Tag Archives: travel

Arizona Trail Days 6 to 13

March 19, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Miles 101 to 265 required big climbs in Saguaro National Park and the Santa Catalina Mountains within Coronado National Forest. Lots of cool Sonoran Desert wildflowers and wildlife along the way, plus some great sunsets on the way to the Gila River. Thursday I am taking a “zero day” off the trail with my family in Chandler and probably going to a Mark Chesnutt concert.

Arizona Trail Day 6, Mile 101 to 101 a “Zero Day” in Tucson with a huge breakfast at Rocking K, one Talenti gelato (for a backup container to cold soak meals), and night in the camper van with my trail angel Mom.

Arizona Trail Day 7, Mile 101 to 126 after my first “zero day” passed under Interstate 10 to the border with Saguaro National Park and saw the first saguaro cacti along the route. I achieved my goal of finding a rock in the shape of Arizona! Enjoyed talking and walking with Ziggy, a Navy veteran. Big thank you to my Mom for meeting up with me in Tucson.

Arizona Trail Day 8, Mile 126 to 144 from spines to pines in Saguaro National Park. Over 6,000 feet cumulative elevation gain in the Rincon Mountains. Camped with and hiked with some fellow NAU Lumberjacks and two young women from Florida.

Arizona Trail Day 9, Mile 144 to 164 out of the Rincon Mountains to the Catalina Highway. Lots of wildflowers in bloom! I met Trail Angel Gabriel who I helped to fill up a water cache with 48 gallons. Thanks to all the trail angels out there.

Arizona Trail Day 10, Mile 164 to 187 up Mt. Lemmon in Coronado National Forest. Another great memory made in the Santa Catalina Mountains and my first horned lizard of the trip was seen above 8,000 feet in elevation. Thanks to my Mom for meeting me at the top with my big backpack. I was told by one AZT finisher that this is the “classic Lemmon cheat.” I’ll take any help I can get.

Arizona Trail Day 11, Mile 187 to 215 down the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, a cumulative drop of around 8,000 feet. I had two wonderful trail angels meet me in Oracle for lunch. Thanks everyone for your support in this endeavor! Sunrise to sunset was 12:01 so now unofficially past the equinox. Yay!

Arizona Trail Day 12, Mile 215 to 245 past Antelope Peak in the Sonoran Desert. I saw my first wild desert tortoise in my life! I hiked a while with Martin and Mama Goose who were great to talk to. I avoided the heat of the day and went to the movie Hoppers in Oro Valley with my Mom, then did 8.5 miles after sunset.

Arizona Trail Day 13, Mile 245 to 265 down to the Kelvin Bridge across the Gila River. Starting in the dark, I was able to finish before noon for a pickup from my parents. With temperatures 28 degrees above average for the next few days, I’ve decided to head home to Pine to cover some higher elevation miles on the AZT then come back when it cools down.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

Found a rock almost in the shape of the state

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them my travel guide A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Update

Starting the Arizona Trail This Week!

March 2, 2026 Raven About The Parks 8 Comments

This week I am starting out northbound on the Arizona National Scenic Trail. According to the official website, it is 800 miles (with 105,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain) from the international border with Mexico in Coronado National Memorial to the Stateline Campground on the Utah border in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Due to last summer’s Dragon Bravo Fire in Grand Canyon National Park, more than 20 miles of the trail is closed on the North Rim making a thru-hike impossible this year. Since I am already in northern Arizona, I am going to begin by backpacking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to spend one night before turning around and driving south to the official start. That will be on Wednesday! Once I return to Grand Canyon National Park (Mile 700), I will get a ride north to finish up the trail.

You can keep track of where I am at on the Garmin website through this link: https://live.garmin.com/ScottSink

I will also be updating my Instagram account with photos when I have signal: https://www.instagram.com/ravenabouttheparks/

I recently moved back to Arizona for the 5th time in my life and I thought backpacking across the state would be a great way to reconnect. If you haven’t already read it, check out my 7-day Arizona Road Trip Itinerary with plenty of options to make it a month-long visit.

Once I finish the Arizona Trail, then I will get back to writing my latest guidebook American History 101: Reliving a Country’s Past at 101 National Park Service Sites, which I hope to publish by July 4, 2026, for the 250th anniversary of the vote to approve the Declaration of Independence.

Here are links to my blog posts on the public lands I will be traversing on the Arizona Trail:

Grand Canyon National Park

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

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Know someone who loves exploring new National Monuments? Gift them our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments that is available for sale on Amazon.com.

California

Mendocino National Forest

February 11, 2026 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Mendocino National Forest

California

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

1,079,850 acres (911,733 federal/ 168,117 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino

Overview

Originally called California National Forest in 1908, this area between Interstate 5 and Highway 101 was renamed Mendocino National Forest 24 years later. It stretches north-south along the Coast Range covering parts of six counties north of San Francisco. Similar to Los Padres National Forest, it contains rocky serpentine ridgelines where only specially adapted plants can tolerate the heavy metals in the soil, like Sargent cypress and the shorter McNab cypress. Both species can be found along Frenzel Creek near Little Stoney Campground. In 1953, a Forest Service employee and 14 volunteer firefighters died in the Rattlesnake Fire and a memorial overlooking Rattlesnake Canyon is located off Forest Highway 7 on Alder Springs Road. Mendocino National Forest includes the northern portion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument (see our full blog post), established in 2015 and administered in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management.

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.

Highlights

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, Lake Pillsbury, Thomes Gorge, Hull Mountain, Frenzel Creek, Harvey Peak, Ide’s Cove Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are 18 National Forests in California (the most of any state), but Mendocino is the only one not crossed by a paved highway. It is a wonderful destination for outdoor recreation, both motorized and non-motorized, including Hull Mountain which is popular with hang gliders. Lake Pillsbury is 2,280 acres and offers boat ramps, campgrounds, and a resort, while 35-acre Letts Lake has a campground and access to hiking trails.

Best Trail

As we drove the winding road from Stonyford to the tiny roadside pullout for Deafy Glade Trail, we passed campgrounds full of RVs that were getting ready for a motorcycle event. Our hike took us far from any road noise, as we dropped down to and waded across the frigid South Fork of Stony Creek and then climbed steeply to 5,300 feet in elevation. The trail continued to the summit of 7,056-foot Snow Mountain, but we already had great views of the Rice Valley and decided to turn around at the 4.5-mile point, just inside the official boundary of the Snow Mountain Wilderness. We expected a desolate landscape after reading about recent fires, but about three-quarters of the trees along the trail were still alive and showed only minor charring at their bases.

Watchable Wildlife

Mendocino National Forest protects a biodiverse area home to tule elk, black-tailed deer, river otters, black bears, and mountain lions. Rivers that drain these highlands are used by California coastal chinook salmon and Northern California steelhead. Fishing in the lakes is a popular activity and a chance to see ospreys and bald eagles.

Photographic Opportunity

On Deafy Glade Trail, there were congregations of lady bugs that numbered in the hundreds along the South Fork of Stony Creek.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Fouts Springs Road (Forest Road M10) is a well-maintained gravel road that crosses the National Forest west of Stonyford. That area is popular with motorcycles and OHVs, so keep an eye out for them while driving.

Camping

Mendocino National Forest manages Bear Creek Campground and Lower Nye Dispersed Campground among many others, plus there are countless places for dispersed camping.

Wilderness Areas

Sanhedrin Wilderness

Snow Mountain Wilderness

Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness (also in Six Rivers and Trinity National Forests)

Yuki Wilderness (also run by the Bureau of Land Management)

Lassen National Forest (California)

Point Reyes National Seashore (California)

Nearest National Park

Redwood

Conifer Tree Species

Douglas-fir, red fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, gray pine, Sargent cypress, McNab cypress

Flowering Tree Species

western redbud, interior live oak, tanoak, Pacific madrone

Explore More – In 1542, Cape Mendocino was named by explorer Roderiques de Cabrillo to honor whom?

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

List

Top 10 of the 63 National Parks for Multiple Return Visits

January 28, 2026 Raven About The Parks 10 Comments

For years I have been helping my Mom visit National Parks and she enjoys seeing new places and adding a sticker to her National Parks water bottle. In June 2025, together we finally made it to Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska (my last of the 63 National Parks and 401 of 433 NPS sites). Recently we went to Big Bend National Park, number 55 of 63 for her. It was my third visit there, but I hiked several new trails and it made me think about how there are so many different places to explore in some of the National Parks. I have returned to most of the parks in researching my travel guidebooks, so I thought I would make a list of my favorite ones that I keep going back to. I was surprised how the list varied from my rankings of the Top 10 National Parks and Top 10 National Parks for Hiking (click here to see all our Top 10 Lists).

If you or someone you love are interested in visiting the 63 National Parks, our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself makes a great gift!

10. Olympic (Washington)

So many trails to hike through ecosystems ranging from the coast to the alpine regions; after multiple visits, I am still hoping to make it to Staircase someday.

9. Yosemite (California)

You have to come in multiple seasons because spring is best for waterfall flow, Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows are closed in the winter, Half Dome has chains in the summer (reservations required), and Horsetail Fall only glows at sunset in late February (reservations required).

8. Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee-North Carolina)

Countless trails to waterfalls (if you can find a parking spot), amazing fall foliage, the seasonal road closure to Clingman’s Dome, and backpacking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail all mean this a year round destination.

7. Grand Canyon (Arizona)

It takes good planning to visit both the North and South Rims in one trip, plus it is worth the long drive to see Toroweap (free online permit required). If you are able, hike to the bottom of the canyon or take a long float trip on the Colorado River.

6. Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)

There are many different cave tours to choose from and miles of trails to hike or backpack, plus opportunities to float the Green River.

5. Death Valley (California)

In my many visits I have avoided the summer, which is the only time to drive up to Telescope Peak, so I still need to return for that experience.

4. Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

The road across the park closes in the winter, when snowshoeing is still possible from many trailheads on both the west and east sides. High elevations open up for exploration after spring snowmelt, as does the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

3. Big Bend (Texas)

A great National Park to hike and drive in the winter, the elevations of Chisos Basin are inviting when the desert heats up the rest of the year. I still want to canoe part of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River.

2. Sequoia (California)

I prefer snowshoeing through the sequoia groves in the winter, when you can also reserve a bed in the Pear Lake Ski Hut. Summer melts the High Sierra for exploration, including Mt. Whitney (permits required).

…and finally the #1 National Park for multiple return visits:

1. Yellowstone (Wyoming-Montana-Idaho)

If you have never been to the world’s first National Park in the winter, then book your snow coach (or snowmobile) and lodging as soon as possible. It is very different than a summer visit and wildlife is still abundant (except bears). I have been to Yellowstone more than a dozen times and plan to return.

Honorable Mentions

Pinnacles (California)

There are two different entrances east and west that are a long drive apart, both have hiking access to different caves (check before going to avoid seasonal closures).

Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota)

Most of us will not make it back to this remote corner of North Dakota, but it does have a North and South Unit, plus surprisingly good fall foliage.

Channel Islands (California)

Every island is different (I have backpacked overnight at Anacapa and did a kayaking tour of Santa Cruz) and I would like to see them all.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes (Hawaiʻi)

The unpredictability of lava flows mean that you might have to come back to see active eruptions, or maybe you want to make the strenuous backpacking trip to the top of Mauna Loa. Who wouldn’t want to return to the Big Island?

Wind Cave (South Dakota)

This is a personal favorite because of the Wild Caving Tour and free permits to backpack on the prairie with the free-ranging bison herd. The Black Hills keep calling me back.

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Texas

Blackwell School National Historic Site

January 14, 2026 Raven About The Parks 10 Comments

Blackwell School National Historic Site

Texas

Managed by National Park Service

Established 2022

0.5 acre

Website: nps.gov/blsc

Overview

A three-room schoolhouse built for Marfa’s Hispanic children in 1909 is all that remains of a once larger campus (the Band Hall from 1927 is still attached). Blackwell School was named for a prominent early principal, and it closed in 1965 following legally mandated integration more than a decade after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. At its peak, the school had more than 600 students, with Hispanic students segregated, except on sports teams. After 1954, students were no longer allowed to speak Spanish on campus with a mock funeral held for the language and corporal punishment inflicted upon violators. Not all former students wanted to preserve this site where “separate but equal” education was practiced, but enough felt it was important to recall this history. The main building was saved from demolition by the nonprofit Blackwell School Alliance who helped the National Park Service (NPS) acquire the property from the Marfa Independent School District in 2024. The NPS has plans to reconstruct a belltower atop the adobe building.

Highlights

School building, playground

Must-Do Activity

You definitely want to arrive when an NPS employee is on site to allow you inside the building and to explain its history. There are artifacts and informational panels on display inside. There is even a coloring book available in both English and Spanish that explains the story of Blackwell School to children.

Best Trail

None

Photographic Opportunity

In the lot next to the school building is a playground, and there are plans to install outdoor interpretive signs and photos under the awning to provide information to visitors when the site is closed on weekdays.

Peak Season

Winter

Hours

Currently 12-4 on Saturdays and Sundays only

https://www.nps.gov/blsc/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Paved street parking is available at the site in Marfa.

Camping

There is an RV park in Marfa, or you can boondock at the Marfa Lights viewing area that has bathrooms. Big Bend National Park takes reservations for its campsites (with no hookups).

César E. Chávez National Monument (California)

Fort Davis National Historic Site (Texas)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

Nearest National Park

Big Bend