Outdoor Project

At only 778 acres, Watkins Glen State Park is small, but it packs a lot of stunning beauty into its small size. The quaint lake and river filled topography of the Finger Lakes region was formed by glacier ice and water erosion.

This long and mostly flat trail runs along the east side of Antelope Island and looks out towards great views of the Wasatch Mountains. There are parking areas at each end of the 11-mile trail. The northern one sits near the Antelope Island State Park's entrance, and the southern trailhead is located at the Fielding Garr Ranch.

There are a few places you can start this adventure, but starting from the South Climb Trailhead and Cold Spring Campground is a good option. It mostly means that you are going through the Yakama Reservation, where there is no trail early in the run, but you'll also cross the major water crossings before they swell too much.

There is no better view of the gorgeous Snow Canyon State Park than from high above its northern end. The Red Mountain Trail parking lot starts outside of the Red Mountain Wilderness but soon takes you into the protected area. The trail to the overlook is boring and ugly, but it leads to an absolutely breathtaking view of layered sandstone below with large cliffs above in the far distance.

Red Sands (also known as Three Ponds) is a really beautiful desert trail within Snow Canyon State Park. The hike isn't very long, but it does consist of deep sand along most of the second half, and it definitely slows down what would be your normal pace. The first half of the trail consists of sections with flat sandstone, which is always fun to hike on, and it has wide, sweeping views of amazing desert landscapes.

Jenny's Canyon sits just past the entrance to Snow Canyon State Park and does have a trailhead that sits just in front of the mouth of the canyon. The hike ends up being so short that it is a bit uneventful, so starting at the Johnson Canyon Trailhead just outside the park entrance is a great alternative. This allows you to stretch your legs and see better views of the cliffs to the south. This is an ideal sunset hike thanks to its short distance and amazing east-facing views.

Slot canyons on the East Coast? Yes! There really are slot canyons tucked way into the corner of southwest Virginia in the 4,836-acre Channels State Forest. It’s a maze of sandstone slot canyons that you can get lost in while trying to figure out how they got here on top of a mountain. The slots are between 20 to 40 feet deep. Some short sections of the slots are narrow enough to force you to shimmy sideways to get through. Others are wide. In some areas you have to duck. This is a compact but fun area to explore.

The East Loop Trail is one of several equestrian trails inside Washoe Lake State Park. Portions of the East Loop Trail overlap with parts of the North and South Loop trails.

At the north end of the Donnell Pond Public Lands and nestled alongside the Blackwoods Scenic Byway Route 182 sits the trailhead for Tunk Mountain. This hike to the summit is a there-and-back trail with the option to add a small loop mid-way up. The initial hike is of moderate difficulty, but it leans to a harder difficulty level toward the summit where climbing on your hands and feet or using iron rungs to scale boulders may be necessary.

The west side of Dolly Sods is a bit harder to get to. It is less well known, but it is nearly as stunning as the eastern side, and it has significantly smaller crowds. This long loop hike offers rushing creeks, cascades and waterfalls, and high rocky peaks with expansive views of the canyon that Red Creek has carved. It takes you past the Big Stonecoal Falls as Big Stonecoal Creek makes its descent off the Allegheny Plateau into the depths of Red Creek.