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2023 has ended and we've welcomed in 2024! And so the time has come to relay to you my top trails of the year. Another busy year meant not as many new trails to review. But there were still a few top trails that I'd easily recommend: 3. Waterfall Trail via Walker Ranch Trailhead A short but challenging trail. Done at the right time of year and you'll get a good amount of water flowing and some very nice waterfalls to see. Being a bit farther out from Los Angeles, it was not a

Trailhead: Switzer Falls Trailhead, 701 Angeles Crest Hwy, Tujunga, CA 91042 Parking: Parking lots down by the trailhead, halfway down the road, and up at the turnoff on Angeles Crest Highway. An Adventure Pass is required to park. Distance: About 4 miles out & back Difficulty: Moderate Switzer Falls is a popular waterfall hike in the Angeles National Forest. It's a fun trail that has a couple of different environments as you go along. The first thing to note though is the pa

Locations: The Everglades: Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, 40001 State Hwy 9336, Homestead, FL 33034 Biscayne: Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9700 SW 328th St, Homestead, FL 33033 Entry Fees: The Everglades has a $30 per vehicle entry fee. Biscayne has no entry fee unless camping overnight. More information about the Everglades park fees HERE and the Biscayne park fees HERE. Parking: There are free parking lots at visitor centers and within the parks. Biscayne and The Everglades

As we head into Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season, now is a time to reflect on what matters to us most. If you are reading this, there is a chance you care about nature and the environment. Now, not everyone is in a position to donate money this time of year, but for those who can and want to help the people who are protecting our beautiful planet and educating the next generation, here is a list of some organizations you can donate to: 1. The National Parks Fo

Trailhead: Rose River Falls Loop Trail Parking, Skyline Drive, Virginia 22851 Parking: There is free parking across the street from the trailhead. Shenandoah National Park does require a park pass. The Shenandoah park pass is $30 and more information can be found HERE. Distance: 4.0 miles loop Difficulty: Moderate Want to see two different waterfalls on the same hike (actually, there are a lot more than two)? Then the Rose River Falls and Dark Hollow Falls path is for you! On

Trailhead: Story of the Forest Trail, Stanley, VA 22851 Parking: There is a free parking lot for the Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center at the trailhead. Shenandoah National Park does require a park pass. The Shenandoah park pass is $30 and more information can be found HERE. Distance: 1.6 miles out & back Difficulty: Easy Looking for a nice leisurely trail in Shenandoah National Park? Then Story of the Forest is a good pick for you. The trail is a fairly flat, fairly short pat

Trailhead: Old Rag Parking, 2577 Nethers Rd, Etlan, VA 22719 Parking: There is a free parking lot at the trailhead. The trail does require a park pass as well as a day-use pass. The Shenandoah park pass is $30 and more information can be found HERE. The Old Rag day-use pass is $1/person and can be purchased HERE. Distance: 9.4 miles loop Difficulty: Strenuous/Extreme This is, as of today, the hardest hike I've ever done! The length, the elevation gain, and the intense rock sc

Trailhead: Wonder View Trailhead, Wonder View Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068 Parking: street parking along hillside road at trailhead. Distance: 3.0 miles out and back Difficulty: Challenging Sitting atop a peak on the western side of Griffith Park is the Wisdom Tree, a singular tree that survived the 2007 Hollywood Hills fire. And not too far away to the east is the famous Hollywood Sign. If you want to see both landmarks in one hike, then the Wonder View Trail is for you! If you

Trailhead: Hollywood Reservoir North Gate, Los Angeles, CA 90068 Parking: street parking along hillside near gate Distance: 3.5 mile loop Difficulty: Easy Nestled to the south west of the Hollywood sign is Lake Hollywood, or the Hollywood Reservoir, a man-made lake created by the Mulholland Dam. The entire circumference of the body of water is lined with a paved walking path which adds up to a 3.5 mile loop. I started the loop at the North Gate which is off of Lake Hollywood

Protein Bars have always been my go-to trail snack because they are easy to pack and provide long lasting energy, which is important when hiking. Over the past few years, I always went with Clif Bars because of their variety of flavors and because they aren't messy (try eating melting chocolate on a hot day...) . But lately, I've started to wonder if I'm missing out on other protein bar options. Thus, the Great Protein Bar Taste Test of 2023 was born. So here's what we did. M

Trailhead: Walker Ranch Trailhead, 19798 Placerita Canyon Rd, Newhall, CA 91321 Parking: Small dirt turnout at trailhead and a second one near trailhead Distance: 1.5 miles out and back Difficulty: moderate to challenging Placerita Canyon in the Newhall/Santa Clarita area, is really a great place for hiking, especially if you want to get away from the crowded trails of Los Angeles. There are a number of trail options, including the Shadow Glen and Uncle Remi Trail Loop and Ea

Trailhead: Ascot Hills Park, 4371 Multnomah St, Los Angeles, CA 90032 Parking: Free parking in two lots in the park off Multnomah Street. Distance: 1.9 miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Ascot Hills is a 93 acre park in the middle of a residential area between the Lincoln Heights and El Sereno neighborhoods of Los Angeles. It's a little nature oasis in a big city. The main entrance is off of Multnomah Street, although there is an entrance at the northern end on Kewanee Street