Monument Peak Trail system, south of Gates, was designed for equestrians but is open to hikers and mountain bikers.

My essential goal in writing these columns is to entice people into turning their backs on the seductive sea and to face the great interior, the Santa Barbara County backcountry. She’s a very raw ...

Figuring out what to eat on a camping or backpacking trip can become its own adventure, especially in the backcountry, when ...

Thoughtfully walking the wilderness footpath along Manzana Creek enhances one’s inner awareness, as he perforce faces the social world’s “shadow self” and some of his own unexamined assumptions. At ...

Wildflowers are beginning to bloom along the Bay View Trail in China Camp State Park. The flowers add their beauty to the scenic views that are featured from the ridge above China Camp. For a ...

A trail that passes miles of burned trees leads to an unburned land of high mountain lakes in central Oregon's Three Sisters Wilderness Area. It's a magical place, with sweeping views of the big ...

Until last year, gaining access to one of the most challenging hikes in the Camp Verde area was an iffy venture. Although the Ryal Canyon Trail terminus is right off Salt Mine Road just a few miles ...

I spent 11 days trekking through the Himalayas to make the bucket list hike to Everest Base Camp. It was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I've ever done, but totally worth it. I was ...