The Cottonwood Canyon & Marble Canyon loop is one of the few backpacking trails in Death Valley that is actually a "trail". The majority of the other opportunities for backpacking are essentially "you're free to wander around and camp in this area" and then leave it to hiker to decide where to go, where as this loop has a...

Hiking Mosaic Canyon is one of the best ways to introduce you to the unique beauty of Death Valley. It has a diverse range of geological formations that wind you through a twisting slot canyon unlike many other hiking areas in the valley. While the first portion of the hike does get very crowded by tourists, I highly recommending...

Overnight backpacking permits for the Zion Narrows are like gold - they are incredibly hard to get and go very quickly once they become available. Day hiking permits are much easier and far less competitive. You do not need a permit if you are day hiking from the Bottom, up. Anyone at any time can wander into the bottom portion...

There are SO many amazing places to visit in Death Valley it's really hard just pick 5, so we didn't, we picked 6! Death Valley has widely varying landscapes depending on what area of the park you're visiting, so it really depends on if you want to see desert or mountains, or even spring (yes there's water in Death...

There are so many beautiful things to see in Yosemite, it's hard to narrow it down, especially if you only have a few days and want to maximize your time. One of the great things about Yosemite is that if you're staying in the park in a campground or lodge, you will by default see a lot of the...

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is a delightful roadside attraction on old Route 66 in southern California. It's wonderfully weird and very much worth a stop if you're traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas! This is one of those places that use to get a lot more traffic, but has been forgotten now that Route 66 is no longer the...

If you've every driven between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, you've probably driven past the exit for Zzyzx Road on Route 15 and had a laugh at the ridiculous name that you're not even sure how to pronounce. (It's pronounced Z-eye-zicks by the way) More than likely, you didn't stop to check out what's at the end of this...

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in Coyote Buttes North (not to be confused with South) in Arizona. Marked by its bright red and white "wave" or ribbon formations, it's become a wildly popular hiking destination due to the breathtaking photos visitors have shared of their visit on social media. In order to protect the area, the...

If I'm going to be honest, you can just skip this hike. It's not very enjoyable and the payoff just isn't there and there are lots of other better hikes in Death Valley in my opinion. Overview: Distance: 1 mi (but feels like more) Type: Out & Back Time: 1-2hrs Elevation at trailhead:  400 feet ...

Yosemite is full of hiking trails that go on for miles and miles, which almost makes it like a choose your own adventure hiking destination - it's hard to choose the best day hike when there are so many options! When I first started day hiking in Yosemite, I was very confused about the way the trails are laid...