Hike alongside lake, thru floodplain forest

St. Croix River shoreline at William O'Brien State Park.

Riverside Trail map

Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park in Minnesota.

The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Don’t think of this area as a swamp, though – you’ll find rest areas (some with benches) about every 900 feet on the trail, as well as interpretive signs.

To reach the trail, from Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O'Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Floodplain forest
At the amphitheater, the trail curves east then north again as paralleling a back channel of the St. Croix River. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity.

About 0.3 miles from the amphitheater, shortly after passing a stem trail leading to a campground, the back channel joins the main channel. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquilityreigns.

A little more than halfway through the hike, the trail veers from the river and follows a small stream that flows from the bluffs into the St. Croix. Frogs make their home along the creek in large numbers, and you’re likely to hear them through the day.

The trail then curves south and soon crosses O’Brien Trail North. This marks the steepest section of the trail as it rises and drops about 40 feet over a knoll.

Lake Alice bird life
Next the trail squeezes between the road and Lake Alice. The lake was named for Alice O'Brien, whose donation of 180 acres in honor of her father, William, launched the park.

Springs at Lake Alice’s north end feeds it through the year, assuring the water remains clean and blue all summer. Keep an eye to the sky for eagles and hawks looking for a meal in the lake. Geese and ducks usually can be spotted floating about, so if you have little ones, bring some dried bread they can toss into the water to feed the waterfowl.

The Riverside Trail is wheelchair accessible. It also has restrooms and a swimming area on Lake Alice at trail’s end, so be sure to pack your kids’ swimming trunks.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Waterfowl, rare birds await in Crex Meadows

Phantom Lake Trail

An array of short jeep trails at Wisconsin’s Crex Meadows Wildlife Area can be used for day hiking, offering the opportunity to see migrating birds and rare plant life.

Several of them can be found in Crex Meadow’s central area. From Grantsburg, Wis., follow the signs and yellow goose painted on the roadway, to the wildlife area’s southwest corner. County Road F heads north along Crex’s western boundary while County Road D heads east, roughly paralleling Crex’s southern bounder for a few miles. Take County Road D east then turn left/north onto East Refuge Road.

Jeep trails that make great hiking trails in central Crex Meadows include:
g Phantom Lake Trail – The 2.2-mile round trip trail heads to Crex Meadow’s largest body of water – a 2,000 acre lake teeming with birds from spring through autumn. On East Refuge Road, just after Lundquist Road, park in the southern lot for the Upper Phantom Flowage Trail. Backtrack on East Refuge Road and take the jeep trail going west.
g North Fork Flowage Trail – A number of flowages host islands perfect for nesting waterfowl; you can spot a few of those rookeries by hiking the 0.75-mile round trip North Fork Flowage Trail. Park at the lot or the Upper Phantom Flowage Trail on East Refuge Road’s east side. Walk north on East Refuge Road and take the first jeep trail heading right/east to North Fork Flowage.
g Dike 1 Flowage Trail – The 0.5-mile round trip jeep trail heads to the sedge meadows north of Dike 1 Flowage. To reach the trail, from East Refuge Road, turn right/east onto the jeep trail just north of Main Dike Road. Park in the first lot on the north side of Dike 1 Flowage. Hike the jeep trail to the next parking lot for an out-and-back trail.
g Dike 1 Sedge Marsh Trail – Hikers can spot a plethora of rare and endangered birds on the 0.5-mile round trip Dike 1 Sedge Marsh Trail. From East Refuge Road, about 2.5 miles north of County Road D, turn right/east onto the jeep trail (If you’ve reached North Refuge Road, you’ve gone too far.). Park at the lot at the edge of a sedge meadow. Rare birds that can be spotted here include LeConte’s sparrow, Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow, and the Yellow rail.
g Monson Lake West Trail – A 0.2-mile jeep trail runs to Monson Road from the wetlands at the edge of Monson Lake’s west side. The jeep trail is on Monson Road (which appears as Town Hall Road on some maps) between North Refuge and Reed Lake roads; East Refuge Road ends at its junction with North Refuge Road; turn left/west onto North Refuge Road then right/north onto Monson Road. Park at the wetlands and walk to Town Hall Road on this out-and-back trail.
g Middle North Fork Flowage Trail – Day hikers can travel past one of the first pioneer-era trails in northwest Wisconsin on this 1.5-mile round trip. On Main Dike Road about a mile east of East Refuge Road, turn right/south onto a jeep trail. Park at the end of the trail alongside Middle North Fork Flowage; from the lot, walk to and then back from Main Dike Road for 1.5-mile round trip. The Tote Road was established north of the jeep trail in 1830.

Read more about day hiking Crex Meadows in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Crex Meadows Wildlife Area guidebook.

Motivate kids to hike: Adventure Journal

Get kids excited about day hiking by having them keep an adventure
journal. Photo courtesy of retro traveler / Photoree.

Even if you're excited, the kids’ calls to instead hit the local water park may drown out your announcement that a family hike is planned this weekend. What to do? Try this pre-hike activity with children to get them (and you!) excited about hitting the trail rather than the Wii console.

What to do? One tried and true possibility is to have kids create an adventure journal.

Begin by collecting articles about where you’re going to hike, from magazines, newspapers, brochures or online. Make sure this informational material has plenty of pictures. Have children create a mini-book or a poster about their anticipated adventure by cutting pictures from the informational material and creating the trail. Elementary school children might read through some of the material and even add captions to the pictures. Have children focus on what they think they’ll see during the hike, based on the informational materials

Materials: Informational material about where you plan to hike, glue or tape, paper, scissors, stapler w/staples (for binding paper into a book)

Ages: 4 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

Hike circles glacial lake to 180-foot waterfall

Topo map of Jenny Lake Trail.

Crossing Jenny Lake at Grand Teton National Park.
Photo courtesy Grand Teton NPS.

Moose ponds, boat ride
across lake await hikers

UPDATE: As of July 10, 2018, the National Park Service has closed the Hidden Falls portion of this hike due to a fissure that formed there. Read more.

***

Day hikers can walk along a tranquil blue lake with some of the most impressive mountain views in the United States as a backdrop on the Jenny Lake Trail in Grand Teton National Park.

The 6.5-mile trail wraps around the world-famous lake at the base of the snow-capped Teton Mountain Range in northwest Wyoming. Just a few miles south of Yellowstone National Park, no visit to the latter would not be complete without also stopping at Grand Teton.

Because of the high elevation, July and August mark the best time to hike the trail. Jenny Lake can be frozen in May, and snow can fall in June. Be forewarned: Because of this small visiting window, the trail will be busy in summer. To avoid the crowds, hike it early or late in the day.

The trail can be reached from Yellowstone by taking U.S. Hwys. 26/89/191 south. Turn onto Teton Park Road then onto South Jenny Lake Junction. Park at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center with the trail leaving from it.

Though an easy, well-maintained trail, it is long, especially for young children. You can cut the trail into a reasonable segment by walking half way around Jenny Lake and surprising the kids with a boat ride back across. That route – described here – is about 3.5 miles long.

Ice Age holdover
If you’re staying a while at the park, before heading out be sure to stop at the visitor center and pick up your kids copies of The Grand Adventure activity guide. By completing the guidebook and also attending a ranger-led program, your children can earn a Junior Ranger patch or badge, a cool souvenir. Each activity book is a mere dollar.

From the visitor center, head roughly southwest toward the lake. Beyond the lake is the Teton Range, with Teewinot Mountain at 12,325 feet the closest high point, with the Teton triplets beyond it to the southwest. Grand Teton is to the right of Middle Teton, with South Teton to the left.

When the trail splits, continue heading southwest by crossing Cottonwood Creek and passing the east shore boat dock. This route heads around the lake’s southern side.

Jenny Lake is fairly young, forming about 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when glaciers pushed rock debris into the canyon beneath the mountain range. These debris created a natural dam that now holds the lake. A subalpine lake, it reaches an astonishing 423 feet in depth.

About a mile through the conifer wilderness, watch for the small “Moose Ponds” sign. The largest member of the deer family in North America, moose like to hang out in the wetlands area to the trail’s south and west. When the trail reaches a ridge line, look in that direction, and you’ll likely spot one or two.

Black bears also are common in the park. While they almost certainly will leave you alone, always remain wary of them – and definitely do not leave food in your vehicle.

Spectacular Hidden Falls
Curving around the lake’s southern shore, the trail gains in elevation. In about 1.4 miles from the trailhead, on the shore opposite of the visitor center, is the junction for the Cascade Canyon Trail.

The waterfall boasts a 180-foot drop as Cascade Creek flows out of the Tetons into Jenny Lake. If Hidden Falls were located on the other side of the continental divide, it would be the fourth highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.

Return back along the Cascade Canyon Trail to the trail junction and continue left/north on the Jenny Lake Trail. In short order, the trail crosses Cascade Creek.

Less than a 1000 feet from the creek is the west shore boat dock. You’ll need to pay for a boat ticket; they leave about every 15-20 minutes throughout the day. As crossing the lake, enjoy the reflection of Teewinot Mountain upon the crystal blue waters.

The boat arrives at the east shore dock. From there, retrace the Jenny Lake Trail back to the visitor center.

Learn about other great national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Fantastic views of mountains, lake await

Mount Gould rises over Swiftcurrent Lake
in Glacier National Park. Photo courtesy of Glacier NPS.

Swiftcurrent Trail map, courtesy NPS.

Glacier N.P. trail passes moose, crosses footbridge

A scenic stroll around a high mountain lake awaits day hikers on the Swiftcurrent Lake Loop Trail at Glacier National Park in Montana.

Flat and full of great views as well as wildlife, the 2.9-mile loop – made up of segments of three other trails – is perfect for families with children. Late June through early August marks the best times to visit, as summer wildflower blooms are at their peak. Come a week or two earlier, though, and you’ll probably need a windbreaker if not a light jacket to stay warm.

To reach the trail, from Great Falls, Mont., take U.S. Hwy. 89 north to the park near the tiny town of Babb. Turn left/west onto Many Glacier Road/Route 3. A scenic albeit bumpy route, the road heads past lakes and mountain peaks before reaching the left/south turnoff to Many Glacier Hotel. Park in the hotel lot and head to the southern end of the hotel where the boat dock sits on Swiftcurrent Lake.

The first leg of the trial – the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail – heads through an evergreen forest with several short spur trails leading to lakeside beaches. At 0.6 miles, the trail passes the Chief Two Guns winter boat house.

Moose zone
You’ll reach a footbridge crossing a channel connecting Swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes at 0.9 miles. Keep an eye out here for moose enjoying a mawful of grass or eating leaves off trees. While moose can be seen just about anywhere on the trail, they particularly like this swampier habitat.

Rounding the lake’s south side, at 1.1 miles you’ll come to the south boat dock. If staying overnight at the national park and planning to hike the popular route to Grinnell Glacier (the meltwater of which feeds Swiftcurrent Lake), seriously consider ferrying via shuttle boat across the lake to this dock, which will save your feet some miles, as the trail to the glacier leaves from near this point.

The Swiftcurrent Nature Trail technically ends at the junction with the Grinnell Glacier Trail. By taking the Grinnell Glacier Trail to the northwest, however, you can loop around the lake back to the hotel. As turning back for an out-and-back trail is almost as long the loop, opt for continuing onward rather than retreading old ground. More great views await.

From the Grinnell Glacier-Swiftcurrent Nature junction, the trail parallels the lake’s western side, offering great views of the hotel across the waters. While you probably came here for the scenery and some fresh mountain air, the hotel itself is a wonder. Built during the early 1910s, it replicates Swiss chalets that perfectly fit this locale.

Footbridge vista
The trail veers away from the lake as nearing Swiftcurrent Creek. The footbridge over the lake marks a good resting spot, if only for its views. Mount Wilbur rises to the west and Wynn Mountain in the east.

North of the creek, the trail runs through a pine and aspen forest. Grinnell Point is visible to the left/west.

At 2.1 miles, the trail reaches the Grinnell Glacier Trail parking lot. Go northeast around the edge of the lot and pick up the Continental Divide Trail, turning right/northeast onto it.

The Continental Divide Trail loops around the lake’s north and northeast side, arriving back at the hotel.

While temperatures generally are pleasant during summer, there can be some hot days; you’ll want bug repellent for the mosquitoes when that occurs. Also, be aware that bears inhabit the area (Don’t be surprised if you find bear scat on the trail - watch your step!), so you may want to read up on how to avoid them and what to do in case an encounter happens anyway.

Learn about other great national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Reason No. 23 to hike with kids: A better night sleep

Kids exposed to sunlight sleep better at night.

If your children keep falling asleep in school, you may want to take them for a hike – especially if their classroom doesn’t have windows.

Recent research by Northwestern University found that adults who worked in windowless offices slept 47 minutes less per night than those who enjoyed sunlit workspaces. Researchers suggested that exposure to natural light synchronized the circadian clock, ensuring better production of the sleep hormone melatonin during night.

Just a half-hour outdoors can make up for the difference. Not to mention the fresh air and physical activity will make any child sleep more soundly at night!

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Day hike National Christmas Tree Trail

Lighting of 1977 National Christmas Tree, which came from Nemadji
State Forest. Photo courtesy of National Archives.

Three-mile route
heads through
evergreen forest

Day hikers can enjoy a peaceful walk through a fragrant evergreen forest on the National Christmas Tree Trail in Minnesota’s Nemadji State Forest.

The three-mile (2.6 miles for loop plus 0.4 miles round trip for stem) trail sits in the northwest corner of the massive forest. In 1977, a white spruce cut from the Nemadji served as the National Christmas Tree in the nation’s capitol. Forestry officials created the trail in 1987, naming it in honor of that tree.

To reach the trailhead, from State Hwy. 23 north of Nickerson, take County Road 146 south. The county road angles east; when it veers northeast, continue going straight, turning right onto Net Lake Forest Road. The forest road heads though a wetlands. After crossing Net Lake River, turn left onto the State Forest B 41 Road heading to Gafvert Campground and Day-Use Area. When that road forks, go right. Parking is available at the day-use area for Pickerel Lake.

Dense red pine forest
The trailhead goes north from the looping road at the day-use area, near the restrooms. You’ll start on the stem of a lollipop trail. The stem heads through a dense red pine forest with tallgrass underbrush.

For thousands of years before loggers and pioneers arrived during the late 1800s, the red pines were much larger around. The red pines now there are young, growing on what once were farms, since abandoned because of the poor sandy soil.

Upon reaching the loop, go left/clockwise. Birch lines the trail’s left side while dark pines rule on the right side. About 0.75 miles into the trial, it enters a more open area.

During spring and summer, listen for the black-and-white warbler, which likes brush and decidious woodlands. Its song sounds like a squeaky wheel.

Other wildlife to watch for include white-tailed deer, raccoons, eagles and porcupine. The last usually can be spotted in treetops wherever you see falling bark.

At about 1.05 miles, the trail crosses a bridge of split logs over a creek that feeds Cranberry Lake. This is a low wetland area common to the northern part of the Nemadji.

National Christmas Tree Site
The forest is named for the Nemadji River, which in turn comes from the Indian word meaning “left hand.” It's so named because the river is on the left side of Lake Superior's St. Louis Bay.

At 1.25 miles, on the loop’s northeast side of loop, you can take a spur trial 0.2 miles to a picnic area overlooking the Net River. An old beaver dam is located here. This is what this part of Minnesota looked like before settlement – red pines so large that you can’t wrap arms around many of them.

Returning to the main loop, in about 0.5 miles you’ll come to the National Christmas Tree Site, where the 1977 tree was cut. Five white spruces were planted to replace it, and a sign commemorating the tree is located there.

From that waymark, the loop heads back to the lollipop trail’s stem, which you can use to return to your vehicle.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

A lake where scientists study ‘alien’ life

Tufa on Mono Lake, Calif.
Photo courtesy California Dept. of  Parks and Recreation

Day hikers can explore a region on Earth that scientists study as a possible analog to alien worlds on the South Tufa Trail at California’s Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve.

The self-guided trail runs about 2 miles round trip with ranger-led tours are available from May-October. For most travelers coming out of the green, mountainous Yosemite National Park to the west, Mono Lake offers a surprise in contrasts. At the nature reserve, hot air visibly flutters over the beige sands with white tufa columns rising from the lake.

Arsenic-based life
To reach Mono Lake from Yosemite, take Calif. Hwy. 120 east out of the Sierra onto the desert floor. The road briefly joins then splits from U.S. Hwy. 395. Turn left/north onto Test Station Road, following it an asphalt parking lot. An entrance fee is required. The trailhead is on the lot’s northern side.

The trail crosses Mono Lake’s desert beach then circles along its tufa-lined shore. Prior to World War II, before lake levels dropped, the bizarrely-shaped tufa formations here were largely hidden. Tufa forms when chemical released from underwater springs react with chemicals in the water, forming these limestone towers.

Those spires and the ancient volcano cones surrounding the lake make the scene otherworldy enough. But this hypersaline lake also has been the sight of astrobiological research – or the study of extraterrestrial life. A scientists during the early 2010s claimed she’d discovered a bacteria here that utilizes arsenic rather than phosphorous in its DNA, previously thought impossible and widening the number of potential worlds where aliens might exist. Research since has disputed the finding, but the claim helped expand our thinking about how life might be shaped across the cosmos.

Birder's paradise
Even if such a radical lifeform doesn’t exist in Mono Lake, quite common creatures on Earth certainly like the waterbody. About 9 in 10 of California’s gull population was born on the lake. In one count, an estimated 800,000 eared grebes inhabited the lake. The migrating red-necked phalaropes, which winters in South America, also have been spotted here. Among the birds’ favorite food is brine shrimp, which adapted during the past million years to the lake’s high salinity.

Since the mid-1990s, efforts have been undertaken to raise the lake’s levels, which had dropped 40 feet since 1941 when streams and rivers that fed it were diverted to supply Los Angeles with water.

Because of that, in years ahead the trail you hike now likely will be changed as rising lake levels reclaim the shoreline.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Trail leads to brown bears fishing for salmon

Bown bears fishing on Brooks Falls. Photo courtesy
of Katmai NPS.

Map of Brooks Falls Trail, courtesy of Katmai NPS.

Day hikers can watch gigantic brown bears fish for salmon on the Brooks Falls Trail at Katmai National Park in Alaska.

While the oft-photographed and filmed falls is the highlight of the 2.4-miles round trip out-and-back trail, getting to the national park is an adventure in itself. No roads lead to it, so you either must take a boat or air taxi, which requires advance planning and reservations several months in advance, and you should plan to stay overnight. July and the first half of September mark the best time to see fishing bears and to enjoy the fall slate of park services.

Floatplanes land at a couple of different spots in Katmai, but opt for one touching down on Naknek Lake. From there, you’ll head to the park’s visitor center, where a bear-orientation video is required viewing. The video covers how to avoid a confrontation with a brown bear and what to do in case one occurs anyways.

Bears have the right-of-way at the park. As humans are not allowed to come within 50 yards of a bear and within 100 yards of a mother with her cubs, if one decides to take a seat on your trail you can’t go on. Such “bear jams” have been known to last hours.

Staying overnight at Katmai requires either camping behind an electric fence or booking a room at the Brooks Lodge. Visit the National Park Service’s Katmai website for instructions about the reserve your overnight accommodations, which sometimes have to be made up to a year before your planned trip.

Noise is good
To reach the trailhead, from Brooks Lodge head south on the walking path toward Brooks River. The path briefly runs alongside the river’s confluence with the lake, and then a floating bridge takes you across the Brooks.

An observation deck – the Lower River Platform – is on the other side. Bears usually can be spotted swimming in the river and playing on the beach.

The path becomes an asphalt road south of the platform and curves west. In about a half-mile from the platform, the Brooks Falls Trail proper heads right/northwest. Watch for signs and the restrooms across from the trailhead.

For the next half-mile, you’ll get to do one thing that usually is verboten on hiking trails: Make lots of noise. Keep bears at a distance means constantly clapping your hands and talking at the top of your lungs. And you’ll definitely want to keep an eye out in this dense forest for brown bears. An adult male coastal brown bear can weigh 1400 pounds in weight.

As the trail reaches the Brooks River, it forks to two viewing observation decks. Go right to the Riffles Platform first. Here you’ll see bears sitting on or hopping across boulders. Usually younger bears hang out at this rocky, shallow part of the river.

Abundant wildlife
Returning to the main trail, you then can take the left fork to the hike’s highlight, the Falls Platform. Aggressive males prefer this prime salmon fishing spot; many stand in the roiling white water waiting for salmon to jump the falls or to swim under them.

Bears aren’t all you’ll see here, though. Wolves often linger along the shore, and bald eagles circle in the sky, scavenging scraps left by the bears. Seagulls also can be spotted snatching leftovers.

Each summer, the sockeye salmon return from the ocean to the place of their birth upriver so they can spawn. Unfortunately for the salmon, the falls is an obstacle that they must jump over. Fortunately for the bears, this takes the salmon out of the water, where huge paws can catch them mid-flight for a high-protein, delicious meal.

Many hikers spend hours on the platform watching the wildlife. And don’t be surprised if you also spot celebrities and film crews hiking with you.

Lastly, don’t worry about bears or wolves attacking you on the observation decks. You can only access the observation decks via series of locked gates that lead to the elevated platforms, which the animals can’t reach.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Grand lake, beautiful woods await hikers

Saint Croix Flowage
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR

Day hikers can explore the northernmost reaches of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway on the Gordon Flowage Campground Trail.

The roughly 2-mile round trip is a jeep trail running through the woods bordering the river. The trail actually is unnamed, but for convenience’s sake, I’ve christened it here after the campground where it begins in Wisconsin's Gordon Dam County Park.

To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 53 in Gordon, go west on County Road Y. Within a half-mile, you'll see a lake on your right/north. That's the Saint Croix Flowage. After about seven miles, the road dead ends. This is the northern end of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Park in the Gordon Flowage Campground lot at the end of the county road.

Begin the hike by walking to the dam that creates the flowage about 300 feet northeast of the lot. The river is left/west of the dam with the 2247-acre flowage to the right/east.

The flowage – a man-made lake to prevent river flooding – reaches 28 feet deep and is popular among fishermen. Largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish are fairly abundant in the moderately clear water. Sometimes referred to as the Gordon-Saint Croix Flowage, it boasts 29 miles of meandering shoreline.

The flowage isn’t the St. Croix River’s headwaters. The river rushes into the lake’s east end near Gordon after roughly paralleling Hwy. 53 from Upper St. Croix Lake near Solon Springs. Centuries ago, European explorers and fur traders portaged from Upper St. Croix Lake to the Brule River, which flows into Lake Superior, using this route to reach the Mississippi River.

From the dam, head back to the parking lot and pick up the jeep trail at the end of County Road Y. The trail heads west, with a brief jog south, through a mixed hardwood and pine forest. It’s a lovely walk during autumn with the leaves alight in reds, oranges, yellows and the pine needles' dark greens. You won’t see the river from the trail, but you’ll likely hear it flowing over the dam.

In about 0.95 miles, the trail junctions with the asphalt Mail Road (Some maps label it as “West Mail Road” and others as “South Mail Road.”). This marks a good spot to turn around.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Fun activity for kids on hike: Same Thing

"Keep looking - there's got to be something just
like it somewhere around here."

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Same Thing. 

If multiple children are on the hike, have them divide into two teams. For the first leg of the hike, have one team collect items along the way – leaves, pine cones, rocks, etc., but nothing living or that must be broken off. During a rest break, having the first team lay out the materials and identify something about each one – orange oak leaf, ponderosa pine cone, gray granite.

On the next leg of the hike, have the other team find the same objects on the hike. At the second rest break, they lay out the items to see if they have matches. If you have two more legs in your hike, have the teams switch off, with the second team finding objects for the first team to locate.

Materials: Items found on trail

Ages: Four and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

Hike past fumaroles, mudpots, boiling pools

Bumpass Hell Trail, Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Topo map of Bumpass Hell Trail.

A fantastical world of steaming pools and multi-colored soils await day hikers on the Bumpass Hell Trail at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

At 3-miles round trip, Bumpass marks the best day hiking trail at the northern California park. Late summer and early autumn marks the best time to visit as its high elevation – almost 8200 feet at the trailhead – means it’ll be covered in snow for several months; sometimes the trail doesn’t open until the Fourth of July.

To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 5 in Redding, take Calif. Hwy. 44 east into the park. Turn right/south onto Calif. Hwy. 44. In about 20 miles, you’ll pass Helen Lake. Look for the parking lot on the road’s left/south side. The trailhead is at the oval lot’s northeast corner.

Initially the tail parallels the road but then veers southeast as heading toward the hydrothermal features that make up Bumpass Hell. You’ll immediately notice in the distance multiple columns of steam rising from a basin that’s variably orange, yellow, green and brown. You’ll also instantly notice the smell of sulphur, which is akin to the scent of rotten eggs.

Rim of ancient volcano
The trail rises and dips repeatedly in largely open country, still dotted with snow and ice, for the first 0.9 miles, where you’ll reach the highest point, an overlook of the basin at 8400 feet above sea level. This is the rim of ancient Brokeoff Volcano, which today is known as Mount Tehama.

Over the next third of a mile, the trail descends about 200 feet into the basin, where it becomes a boardwalk that guides you through 16 acres of the park’s largest concentration of hydrothermal features. It includes a short spur that takes you almost to Bumpass’ center. A ring of tall evergreens line the Bumpass’ northeast side.

From 600,000 to 400,000 years ago, Mount Tehama towered some 11,000 feet high. A classic stratovolcano, volcanic explosions and glaciers have sheared off its top.

Bumpass Hell actually is a side vent of the volcano. As rain and snow falls on nearby Lassen Peak and seeps into the ground, a pool of hot, molten rock deep in the volcano boils it into steam. That vapor condenses as rising toward the surface and escapes into the air at the mudpots, fumaroles and hot springs at Bumpass.

Big Boiler
Among Bumpass’ most impressive features is the Big Boiler, which shoots high-velocity steam into the sky. It’s the park’s largest fumarole in the park and is one of the world’s hottest fumaroles at 322°F.

Because of the boiling water and its acidity, do not leave the boardwalk trail. Indeed, the area is named for an early settler who fell into a boiling pool and severely burned his leg.

You’ll want good hiking boots as the trail leading to the boardwalk will be rocky. In addition, with high altitude and little tree cover, be sure to wear sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

Once the boardwalk trail dead ends, return the way you came. Pace yourself on the steep walk up the caldera to the overlook; there really is less oxygen at this high elevation, and you easily can lose your breath if not suffer from altitude sickness.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Day hike amid eerie gargoyle-shaped rock formations in Sierra Nevada

Trail of the Gargoyles. Photo
courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

An otherworldly array of rock formations await day hikers on the Trail of the Gargoyles in California’s Stanislaus National Forest.

The national forest consists of more than 900,000 acres bordering Yosemite National Park’s north side. With 480 miles of marked hiking trails, the national forest makes a great alternative for those wishing to avoid Yosemite’s crowds.

The 3-mile round trip (1.5-miles one way) Trail of the Gargoyles stands as among the national forest’s best. A number of different volcanic rock formations here resemble the monsters that the trail is named for.

At a starting elevation of 7,436 feet, the trail is best hiked during summer. Late June and early July is an excellent time to see wildflowers.

To reach the trailhead, from Sonora, Calif., take Calif. Hwy. 108 (also known as Mono Way) northwest into the national forest. About three miles after passing Pinecrest, turn right on Herring Creek Road (also known as Forest Route 4N12). Drive about six miles and turn left at the Gargoyles sign, stopping at the parking lot.

Sculptures 10 million years in the making
From the lot, head west on a stem trail. When you reach the T-junction, the trail splits into the North Rim Trail and the South Rim Trail, both of which run atop a cliff high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Both are out-and-back trails, with the South Rim the significantly longer of the two.

Several bands of rock form the canyon below, with the oldest granite dating to about 100 million years ago when dinosaurs walked the Earth.

About 10 million years, volcanic activity in the Little Walker Caldera, located east of Sonora Pass, filled the area with lava, mud flows known as lahars, and volcanic ash, in some areas up to 2000 feet deep. Basalt columns are located where the lava flowed and hardened into black rock.

Most of the volcanic activity ended about 5 million years ago, just as the Sierra Nevada Mountains were born. Weathering since has shaped the basalt into fantastic shapes, such as the Wall of Noses, and the gargoyle heads.

Glaciers during the last ice age also made their impact, leaving behind boulders, known as glacial erratics. Most of these boulders were carried here by the glacier as they advanced then dropped as the ice melted and retreated.

Brilliant wildflower displays
The volcanic soils provide excellent growing conditions for wildflowers. Among the many you can see here are white mariposa lily, lupines, showy yellow mule’s ears, the primary red paintbrush, the light purple penny royal and Sierra onion, spreading phlox, and sulphur buckwheat.

You’ll definitely want good hiking boots for this trail, as the rocks can be sharp. In addition, avoid getting close to the cliff’s edges, for they can crumble. If climbing rocks, be careful where you place your hands, as rattlesnakes can be found even at this high altitude.

With an elevation change of 100 feet, the trail isn’t particularly trying, but you’ll still want to pace yourself, especially if driving in from a significantly lower elevation.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Keep kids excited hiking: Nature Friend

Meet your new "Nature Friend".

Once you’ve completed your first hike, pat yourself on the back. You’ve done a lot of work but have taken the first step into a larger world for both you and your children.

To keep kid’s enthusiasm charged, “review” the hike in kid-friendly ways. While you really can’t do this with infants, most toddlers and older kids will enjoy it. One post-hike activity you might consider is Nature Friend.

During the hike, have kids secretly collect something from the trail and place it in a paper bag so others can’t see it. Nothing should be broken off of the surroundings and nothing live should be collected. The item collected is the child’s “Nature Friend.”

Once home, each child makes a “home” for their Nature Friend. They then can give a presentation about their friend, perhaps including a story about how it came to land on or near the trail and what it misses about the wilds where it was collected.

For example, if an oak leaf were collected, the child might build a home of twigs so that their Nature Friend can feel close to the tree she fell from. The Nature Friend might miss talking to the gray squirrel that collected acorns.

Materials: Paper bag, items to make a “home”

Ages: 4-10

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

Pleasant day hike through lakeside forest awaits on Wisconsin Northwoods trail

Trego Lake Trail

A pretty hike through a Northwoods forest awaits hikers on the Trego Lake Trail in the Wisconsin.

The 1.9-mile trail loops through the woods next to Trego Lake in Washburn County. Both the lake and the trail are part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Also known as the Trego Lake Ski Touring Trail, the path described here is a segment of its various routes. Up to 3.5 miles of trails are groomed for cross country skiing in winter.

To reach the trail, drive north of Trego on U.S. Hwy. 53. Go left/west on North River Road. In two miles, turn left/south into a parking lot. Take the stem trail from the lot's southern side to the main trail, where you’ll go left/east.

Autumn leaves
The trail parallels North River Road but is nicely set inside the woodland. In autumn, the trail is comely with the yellow of birch trees leaves and orange and browns of various oaks amid the mixed hardwood and pine forest. You stand a good chance of spotting white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse in the woods.

Gradually, the trail curves south then hairpins west as coming to Trego Lake. The 383-acre waterbody actually is a widening of the Namekagon River. As such, the lake isn’t particularly deep, reaching a maximum depth of just 36 feet.

About half of the trail follows the shoreline, including going onto a small peninsula. You’re likely to see fishermen on the lake, as they try to land muskie (Wisconsin’s state fish), bass (both largemouth and smallmouth flourish here), walleye, and various panfish. Northern pike and sturgeon also inhabit the lake.

After going beneath a powerline, the trail curves north, then as nearing the road, parallels it as turning east and passing under the powerline again. Upon reaching the stem trail, go left/north back to the parking lot.

Shortening, extending trail
Since the trail described here is the outer loop of the ski trails, you can shorten the walk. After hiking a brief section of the shoreline, a trail goes right/north and cuts across the woods to the parking lot. This shorter route totals 1.2 miles.

You also can extend it. After veering north away from the lake, take the next trail going right/northeast; this loops over hilly terrain and rejoins the trail proper, adding about a mile to the route for a 2.9-mile round trip. Upon rejoining the trail, go right/north back to the parking lot.

Dogs are welcomed on the trail, and restrooms can be found at the trailhead.

Learn about nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.

Day hike along bluff top creek that rambles into St. Croix River

Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve Trail

Most people go to Stillwater, Minn., for its trendy shops and great restaurants in an historical urban setting. And while there's not much in town for backpackers, there are some good day hikes for families before they stop downtown for a classy meal.

The Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve Ski Trail offers the best day hiking option in the Stillwater area. Close to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, it gives you a good sense of what a blufftop woodlands area is like.

Located in the Brown's Creek Park and Nature Preserve, the trail actually is a number of short connecting paths constructed for cross country skiing and is run by the City of Stillwater and the Stillwater Cross Country Ski Association. It remains open when snow is not on the ground, however; a 0.9-mile segment that forms a loop is described here.

To reach the trail, from Minn. Hwy. 36, go north on County Road 15/Manning Avenue, then turn right/east onto County Road 64/McKusick Road North. Past Maryland Avenue North, beyond where the railroad tracks veer away from the road, is a parking lot on the right. From the lot's southwest corner, walk the stem trail into the woods.

Take the second junction for a trail going left. Pass through the next junction. The trail here is largely shaded by a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees and crosses Brown's Creek, for which the park and nature preserve is named.

Brown's Creek marks one of the few waterways in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area that sports a fishable trout population. It runs for nearly 10 miles, starting a good five miles north of Stillwater before flowing into the St. Croix River just north of town. Since 1955, the state has stocked the creek with brown trout.

Soon the trail runs easterly along the south side of a wetlands formed by Brown's Creek. Upon reaching the first trail junction that allows you to go left/northwest, take it. You'll double back across a wet area, so late summer and autumn, and usually a few days after a rain, mark the best time to hike the nature area.

As the trail veers north, it borders Brown's Creek and a wooded area before reaching the stem trail leading to the parking lot.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Fun activity for kids on day hike: What Is It?

"It makes me itch. What is it?"

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is What Is It?

Select on object that that can be found on the trail (It need not be in sight.). Then give a clue. For example, you might select "poison ivy." Your clue could be, "It makes me itch." Each child takes a turn giving a guess (go in order of youngest to oldest). If you no one successfully guesses, give another clue, such as "Leaves of three." The child who successfully guesses gets to select the next object and give clues about it for the others to guess.

Materials: None needed

Ages: 4 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

Observe elk, bison on Wind Cave N.P. trail

Bull elk at Wind Cave National Park.
Photo courtesy Wind Cave NPS.

Map of Elk Mountain Nature Trail,
courtesy Wind Cave NPS.

Day hikers can spot elk on the prairies and foothills of a short trail in Wind Cave National Park.

While most visitors check out this South Dakota national park for it complex cave system, there are plenty of great hiking trails above ground. Indeed, visiting the caves requires that you join a tour group, anathema to the hiking soul, which enjoys roaming and lingering as one pleases.

The 1.2-mile Elk Mountain Nature Trail is among the park’s great aboveground trails. It heads through a mixed-grass prairie, a ponderosa pine forest, and crosses a creek and its riparian ecosystem along the way.

Bison and prairie dogs
To reach the trail, from Hot Springs, S.D., take U.S. Hwy. 385 north into the park. Turn left/north onto the park road, heading past the visitor center. Then take the only road going west into the Elk Mountain Campground, which sits at the base of foothills that turn from prairie to ponderosa pine forest as heading west. Park at the fee station and check in to inform the ranger that you’re hiking the trail rather than camping.

Continue by walking west down the campground road. The trailhead sits between Campsite No. 20 on the north side of the road and the path to the amphitheater on the south side. Walk the trail counterclockwise by going right/north onto it.

The trail loops northeast past several ponderosas destroyed by wildfire and into open prairie. Bison often can be spotted in the grasslands to the north, but don’t worry about them charging you. A fence separates them from the campground.

And though difficult to see in the distance, there’s also a prairie dog town about 600 feet across the fence. A spur trail takes you to a tree near the fence for a better view of it and the bison.

The main trail next swerves southwestward, heading back toward the campground then into the ponderosa forest. It loops south, crossing a creek that runs out of the foothills toward the park road. The high point west of and nearest the campground is Elk Knob, rising to 4,752 feet above sea level.

September's elk show
Elk usually can be spotted near the trail. The native subspecies, Eastern elk, disappeared from the area in the 1800s, and the Rocky Mountain subspecies was introduced to the national park in 1914.

They are an impressive sight. Bull elks can grow up to 1000 pounds and five feet high. An average set of antlers on one can weigh 30 pounds.

If hiking in late spring or early summer, those antlers might not look like much. Elk shed them each spring and grow a new rack. By mid-September, however, the antlers are immense, and you may be treated to two bulls sparring as the mating season begins. You’ll also likely get to hear the bull elk bugling, a series of screams that can be heard for miles.

Elk feed on grass and forbs, which are abundant in this area. Because only wolves hunt elk and there are none of the former anymore in the park, the latter’s population is large.

While elk don’t mind you watching them from a ways off, you shouldn’t approach or try to interact with them. At best, you’ll simply scare them off, spoiling the main reason for hiking the trial; at worse, they will defend themselves, and that can be deadly.

Pets welcomed
The trail, after heading east through the forest, swerves north for its last leg, ending at the amphitheater.

Nine interpretive signs can be found along the trail, offering the opportunity to learn more about the ecosystem. Leashed pets also are allowed on the hike.

Be aware that sometimes prairie rattlesnakes cross the trail, so you may want to instruct children in advance about how to avoid snakes and familiarize yourself with what to do if a bite occurs.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Hike to 150-foot waterfall in Sierra Nevada

A rockfall closed one of the access routes to the Rancheria Falls National
Recreation Trail in spring 2014. Check the USFS's Sierra National Forest
website to see if the trail is currently open. Photo courtesy of USFS.

Trail climbs
to 7200-feet
elevation

A 150-foot high waterfall awaits day hikers at the end of the Rancheria Falls National Recreation Trail in California’s Sierra National Forest.

The 1-mile out-and-back trail (2-miles round trip) sits high in the Sierra Nevada, south of Yosemite National Park. For those wishing to avoid Yosemite’s crowds, the Sierra National Forest offers a nice alternative from June to October; the trail typically is closed the rest of the year due to heavy snowfall at the 7200-foot elevation.

To reach the trailhead, from Fresno take Calif. Hwy. 168 northeast into the national forest. Upon reaching Shaver Lake, drive for another 20 miles toward Huntington Lake. About a mile past the China Peak Ski Resort, turn right on Forest Road 8S31, also known as Rancheria Falls Road. There’s a parking lot with restrooms in 1.2 miles.

Steadily up
The trailhead leaves from the lot’s northeast corner. Your hike to the falls is a gentle but steady grade up.

You’ll walk through an evergreen forest with thin undergrowth and plenty of open areas. The highest feature to the trail’s right is Bear Butte, which peaks out at 8592 feet. The Kaiser Ridge tops out at over 10,000 feet to the trail’s north.

In about 0.85 miles from the parking lot, the trail climbs steeply, gaining more than a hundred feet in 0.15 miles. You’re certain to hear the waterfall’s roar beckoning you as climbing. Once you reach 8,120 feet elevation, you’re at the falls’ base.

Rancheria Falls is about 150 feet high and 50 feet wide, and looks most spectacular in June as Rancheria Creek brings snowmelt off the mountains on its way to Huntington Lake.

With the great number of large boulders in the area, find one to sit on and enjoy the falls as you picnic. Remember to pack out what you pack in, as there are no trashcans at the falls.

Some advice
Resist the temptation to climb the rocks to the fall’s top or to swim in the waters below the drop, however. The rocks are too slick for scaling, and the waters swirl too fast, easily pulling you under. And despite the creek’s incredible clearness, don’t drink from it.

Also, remember that at this altitude sunlight is more intense, so given the open areas be sure to slather on the sunscreen. If coming from a much lower altitude, be sure to pace yourself to avoid altitude sickness.

After taking in the falls, return the way you came to the parking lot. If looking to make a day of it, continue driving north on Hwy. 168 to the north side of Huntington Lake for various attractions.

Don’t confuse this waterfall with one carrying the same name in Yosemite National Park near Hetch Hetchy. That’s a backpacking trail and is several dozen miles to the north.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Fun game for hiking kids: Nature Alphabet

"R" is for rocks.

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Nature Alphabet.

While walking the trail, have the children see how quickly they can find objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet. To begin, any one of the children must point out an object that begins with the letter A, so a child might point at an ant and say "A is for ant." Then the children must find something that beigns with the letter B, such as "B is for bark."

Each time you go hiking, see if the children can beat their previous time or distance in completing the alphabet. As Q, X and Z are very difficult to locate, consider giving the children three or four wild cards that they can use to pass on letters.

Materials: None needed

Ages: 6 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.