Tag Archives: hiking

Missouri

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park

June 24, 2026 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park

Missouri

Managed by National Park Service

Established 2020

13 acres

Website: nps.gov/stge

Overview

This park was established to protect the French colonial-era houses of Missouri’s first permanent settlement where residents still go all out to celebrate Bastille Day. Originally colonized by Canadians in the 1750s, the original site of Ste. Genevieve was abandoned and moved three miles away after Mississippi River flooding in 1785. The oldest standing structure today is the Green Tree Tavern that dates back to 1790 based on dendrochronology. The Bolduc House (built in 1792) was restored in 1957 and is managed by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, while the Old Brick House from 1804 is now a restaurant.

Highlights

Jean Baptiste Vallé House and Gardens, film, Bauvais-Amoureux House, Green Tree Tavern, Levee Trail

Must-Do Activity

Start at the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center at 66 South Main Street to watch the film and pick up a Junior Ranger booklet. Across the street, the Jean Baptiste Vallé House (built in 1794) can be entered for ranger-led programs, while what is believed to be the first rose garden west of the Mississippi River is open dawn to dusk. The Bauvais-Amoureux House (built in 1792) is one of only five surviving poteaux-en-terre (“post in ground”) style houses in North America. It is open daily for self-guided visits, as is the Green Tree Tavern.

Best Trail

The 3.5-mile-long Levee Trail follows the Mississippi River from a gravel parking lot about a mile from the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center.

Photographic Opportunity

Dating back to 1790, Green Tree Tavern served as a home, inn, tobacco shop, and Masonic Lodge, and it is one of the few buildings where the vertical logs used in construction are clearly visible.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/stge/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

From Interstate 55, Missouri Highway 32 heads east for about four miles. From southern Illinois, the Ste. Genevieve-Modoc Ferry takes cars across the Mississippi River. While most roads in town are paved, there are narrow gravel drives for parking at Green Tree Tavern and Bauvais-Amoureux House that may not be suitable for RVs.

Camping

Mark Twain National Forest and Ozark National Scenic Riverways both offer numerous campgrounds, and Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is renowned for the RV campsites in its campground.

George Washington Carver National Monument (Missouri)

Mark Twain National Forest (Missouri)

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Missouri)

Nearest National Park

Gateway Arch

Explore More – Who was Ste. Genevieve and what famous French city is she the patron saint of?

Arizona

Arizona National Scenic Trail

June 17, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Arizona National Scenic Trail

Arizona

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management

Established 2009

800 miles

Website: aztrail.org

Overview

The Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) runs 800 miles from Coronado National Memorial on the Mexican border to Stateline Campground in Utah (where Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments meet). The AZT has a cumulative elevation gain of more than 100,000 feet and goes above 9,000 feet in several locations, with the low point at 1,646 feet on the Gila River around Mile 270. Credit for developing and promoting the AZT began in 1985 with Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff teacher who has a memorial in Buffalo Park on the urban alternate route of the AZT. There is also a mountain biking AZT that avoids Wilderness areas and an equestrian route that is mostly the same except for some road crossings and a loop around Flagstaff.

I completed the AZT northbound in spring 2026 and you can read my series of short daily blog posts here:

Highlights

Huachuca Mountains, Mica Mountain, Upper Sabino Canyon, Gila River, Four Peaks Wilderness, East Verde River, Mogollon Rim, Anderson Mesa, Grand Canyon National Park

Must-Do Activity

Must keep moving! How many miles to do in a day is entirely up to the individual backpacker, but the less distance covered the more food carried. Water filtration is also a must-do activity because caches are few and far between, so springs, cattle tanks, and creeks provide the majority of liquid (the FarOut app is the most updated source of information). Popular resupply towns along the route are Patagonia, Tucson, Summerhaven, Oracle, Kearney, Superior, Roosevelt Lake, Pine, Flagstaff, Tusayan, and Jacob Lake.

Best Trail

My favorite section of the trail was west of Gordon Hirabayashi Campground in Coronado National Forest’s Upper Sabino Canyon at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains (before it started steeply climbing up to Mt. Lemmon). The southernmost section that immediately ascends above 9,000 feet in the Huachuca Mountains was also surprising, pleasantly for the scenery and unpleasantly for the steep grades and loose rocks (and blisters).

Photographic Opportunity

The AZT goes from “spines to pines” and then back and forth between the two again and again. I was excited that after living in Arizona for 11 years of my life, I finally saw my first wild desert tortoise and two Gila monsters in the Sonoran Desert.

Peak Season

March and October

Fees

The only fee required is to pass through 18 miles of Saguaro National Park (an America the Beautiful pass also works)

Road Conditions

A few trailheads are on paved roads, but most require dirt roads and some are no longer accessible at all. A good but narrow dirt road climbs to Montezuma Pass at Mile 2, while House Rock Valley Road at Mile 800 requires a high-clearance vehicle (and can be impassable when wet). Shuttle services are available by reservation for thru-hikers at both ends.

Camping

If thru-hikers wish to camp in the 18 miles of Saguaro National Park that climbs Mica Mountain, they must pay to make a reservation at Grass Shack or Manning Camp. Grand Canyon National Park does not charge for thru-hikers to stay at the hiker-biker campsites on either rim or for a permit to camp at Bright Angel or Cottonwood Campgrounds at the bottom of the canyon. Stateline Campground on the Utah border is small but free with no water available.

Related Sites

Coronado National Memorial

Coronado National Forest

Saguaro National Park

Tonto National Forest

Coconino National Forest

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Kaibab National Forest

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

Grand Canyon National Park

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Explore More – One of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the U.S., what year was the first official thru-hike on the AZT once the final gap was completed along the Gila River?

Arizona

Arizona Trail Days plus+1 to plus+3

June 10, 2026 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

After completing the southernmost 713 miles of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) in March, I took 45 days off to wait for the North Kaibab Trail to reopen so I could finish hiking through Grand Canyon National Park and north to the Utah border. I had gone hiking in the time between, but was unsure how “backpacking ready” my body would be after the time off. I surprised myself by starting with a 26-mile day that included going to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and turning around, then following that up with a 31- and 37-mile day to reach where I left my vehicle parked at the end. Again, I could not have done this without assistance from my wonderful Mom who drove up north from Pine, Arizona with me.

This has been a wonderful experience, and I met some fascinating people even though I spent 95% of the trail miles alone. It has me excited about doing the 214-mile John Muir Trail in California’s Sierra Nevada in August. Now, I am fairly certain that I am not mentally ready to take on a multi-month-long trail at this point in my life.

Arizona Trail Day plus+1, Mile 721 to 713 to 730 returned to Ribbon Falls in the Grand Canyon where I made it day one on March 4. There were lots of people out on the trail early, plus trail crews working hard to fix and maintain the steep route. Today had a 7,000-foot cumulative elevation gain and 6,000-foot cumulative loss. However, thanks to my Mom, I just carried a day pack. Got to start hiking through part of the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire as I left the National Park and entered Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Arizona Trail Day plus+2, Mile 730 to 761 on the Kaibab Plateau through the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Started by climbing to 9,139 feet, the highest point on the entire trail. Big thanks to the sawyers who cut thousands of dead trees for safety in Kaibab National Forest. Saw mule deer, grouse, and my first Kaibab squirrel (with the long ear tufts), but no bison. Had a nice dinner at Jacob Lake Inn with my Mom and trail buddy Jake (“Earthshaker”) who I met today.

Arizona Trail Day plus+3, Mile 761 to 798 to finish at the State Line Campground on the Utah border for my highest mileage day of the journey. This was my 33rd hiking day, plus I took 6 zero days and 45 days off waiting for the North Kaibab Trail to open in Grand Canyon National Park. The scenery was epic the final two miles as the setting sun lit up the Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. A wonderful ending to an unforgettable adventure.

Previous trail journal blog posts:

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Wyoming

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway

May 27, 2026 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway

Wyoming

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1972

23,777 acres

Website: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/jodr.htm

Overview

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway shares 82 miles of two-lane road that is U.S. Routes 89, 191, and 287 from Grand Teton National Park National Park north to West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Its name honors the conservationist and philanthropist who contributed to the creation of Acadia, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, and Virgin Islands National Parks. Originally part of Teton National Forest, this land includes the Flagg Ranch concession, which had its lodge, restaurant, gas station, and campground moved from along the Snake River to a point less visible from the road in 2002.

Highlights

Flagg Ranch, Huckleberry Hot Springs, Polecat Hot Springs

Must-Do Activity

Huckleberry and Polecat Hot Springs are easily accessed by walking less than a mile down a closed dirt road not far from historic Flagg Ranch. Polecat Creek Loop Trail can be completed as a 2.5-mile loop that is narrow and overgrown by vegetation in places. Be on the lookout for grizzly bears, black bears, elk, and moose. Trout fishing in the Snake River is also a popular activity in John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The parkway is plowed to Flagg Ranch in the winter, making it a shared trailhead for snowmobilers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers.

Best Trail

Flagg Canyon Trail is a five-mile out-and-back hike along the Snake River with 340 feet of cumulative elevation gain after it crosses the busy parkway east of Flagg Ranch.

Photographic Opportunity

Driving unpaved and potholed Grassy Lake Road provides views to the south of the Teton Range.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Park entrance fees apply (or America the Beautiful pass)

Road Conditions

The parkway is paved and closes for the winter at Flagg Ranch when the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park shuts down. Closed annually for grizzly bear migration until June 1, Grassy Lake Road heads 49 miles west to Ashton, Idaho (the easternmost 36 miles are a potholed dirt track for high-clearance vehicles that enters Targhee National Forest, which is popular for dispersed camping).

Camping

There is a lodge at Flagg Ranch, plus Headwaters Campground takes reservations and offers 34 tent sites, 97 full-hookup RV sites, and 40 Camper Cabins (open June 7 to October 4, 2026). Along rough Grassy Lake Road there are eight free camp areas with 14 first-come, first-served campsites equipped with vault toilets and bear boxes. There are also campgrounds in Teton National Forest and primitive dispersed campsites near Grassy Lake once the road enters Targhee National Forest.

Fossil Butte National Monument (Wyoming)

Gallatin National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Grand Teton

Explore More – What is the more common name for a polecat, namesake for Polecat Hot Springs?

West Virginia

Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

May 13, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

West Virginia

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

99,794 acres (57,232 federal/ 42,562 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/monongahela/recreation/spruce-knob-seneca-rocks-national-recreation-area

Overview

In 1965, this portion of Monongahela National Forest became the first National Recreation Area managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It includes 4,863-foot-tall Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia and the Alleghany Mountains. Seneca Rocks is a 900-foot-tall quartzite crag heavily used by rock climbers, including by the military during World War II. Also part of this area, Smoke Hole Canyon is a rugged 20-mile gorge on the South Branch of the Potomac River. It is best seen by kayaking and whitewater canoeing since there are few trails. Formerly, the canyon had remote family homesteads and moonshine stills, and now it is considered one of the most biologically diverse spots in the eastern U.S.

Highlights

Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Smoke Hole Canyon, Spruce Knob Tower

Must-Do Activity

When the road is not closed due to snow, it is easy to drive to the top of Spruce Knob where an observation tower was built for seeing over the trees at the flat summit. The half-mile Whispering Spruce Trail has interpretive signs at the top, and an extensive network of backcountry trails leave from the parking lot to access Seneca Creek and Alleghany Mountain. To the west, 25-acre Spruce Knob Lake has campgrounds and picnic tables, as well as boating and fishing opportunities (but no swimming is allowed). Rock climbing is one of the biggest draws to this area, especially at Seneca Rocks and in Smoke Hole Canyon (at Eagle Rocks, the Route 220 entrance, and the walls of Long Branch).

Best Trail

For those not interested in roping up to climb the steep cliffs, stop into the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center open Thursday through Monday in the summer. Next door at the Sites Homestead, on Saturdays pioneer interpreters demonstrate quilting, fiddling, and basket-weaving. Hikers can access the narrow rock ledge at Seneca Rocks via a steep 1.3-mile one-way trail that circles the formation.

Photographic Opportunity

The jagged spires of Seneca Rocks are the most photogenic rock formation in the state. Since 1971, more than a dozen people have died from falls at the site, so exercise extreme caution at the top of the cliff.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The paved road to the top of Spruce Knob is open year-round when it is snow-free.

Camping

Big Bend Campground offers 46 sites with hot showers and is located on a peninsula in Smoke Hole Canyon. Seneca Shadows Campground accepts online reservations April through October for walk-to tent sites and standard RV sites. Spruce Knob Lake Campground is more primitive with vault toilets, as are some other campgrounds in Monongahela National Forest.

Related Sites

Allegheny National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania)

Gauley River National Recreation Area (West Virginia)

Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (Virginia)

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Kentucky-Tennessee-Virginia)

Nearest National Park

New River Gorge