Trails & Hiking.
23 published research notes across 10 regions. Use them as a planning starting point, then confirm access, weather, permits, and closures with the responsible land manager.
Catawba Falls — Upper Falls Staircase
A 100-foot cascading lower waterfall and a 50-foot free-falling upper waterfall, connected by a 580-step staircase and observation tower built in 2024. The trail follows the Catawb…
Douglas Falls — Walk-Behind Waterfall
A 70-foot free-falling waterfall in old-growth forest that you can walk behind. Located in the Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest — an area locals call Coleman Boundary — a …
Secret Waterfall Trail Behind Biltmore Estate
A hidden gem in "Asheville, NC".
Secret Waterfalls along Buncombe County Trails
Tucked away in the River Arts District and West Asheville neighborhoods, locals know of secluded waterfalls accessible via lesser-known trails that offer refreshing swimming holes …
Green Hills Preserve — Middle Mountain Summit
A 1,857-foot summit with panoramic views of the Mount Washington Valley, Conway Lake, and into Maine, accessed through The Nature Conservancy's Green Hills Preserve. Tourists drive…
Humphrey's Ledge — Bouldering Field
A granite bouldering area scattered below a south-facing cliff on West Side Road, just past Cathedral Ledge. While tourists crowd Cathedral and Whitehorse, climbers who live in the…
Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch — Locals Trail
A 140-foot-wide freestanding sandstone arch larger than any arch in Arches National Park, accessed via a 1.5-mile trail with cable-assisted slickrock scrambling on BLM land. No par…
Moonflower Canyon Petroglyphs
Moonflower Canyon is a 0.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area just outside Moab, featuring ancient petroglyphs on impressive rock art panels, a se…
Onion Creek Narrows — Slickrock Slot Canyon
A tight slickrock slot canyon carved by Onion Creek, accessed via a rough dirt road 20 miles east of Moab on Highway 128. The narrows compress to shoulder-width in places, with amp…
Bogachiel River Local Trails
Turn off Highway 101 south of Forks onto Bogachiel River Road, and you'll enter a rainforest world where locals fish, hike, and explore - far from the Hoh River Trail crowds that m…
Forks Locals' Favorite Rainforest Trails (Not the Hoh River Trail)
A hidden gem in Olympic Peninsula, WA.
Babylon Arch Trail — Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Babylon Arch Trail is a 1.5–2.2 mile family-friendly hike in the remote Babylon area of Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, leading to a near-perfect circular sandstone arch — roughly 8 fee…
Hidden Gem: Yant Flat (Candy Cliffs)
Striking sandstone formations with vibrant red, orange, and white striped patterns resembling candy, located in the Virgin River Basin near St George, Utah. Also known as Candy Cli…
Petrified Dunes Trail — Moqui Marbles and Jurassic Waterpockets in Snow Canyon
A 1.2-mile hike across 200-million-year-old petrified Navajo Sandstone dunes in Snow Canyon State Park, where iron concretions called Moqui marbles crunch underfoot and seasonal ra…
Snow Canyon Lava Tubes
Two ancient lava tube caves accessible via the Lava Flow Trail in Snow Canyon State Park, formed ~20,000 years ago when molten basalt cooled on the outside while lava drained from …
Hungarian Falls — Dover Creek Gorge
A multi-tiered waterfall system dropping over 100 feet through a narrow Dover Creek gorge in the Keweenaw Peninsula, with ancient volcanic rock walls and copper-stained pools. Thre…
Sturgeon River Gorge — Wilderness Falls
A federally designated wilderness area containing the deepest gorge in Michigan and a 40-foot waterfall accessible only by a steep, unmarked descent through old-growth hemlock fore…
Rainbow Connection Overlook Bench
A newly built overlook bench on the Whitefish Trail's Rainbow Connection section offering unobstructed views of Murray Lake and distant Glacier National Park peaks — completed by W…
Viking Creek — Upper Falls
A 25-foot cascade above the Viking Creek lower falls that most visitors completely miss. Documented by Whitefish Pilot photographer Kelsey Evans in early 2026 after ice climbers di…