If you love snow, winter is an ideal time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, according to park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson. Not only is it beautiful, but “there’s a diversity and variety of things you can do, depending on your experience and fitness level.” And that last part is key, as it’s important to be … Read more
If you like to hike, chances are good that you know AllTrails. More than 60 million hikers use the San Francisco-based hiking app, which offers 400,000 curated trail guides to locations around the world. With more than a billion miles of trails logged, the platform was named Apple’s iPhone app of the year in 2023. … Read more
Explosive growth in visitation at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve over the past eight years has reached a point where park officials say they need to improve the visitor experience, starting with increasing parking and relieving traffic congestion. “Current conditions are not acceptable,” said park superintendent Andrea Compton. “They’re not safe. We’re seeing … Read more
Visitation declined at Rocky Mountain National Park in 2023 for the second straight year, and its ranking on the list of busiest national parks fell from fourth to fifth behind Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion and Yellowstone according to figures released by the National Park Service. Visitation at Rocky in 2023 was 4,115,837, a … Read more
Here’s the good news: Airfares have declined in Canada. The bad news? You might wind up paying more in added fees. WestJet and several U.S. airlines recently hiked their checked bag charges. Discount carrier Flair Airlines has raised some other fees, and added a surcharge when customers pay for their flight with a credit card. Airlines often say they “unbundle” … Read more
Alishan is one of the island’s most popular tourism destinations, complete with lumbering tour buses, large groups of hikers and overpriced, underwhelming hotels. But it is possible to avoid the crowds and enjoy the stillness this natural playground offers. Alishan is a famed tea-growing region, producing alpine Oolong tea and Jinxuan tea, among others. Photo: … Read more
A series of incidents in the New Hampshire forests and mountains occurred over the weekend, including one that resulted in the death of a Massachusetts woman, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Shawnee Hollis, 39, of North Brookfield was with a group of three friends each operating their own individual snowmobiles on … Read more
Work to repair and improve the iconic Hanging Lake Trail in Glenwood Canyon will impact opportunities for hikers to enjoy it this summer, officials of the White River National Forest say. When forest officials reopened the trail in 2022 following severe damage from mudslides the previous summer, they announced plans to make permanent long-term improvements … Read more
MARIN COUNTY — A 6,800-mile, two-year hike came to an end at Limantour Beach on Saturday morning, when Briana DeSanctis became the first solo female hiker to complete the American Discovery Trail. Wearing a purple sequined dress, DeSanctis, 40, arrived at the Pacific Ocean on a sunny winter day, wading into the cool water and … Read more
Permits for overnight backpacking in restricted areas of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness in the rugged Elk Mountains west of Aspen go on sale next week. Advance reservation permits ($10) are required for overnight stays in the busiest areas of the wilderness including the famed Conundrum Hot Springs, as well as Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and … Read more
