Utah

Zion National Park

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Zion National Park

Utah

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1909 National Monument, 1919 National Park

146,598 acres

Website: nps.gov/zion

Overview

Zion National Park protects an outstanding canyon where steep sandstone walls up to 3,000 feet high appear to glow at sunrise and sunset.  Views are great from the road along the North Fork of the Virgin River, but to really get a sense of scale here you have to hike uphill on one of many trails.  Check out a new film on the park here: https://zionpark.org/wethekeepers/

Learn more in our guidebook to the National Parks, A Park to Yourself: Finding Adventure in America’s National Parks (available on Amazon).

Highlights

Kolob Canyons, The Narrows, Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Observation Point, The Subway, Angels Landing, Canyon Overlook Trail

Must-Do Activity

Kolob Canyons is in the northern section of the park located just off Interstate 15, where a short drive leaves the road noise behind and opens up a world of red rock beauty.  There are no campgrounds in this area of the park, so we picked up a backpacking permit at the visitor center to spend the night near Timber Creek.  The flowing water meant croaking frogs and toads provided a chorus throughout the night.  This site provided a good jumping off point for the La Verkin Creek Trail which travels 7.5 miles one-way to Kolob Arch.  At 310 feet across, this arch is one of the biggest in the world, but you cannot get nearly as close to it as you can to those at Arches National Park.  Hiking anywhere in Kolob Canyons is much less busy than other parts of Zion National Park, but the trails can be snow covered in the winter (when the access road sometimes closes).

Best Trail

The Narrows, Angels Landing, and The Subway are hiking destinations known around the world, and their popularity means they each require a reservation.  Wading upriver through the frigid water of the Narrows, where the canyon pinches to only 18 feet wide in places, is an essential experience open to all visitors for the first five miles to Big Spring.  The busy 5.4-mile out-and-back trail to Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart as it follows a knife-edge route with chains mounted in places.  But it is worth the effort, even if you just make it to the saddle at the end of Walter’s Wiggles, perhaps the world’s most famous trail switchbacks.

Instagram-worthy Photo

We watched a huge California condor flying over Zion Canyon from Observation Point, a popular eight-mile out-and-back hike that leaves from the same trailhead as Weeping Rock.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$35 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The main roads into Kolob Canyons and Zion Canyon are paved, but a free shuttle bus is required to enter the dead end Zion Canyon Scenic Drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from March to November (click here for more shuttle information).  There is an extra fee for large RVs to use the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, since they require a pilot car and the road must be shut down to one-way traffic only.

Camping

There is not a campground in Kolob Canyons, but in Zion Canyon you can wake up to an awesome morning view in sprawling Watchman or South Campgrounds.  Lava Point Campground is located down the long, unpaved Kolob Terrace Road and is closed in the winter.  Dispersed camping is allowed by the Bureau of Land Management outside park boundaries, but it can be hard to find an open spot.

Related Sites

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Tiff wading The Narrows
Bighorn sheep
Looking out from underneath the Weeping Wall
Tiff at Observation Point
Yearling mule deer
Sunrise
Scott on the trail to Hidden Canyon (note the chains on the wall to grab on to)
Tiff having to balance on a tree to get up the trail
An arch
Kolob Canyons
Kolob Canyons
Scott in Kolob Canyons
Talkin’ turkey about the parks

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

This design we created to celebrate Zion National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.
Cafe Press

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Oregon

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

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Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service

Established 1990

54,822 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159

Overview

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was carved from Deschutes National Forest by presidential proclamation in 1990 and here you must purchase a recreation pass to visit.  The main area of development is around Paulina Lake, but short roads off Highway 97 also lead to Lava River Cave and the top of Lava Butte.  Lava River Cave, at 5,211 feet in length, is Oregon’s longest lava tube and one of more than 250 known caves found throughout Deschutes National Forest.  A one-mile interpretive trail enters the Lava Cast Forest, where 6,000 years ago the forms of trees were preserved in lava before burning up.

Highlights

Paulina Lake, East Lake, Paulina Falls, Lava Cast Forest, Paulina Peak, Lava River Cave, Lava Butte, Big Obsidian Flow Trail, Crater Rim Trail, Peter Skene Ogden Trail

Must-Do Activity

Newberry National Volcanic Monument has everything you would expect from a volcanic area: lava tubes, cinder cones, cast trees, and basalt flows.  There are also some things you might not guess, like an 80-foot tall waterfall, two big lakes for boating, forested campgrounds, and two lakeside resorts.  We have seen photos of people soaking in a hot springs on the shore of chilly Paulina Lake, but we are not sure exactly where those are located.

Best Trail

There are a variety of hiking trails in the area, like the 21-mile Crater Rim Trail that circles Newberry Caldera or the one-mile Big Obsidian Flow Trail.  These both offer outstanding views of Paulina Lake or you can drive to the top of 7,984-foot-tall Paulina Peak.  Sharp chunks of obsidian (volcanic glass) mean that you should wear good shoes (not sandals) on the Big Obsidian Flow Trail.  

Instagram-worthy Photo

Lovely Paulina Falls is split into two separate waterfalls off the cliff face on the caldera’s western edge.  The overlook is accessible by a short hike and user trails lead steeply to its base.

Peak Season

Late summer

Fees

$5 daily recreation pass or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The roads we drove to access Paulina and East Lakes were paved, but there are many other unpaved Forest Service roads in the National Monument.

Camping

One of numerous campgrounds, Little Crater Campground is situated on Paulina Lake, plus there are two lakeside resorts.

Related Sites

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Idaho)

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (Arizona)

Paulina Lake
Obsidian
Remember to stop at the entry booth
Paulina Falls in winter
Scott below Paulina Falls
Tiff dipping her toes
Sunrise

Explore More – What is the name of the popular museum of wildlife and living history located just north of Newberry National Volcanic Monument on Highway 97?

Oregon

Deschutes National Forest

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Deschutes National Forest

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region

1,853,929 acres (1,596,900 federal/ 257,029 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes

Overview

Bend, Oregon is the gateway to Deschutes National Forest, with the beautiful Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway located west of town.  To the south, Newberry National Volcanic Monument is also managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which we will cover in our next blog post.  The Deschutes River was named La Rivière aux Chutes by French trappers because Celilo Falls was located near its confluence with the Columbia River.  Deschutes National Forest contains five Wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, Metolius Conservation Area, and part of Oregon Cascade Recreation Area (mostly in Umpqua National Forest).

Highlights

Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, Devils Lake, Mt. Bachelor, Sparks Lake, Broken Top, Three Sisters, McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway, Skeleton Cave, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The 66-mile-long (89-mile loop) Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway curves around the mountains west of Bend past numerous lakes reflecting multiple snow-capped peaks—a real photographers’ paradise.  To spend the golden hours up here, consider staying at campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake with excellent views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak.  Like Mt. Hood to the north, 9,065-foot Mt. Bachelor is known for its ski resort.  A summer trip up Pine Marten Express Lift offers unsurpassed panoramas of the Cascades and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Best Trail

Sisters Mirror Lake is four miles and 650 feet up from a trailhead on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and is located on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.  Just as a warning, this entire trail was thick with aggressive mosquitoes on our hike in mid-July.

Watchable Wildlife

Elk, pronghorn, and mule deer are large ungulates found in Deschutes National Forest.  Carnivorous mammals include black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats.  Large birds frequently seen are bald eagles, Canada geese, mallards, and whistling swans, and the northern spotted owl is a species of concern.  There are many lakes found throughout the National Forest that support a variety of gamefish, including bull trout (a threatened species).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Sparks Lake is a great place to watch the sun set behind the Cascades.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

There is a day use fee for Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Road Conditions

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is paved, as are the main roads into Newberry National Volcanic Monument, but there are many miles of logging roads to explore, too.

Camping

Campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake provide views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak.  Walk-in campsites on crystal clear Devils Lake offer a bit more secluded experience.

Wilderness Areas

Diamond Peak Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Mt. Jefferson Wilderness (also in Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests)

Mt. Thielsen Wilderness (also in Umpqua and Winema National Forests)

Mt. Washington Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Three Sisters Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Related Sites

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Crooked River National Grassland (Oregon)

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Crater Lake

Ski runs on Mt. Bachelor
Watching the sun set over Sparks Lake
Mt. Bachelor at sunset
Scott with a new beard
Devils Lake on Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
Sisters Mirror Lake
Devils Lake on Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
Scott at Sparks Lake
Paulina Falls

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western white pine, sugar pine, western juniper, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, white fir, subalpine fir

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, Bebb willow

Explore More – The namesake of the Deschutes River (Celilo Falls) is now underwater behind what dam on the Columbia River?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Mississippi

Delta National Forest

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Delta National Forest

Mississippi

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southern Region

118,150 acres (60,898 federal/ 57,252 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mississippi

Overview

In western Mississippi, the U.S. Forest Service manages the entirety of Delta National Forest as Sunflower Wildlife Management Area through a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of Mississippi.  The Big and Little Sunflower Rivers run through these bottomland hardwood forests west of the Yazoo River, flooding the landscape throughout the summer.  This is the only National Forest preserving bottomland hardwood forests, which have primarily been converted to agriculture due to their rich soil.  It was in Delta National Forest that the idea for the Teddy Bear was born in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tethered black bear while hunting. 

Highlights

Blue Lake Recreation Area, Kay Cypress Tree, Lost Lake, Howlett Bayou, Green Ash-Overcup Oak-Sweetgum Research Natural Areas, Rock Bottom Trail

Must-Do Activity

This National Forest is unique because it is flooded throughout the summer, so it is primarily used from September through March.  All vehicles must display a free Daily Visitor Use Permit and all ATV, horse, and bike riders must carry a pass (fee) on the multi-use trails.  The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (or simply “the Delta”) is a distinct section of western Mississippi renowned for its blues musicians. Throughout this area, there are blues clubs and museums dedicated to preserving the memories of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bessie Smith, and others.

Best Trail

Delta National Forest has two main developed areas at Blue Lake and the Little Sunflower River, with Blue Lake Nature Trail and Rock Bottom Trail found at these sites respectively.  Both were flooded during our April visit, so in lieu of hiking, we opted to launch our inflatable kayak and paddle around Blue Lake to get up close to some huge baldcypress trees. 

Watchable Wildlife

Declared National Natural Landmarks in 1976, the Green Ash-Overcup Oak-Sweetgum Research Natural Areas are rare examples of pristine bottomland hardwood forests.  To improve wintering waterfowl conditions, three of the five greentree reservoirs are pumped and over 100 acres are planted as wildlife food plots.  Established in 1978, the neighboring Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is one of seven refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex.  The forest’s white-tailed deer herd is in very good condition, as are the numbers of wild turkeys, fox squirrels, swamp rabbits, river otters, raccoons, and American alligators.  The forest is known for its 32 different species of butterflies that congregate in July, with an average population of 21,000.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Across from Blue Lake on unpaved Fire Tower Road, be sure to stop at the Kay Cypress Tree, which is more than ten feet in diameter.

Peak Season

Winter

Fees

All vehicles in Sunflower Wildlife Management Area must display a free Daily Visitor Use Permit and all ATV, horse, and bike riders must carry a pass (fee) on the multi-use trails. 

Road Conditions

Fire Tower Road is unpaved, but was flat and above floodwater levels during our April visit, as was the road atop the dike along the Little Sunflower River.

Camping

Camping is only allowed at 57 primitive sites with a permit obtainable online ($7 per night fee). 

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Bienville National Forest (Mississippi)

De Soto National Forest (Mississippi)

Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi)

Nearest National Park

Hot Springs

Scott’s mother on Blue Lake
Blue Lake
Blue Lake
A flooded Blue Lake Nature Trail
White egret on Fire Tower Road
Designated campsite flooded in summer
Designated campsite
Little Sunflower River
Rock Bottom Trail flooded in summer
Blue Lake nesting box

Conifer Tree Species

baldcypress

Flowering Tree Species

Nuttall’s oak, overcup oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, water oak, bur oak, swamp chestnut oak, water hickory, sweetgum, boxelder, swamp red maple, American elm, green ash, sugarberry, September elm, honeylocust, pecan, black gum, red mulberry, persimmon, deciduous holly, swamp dogwood

Explore More – What was the name of the legendary hunting guide and woodsman who found and tied up the black bear that Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot in 1902?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Montana

Deerlodge National Forest

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Deerlodge National Forest       

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

1,369,894 acres (1,227,155 federal/ 142,739 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/bdnf

Overview

President Theodore Roosevelt originally created the Big Hole Forest Reserve in 1908 after the area around Butte, Montana was clearcut by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.  There are still many remnants of historical mining found throughout Deerlodge National Forest.  In 1996, it became part of Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, the largest of the many National Forests in Montana.  The smaller and more northerly Deerlodge section includes portions of the Boulder Mountains, Highland Mountains, Flint Creek Range, John Long Mountains, and Elkhorn Mountains, as well as part of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.

Highlights

Pintler Scenic Loop, Skalkaho Pass, Elkhorn ghost town, Boulder River, Sheepshead Recreation Area, Delmoe Lake, Pipestone Rock, Maud South Canyon Loop Trail, Lost Cabin National Recreation Trail

Must-Do Activity

Butte, Montana is surrounded by mountains that are part of Deerlodge National Forest and many dirt roads explore this area.  One road leads to Delmoe Lake, six miles east of Butte and located near Pipestone Rock, once a source of stone for making various implements.  Ghost towns accessible by road include the mining settlements of Elkhorn and Highland City.  The Deer Lodge Mound is a 40-foot-tall geothermal formation that resembles a medicine lodge with steam emitting from its top.  Historically, the mineral-laden water attracted large herds of deer.  It is currently on the grounds of the Warm Springs State Hospital and is visible from Interstate 90.

Best Trail

Although the official trailhead for Haystack Mountain National Recreation Trail is 1.2 miles uphill from Interstate 15, we had to park along the frontage road because access required a high-clearance vehicle.  This added about 700 feet of elevation gain to the 2,000 feet from the trailhead and made the total hike eight miles out-and-back.  There is not much shade along the route that ends in a mountaintop boulder field with stunning panoramic views and the remnants of a fire lookout tower.

Watchable Wildlife

Due to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, Deerlodge National Forest still has most of its pre-settlement carnivores: grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, Canadian lynx, coyotes, and gray wolves.  Grazing ungulate species include moose, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and pronghorns.  Bald eagles and ospreys are common around bodies of water.  Mountain whitefish, golden trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, lake trout, arctic grayling, and burbot are some of the gamefish sought by fishermen.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The boulder field at the end of Haystack Mountain National Recreation Trail provides 360° views (even on a smoky day), which is why it once housed a fire lookout tower.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

There are many rough roads in Deerlodge National Forest, including the one to the official trailhead for Haystack Mountain National Recreation Trail, 1.2 miles uphill from an Interstate 15 frontage road. 

Camping

There are campgrounds throughout the National Forest, including several along the Boulder River and one on the southern side of Toll Mountain.

Wilderness Areas

Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness (also in Beaverhead and Bitterroot National Forests)

Related Sites

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (Montana)

Beaverhead National Forest (Montana)

Bitterroot National Forest (Montana-Idaho)

Nearest National Park

Yellowstone

Red-shouldered hawk
Scott on the Haystack Mountain National Recreation Trail

Conifer Tree Species

lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, subalpine larch

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, Bebb willow, sagebrush

Explore More – The Anaconda Copper Mine is one of the largest open pit mines in the world, but what originally brought miners to this region in the 1800s?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.