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Walking Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Part 2

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on May 12, 2011 - 1:17am
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail in North Carolina travels the length of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Danny Bernstein, the author, walked the beach and reports on her experience. This is part two.

Walking Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Part 1

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on May 11, 2011 - 1:59am
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail in North Carolina travels the length of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Danny Bernstein, the author, walked the beach and reports on her experience. This is part one.

Easy Park Hikes -- The Cholla Cactus Garden In Joshua Tree National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 21, 2011 - 1:14am
While there are many long-distance hikes you can take in Joshua Tree National Park, sometimes the heat can just be too much. But even if it's the middle of the day, a stroll down the Cholla Cactus Garden path is well-worth your time to learn about these curious cacti.

Trails I've Hiked: Spruce Flat Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by William Britten on April 19, 2011 - 1:22am
Spruce Flat Falls is one of the hidden gems of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hike is about a mile each way, not too rugged, but with a bit of a climb. The trail passes through a thicket of Mountain Laurel, which will be in bloom the first week or two in May. It's also a wonderful spot for photography.

Summer Special: Five Favorite Summer Hikes At Acadia National Park

Submitted by Lynn Fantom on March 30, 2011 - 2:10am
Acadia National Park might look small compared to the expansive Western parks, but that doesn't mean you can find some great hiking in the park.

Off The Well-Trod Path: The Mayna Avent Cabin In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by William Britten on March 22, 2011 - 2:41am
While much is known and obvious to national park visitors, there are somethings that are not well-known and often remain secret unless you either stumble upon them or learn of them from a local. Such just might be the case with the Mayna Avent cabin in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hiking all the Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on February 27, 2011 - 2:35am
The Smokies 900M Club recognizes those who have hiked all the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But are there similar clubs for other parks?

Trails I've Hiked: The Smokemont Loop Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on January 27, 2011 - 2:16am
Hike the Smokemont Loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the winter. The hike offers streams, a cascade, and plenty of history.

A Year's Worth of Trails to Hike in the National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 30, 2010 - 2:58am
Hiking trails are one of the best ways to enjoy national parks. They lead you out into nature, get you some exercise, and quite often showcase some gorgeous vistas. Here's a look back at some of the great trails we've mentioned on the Traveler during the past 12 months.

Trails I've Hiked: Queen's Garden-Navajo Loop At Bryce Canyon National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 6, 2010 - 2:43am
If you visit Bryce Canyon National Park in winter, and there is snow on the ground and blue sky overhead, the one hike you must take is the Queen's Garden-Navajo Loop Trail.

Trails I've Hiked: The Bloody Angle at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 7, 2010 - 1:30am
From his cabin, Willis Landram had a front-row perch to one of the bloodiest days of the Civil War. Today, a trail leads you across the landscape now recalled as the "Bloody Angle" at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

Mennonite Women Backpacking and Bears Falling in Shenandoah National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 25, 2010 - 1:43am
Fall is a spectacular season to hike in Shenandoah National Park. Reds, golds, greens and browns are dappling the hillsides, deer are on the move, and, if your timing is excellent, bears are falling from the trees and Mennonite women are backpacking along the Appalachian Trail.

Easy Park Hikes – Big Thicket National Preserve

Submitted by Jim Burnett on October 18, 2010 - 1:09am
The Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas has been called the "Biological Crossroads of North America," and some easy hikes in the park offer plenty of interesting sights. Just watch your step—it's a place where carnivorous plants catch their own lunch

Trails I've Hiked: Deep Creek/Martins Gap/Indian Creek Loop In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on September 26, 2010 - 1:14am
This low-altitude hike in the Deep Creek section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be done any time of the year, but it shines in the fall when trees change color along the creek. The loop is also popular in winter once snow and ice close sections of the park that are much higher.

Fall Spectacular: Great Autumn Hikes in the National Parks

Submitted by Jim Burnett on September 10, 2010 - 12:43am
It's hard to beat autumn for prime hiking in parks from coast to coast. This season brings fine weather to most of the country and in many locations fall foliage is an added bonus. There are more hikes in national parks that we can take in a lifetime, so here are a few suggestions for some great ones all across the nation—including some alternatives to the most heavily-visited sites.

Easy Park Hikes – Boreal Forest Trail at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on August 26, 2010 - 12:22am
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska—the largest area in the National Park System—is primarily a park for a superlative backcountry experience, but if your only chance to sample this amazing area is a stop at the park's excellent visitor center, you should also allow time for an easy hike on the Boreal Forest Trail.

Easy Park Hikes - Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Submitted by Jim Burnett on August 10, 2010 - 12:01am
Small historical parks are often overlooked as possible locations for easy park hikes, and that's a shame, because many of them offer some fine opportunities. That's definitely the case at Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site in North Carolina, which includes both an easy hike or two plus just a little exercise on a nice network of trails.

Easy Park Hikes- The Window View Trail at Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on August 3, 2010 - 12:34am
Sometimes a short, easy hike is just what you need for a nice change of pace during a park visit. The Window View Trail at Big Bend National Park is a great leg-stretcher to begin or end your day, and it has a bonus—an outstanding view, especially at sunset.

Easy Park Hikes: Badlands National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 31, 2010 - 12:26am
Sometimes a short, easy hike is just what you need for a nice change of pace during a park visit. Here's a pair of suggestions for a visit to Badlands National Park that offer fine views of the classic scenery that gives the park its name.

Trails I've Hiked: Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 29, 2010 - 1:31am
Just getting out of your rig in the parking lot atop Logan Pass in Glacier National Park offers spectacular views, but with a little effort and perhaps two hours of time you'll be searching for a word to amplify "spectacular."

Easy Park Hikes – Lily Lake Trail at Rocky Mountain National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 25, 2010 - 12:04am
Sometimes a short, easy hike is just what you need for a nice change of pace during a park visit. Here's a suggestion for a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park—and an alternative to the justly-popular Bear Lake Trail.

Easy Park Hikes – Forest Loop Trail in Glacier Bay National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 22, 2010 - 12:43am
Sometimes a short, easy hike is just what you need for a nice change of pace during a park visit. Here's a suggestion for a trip to Glacier Bay National Park.

Trails I've Hiked: Anthony Creek Trail to Spence Field in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 8, 2010 - 1:44am
As with so many of the footpaths in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Anthony Creek Trail doesn’t hesitate much before pulling you up into that landscape.

Trails I've Hiked: Far Below And Long Ago—Basin Creek Trail to Caudill Cabin in Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Submitted by Randy Johnson on June 28, 2010 - 1:08am
Countless Blue Ridge Parkway motorists peek over Wildcat Rocks to see tiny Caudill Cabin 1,500 feet below in North Carolina’s Doughton Park. Take this hike to the cabin and explore a quintessential setting of Appalachian isolation.

Trails I've Hiked: The Windows Section of Arches National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 22, 2010 - 1:28am
You don't need to be a long-distance hiker to tackle what arguably is not just the shortest but also the most impressive hike at Arches National Park. A comfortable pair of shoes, a bottle of water, and perhaps 90 minutes of your time will be enough to explore the Windows Section of the park.

Trails I've Hiked: Arches National Park's Primitive Trail, Via Landscape and Double O Arches

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 4, 2010 - 1:37am
There might be no finer time to hike in Arches National Park than early mornings, when the soft light of the rising sun glints off the red-rock and the spindly Utah junipers and waves of fins cast long shadows.

Trails I've Hiked: Canyonlands National Park's Elephant Hill Trail

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 20, 2010 - 1:35am
Without a doubt, there is no better time to hike in Utah's canyon country than spring. In Canyonlands National Park on the Elephant Hill Trail mid-May blends on one palette the reds, yellows, golds, and whites of wildflowers against a redrock backdrop daubed with cream and buff.

Trails I've Hiked: Acadia National Park's South Ridge of Cadillac Mountain

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 13, 2010 - 1:45am
Any visit to Acadia National Park should involve a walk in the woods. Whether you're just looking for a short lake-side stroll or a more demanding trek up the Precipice Trail, there are options for most visitors. Perhaps my favorite hike in the park is the 7.4-mile-long roundtrip up the South Ridge of Cadillac Mountain.

Trails I've Hiked: Douglas Spring to Bridal Wreath Falls, Saguaro National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 23, 2010 - 1:44am
For a quick, relatively easy, immersion into Saguaro National Park, the Douglas Spring Trail in the Cactus Forest of the park's Rincon Mountain District is hard to beat.

Hikes Abound in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Both Short and Long

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on February 18, 2010 - 3:53am
If national parks have their specialties, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker’s park. The scenery is diverse: mountain views, old-growth trees, waterfalls, streams, and more shades of green than a paint chart. Trails are well-marked, wide, and easy to follow. Comfortable backcountry campsites and spacious front-country campgrounds make the park an excellent first-time, family camping destination.