Outdoor Project

It's amazing how much you can see in one-day self-driving around Etosha National Park in the north of Namibia. You can freely drive through the park at your own pace, although make sure that you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, because it's all gravel tracks. It is possible to see elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, gazelles and more. If you are in the correct location, it's possible to get within a few meters of the animals, and it is a truly mesmerizing experience to watch them in their natural habitat.

Hiking through five distinct eco-systems is almost maginificient enough to make you forget that you are ascending 8,800 feet across the 19 kilometers that makes one segment of the trail to Cerro Chirripo. Located in San Gerardo, the well-marked roughly 38-kilometer out-and-back trail sends you through fern groves, tropical wet forest, cloud forest, oak forest, and finally the alpine tundra that gives you hope that you are nearly to the basecamp.

This section of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail follows a rail trail from Shin Hollow Road to Route 211. This 5-mile section is flat and often is very wet, especially after rainfall. The section is wide and at times follows a power line. Through that part of the trail hikers will have the only viewpoint looking west. When hiking from south to north, park at the end of Shin Hollow Road. Cross an old abandoned bridge and drop down onto the Metro North rail line. Graham Mountain State Forest is very small, and this section only passes through 0.3 miles of it. The remainder of this section is open p

The Maze District of Canyonlands National Park is one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 states. In 2016, Canyonlands National Park as a whole received 776,000 visitors, and only 11,000 of them ventured into the Maze District. This can be attributed to the fact that simply getting to the Maze is a journey that could easily take multiple days, and either requires a highly modified 4X4 vehicle, crossing the Colorado River at Spanish Bottom, or hiring a jet boat from the town of Moab. 

On this challenging overnight backpack trip you will ford crisp, clear rivers and streams as you follow the Conasauga River deep into the Cohutta Wilderness. Rejuvenate your soul in the raw beauty and wildness of this remote, pristine river valley. This terrific wet and wild adventure will have you coming back to explore more of the wonders of the Cohutta Wilderness. Plenty of scenic backcoutry campsites can be found along the river, where the rush and gurgles of the river will lull you to sleep at night.

Crowfoot Glades is a popular area for running laps. It's terrific for newer skiers or those not looking to stretch their legs too much. The parkway tends to get better snow than areas further south, so often when things are dry in Banff or Canmore, it can be dumping further north. The glades also sit northeast of the Wapta Icefield. With prevailing winds coming from the southwest, dry snow tends to get blown off the icefield, where it gets caught by the treed glades bellow and provides above-average glade skiing for the Rockies.

Conrad Kain Hut is the main lodging point in the Bugaboos Provincial Park. It is an iconic hut that is open only for the rather short alpine summer season to help climbers tackle some of North America's best alpine climbing. In the spirit of it's audacious namesake, the Austrian guide Conrad Kain, the hut is perched on a knoll next to large cliff looking out over the vallley. While getting to the hut is not especially easy, for those looking for some of the world's best rock climbing, it's well worth it. 

Garabali Provincial Park is a huge expanse covering 1,920 kilometers extending from Squamish in the south to east of Whistler all the way up to Pemberton. While it is a huge park, there are 90 kilometers of hiking trails spread out around the park, most of which venture only about 15 kilometers into the park itself.

The Neva Backcountry Zone is one of several designated zones within Indian Peaks Wilderness. The area’s skyline is dominated by Mount Neva and Mount Jasper to the west, which provide a beautiful backdrop to wooded areas, alpine views, and the North Fork Middle Boulder Creek. With an easy yet busy trail in and out, and more secluded mountain views away from the main trail, this makes for an excellent wilderness camping area.

Lake Dorothy is a beautiful alpine lake in the southern part of Indian Peaks Wilderness. A moderate 7-mile hike with just over 2,000 of elevation gain offers views of ragged peaks, mountain lakes and creeks, opportunities to see wildlife, and access to other fantastic spots.