors to the ski area has dropped by 70 percent since then. The rising popularity of mega passes like the Ikon Pass and Epic Pass have further driven down profits at Homewood, which is not on a collective pass.

鈥淲e saw a lot of Keep Homewood Public stickers and banners, but not a lot of people buying passes or tickets,鈥� one former Homewood employee, who asked not to be named, told me. On a deep powder day in March 2022, this employee said the total skier count at 11 a.m. was 38 people on the mountain. 鈥淲e were getting face shots after lunch,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was amazing. But you can鈥檛 run a business with that.鈥�

And as other resorts have built new lodges and faster lifts, Homewood has made few upgrades over the past two decades. The South Lodge, at the base of the Quail chair, burned down in 2016 and in its place sits a row of dilapidated structures and storage sheds. The Ellis lift, a creaky triple chair that notoriously left skiers stranded for hours, got a mechanical update in 2020, but plans to replace Ellis with a detachable quad haven鈥檛 happened yet. West Shore Inn and Caf茅, formerly a hotel and restaurant across the street from the ski area that JMA purchased in 2010, has been closed since 2023, allegedly for renovation, and will likely remain a private facility going forward.

Homewood used to offer some of the cheapest lift tickets in the Tahoe Basin, but in recent years, those ticket prices have spiked. In 2022, Homewood set the record for most expensive day lift ticket in the U.S.: $279 for a single-day ticket to a homestyle ski hill with antique chairlifts, a mid-mountain pit toilet, and on-hill dining that requires you to microwave the chili yourself. Some theorize that Homewood was trying to price out skiers ahead of time to show they needed to go private in order to stay afloat.

The resort ownership has lofty goals for a major redevelopment of the mountain and base area, but it鈥檚 taking forever for any of that to be implemented. Homewood鈥檚 original master plan, which was first passed by the TRPA in 2011, lays out plans for a much improved future Homewood. The master plan鈥攚hich includes many community improvement benefits ranging from fire protection to workforce housing鈥攈as been nearly universally supported, including by those at Keep Homewood Public. (鈥淲e want the plan. Stick to the plan,鈥� Wilmuth says.)

In late September, the TRPA regional planning committee met to discuss Homewood鈥檚 master plan, which had no real directive regarding public or private access. The KHP crew arrived at the meeting ready for a fight. Over 100 people gathered in the parking lot in red T-shirts with the words Keep Homewood Public emblazoned across their chests. The meeting room filled to capacity and public attendees were relegated to three overflow rooms to await the comment period.

After a lengthy committee discussion, the public comment period opened and one red shirt after another stood in front of the microphone to implore the committee to reject the developers鈥� application unless they add clear language about public access. Each had their own distinct point to make, but many included the same request: a hard reset on the master plan. 鈥淲hen the developers say anyone can ski at Homewood, what they really mean is anyone with a whole lot of money,鈥� one speaker said. 鈥淭his is not the general public.鈥�

Toward the end of the public comment period, a speaker named Lynne Hurst got emotional, tearing up at the mic as she said, 鈥淚鈥檝e skied at Homewood most of my life. I have Christmas pictures every year at the top of that hill that I treasure. It鈥檚 the most beautiful place in the world to ski 鈥� Come together with the developer, make it work for everyone 鈥� Don鈥檛 take it away to only let a few enjoy it.鈥�

But just like that: The chances of anyone skiing at Homewood this winter disappeared. A few weeks after that September meeting, Homewood announced on October 11 via an email to staff and the resort鈥檚 mailing list that the ski area wouldn鈥檛 be opening at all for this winter. In a statement, the resort declared, 鈥淔or many years, Homewood Mountain Resort has been subsidizing the community鈥檚 ski experience while operating at a deficit 鈥� Hypothetical fears and false rumors regarding public access to the mountain from Keep Homewood Public鈥檚 leadership have dramatically slowed the pace of the approval process 鈥� Without a clear path forward, our financial partner has withdrawn support for this ski season.鈥� It was almost like the resort was saying, you want to put up a fight? Remember who has the upper hand here.

The news of the closure was a blow, but it wasn鈥檛 all that surprising. 鈥淭he writing was on the wall,鈥� one Homewood resident told me. Season passes typically go on sale in the spring for the following winter, but by September, Homewood still hadn鈥檛 opened up season pass sales. In a presentation to a Homewood homeowner鈥檚 association last fall, resort execs said that they reserved the right to not open for the season if the approval for the new gondola didn鈥檛 come through. And in September, Homewood canceled its J-1 visa contracts, the hiring of foreign workers that the resort has relied on in past winters to perform seasonal jobs.

Around 200 people work at Homewood, with roughly 40 of those employed year-round in managerial or administrative positions. The rest are seasonal employees鈥攍ift operators, ski instructors, food and beverage staff鈥攚ho were laid off or not hired for this winter. The trickle-down impact of the closure on Tahoe鈥檚 west shore is already being felt.

鈥淥ur winter business relies heavily on Homewood being open and that day-to-day visitor, which has dwindled year after year due to their increasing rates,鈥� says Trevor Larkins, owner of West Shore Sports, a ski shop located down the road from Homewood ski area. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a progression of price increases pushing their customers away.鈥� Last year, profits at his shop were down 35 percent.

But still, after all of this, the questions remain: Who will be allowed to ski at Homewood in the near and distant future? Everyone? And for a reasonable price? Or just private members paying six-digit dues? Homewood鈥檚 execs have kept mostly mum on the subject of privatization, but that鈥檚 changing now, as they鈥檝e switched gears with more open communication and听 promises to remain committed to public access. 鈥淲e recognize that it鈥檚 been a mistake to remain silent for so long,鈥� Buckley tells me.

This winter, Homewood management unveiled a plan that represents a compromise. Under a part of its website titled Community Access, the vision lays out future day ticket and season pass offerings that ensure that anyone with a valid ski pass or ticket will be able to access the mountain during operating hours. It also lays out discounted passes for west-shore residents that will remain 35 percent below the cost of a pass or ticket to nearby Palisades Tahoe or Northstar. 鈥淧eople ask us to define public,鈥� Buckley says. 鈥淲ithout being flippant, it鈥檚 everybody.鈥�

He says public access has been there all along, it鈥檚 just changed in scope. 鈥淭here was always going to be a component of private membership in the plan, but upon really reviewing the plan documents, it became absolutely clear that the mountain had to have public access,鈥� Buckley tells me. 鈥淔rom that day forward, that is what the partners have been saying.鈥�

Residential property owners will be able to access members鈥� lounges in the base area and at mid-mountain, but the lifts and ski runs will be open to everyone. 鈥淵es, there鈥檚 going to be an HOA with member amenities like many places,鈥� Buckley says. 鈥淏ut the public component of the whole business plan is critical.鈥�

The promise to stay public is now on a banner hanging over the parking lot of the closed ski area that reads, 鈥淪mile! Homewood will always be public.鈥� But getting that in legal writing has been a long time coming. 鈥淭hey closed the resort, then they started this PR campaign around public access. But it鈥檚 still not effectively written into their documents. Without that, we鈥檙e worried it鈥檒l be public for a few years and then they鈥檒l start restricting access or pricing everyone out,鈥� Wilmuth, from KHP, says. 鈥淎 lot of people are saying, 鈥極h, we won. This is good enough.鈥� Which means people are so desperate to have this ski resort open that they鈥檙e willing to believe the developers. But we don鈥檛 think that the job is done until it鈥檚 documented.鈥�

Wilmuth says nothing was gained by having the mountain closed this winter. 鈥淲e never wanted or expected that to happen. That was Homewood鈥檚 decision. There is still nothing stopping Homewood from operating right now and season passes have yet to go on sale for next year,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur community had to get vocal to ensure what was always part of the plan鈥攑ublic access鈥攚as followed through on.鈥�

In late January, the TRPA governing board finally voted to approve Homewood鈥檚 master plan amendments as long as the resort includes a clearly-defined community access plan. With that approval, the ski area and its new gondola could be up and running by next winter.

Dave Powell, who鈥檚 86 and skis with just sunglasses, no hat, is holding out hope that his treasured ski area will reopen鈥攆or everyone鈥攏ext year. For five decades, Powell has clicked into his skis on the deck of the cabin he built in 1974, nestled into a grove of pine trees near Homewood鈥檚 base area, and glided through the forest to the Madden lift. This mountain is deeply personal to him, just like it is to many people in Tahoe. He used to work on ski patrol with his late wife, and he taught his now-grown daughters to ski here. 鈥淚 would not be surprised if there鈥檚 some kind of deal where those who buy into the new real estate get primo access to the mountain,鈥� Powell says. 鈥淎nd that doesn鈥檛 bother me, as long as the rest of us can still enjoy the place.鈥�

Megan Michelson lives in Tahoe City, California, five miles down the road from Homewood. She鈥檚 had some incredibly deep powder days at Homewood in the past.

The post Locals Unified to Fight Homewood Going Private. Will it Save the Resort? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The mountains are muddy (or still socked in with snow), it鈥檚 raining in the woods, and rivers are about to overflow their banks with runoff. Winter has felt long this year, and you’re probably itching to spend some time in the sun, and maybe go on a camping trip. But where can you find comfort and solitude in this transitional time of year? The desert, of course. Here鈥檚 how to plan your first trip鈥攁nd make it a success.

Why The Desert?

Isn鈥檛 the desert just sand, rocks, and scrub? Only in movies and TV shows. Deserts support abundant, diverse plant and animal life that can’t be found anywhere else, provide speculator views, and offer a vast landscape free of other people. Deserts are also full of attractions like ghost towns, waterfalls, oases, rivers, hot springs and beaches. In short: all the ingredients necessary for an epic weekend outdoors.

And while deserts are incredibly fragile ecosystems, they鈥檙e also typically managed by the most lenient rules and agencies. So long as you鈥檙e able to be responsible and self-sufficient, you鈥檙e free to visit and enjoy them as you see fit.

But don’t forget: visiting the desert, and doing it well, is typically going to involve driving on unpaved surfaces, hiking or recreating in unforgiving temperatures, and doing all that a long way away from other people, which exponentially increases your consequences should something go wrong.

The solution to safely and responsibly visiting the desert lies in preparation. Let鈥檚 look at some different destinations, then I’ll walk you through how you can best prepare for them.

Somewhere in Idaho. Note the truck serving as a wind break for both the tent and fire. (Photo: Wes Siler)

For First Time Campers: Joshua Tree National Park

Home to many organized campgrounds (you must book ahead), accessible by paved roads, along with the (now somewhat reduced) presence of park rangers to fall back on should you need help, California’s Joshua Tree National Park听is easy to visit and enjoy.

Things To Do: The park offers incredibly accessible traditional climbing and bouldering. So if you鈥檙e looking to take your ascents out of the gym for the first time, Joshua Tree is a great place to learn the ropes. More experienced climbers will enjoy the slab and steep crack climbing challenges.

J-Tree is home to great hiking. 国产吃瓜黑料‘s听National Parks columnist, Graham Averill, assembled a list of 11 of the best just last December. The park also offers backcountry camping for backpackers prepared to venture into the desert on foot鈥攋ust make sure you book a permit in advance.

Joshua Tree’s ease of access will allow you to relax and enjoy time outdoors. You can birdwatch, listen to coyotes howl, spot rattlesnakes, and enjoy some of the best stargazing in Southern California.

What To Watch Out For: . Watch out for rattlesnakes, which tend to hide out during the heat of the day, but get more active at night. A lot of visitors get into trouble by venturing off-pavement in inappropriate vehicle or on inadequate tires. Bring at least one gallon of water per-person, per-day.

Make Sure You Bring: WAG bags. Should you encounter reduced bathroom services, prepare听to poop and pack it out on your own. This can be done simply using hand sanitizer, a roll of toilet paper, and doggie bags combined with a (black!) trash bag to toss them into.

For New Off-Roaders: The Old Mojave Road

Bought听your first 4×4 and want to test its mettle? Not far from Joshua Tree lies California’s听Mojave National Preserve, and following old wagon tracks through it will take you far away from other people, but within an easy drive from Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Things To Do: Make sure your navigation devices work without听cell reception, then air down your tires and hit the sand. Look for lava tubes and explore the vast emptiness of the Mojave Desert.

What To Watch Out For: Following rain, the water crossing on the route鈥檚 north side can get deep enough to flood your vehicle. Know the height of your truck鈥檚 air intake, make sure all your traction aids are switched on, and proceed with extreme caution. Exercise the care you should any time you鈥檙e off-road, sticking to the trails, avoiding damage to plants, and packing out anything you bring in, including human waste.

Make Sure You Bring: An air compressor, an air down tool, a tire repair kit, and a matching spare should be considered essential. An extra five gallons of gas will be nice to have.

For Hot Springers: Guadalupe Canyon Oasis

A 50-mile drive south of the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Mexicali, is managed by a friendly family that provides private sites, each with its own natural-spring fed tub, plunge, or swimming pool. This is a perfect first destination for the Baja-curious. The drive into the oasis is easy and accessible to vehicles as basic as economy crossovers.

Things To Do: In addition to soaking, check out hikes to view indigenous cave art. See native wildlife like bighorn sheep. Show up prepared to cook your own meals and provide your own drinks, but a little market on-site sells some essentials should you forget anything.

What To Watch Out For: While the dirt road in is pretty simple, you鈥檒l want to make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave Mexicali, and take care to avoid navigating across the dry lake bed. No matter how capable your truck, the soft mud there will absolutely get you stuck.

Make Sure You Bring: Download the , and plan your crossing back north accordingly. I’d way rather spend four to six hours enjoying tacos and shopping for cheap prescriptions in Mexicali than sitting in a traffic jam.

You鈥檙e going to ask this, so I might as well answer. Yes, it鈥檚 safe to visit. The oasis locks its entry gate after dark and the family is on-site to patiently assist with any problems you might have.

For Backpackers: The Topa Topa Mountains

Just north of Ventura and Ojai, California, the Topa Topas often get passed over for the more glamorous (and still very much snowed in) Sierra Nevada. They offer less crowded trails as a result, and are accessible year-round.

Things Do Do: Park at the Piedra Blanca trailhead, throw on your backpack, and start walking. You’ll find hidden waterfalls, secret swimming holes, backcountry hot springs, and an abundance of rare wildlife, including the California Condor.

What To Watch Out For: While water sources are abundant in the Topa Topas, water levels fall as summer approaches, pools become stagnant, and algae grows. Pollution from human waste is common. That鈥檚 to say: bring a water filter you can rely on. Both black bears and mountain lions are very active in the Topa Topas, and in my experience have lost their fear of us humans. Store food responsibly and keep an eye out around dawn and dusk. If you do see a bear or lion, group tightly, leash your dogs, and make noise.

Make Sure You Bring: A good map. While the main hiking trail from due east tends to lead to crowded destinations, there are many, many lesser-known attractions once you venture off the beaten path. Don’t be afraid to explore.

Gear You Need For Desert Camping Trips

Camping in the desert will ideally be a relaxed, low-effort experience. But as with any activity, there are ways you can improve it.

Shelter: As night begins to fall and temperatures begin to drop, winds will increase. These gusts can听destroy high-profile tents and shade structures, and even more commonly make those things noisy and nerve wracking to sleep in. I like to bring a low-profile backpacking tent instead. Once you鈥檝e divined the evening wind direction, pitch that behind a vehicle, boulder, or other windbreak.

To state the obvious, it will get hot during the day. Carrying a lightweight tarp for human-powered activities, or some sort of robust shade structure if you have your truck along, is essential. Make sure this a separate item from your tent so you can take it down as the sun begins to set and winds pick up.

Nights are always going to be cooler than you expect, and will feel even chillier with your new sunburn. Make sure you bring an insulated sleeping pad and a good sleeping bag with a comfort rating at least 10 degrees lower than the temperatures you expect to face.

For clothing, wear lightweight layers during the day, then plan to add insulation and wind protection at night. Real hiking boots are a good idea in this rocky and sandy terrain.

Water: If you鈥檙e traveling by vehicle, just bring water along with you. One gallon per-person, per-day is the rule of thumb. Don鈥檛 forget about your dogs. If you鈥檙e going human-powered, map out water sources using recent intel from other hikers who have traveled the area. A pump water filter complete with a lengthened intake hose (just take your filter to the local hardware store) can help you access hard-to-reach puddles and pools hidden in rocks and hillsides, or dip below surface algae for less murky water. An extra foot or two of length should be plenty.

Fire: Deserts are fragile ecosystems. If you鈥檙e not camping in an established campsite with a pre-existing fire-ring, don鈥檛 scar the landscape with a surface burn. Instead pack along a cheap home fire pit, or one powered by propane.

Food: Treating your camping trip like an outdoor dinner party is a sure recipe for good times. But out here, even organic substances can take a long time to degrade, while stuff like baby wipes and toilet paper may stick around for decades. Prepare to pack it all out with you.

Safety: While rare, snakes and scorpions do sometimes like to shelter in or under tents. For that reason, I like to bring along a proper tent to sleep in, rather than just a tarp or ultralight floorless shelter. Keep your zippers closed and tip your boots upside down overnight.

Coyotes should be a concern, especially if you own dogs. Coyotes are known to prey on very small and young dogs, so keep those leashed, especially at night. Coyotes are also prolific thieves of food, so keep anything edible in a cooler or car when it鈥檚 not in use.

And while desert weather may appear pretty stagnant to the uninitiated, it tends to be extreme when it does occur. Assume anything that can flood will flood, and avoid camping in dry washes or arroyos. Flash floods can wipe out seldom-traveled desert routes and render them totally impassible. Keep an eye out, and always have an alternate travel route planned should your way back to civilization suddenly disappear. Beware rock falls and mudslides any time there鈥檚 precipitation.

But the real problems come with exposure, and are most often caused or exacerbated by poor planning. Plan routes carefully and conservatively, don鈥檛 rely on worn out or inadequate equipment. And, when in doubt, travel in groups.

The post Plan a Desert Camping Trip to Beat the Winter Blues appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Two hikers in California are lucky to be alive after one of them fell 100 feet down a sheer cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The incident occurred on Saturday, March 22 on a remote stretch of California’s famed , a rugged 53-mile hiking route along the Pacific Coast in Humboldt County. published by the U.S. Coast Guard, firefighters in nearby Shelter Cove, California received a call on Saturday afternoon of a stranded hiker on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

Rescuers were dispatched by a boat and jet ski and found one of the hikers “barely holding on” to a vertical cliffside approximately 60 feet above another band of cliffs. The hiker was clinging to the washed out slope with his hiking poles, the update said. He hiker had fallen more than 100 feet down the slope and had suffered a dislocated shoulder and cuts and bruises.

“The hiker was unable to move up or down, making it unsafe for rescuers to access him by land,” the post said.

The fire crews called the local requesting help, and the agency sent a rescue helicopter and crew. But the mission to locate and save the hiker was anything but easy. Due to the lack of wind and the limited power of the helicopter, crews had to jettison fuel, position the aircraft above the precipice, and then lower a rescuer 160 feet on a cable.

The hiker was “bleeding and injured” when the rescuer found him, but safety personnel were able to get him aboard the helicopter听and transport him to an medical station in the town of Shelter Cove. The helicopter crew then returned and plucked the second hiker from the the top of the cliffs and carried him to safety.

“Both hoists required intense crew coordination due to the loose cliffside, dead trees, and limited power,” the Facebook post said.

Rescuers reminded hikers of the numerous hazards facing them along the Lost Coast Trail. The hazardous trek is a major draw for hikers across California and the United States, as it traverses one of the state’s last remaining stretches of untouched shoreline. The trail boasts views of lush redwood forests, scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean, and black sand beaches.

The steep cliffs and crumbling precipices are too treacherous for roads or development. But the dramatic topography also creates hazards for hikers.

Erosion and deadfall often block the trail, and some sections of the hike take trekkers across narrow beaches that are frequently washed over by waves. Hikers must be wary of tides when traversing these sections鈥攁t high tide, the ocean simply washes up to the cliffs and prevents anyone from getting across.

In 2022, a rogue “sneaker” wave crashed into the beach and ; rescuers eventually saved one but the other drowned. In 2024, a group of teenagers from a nearby summer camp and hypothermic along the trail.

The post Rescuers Saved a Lost Coast Hiker from the Side of a 100-Foot Cliff appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It’s like the logline for a Hollywood action movie: Deep in the Mojave desert, a team of outlaws boards a freight train and then pulls off a daring heist, making off with millions of dollars worth of limited-edition sneakers.听

Well, maybe not the last part.

But reality is sometimes weirder than fiction, and that’s the case with the recent story about train robberies in the Southwest. On February 23, the about ten train heists that occurred between March 2024 and January 2025 in California and Arizona. Thieves boarded freight trains operated by BNSF Railways, cut open the locks to shipping containers, and then tossed cargo off the side, where follow vehicles scooped up the loot.

In all but one of the incidents, the criminals stole limited-edition Nike sneakers, and the combined value of the thefts totaled approximately $2 million. During one heist, which occurred on January 13, the crew took 1,985 pairs of unreleased shoes, the Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4, which sneaker website听

Lawmen eventually caught up with the alleged bad guys. According to the LA Times story, federal agents executed search warrants, raided storage units, and even chased the crooks along dusty dirt roads. that at more than 60 individuals face federal charges related to the train heists. In one heist, , authorities chased down the culprits and found that they were both teenagers.听According to the LA Times, 11 people were arrested after the January 13 heist. The alleged criminals and are now awaiting trial.

This whole ordeal may sounds familiar. Back in October,听国产吃瓜黑料 published Scott Yorko’s investigative story The Great Bedrock Clog Heist about the 2023 theft of 5,364 pairs of shoes from outdoor brand Bedrock Sandals. During that heist, robbers stole the truck carrying a new shipment of unreleased shoes and then attempted to sell them online.

Yorko’s piece, and the recent听LA Times story, both shine a light on the vulnerability of America’s freight transportation industry, which is how our favorite outdoor gear makes its way from factory to retail. It turns out that the items that we all love鈥攜es, including our favorite footwear鈥攁re routinely being stolen from trucks and trains and then sold on the black market. The Times referenced a report from the Association of American Railroads, a trade group representing freight train companies, stating that 65,000 railroad cargo thefts occurred in the U.S. in 2024, up 40 percent from 2023. Verisk CargoNet, a data analytics company that also monitors cargo theft, estimates that the number of cargo thefts in 2023 was up 59 percent from 2022.

“Everyone in this space has said it鈥檚 the worst it鈥檚 ever been in their entire 40-to-50-year careers,鈥� Jimmy Menges, national director at Marine Intelligence and Solutions, a private investigation firm, said in the 国产吃瓜黑料 story. 鈥淭here used to be a lot more dedicated cargo-theft task forces in the FBI and local law enforcement, but they鈥檝e been disbanded.鈥�

I recently phoned up two experts in the world of cargo theft to discuss the LA Times story: Keith Lewis, the vice president of operations for Verisk CargoNet, and Glenn Master, the director of asset protection and security for trucking company McLane. Both men have worked in the business of cargo protection鈥攁nd investigating cargo heists鈥攆or several decades. They shared their thoughts the differences between the Bedrock Sandals and Nike heists, how companies attempt to recoup their lost goods, and how theft like these impact customers like you and me.

A Train Heist Is Different than a Truck Heist

Two years after the Bedrock Sandals heist, there’s still a lingering debate amongst employees and security experts as to whether the specialty shoes were targeted by the thieves, or whether the bad guys simply stole a truck and lucked into the loot.

But my security experts both agree that in the case of the stolen Nikes, the crooks knew what they wanted. Both Master and Lewis said that, based on the by law enforcement, the train thieves were not just breaking into containers at random.

Cargo trains are sometimes a mile or two long, and they can carry hundreds of metal shipping containers, all loaded with different products. But the thieves stole high-dollar Nike sneakers in nine of the ten heists.

“That’s not a coincidence,” Lewis said. “And there are probably a dozen different ways to find out where it’s loaded on the train.”

 

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Lewis said that cargo thieves can learn about the placement of products on a train through savvy online research. Or sometimes, they pay off people working at warehouses or with shipping companies to pass along information about where specific cargo is located. I reached out to BNSF Railway听about this, and the company sent me the following statement:

“BNSF has robust security protocols, and our police department is focused on preventing these incidents on our network. We work hard to protect our customers’ freight from pickup to delivery and have security measures in place to help ensure these goods arrive safely. We are working with federal, state, local, and tribal police departments to coordinate our approach to disrupting criminal activity and arresting offenders.”

Once thieves know the location of cargo, they board the train when it’s stopped. Due to the size of freight trains, security guards can’t patrol the entire vehicle, Lewis said. And train drivers are unarmed. Once crooks find the shipping containers, they cut the locks off with grinders or bolt cutters. Then, they toss the cargo to the ground, hide it in the underbrush, and wait for a follow car to pick it up.

“This isn’t a situation where the train is going 50 miles per hour,” Master told me. “If you have 10 to 15 people walking along the train with bolt cutters to just cut the latch and start unloading a container, it becomes a numbers game. If you have 30 minutes, you can start searching containers until you find the Nike shoes.”

Big Companies Can Investigate on Their Own

The 2023 clog heist had a major impact on Bedrock Sandals. The Montana-based company had just nine employees when the theft occurred. The new clogs were a hot item, and when the truck was stolen, Bedrock Sandals was unable to immediately fulfill orders for them. The company had to wait several months for the next shipment to arrive.

The company’s director of operations, Matt McAdow, had to deal with the misfortune himself: he texted with a suspect asking to have the cargo returned,听and also contacted law enforcement and insurance once it was clear that the sandals weren’t coming back. When the stolen clogs began appearing on eBay and other online resellers, McAdow had to reach out directly, asking them to remove the merchandise.

Lewis has seen this situation play out before.听“At a mom-and-pop company, you’re waiting by the phone for a miracle to happen,” Lewis said.听 “At a big company, they know that a miracle isn’t going to happen unless they’re part of it.”

Master and Lewis told me the process is far different at a major international company. Big manufacturers regularly deal with theft, and many employ their own security experts who work to prevent robberies and investigate crimes after they happen.

 

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“Big companies may have their own investigations unit鈥攁fter a caper like this they are going to do the heavy lifting from an investigation standpoint to find the bad guys and see who did what,” he said. “Sometimes they can bring the investigation to law enforcement in a white box with a bow on top.”

I reached out to a Nike spokesperson for this story multiple times but did not get a response. According to听The LA Times听report and a piece by , the train heists in California and Arizona were foiled by a combination of federal and local police working alongside BNSF security. Authorities hid GPS trackers in the Nike shoes and used the devices to locate a box truck carrying the stolen cargo.

Master said that corporate investigation units have become increasingly important as law enforcement units across the country have shrunk in the post-COVID years. These days, most detectives have enormous case loads, which delay investigations around theft. Corporate investigators can help an investigation move along quickly, even when law enforcement is bogged down.

Master said that McLane’s security unit recently had to investigate a string of cigarette heists. The robberies took place in multiple different municipalities, he said, and the different law enforcement offices struggled with a lack of jurisdictional communication.

“It took us working with these other companies’ security departments to come up with a plan to put GPS trackers in boxes,” he said. “After a year we were able to go to the state police and say ‘here is your investigation’ and they got the warrants to arrest people.”

Where the Stolen Goods End Up

Despite the differences in the heists, Master and Lewis agreed that the stolen cargo was likely headed to the same place: offshore marketplaces.

“When you’re dealing with local thieves doing smash-and-grab jobs, you’ll find the stuff in bodegas and at swap meets, but that’s more general product,” Master said. “When the product is targeted, like the latest iPhones or shoes, a lot of times they already have a buyer overseas.”

Thieves are usually hired by a middle man鈥攁 person called a “fence”鈥攚ho then negotiates a price with the offshore buyer, Master said. Once on foreign soil, the shoes are then sold through the black market to customers around the world.

Stolen cargo in the United States is first sent to port cities where it sits in warehouses awaiting transport overseas in shipping containers. If investigators can get to it before it’s packed, it can be salvaged.

“The moment the stuff gets put into the cargo container, it’s gone forever,” Master said. “The probability of recovery becomes extremely limited.”

Both Bedrock Sandals and Nike were able to save some inventory before it went overseas. Investigators eventually located the remaining Bedrock Sandals clogs in a warehouse in Los Angeles. In the case of the stolen Nikes, investigators raided several private residences and storage units and found hundreds of pairs of shoes.

How to Avoid Theft

Is there any end in sight to the problem of cargo theft in the United States? Both Master and Lewis expressed doubts. America’s supply chain for retail goods has too many weak points, they said, and crooks will always find ways to break in.

Plus, cost-cutting innovations and the subcontracting out of various jobs within the supply chain means that manufacturers don’t always know who is in charge of their product at various points in the journey from factory to retail location.

“Companies just hand it off to the supply chain and it’s someone else’s problem now,” Master said. “You hope the stuff gets there, and if they’re missing a palette, they know they will be made whole by insurance.”

Companies can pay for added security in the form of armed guards, heavy-duty locks, and specialty transport. But this infrastructure is expensive, and it often slows down the speed at which goods reach their final destination. Most companies, Lewis said, are willing to take the risk.

“If you’re shipping a few million bucks worth of goods it probably makes sense to send it with surface escorts for safety,” Lewis said. “But everything adds cost and slows down the supply chain. People want to move freight at the speed of light.”

Manufacturers pay insurance companies to help defer costs in the case of break-ins and theft. But these crimes are far from victimless. Lewis said the mounting costs of insurance, security measures, and internal investigators all ends up being paid by one group.

“It’s the customer,” he said. “That’s the real victim.”

The post Experts Break Down the $2 Million Nike Train Heists appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

No adventure compares to driving across the United States. I鈥檒l never forget my first coast-to-coast drive. It was two friends and me, post college, in a beat-up Subaru loaded with everything I owned. We took the long way home, starting in the farmlands of Vermont and making out-of-the-way pitstops for hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains听of Tennessee, dining at legendary barbecue spots across Mississippi, and listening to live music in New Orleans. We drove west, climbed the highest peak in Texas, ate green chile in New Mexico, and stared into the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Most nights, we slept in a tent and dreamed of where the next day would take us. When we finally crossed the California state line toward our final destination, I remember feeling like I wanted to stay on the road forever.

The cross-country road trip is an American rite, a true pilgrimage where you can plan only so much; the rest will unfold wherever the road goes. These three epic journeys have starting and ending points, as well as some spots that may be worth pulling over for along the way, but what you make of the trip鈥攁nd what you ultimately take away from it鈥攊s up to you.

We鈥檝e picked three routes on major highways that cross the country (for a Southwest specific guide, explore our seven best road trips of that region), but along the way, we鈥檝e provided suggestions for detours and byways that get you off the beaten path and out of your car to stretch your legs, experience local culture, and see the sights you鈥檒l be talking about all the way to your next stop. You鈥檒l pull over for things like meteor craters, giant art installations, and donuts. With visits to roadside national monuments, waterfalls, and hot springs鈥攁nd with stays at unique hotels, campsites, and cabins along the way, these road trips aren鈥檛 just a long drive, they鈥檙e an incredible adventure waiting to happen.

The Music Lover鈥檚 Journey: Boston, Massachusetts, to Seattle, Washington

Route: Interstate 90

Distance: 3,051 miles

This northern route across the U.S. follows Interstate 90 from east to west, passing by major cities like Cleveland, Chicago, and Minneapolis. But you鈥檒l also touch on some of the country鈥檚 coolest wild spaces, like the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Inspire your road trip playlist by checking out the outdoor music venues and festivals throughout this route.

Pitstop: The Berkshires, Massachusetts

Hop on Interstate 90 in Boston and point it west. Your first stop is the Berkshires, a mountainous region filled with charming small towns 120 miles west of Boston. Go for a hike in , then pick up a tangleberry pie or farm-fresh apples from market in Great Barrington. In Stockbridge, the is worth a stop to learn more about American painter Norman Rockwell, who lived in the area, or check the performance calendar at , home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for major touring acts in this pastoral outdoor music venue. It鈥檚 worth the 30-mile detour off the highway to North Adams to post up for a night or two at (from $194), a revamped motor lodge that hosts guided hikes, live music, and pop-up dinners.

Must See: Niagara Falls, New York

Peel off the highway in Buffalo, New York, for a visit to , America鈥檚 oldest state park and home to its three namesake waterfalls. Grab a yellow poncho and a ticket ($14) to view the falls from below at the observation decks.

Pitstop: Saint Charles, Iowa

Take a detour to visit Saint Charles, Iowa, home to the four-day held each August on a 350-acre plot of grassland. This year鈥檚 headliners include Tyler, the Creator, Kacey Musgraves, and Lana Del Ray. You can camp on site during the festival and hop a free shuttle into nearby Des Moines. If you can鈥檛 make the show, Des Moines still delivers, with 800 miles of trails to explore on foot or bike, including the paved 25-mile , a converted rail-trail with an iconic bridge that鈥檚 lit up at night over the Des Moines River valley. rents bikes.

Pitstop: Black Hills, South Dakota

There鈥檚 tons to see in the Black Hills of South Dakota, including famous highlights like and , as well as lesser known gems like the third longest caves in the world at or the annual buffalo roundup each September in . Grab donuts for the road from , a famed roadside attraction. Stay in a canvas tent among ponderosa pines at (from $179), outside the town of Keystone.

Stretch Your Legs: Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming

It鈥檚 not far off I-90 to reach , a geologic monolith with deep roots to indigenous cultures in the northern plains and the country鈥檚 first national monument. Parking and trails can be crowded here, so skip the main lot and hike the 1.5-mile instead鈥攊t鈥檚 less busy and still has good views of the tower.

Pitstop: Bozeman, Montana

Post up at the (from $189) in downtown Bozeman, which has on the property. Stroll Main Street, then take a walk up through Burke Park, a few blocks away, for a nice view of town. It鈥檚 about an hour and 20 minutes drive to reach the north entrance to , known for its geysers and 2.2 million acres of wilderness. If you鈥檙e on the road for music, the in nearby Big Sky takes place in early August.

Pitstop: Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho

Home to Lake Coeur d鈥橝lene as well as dozens of smaller lakes, you鈥檒l want to stop in Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho, for a swim or a paddle. rents kayaks and paddleboards. on the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille has cabins and campsites (from $48), a , and access to 45 miles of trails for biking and hiking.

Must See: The Gorge Amphitheater, Washington听

Music听breaks up the drive, and there鈥檚 no better place to see live music outdoors in this part of the country than the in Quincy, Washington. There鈥檚 on-site camping during shows and an upcoming lineup that includes Billy Strings and Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Stretch Your Legs: Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

Hike to stunning alpine lakes on Snoqualmie Pass, just an hour outside of Seattle on I-90. You鈥檒l need a $5 to access most of the hikes in this area. The 2-mile follows the Snoqualmie River to a 70-foot waterfall. For a more stout climb, the 8.5-mile roundtrip hike to in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a real gem.

Final Stop: Seattle, Washington

Celebrate the end of an epic journey by watching the sunset over the Olympic Mountains and dipping your toes into Puget Sound from Seattle鈥檚 . Stay in the heart of downtown at the (from $189) and you can browse fresh produce and maker鈥檚 stalls outside your door. The 10-mile paved sits right along the waterfront. Want more live music to cap off your trip? The is downtown Seattle鈥檚 coolest music venue.

The Best National Parks Road Trip: San Francisco, California, to Washington, D.C.

Route: Interstate 80 and Interstate 70

Distance: 2,915 miles

Travel across the heartland of the U.S. on this iconic route along I-80 and I-70, passing through stunning western mountain ranges like California鈥檚 Sierra Nevada, Nevada鈥檚 Ruby Mountains, Utah鈥檚 Wasatch, and Colorado鈥檚 Rockies. You鈥檒l visit the great national parks across southern Utah听and hit cities like Denver, Colorado; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, and Columbus, Ohio, before landing in the country鈥檚 capital.

Pitstop: Lake Tahoe, California

Depart San Francisco on Interstate 80 heading east, leaving the shores of the Pacific Ocean to begin a steady climb toward the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range.听, in the roadside town of Auburn, has good burgers and homemade pies for the road. Lake Tahoe is your first stop, a short but worthy departure from the highway. Stay at the new听 (from $138), which opens in March, and you鈥檒l be steps from the lake. Rent bikes at听 to pedal the world-class singletrack along the听 or grab a paddleboard from听. Don鈥檛 miss dinner at the newly opened, featuring eclectic dishes and locally-sourced ingredients.

Pitstop: Ruby Mountains, Nevada

听There鈥檚 not much on Interstate 80 as you cross Nevada between Reno and Salt Lake City鈥攅xcept for the Ruby Mountains, which spike straight up from the desert floor of the Great Basin. In the winter,听 offers heli-ski access to 200,000 acres of rugged terrain. In the summer, there鈥檚听. Stay at Ruby Mountain Heli鈥檚听 or one of their two mountainside yurts (from $190).

Must See: Great Basin National Park, Nevada

For a national park detour, consider visiting听, which has one of the darkest skies in the world for stargazing. Near the entrance to the park, the听 make for a great overnight stop and snack resupply station.

Pitstop: Moab, Utah

In Salt Lake City, you鈥檒l say goodbye to Interstate 80 and head south to meet up with Interstate 70, but not before spending time to explore the Mighty Five national parks that made southern Utah famous: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. You could spend weeks here鈥攐r just a couple of days. Be sure to book a self-guided or ranger-led hike in the slot canyons of the in Arches National Park and get a permit to hike the exposed rocky cliffside of in Zion National Park. (from $129) makes for a great base camp, or there鈥檚 .

Stretch Your Legs: Glenwood Canyon, Colorado

Get back on I-70 and make your way into Colorado, where scenic Glenwood Canyon makes for a stunning drive along the Colorado River. The paved parallels the highway for over 16 miles, making for an easy biking or running destination. Afterward, stay for a soak in the . A new 16-suite boutique hotel called Hotel 1888 is opening near the hot springs this summer.

Pitstop: Breckenridge, Colorado

Spend the night at (from $320), which opened in early 2025 at the base of Peak 9 at, home to skiing and snowboarding in the winter and biking and hiking come summer. Stroll the charming Main Street of downtown Breck and don鈥檛 miss a visit to the , a 15-foot-tall wooden art installation now located on the town鈥檚 Trollstigen Trail.

Must See: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

It鈥檚 not exactly on the way, but this adventure clearly detours for national parks, so make the trek north to Rocky Mountain National Park, a quiet, snowy paradise in the winter and a fishing and backpacking mecca in the warmer months. The short hikes to and Cub Lake are popular among families. For experienced mountain travelers, Longs Peak is the park鈥檚 most famous 14er鈥擟olorado Mountain School leads guided treks to the peak. Stay overnight in Denver before you head into the plains: (from $189), the country鈥檚 first carbon positive hotel, opened in Denver鈥檚 Civic Center Park late last year.

Stretch Your Legs: Monument Rocks, Kansas

There鈥檚 a on an 80-foot easel鈥攐ne of three in the world鈥攙isible from the highway in the town of Goodland, Kansas. Then, pull over for 50-foot-high fossil rock outcroppings and limestone spires on the Kansas prairie at , which is on private land that鈥檚 open to the public south of Oakley, Kansas, right off I-70. 国产吃瓜黑料 of Topeka, you can visit the , a former school site that commemorates the historic end of racial segregation in public schools.

Pitstop: St. Louis, Missouri

Next stop on your national park tour? The of St. Louis. You can ride a tram 630 feet to the top of the arch, walk the palatial grounds beneath the architectural wonder, or admire the arch from a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi River. The (from $149) is housed in a historic shoe company building and has a rooftop pool and restaurant overlooking the city. is a public market with a food hall, retail shops, and live music, and don鈥檛 miss brunch amid a plant nursery at the city鈥檚 .

Pitstop: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio听

Ohio has but one national park and it鈥檚 worth the detour to visit: has paddling along the Cuyahoga River, 20 miles of multi-use pathways along the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and 125 miles of hiking trails through woodlands and wetlands. There鈥檚 no camping within the national park but has tent camping (from $40) nearby or the (from $200) is within the park and on the National Register of Historic Homes.

Final Stop: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland

End your national parks tour of the U.S. with a visit to the . The C&O Canal follows the Potomac River for 184 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. It makes for a great walk or bike ride. Pitch a tent at one of the free hiker or biker campsites or pull your car up to one of a handful of drive-in sites (from $10). Or you can stay in a (from $175) along the canal.

The History Buff鈥檚 Tour of the U.S.: Los Angeles, California, to Charlottesville, Virginia

Route: Interstate 40

Distance: 2,696 miles

This pilgrimage sticks to one highway only for most of the way: Interstate 40, which starts in the Mojave Desert of California and crosses the southern portion of the U.S., over the Rocky Mountains and through the Great Plains and the Appalachian Mountains. It traverses Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Much of the western route parallels the historic U.S. Route 66, so it feels like a throwback to another era, a perfect journey for those who love learning about our nation鈥檚 past.

Pitstop: Mojave National Preserve, California

听You can watch a drive-in movie, visit a ghost town, or hike through lava tubes in . You can鈥檛 miss a visit to , an hour away, for stellar stargazing, rock climbing, and 300 miles of hiking trails. Stay in an adobe bungalow at the centrally located (from $195), which has an on-site farm, restaurant, and picnic lunches to go.

Stretch Your Legs: Lake Havasu, Arizona

will deliver you a kayak or paddleboard to explore the waters of the , once a major tributary on the lower Colorado River and one of the last ecologically functioning river habitats in the southwest.

Pitstop: Flagstaff, Arizona

Post up at the (from $109) in Flagstaff, Arizona, and then go explore the sights around Flagstaff, including , an hour and a half north. The 3-mile , along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, makes for a mellow stroll. The on Route 66 in Flagstaff used to be a historic taxidermy shop and is now a popular bar for country music and line dancing.

Must See: Meteor Crater National Landmark

Yep, you鈥檙e pulling off the highway to see this: The most preserved meteorite impact site on earth is right off I-40 near Winslow, Arizona. For a $29 admission at the , you can sign up for a guided hike of the crater鈥檚 rim.

Stretch Your Legs: Continental Divide Trail; Grants, New Mexico

听You鈥檙e passing from one side of the Continental Divide to the other: Might as well get out of the car and go for a trail run or hike along the Continental Divide Trail, which crosses Interstate 40 near the town of Grants, New Mexico.

Pitstop: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Take a detour off I-40 in Albuquerque to spend a night or two in Santa Fe, the highest elevation capital city in the U.S., which sits at 7,000 feet in the high desert. Splurge on a night at (from $645), a full-service retreat in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos. For art and history buffs, the and the are well worth a visit.

Must See: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

You鈥檝e already seen the actual Grand Canyon, so now it鈥檚 time to see the Grand Canyon of Texas, in , 25 miles outside of Amarillo. The park has camping and cabins, an 800-foot-deep canyon, mountain bike trails, and an outdoor stage where actors perform a Texas musical.

Pitstop: Hot Springs, Arkansas

You鈥檒l come to Hot Springs for the historic bathhouses and modern-day spa resorts. At , you can soak in one of two original bathhouses. Want to learn about some of the country鈥檚 most infamous criminals? , in downtown Hot Springs, has exhibits on Al Capone and Owen Madden. The (from $169) is housed in a centrally located historic building. Don鈥檛 miss: is the only brewery in the world that uses thermal spring water for its beers.

Must See: Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas

If you鈥檙e into geologic history, add a visit to Arkansas鈥� , where you can dig for minerals and gems in a 37-acre field on an eroded volcanic crater. (And yes, notable diamonds have been discovered here.)

Pitstop: Nashville, Tennessee

From the music scene to the foodie paradise, you might never want to leave Nashville. Stay in one of eight suites in a 19th century mansion at (from $306), where wood-fired pizzas are served in the backyard. The currently has exhibits on Luke Combs and Rosanne Cash. Go for a walk or run in or take a guided bike tour of the city鈥檚 murals and street art with .

Pitstop: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, you can hike to waterfalls like Mouse Creek Falls or Mingo Falls, fish for brook trout, or bike the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road, which is closed to cars on Wednesdays from May through September. The coolest place in the park to sleep? The (from $189), located atop Mount Le Conte and accessible only via foot. Open from March through November, the lodge requires at least a five-mile hike to reach. Bookings for this year are mostly snatched up already, but you can get on the waitlist or plan ahead for next year.

Final Stop: Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Your trip finale comes in the form of ditching Interstate 40 in exchange for a meandering drive along the , a 469-mile stretch through the Appalachian Mountains and one of the most scenic roadways in America. You鈥檒l stop to see Whitewater Falls, the east coast鈥檚 tallest waterfall at 411 feet, and the rugged Linville Gorge Wilderness. Stay nearby at (from $175), which opened in the mountain town of Highlands in 2024 with a supper club and Nordic spa. They鈥檒l also book you outdoor excursions, ranging from rock climbing to fly fishing.

Megan Michelson is an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing editor who loves long drives, even when her two children are whining in the backseat. She has recently written about Airbnb treehouses, the most beautiful long walks in the world, and the 10 vacations that will help you live longer.听

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