Trails

Above Huka Falls, the Waikato River presses through a ravine of sheer rock cliffs, creating a churning canal of rapids. At the end of this ravine, the water surges out as Huka Falls, where it makes a powerful push into the river below. To see the waterfall and the ravine, visitors can simply walk 200 meters from a car park by Huka Falls. To add a walk along Waikato River to the itinerary, set out on Spa Thermal Park in Taupo. ...Read more.

With scenery that is more verdant than the volcanic landscapes at the center of Tongariro National Park, Lake Rotopounamu Track provides a peaceful walk to a small, forest-cradled lake with inviting beaches. Lake Rotopounamu, which is also know as Greenstone Lake, covers one square kilometer. Lake Rotopounamu Loop Track circles the lake for a hike that's 6. ...Read more.

Silica Rapids Track explores improbable landscapes in Tongariro National Park, where cream-colored streams cascades over terraces of silica. The 5.15-kilometer (3.2-mile) long track starts from Whakapapa Village and ends two kilometers farther up Bruce Road, allowing it to be explored as a point-to-point hike with the assistance of a vehicle or a 7. ...Read more.

Taranaki Falls Track is an impressive 6.45-kilometer (4-mile) loop starting from Whakapapa Village in Tongariro National Park. The track crosses alpine grasslands, beech forests, and other landscapes shaped by incredible nearby volcanoes. Around the midpoint of the loop, the track reaches Taranaki Falls, which plunges nearly twenty meters (65 feet) from volcanic cliffs into a pleasant pool. ...Read more.

Spencer Butte rises high above the south end of the Willamette Valley near Eugene, Oregon. A 5.2-mile round trip hike to the mountaintop crosses through a lush forest covered in ferns and ascends to a nearly treeless 2,060-foot summit where there are round-the-compass views over Lane County's bucolic valleys and evergreen-covered hills. The woodland walk at the start is pleasant enough to be its own attraction, and the panoramic summit really puts this hike over the top. ...Read more.

Latourell Falls is a stunning waterfalls tumbling into the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland. More precisely, there are two waterfalls on Latourell Creek totaling 359 feet of falls. Lower Latourell Falls is a beautiful 225-foot single drop waterfall that can be seen right from the trailhead along Historic Columbia River Highway. Farther up the canyon is Upper Latourell Falls, which is 134 feet tall, sliding down a basalt overhang before twisting to a freefalling plunge. ...Read more.

Discover a tucked-away oasis of Sargent cypress straddling a ridge in the Santa Lucia Mountains north of San Luis Obispo. The evergreens are accompanied by coastal views that could have you imagining you're somewhere farther north in California. The hike to Cuesta Ridge Botanical Special Interest Area is 6 miles round trip up a partially paved road with 950 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

Located in the Santa Ynez Mountains, 1,800-feet above the Santa Barbara Coast, Inspiration Point attracts hikers with panoramic views over city and sea. Two routes lead to this picturesque perch. If you want to make a day of it, you can approach the viewpoint from the west on a moderate 7.55-mile round trip trek up Jesusita Trail to Inspiration Point from San Roque Road. ...Read more.

La Tuna Canyon Trail explores a pair of canyon on the northwest side of the Verdugo Mountains between Burbank and Sunland. There are views north toward the San Gabriels and west toward the San Fernando Valley from this dirt trail as it ascends 975 feet over 2.25 miles on a winding route through the 1,100 acres of La Tuna Canyon Park. At the top, there is a bench offering relaxing views and a junction with Verdugo Fire Road, the main trail across the top of the range, which allows you to explore even farther. ...Read more.

It's pretty obvious that Waitonga Falls Track goes to a waterfall, which is actually the tallest waterfall in Tongariro National Park. The track's other offerings may surprise you though, like a boardwalk across alpine wetlands with pools that hold a mirror to Mount Ruapehu, the biggest volcano in New Zealand. Indeed, you'll get big enjoyment from this 4-kilometer (2. ...Read more.