Trapped By Monsters Hiking Blog

The Appalachian Trail is a Great Hike and Has Many Great Day Hikes Connected to It

For those who love hiking one of the most famous and popular trails in the US is the Appalachian trail that runs from Georgia to Maine, passing through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. It borders a couple of states like West Virginia and New Jersey. It can take months to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in a single hike. Many people do hike the entire length of the Appalachian trail, but they do so after they are retired or taking a long vacation. Most people who live near the Appalachian trail enjoy it weekly in “day hikes”

I live in Salem, Virginia, and can drive to many parts of the Appalachian Trail in 30 or 40 minutes depending on which day trail we want to …

When we think of exploring the great outdoors, we rarely think about including young children. However, including children in the outdoor experience has many benefits, including environmental appreciation and family togetherness. While the outdoor experience may not be quite the same when small children tag along, it becomes even more rewarding for all involved. By preparing ahead of time, including younger kids in outdoors activities is more likely to be a success. Here are a few tips to make the experience fun and memorable for everyone involved.

• Be prepared. Bring along a backpack with the necessities for the small child. This may include diapers, wipes, drinks and snacks. Keep in mind the temperature and the amount of time it will take, since these can increase the amount of drink needed exponentially.
• Remember to cover up. The woods are full of bugs, so bug spray is definitely warranted. Also, apply sunscreen

On August 4, 2013, at 5:30 a.m., I set out to hike to the top of Mt. Gleason in the Angeles National Forest in Acton California. The hike took me nearly eight hours to complete from start to finish and the total round trip was 19.2 miles.

Mt. Gleason’s elevation is 6,502 feet high and stands high above most of the summits in the San Gabriel Mountains. The well-maintained Pacific Crest Trail is also there and crosses through the paved Mt. Gleason Road way and is available for the more rugged hikers.

I personally decided to stick with hiking along the paved Mt. Gleason Road rather than hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Hiking nearly 20 miles is certainly rigorous, and there are many other dirt trails throughout the mountains. From experience, I know it can be easy to accidentally take the wrong trail and end up lost and re-tracing your …

Of the few natural parks in the Texas Panhandle, the most well-known and widely-visited is Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro sits in the heart of the high plains and is a welcome change of topography in an otherwise flat region. There are a handful of day hike trails in the canyon, with difficulty levels ranging from the most mild to relatively difficult. All species of day hikers are looking for something in their trips–a leisurely stretch of the legs, awesome vistas, or challenging climbs. In the Palo Duro Canyon, the CCC Trail offers all of these things.

The CCC trail in Palo Duro Canyon, (so named for the Civilian Conservation Corps workers who built and used it in the 1930s) offers day-hikers a change in scenery and altitude, as well as a varying level of difficulty. Unlike other trails in the park, the CCC trail is limited to …