Hikes and campgrounds across America

This short hike ventures into a canyon to Lost Creek Waterfall, a seasonal desert falls. Cross through a riparian area below tall cliffs in the Spring Mountains of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Lost Creek Canyon Trail is 0.35 miles long and can be done as a 0.7-mile out and back hike with 165 feet of elevation change. Form a circuit with Lost Creek Children's Discovery Loop Trail to explore surrounding rock formations (including a pictograph) on a 0. ...Read more.

Calico Tanks Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and for good reason. The trail ventures up a canyon colored in both yellow and red sandstone. Add the gray-blue mountains to the northwest and you get some seriously vibrant views. The trail ends with two rewards, a hopefully-not-dry pond and an overlook of Las Vegas. ...Read more.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a fantastic park to explore, with grand mountains and sandstone formations risings from the desert west of Las Vegas, Nevada. For those staying overnight in the park, Red Rock Canyon NCA has one campground with 72 sites. Like the rest of the park, the campground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which has established a well-developed campground for visitors. ...Read more.

How significant is water in the desert? Head to Read Spring to find out, where a 0.55-mile boardwalk circles an out-of-place meadow fed by a small spring. Red Spring spills from the base of the Calico Hills beneath a ridge of wildly shaped sandstone. While most of the trails in Red Rock Canyon NCA begin along the Scenic Drive, Red Spring Boardwalk sets out from a picnic area off Calico Basin Road on the east side of the park closest to Las Vegas. ...Read more.

Do you like to hike but suffer from a little bit of fomo (fear of missing out)? Make your way to Northwest Portland for an outing in Forest Park that has a bit of everything. Start up Lower Macleay Trail along Balch Creek, the park's biggest year-round stream. Hike less than a mile through a verdant rainforest to arrive at Stone House (imaginatively nicknamed the Witch's Castle), where the ruins of an old building are alluringly grown over with moss and ferns. ...Read more.

Hike a couple miles through the temperate rainforest in Forest Park and you could easily forget how close you are to downtown Portland. Jog your memory by hiking up to Pittock Mansion for a major view over the city. This 5.4-mile hike with 850 feet of elevation change starts from Lower Macleay Park in Northwest Portland. Stroll along Balch Creek on Lower Macleay Trail to Stone House and examine captivating ruins that make a fine destination on their own. ...Read more.

Are you in Portland, Oregon? Is it a clear day? If you answered yes to these questions, start making your way to Powell Butte. Located on the southeast side of the city, the butte is kept green by a 612-acre municipal park that offers several hiking trails for visitors. A short walk up a paved trail from the visitor center leads to the butte's 630-foot summit, which can offer salivating views of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Hood, and other peaks. ...Read more.

White Domes Trail crosses stunning landscapes that reinvent themselves around every turn. The views on this 1.1-mile loop with 150 feet of elevation change are both varied and extraordinary. The circuit passes sandstone formations with different shapes and colors. The trail also visits an old film set and lets hikers slip through a narrow canyon. The surroundings are diverse and the hike is thrilling, making White Domes Trail one of the best places to experience Valley of Fire State Park's awesome beauty. ...Read more.