They call him “Elusive,” at least on the hiking trails. And that’s pretty much where Dave Roberts spends his time these days, crisscrossing the country by foot, by bike, even by kayak. Mr. Roberts, a retired teacher and software engineer, is on a mission to navigate the United States powered only by his two legs and two arms. Hotels and lodges are out of the question; he...
Learn MoreAccording to Cole’s “History of Washington and Kent Counties,” the name Fisherville came from Schuyler Fisher, who manufactured “jeans and check flannel” in a Rhode Island mill until giving up the business to head west. Even in 1889, Fisherville was remote; “there is at present no business done at the place,” Cole wrote. You may think of horse-and-buggy days as you...
Learn MoreMount Qua Qua is one of the tallest mountains of Grenada, a Caribbean country known as the “Island of Spice” for its production of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and mace. Rising about 2,300 feet above sea level in the rainforest of Grand Etang Forest Preserve, the mountain’s long ridge is often obscured by shifting rainclouds, but when the clouds clear, the mountain offers...
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Get out and explore YOUR Big South Fork! In celebration of the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is holding the Centennial Challenge. From January 1, through December 3, 2016, participants will have a the opportunity to get out and experience the many unique cultural and natural features of this park along...
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Admission to all national parks will be free on Jan. 18, 2016 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The discount gives visitors a chance to skirt the $25 fee for entering sites likes the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Yellowstone in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The MLK Day promotion is part of events commemorating the National Park Service’s centennial. There will be...
Learn MoreThe Discovery Trail is a 4.5-mile trail mosaic comprised of all the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site’s hiking trails combined into continuous circuit. Collectively, the trails pass through grasslands, woodlands, a woody savanna, the salt-sulfur springs and the bison viewing area. Big Bone Lick State Historic Park is just off Ky. 338 not far from Beaver Lick and Rabbit...
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The Swannanoa Valley Museum will hold a series of interest meetings in the coming weeks to discuss the upcoming 2016 Swannanoa Rim Hike Series and Valley History Explorer Series. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. Subsequent meetings will be held Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Black Dome Mountain...
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Conservationists in Washington’s Tri-Cities are nearing a deal to secure a trail right-of-way on a scenic peak. That would get closer to the goal of establishing a 20-mile trail that could offer sunny, dry hiking at times of year when most trails elsewhere in the Northwest are muddy or snow covered. This 200-acre purchase would secure a trail up the southeast flank of...
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American Hiking Society challenges you to make 2016 the year you spend more time getting active outside. In celebration of American Hiking Society’s 40th anniversary, people of all ages are committing to Hike 40 miles, 40 trails, or 40 unique hikes between New Year’s Day and American Hiking Society’s birthday on October 13th. Beyond getting to spend more time outdoors,...
Learn MoreBotanists and backpackers alike know Ojai’s Dry Lakes Ridge to be a lovely and unique destination for finding flora or sweeping views a short, steep climb away from Highway 33. Less considered is the ridge’s worth as a night hike destination. Perched high between the Matilija and Sespe drainages, the Dry Lakes Ridge affords nocturnal adventurers solitude and an owl’s eye...
Learn MoreA group of young British adventurers have come under fire after local volunteer rescuers had to come to their aid three times as they attempted to trek across Iceland for a documentary. Angus Dowie, Charlie Smith, Archie Wilson, all aged 19 and Stefan Rijnbeek, 20, had set out to be the first to ‘cross Iceland unsupported in winter’, with their trip to be...
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Not far from Taos, NM, there is a storied and luminous land called the Piedra Lumbre, or cliffs of the shining stone. One of the most famous parts of this area is Ghost Ranch: 21,000 acres located in the basin of the Rito del Yeso surrounded by red-and-gold cliffs. The Tewa people of San Juan Pueblo call the place T’ibuhu’u, which refers to a low, round place for a...
Learn MoreGazing down from the rim at trails that snake and switchback their way into the canyon, a thought rises to the surface: Could I do this? Should I? The Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is beckoning. The answer to the first question — Could I? — is: Probably. Kids do it. Old folks do it. The secret is knowing what you are getting into. Without...
Learn MoreIn January 2013, the city of Phoenix shut down one of its busiest hiking spots because it was too popular. Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon Recreation Area had become inundated with hikers and, with it, worn-down trails and overflowing parking that brought a sea of complaints from surrounding residents. The city spent almost a year nearly doubling the number of parking...
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North Carolina’s state parks system launches its centennial year with 46 guided hikes on New Year’s Day 2016. State parks Director Mike Murphy says the hikes will usher in a year of anniversary events planned throughout the state. The Division of Parks and Recreation says the offered hikes range from short leg stretchers to six-mile treks. The varied events...
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department encourages holiday revelers to start the New Year off right by taking a hike. “The First Day Hikes initiative has proven itself as the ideal way for people to physically make a statement about trying to live a more active lifestyle in 2016,” said Brent Leisure, state parks director. “State parks are an ideal...
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Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by hiking 100 miles or more on trails in the New River Gorge National River and Bluestone National Scenic River in 2016. The 100 Mile Challenge is the first of many local events during 2016 to celebrate this landmark anniversary, according to the National Park Service. All challenge participants that hike 100...
Learn MoreOn Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Sierra Club will have its monthly meeting at the San Bernardino County Museum, in Redlands, CA at 7:30 p.m. Guests are invited to visit the club as Teddi Boston, the first female thru-hiker to complete the Pacific Crest Trail, presents a program of stories and photographs titled: “Pacific Crest Trail Firsts.” In...
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The Blue Ridge Parkway attracted more visitors through November, 2015 than it did in all of 2014. The parkway has logged more than 14.1 million visits in 2015, according to National Park Service estimates. That figure eclipses 2014’s full-year total of 13.9 million visits. This year’s total is the highest since 2012, when the parkway recorded 15.2 million...
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The warm weather might be throwing a wrench in some people’s holiday plans to go skiing, but while the snow stays at bay, exploring Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail might not a bad second choice. The trail stands at a total of 1,200 miles across southern and central Wisconsin and is still growing. It runs through towns across the region, connecting communities with the...
Learn MoreThe hiking is a workout, but Hawaii’s Muliwai Trail—a 19 mile, three-day trek along the Big Island’s northern coast—rewards the effort with black-sand beaches, waterfalls and wilderness to call your own. The payoff comes quickly. Within four minutes of starting an ascent of the steep path at the north end of the Big Island’s Waipio Valley, its mile-long black-sand beach...
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The Appalachian Trail Conservancy visitor center in 2015 recorded a record-breaking number of hikers passing through its visitor center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Since the release of the movie “A Walk in the Woods” on Sept. 2, the number of visitors at the center has increased more than 50 percent. While the center is considered the psychological midpoint of the...
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January 1, 2016 marks the beginning of the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial celebration, and the seven National Park Service sites in Arkansas will kick off the celebration by launching the Centennial Iron Ranger Challenge. This is a year-long program that encourages visitors to “Find Your Park” and improve their health and fitness by completing 100...
Learn MoreIn the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 15, 2015, a rock slide occurred on the southwest facing side of Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. It is estimated that 25,000 – 30,000 tons of rock fell on Saddle Rock Trail, covering it up to six feet deep. Additionally, the slide occurred directly under a portion of an upper section of trail, leaving it...
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Heavy lifting and craftsmanship from a previous era combined to generate significant headway in the restoration of weary trails above Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park this year, work that should make the trails more resilient to hundreds of thousands of feet and weather vagaries of the Rockies. The ongoing project, funded in large part through the Grand Teton...
Learn MoreA primitive plank boardwalk, across water redder than rust, is not something to inspire confidence in a hiker, especially an exhausted one. After 3 miles of climbing clay embankments on muddy handholds, descending scores of hand-hewn steps covered with chicken wire for traction and brushing aside the gnarled branches of ohi’a trees on level ground, you scramble to find...
Learn MoreTsali Recreation Area in the Nantahala National Forest is well-known for its mountain biking and equestrian trails, but it can also be a great off-season hiking destination. Four loop trails totaling nearly 40 miles occupy an area along the shores of Fontana Lake, which forms part of the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The area (pronounced...
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There is a new travel guidebook describing more than 200 day hiking trails to the must-see wonders of America’s national parks. “Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks,” by Rob Bignell, covers sights at the 54 most accessible national parks. It was released in early December, 2015. “Whenever anyone goes to a national park, the first question invariably is ‘What...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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