Outdoor Project

Watkins Glen State Park is small, only 778 acres, but it packs a lot of stunning beauty into its small size. The campground is pleasant and modern with centralized bathhouses in each loop that include shower facilities. There are total of 306 campsites dispersed in six different loops.

The Jemez Historic Site is originally home to the Giusewa Pueblo, which was where the present day Jemez people lived. The ordinal pueblo became a Spanish mission in the early 1600s, where the Spanish built onto the pueblo to convert the natives to Christianity. However, some of the ordinal rooms, such as the kiva, remain intact. Visitors can take thier time on the quarter mile trail that meanders through the ruins. Nestled in the Jemez Mountains, signs inform visitors about the history of the area. 

The popular Gorge Trail of Watkins Glen State Park offers 19 waterfalls and numerous cascades and water sculptured potholes in a mere 2 miles as it drops through the deep, narrow gorge on its way to Seneca Lake. The gorge is so deep and narrow as it descends over 400 feet that it has little microclimates along the bottom. These microclimates are cooler and wetter than the ridge and are home to the unique mixture of flora.

Black Peak is tucked away on the northeast border of North Cascades National Park and Wenatchee National Forest. The approach and camping are in the national forest, so no permits are required on this climb. The real appeal of this climb are the views and exposure along the northeast ridge. Once climbers gain the ridge they will have views from Buckner to Eldorado off to the west and from Cutthroat to Washington Pass to the east.

Mount Ossa is one of the best Scrambles in the Coast Mountains. While the approach is gruelling and time consuming it is absolutely worth it for the sustained exposure and excellent quality third and fourth class scrambling. This route is similar to Sky Pilot but with less exposure and an easier crux.

For many visitors, Lake McDonald is their first big view of Glacier National Park. Plan a hike up to the Apgar Lookout just inside the park’s main west entrance to catch one amazing view of Lake McDonald and the surrounding mountains.

The trail to Lake Katherine starts from the parking lot on the Santa Fe Ski Basin in the Santa Fe National Forest. Hikers will start on the Windsor Trail (Trail 254). The trail immediately starts ascending with intermittent views of the Santa Fe Ski Area. At 0.7 miles the signs let hikers know they are entering the Pecos Wilderness. At that point the trail descends for the next mile.  

La Luz is the most well-known trail in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 16-mile out-and-back trail provides stunning views of the Sandia Mountains as well as a clear view of the city of Albuquerque. Hikers can also shorten this trail to 8 miles and take the Sandia Tramway down, or they can hike the trail from the top down. 

Fort Ridgely is a state park and historic site located in Fairfax, Minnesota. This site preserves the ruins of Fort Ridgely, where the Battle of Fort Ridgely took place during the Dakota War of 1862.

Dixville Notch is a 127-acre park off of NH-26 in northern New Hampshire that features a scenic gorge and waterfalls on two mountain streams.