(1) not too hard ... but also not too easy! ... that elusive "sweet spot" where you're sweaty and tired, but not completely destroyed;
(2) (mostly) dog friendly! Because we hate leaving Sprinkles behind ... although some of these hikes are just TOO cool to skip, even though dogs can't go; and(3) unique experiences, and some of them perhaps unknown to you ... until now!
1. Utah: San Rafael Swell
Little Wild Horse Canyon
Located on BLM land, Little Wild Horse is a strange and
playful sandstone canyon. This is a wonderful slot canyon that was
So! Much! Fun! to go over, under,
around and through. It can be hiked
out-and-back for 2-3 miles to get the best of the narrows, or combined with
Bell Canyon for an 8-mile total loop. It’s just wildernessy enough to
make you feel super adventurous like the cool kids, but nothing too technical
that the average (semi-in-shape) Joe can’t handle. A
little hiking, a little scrambling, a little sucking in your gut and squeezing,
a whole buncha photo taking, and bragging rights for doing one of the best slot
canyons in Utah … what more could you want?
Round-trip length: 8 mile loop, or do out-and-back of any
length
Pet-friendly? Mostly. Dogs are allowed, but between very narrow
areas and a few 8-foot tall natural dry falls that you’re gonna have to be able
to hoist Fido up, it’s best if your dog is on the smaller side.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/little-wild-horse-bell-canyon-trail
Also Cool In The Area: Goblin Valley State Park
Nearby RV Camping At: Great boondocking all around this area, or
consider nearby Goblin Valley if you prefer an actual site. For full hookups, Duke’s Slickrock RV Park
about 30 miles away in Hanksville is the place to be.
2. North Carolina: Chimney Rock State Park
Four Seasons Trail + Hickory Nut Falls
The 7,500-acre Chimney Rock State Park is seriously gorgeous
... and a serious trek! Getting there is half the fun on a remote,
meandering scenic drive. Enjoy amazing hiking, a 404-ft. waterfall, and the
huge Chimney Rock, formed 535 million years ago. If you don’t want to hike, how
about taking the 26-story elevator up?
Of course that’s cheating, but if you want to see one of the filming
locations for the movie The Last of the Mohicans, that is certainly one way to
do it! Of course, hiking aficionados prefer trekking the 1.9 mile
Four Seasons Trail, and THEN taking the 491 wooden steps (that’s right! 491!) from
there to the tippy top! Enjoy fabulous
75-mile views of Lake Lure, the Piedmont area of NC, and the Foothills; catch
your breath and take a selfie with the American Flag perched atop the legendary
boulder. From there, descend the 491
steps and add another 1.2 miles to go to the must-see Hickory Nut Falls, a
404-foot stunner. Dogs are allowed,
except not in the elevator.
Round-trip length: 5.0 miles
Pet-friendly? Yes,
except not in the elevator, and of course they must be willing to climb stairs.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/north-carolina/chimney-rock-state-park
Also Cool Nearby: The
nearby Lake Lure Flowering Bridge converted an abandoned bridge into a gorgeous
horticultural showplace, maintained by volunteers.
Nearby RV Camping At: Mama Gertie’s RV Park outside Asheville is one of our favorite all-time camping locations, about 25 miles away. Closer in, there are a few RV campgrounds around Lake Lure.
Ringbolt Hot Springs Loop
Hot springs in Arizona? Almost unheard of – and yet, here they are! Starting in flat desert, transitioning to rocky mountainous paths, and then through sandy washes and canyons, this strenuous hike packs a lot of variety into the 3 mile (one-way) route, finally ending in a series of small pools, nestled into canyon walls as narrow as 6 feet apart, with temps ranging from merely warm to blistering hot. Take a nice soak, chat with other visitors (likely, you’ll be sharing the fun with people ranging from fully clothed to naked-as-the-day-they-were-born), and return via the path you came. Though difficult, it was one of the most memorable and unique adventures we’ve had hiking in Arizona! Plan on about 5 hours total for this adventure. Trail closed from May 15 to Sept 30 due to extreme heat.
Round-trip length: 6 miles
Pet-friendly? The
trail is, but the hot springs are not. You'll have to wade (quickly!!) through the hottest/deepest of the hot pools to get to any of them, and dogs wouldn't go for that.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/arizona-ringbolt-hot-springs-trail
Also Cool Nearby:
Kayaking to the bright-green waters of Emerald Cove
Nearby RV Camping At: Willow Beach Campground and RV Park
(15 miles away)
4. Maine: Acadia National Park
The Beehive Loop
Trail
While this trail is NOT for those with fear of heights, or for the faint of heart, the adrenaline rushes and jaw-dropping views of Acadia NP and the Atlantic Ocean shoreline make for a memorable time! A short trail, you’re gonna have it done in record time, since its popularity means people are on your tail and pushing you along throughout. You’ll be stomping up granite staircases, clinging to iron rungs drilled into the rock, crossing shored-up sections of exposed cliffs, averting your eyes from the steep drop-offs on either side of you, and scrambling over boulders to reach the summit. All while feeling the pressure from the perky, gorgeous 20-somethings, fully made up and smelling like Chanel, on their way to Instagram glory at the top of knobby Beehive Mountain. Engage your adventurous side for 520 feet elevation gain over a mere 3.2 miles, and claim bragging rights for a lifetime for this iconic trail!
Round-trip length: 1.4 mile loop (can be combined with other trails for longer distances)
Pet friendly? Though most of Acadia is dog-friendly, no dogs allowed on this trail due to treachery and human traffic (not to be confused with human trafficking)
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/maine/the-beehive-loop-trail
Also Cool In The Area: If you like this hike, you’ll also love The Precipice Trail in Acadia … like the Beehive but steeper and longer!
Nearby RV Camping At: Campgrounds inside Acadia are mostly for smaller campers; a great full hookup park outside Acadia is Narrows Too Camping Resort in Trenton.
5. New Mexico: El Morro National Monument
Inscription
Trail/Loop Trail
El Morro means “The Headland,” a this 2–mile loop includes
the Inscription Trail with hundreds of Spanish and Anglo inscriptions from
travelers coming through the area, as well as pre–historical petroglyphs. Continuing onto the Loop Trail up 250 feet
elevation gain to the top of the bluff, you will be rewarded with spectacular
views of the Zuni Mountains, the volcanic craters of the El Malpais area, and
the El Morro Valley. Here, you’ll find the
Ancestral Puebloan ruin, Atsinna, or “place of writings on rock,” where between
1275-1350 AD, up to 1500 people lived in this 875 room pueblo.
Round-trip length: 2 mile loop
Pet-friendly? Leashed dogs
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/el-morro-national-monument-loop-trail
Also Cool In The Area: Ice Cave and Baldera Volcano, El Malpais National Monument
Nearby RV Camping At: El Morro RV Park & Campground, Ramah, NM. A
very unique and cool (or strange, depending on your outlook) place. Kinda
like a hippie commune that just happens to have an RV park. Loose dog
"Guido" who runs amok 24 hours a day. Chickens and turkeys
loose too, "don't bother them because they provide eggs to the
restaurant." You get the idea.
6. Idaho: Elk Bend
Goldbug Hot
Springs
We lovvvve hot springs --- it’s just something about that extreme relaxation! --- and this is our favorite one of all time, perhaps because you can ONLY reach this remote destination via a beautiful hike! Goldbug Hot Springs is near Elk Bend, about 20 miles south of Salmon. A review of Goldbug Hot Springs noted: "if steep hikes, rocky paths, morning baptists, or evening hippies will deter you, then please, by all means, be deterred!" and THAT is pretty much what you’re gonna get! Go super early to get a parking spot in the residential road leading to the trailhead, and to beat the crowds that will plague this place later in the day. The 1.7 mile trail starts with switchbacks and then meanders along the creek, later getting rockier and requiring a little scrambling. Up at the top, try to avoid gawking at the nude and semi-nude; there are lots of little pools of different temperatures, so you can find the one that suits you best. With amazing views looking over the valley below, trickling waterfalls, and lots of interesting people-watching, you’ll never want to leave!
Round-trip length: 3.5 miles
Pet-friendly? Yes,
and there will be lots of dogs up there
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/idaho/goldbug-elk-bend-hot-springs
Also Cool Nearby: "Dick's
Dugouts," with a single remaining cabin as the only remnant of a colony of
beloved Idaho hermits from yesteryear. During his 63 years living off the grid
on the banks of the Salmon River, Richard "Dugout Dick" Zimmerman
eked out a simple existence in hand-dug caves and structures built with
cast-off junk.
Nearby RV Camping At: Elk Bend RV Park is just a few miles
away, with crazy-friendly owners, big spaces, very nicely kept, and a fun bar
across the street.
7. New York: Watkins Glen State
Park
Glen Creek Gorge Trail
Gorge Trail, how do we love thee, let us count the numbers: 832 rock steps … 19 waterfalls …380 million year old sandstone and shale, all nicely compacted into a tidy, damp stroll! Throw in some stacked stone bridges, dripping rocks, babbling brooks, cool pools, and lots of people … you’ll want to go early for sure! But who can blame everyone for wanting to come here … Watkins Glen is “gorge”ous --- get it? J Nicely situated in New York’s Finger Lakes region, with luscious farm fields, wineries galore, gorges and waterfalls a’plenty, this is a fun hike for the whole family – easy and fun!
Round-trip length: 4.2 miles
Pet friendly? Not on the Gorge Trail, but you can take your furry friend on the Indian Trail and South Rim Trail, though they are not nearly as wonderful.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/glen-creek-gorge-trail
Also Cool In The Area: Don’t miss the Corning Museum of Glass, part history lesson, part science and learning center, part photographer’s playground, and part hands-on arts experience!
Nearby RV Camping At: Watkins Glen State Park has on-site campgrounds with large wooded sites, partial hookups and even an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
8. Utah: Moab
Corona Arch
The 140-foot Corona Arch, also called Little Rainbow Bridge, is one of the largest and most spectacular mostly-freestanding arches in the Moab area (and it's not even inside Arches). Though the hike is a fairly easy route through Bootlegger Canyon, it does involve a few portions of scrambling over slickrocks, and a couple of chain-rails and ladders … all the more fun! Getting closer and catching first sight of the arch, you may find yourself thinking, well that’s a disappointment! But wait … don’ give it! It's a psych-out … all in the scale and perspective. Get closer, and it's .... HUUUUUUGE! This is an easy, accessible, short trail that almost anyone can handle.
Round-trip length: 2.8 miles
Pet friendly? Yes. Since you can’t take Fido on any of
the trails in nearby Arches NP, this is a good dog-friendly option!
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/corona-and-bowtie-arch-trail
Also Cool In The Area: Canyonlands National Park has
all of the scenery of Arches, but none of the crowds!
9. New Mexico: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail
Kasha Katuwe literally means
Round-trip length:
2.8 miles
Pet friendly? No dogs
allowed
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/tent-rocks-slot-canyon-trail
Also Cool In The Area: Fore! Swing your clubs at the surprisingly posh public Cochiti Golf Course.
Nearby RV Camping At: Cochiti Lake Area Campground, Pena
Blanca, NM. Nice hiking trails around
the campground, the world's best Verizon and TV signal, extremely quiet, really
cool picnic structures with copper roofs.
10. Utah: Moab
Fisher Towers
Round-trip length: 4.5 miles
Pet-friendly? While
dogs are allowed on leash, there is that small ladder about 1.5 miles into the
trail, that may be difficult to pass with a larger dog.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/fisher-towers-trail
Also Cool Nearby: Ummmm,
it’s Moab! Everything is cool in
Moab! But of course, Arches National
Park is a must-do for hikers.
Nearby RV Camping At: There are many choices in Moab; for
full hookups, check Moab Valley RV Resort. If you're coming from the north, consider Ballard RV Park in Thompson Springs.
11. Logan, Ohio: Hocking Hills
Old Man’s Cave Trail
Round-trip lengths: Old Man’s Cave 1.2 miles; Cedar Falls 0.9 miles; Rock House 0.9 miles; Cantwell Cliffs 1.8 miles
Pet
friendly? Yes
AllTrails
Link: https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/ohio/hocking-hills-state-park
Also
Cool In The Area: Ummm … pencil sharpener museum, anyone? The Paul
A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum contains over 3,000 sharpeners. Plan on at least, oh, say, 5 minutes for this
stop.
Nearby
RV Camping At: Choose the state park campground located right next to Old
Man's Cave Visitor Center for location and convenience. It’s very basic
and not gonna rock your world, but you’ll be riiiiight there close to all the outdoor beauty.
12. Oregon: Silver Falls State Park
Trail of Ten Falls
Nestled in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, the 9,000-Silver Falls State Park is the largest and most popular of all Oregon state parks. One of the main draws is its spectacular hiking on The Trail of Ten Falls. Where else can you walk behind, around, over, under and (if you’re adventurous, through) TEN breathtaking falls in a 7 mile hike? Not just your everyday waterfalls, either … ten beauties up to 177-feet tall! Like practically everything up here, this landscape was created by volcanoes “duh”, namely basalt lava flows. Softer layers of the basalt eroded over time and created natural pathways behind many of the falls. So cool! You’re gonna get a little wet … and a lot tired … but for waterfall-y fun, this is the place to be!
Round-trip length: Moderate 8.7 miles
Pet
friendly? No … boo, hiss.
AllTrails
Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/trail-of-ten-falls-canyon-trail
Also
Cool In The Area: It’s not exactly “in the area,” but you’ve got to hit
Crater Lake National Park while in Oregon!
Spectactular scenery and the bluest water you’ll ever set your sights
upon!
Nearby RV Camping At: Camp right in Silver Falls State Park. Great, huge campsites (ours was literally 80' long), water and electric hookups, decent showers, friendly people and families everywhere, kids having fun but not being obnoxious, and a short bike ride or walk away from the main lodge area and the start of the Trail of Ten Falls and many other hiking trails.
13. Minnesota: Gooseberry Falls
Fifth Falls and
Superior Hiking Trail Loop
Round-trip length: 5 miles for Superior (3 miles) + Fifth Falls Trail (2 mile loop)
Pet friendly? Yes
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/minnesota/gooseberry-falls-state-park
Also Cool In The Area: The Gitchi-Gami Trail, despite
its super weird name (and not to be confused with the Gitchi-Gummi Snowshoe
Trail), is a great bike path leading right out from the campground along the
coast of Lake Superior, running along its steep cliffs, beaches and crystal
clear waters.
Nearby RV Camping At: Gooseberry Falls State Park has
a nice campground but sites are very small and short; check sizes carefully
before reserving.
14: Stanley, Idaho
Alpine Lake via Iron Creek Trailhead
Even though Stanley's population is only 63, it swells into the tens of thousands during the summer, as travelers come for the beauty and the outdoor recreation, including high-altitude hikes to Alpine Lake and Sawtooth Lake. It kinda has it all … woods, switchbacks, a little bit of rock scrambling, a beautiful picnic-friendly lake, and an optional trek a few miles further (and a wee bit harder) to an even MORE beautiful lake!
Round-trip length: 7.4 miles (10 miles if you continue all the way to Sawtooth Lake)
Pet friendly?
Yes
AllTrails
Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/idaho/alpine-lake-via-trail-640-and-alpine-way-trail
Also Cool In The
Area: Start with a restful ferry ride ($14) across the lake from Redfish
Lake Lodge and then take the hike to Bench Lakes! This trail climbs rapidly through a variety
of switchbacks and gives you an excellent sweat-inducing workout up the
mountain.
Nearby RV Camping
At: Stanley RV + Camp is a hip/cool full-hookup park about 5 miles north
of Stanley.
15. Alberta, Canada: Lake Louise
Lake Agnes Tea House Hike
Wow all your friends: “Whatcha do today?” “Oh not much, just hiked up to a 120-year-old family-run tea house for some soup…” Head out from the shores of gorgeous, natural Lake Louise, with emerald water color and glaciers in the background that make you feel like you’re living in a cliché. Make sure to pack your trusty bear spray … though you won’t be alone, this is truly the wilderness! Along the way, going up-up-up, you’ll see amazing views of Lake Louise, pass through thick forests, past Mirror Lake, and finally arriving at a small cabin which is now a family-run tea house. Choose from 100 loose-leaf teas, homemade soup, sandwiches, cookies, and more, on their outdoor patio gazing at the mirror reflection of Lake Agnes. If you’re really feeling your oats, you can continue hiking to the top of the Little Beehive or Big Beehive. Or, more likely, return down the mountain for a well-earned nap, your belly full of homemade apple crumble. Now that’s a good day! The staff is responsible for trekking all supplies and materials up and down the mountain on foot, so be sure to thank them for their service. Only open June through October.
Round-trip length: 4.7 miles
Pet friendly? You betcha … as long as you buy you pet his own scone when you get there. He earned it, after all!
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/lake-agnes-trail?u=i
Also Cool In The Area: Moraine Lake is possibly even more beautiful than Lake Louise. The relatively large town of Banff, 35 miles away, is the “place to be” in this area. Check out the Johnston Canyon trail, where a series of cliff-hugging catwalks lead you to multiple sets of various falls.
Nearby RV Camping At: Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court just outside Banff has the only full hookup camping in the area.
If you're accessing this blog post via Facebook or another non-direct route, consider subscribing to our blog to stay on top of future charming hikes and adventures! Visit the homepage at charmingmillers.com and enter your email address on the right hand side to receive new posts automatically in your inbox.
