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Guadalupe Peak Hike – The Top of Texas
Guadalupe Peak Trail quickly became one of my favorite hikes in all of Texas the moment I started nervously hiking it alone on a cold November day. The trail leads you to Texas’s highest point, covering around 8.5 miles with an elevation gain of roughly 3,000 feet. According to the National Park Service, the hike is rated strenuous and, depending on your level of fitness, can range from 6-8 hours. If you keep a good pace and hike frequently, you should be able to knock it faster. I was able to summit in just over 2 hours with 30-45 minutes at the top and another 2 hours descending. One of…
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is probably one of the park systems best kept secret and a place you will not want to miss out on. GMNP averages 200k visitors a year, while a National Park like Yosemite or Grand Canyon can go as high as 5 or 6 million visitors in a year! This means that if you are looking for solitude and some of the most amazing views of Texas, you are in for a treat. I did not know much about the Guadalupe Mountains and planned my trip around visiting the Carlsbad Caverns, its sister National Park a few miles away. During my research, I noticed that…
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Lower Cave Tour – Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers a series of Ranger Guided tours that provide you some fantastic adventures besides what general admission into the park can. If this is your first time at Carlsbad Caverns, I would suggest checking out my original post HERE.During my visit to Carlsbad Caverns, I could only squeeze in one Ranger Guide tour due to time constraints, but I think it is a must do for anyone visiting the National Park and looking for something off the beaten path. The Briefing When you arrive at the park and check-in with the Rangers, you are directed to a waiting room to meet your guides, test your equipment…
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Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is one of those National Parks I was trying to cross off my list to say I had been there. After visiting this pretty unique cave system, I have to admit a trip to New Mexico isn’t complete without visiting the caverns. The caverns are located around 18 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico, and offer a decently lovely drive if you enjoy the desert’s open views. Once you arrive at the park, it is a very accessible drive up a small mountainside to the park entrance. Once you arrive at the park and pay your entrance fee, you have a few options to experience…
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Carlsbad New Mexico Weekend Getaway
Carlsbad, New Mexico is not a town many people think of when planning weekend trips in the Southwest of the United States. While places like Taos and Santa Fe get most of the glory, I think adventure lovers would be hard-pressed to find a town offering activities so close that they are also different. I had only been in New Mexico one time before, and that was when I first visited Roswell, New Mexico, on my way to the Grand Canyon and Zion further West. I only stopped in the state for a quick overnight rest and was gone before I knew it. While Roswell does offer some fun things…
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South Dakota Must Do Scenic Drives
South Dakota surprised me with the amount of breathtaking scenic drives it offered in me in such a small state area. I never thought of South Dakota as a must-do picturesque drive state, but it honestly changed my mind from day 1. Three main scenic drives will be a must for your vacation if you follow or take inspiration from my summer South Dakota Road Trip. The three routes are all relatively close to Rapid City, SD, where I highly suggest you set up base camp. South Dakota Highway 240 This was the first scenic loop I did while in South Dakota and one that anyone visiting Badlands National Park…
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Black Elk Park – Custer State Park
Black Elk Peak in Custer State Park, South Dakota is not just the highest point in South Dakota but also the highest elevation point between the Rocky Mountains in the West and the Pyrenees Mountains in France! Located in Custer State Park, which I have covered previously and is probably my favorite park I visited in 2020. The park is one of the most popular parks in all of South Dakota, and a must-stop for anyone visiting this great state. Black Elk Peak is one of the main attractions in Custer State Park and offers some of the best views you will get in the entire state. The views from…
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Custer State Park South Dakota
Custer State Park in Southwest South Dakota is a hidden gem and highly recommended for everyone to visit. Custer State Park was never on my list of places to visit and a place I had never heard of until I started researching hikes and trails in the area. If you are using Rapid City, South Dakota, as a home base for your adventures in SD, then you have no excuse to skip Custer State Park. The park is less than an hour’s drive from Rapid City and offers countless activities to fill an entire weekend for nature lovers. My main goal is visiting Custer State Park was to hike the…
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Notch Trail Badlands National Park
The Notch Trail at Badlands National Park in South Dakota is my Number 1 recommendation for a moderate hike that most people should try. The hike is around 1.33 miles round trip and I would say can be completed within an hour depending on trail traffic. Unlike the other trails near it there is no boardwalk to follow instead it is a decently marked dirt path. After the cliff ladder which I will get to in a minute, you mostly will trace the edge of a cliff so if you are afraid of heights watch out. The main attraction of this trail and what makes it unique is the 50…
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Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is a park found in Southwest South Dakota and a must do stop for all outdoor lovers in this part of the U.S. The Badlands National Park was truthfully never on my list of parks to visit since I just did not know much about the park or South Dakota in general. When I first started researching the park it truly intrigued me how such a massive park had never popped up as a must visit. The park itself is a whopping 244,000 acres and when you pull up the map of the park it is hard not to be overwhelmed. I originally planned only one day…
