Go exploring on these 5 new rail trails across the US

Discover the trails.

Chances are, there’s a rail trail near you. Since 1986, the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) has turned abandoned and unused railway corridors into multi-use paths. As the conservancy says in its mission statement, “we are building a nation connected by trails. We reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.” You’ll also find runners, wheelchair users, inline skaters, and sometimes even cross-country skiers or horseback riders on the more than 25,000 miles of open rail trails.

The RTC recently noticed a tipping point in rail trail appreciation. “We used to say there’s a rail-trail in every single state, and now we can say there’s at least one developing trail network in every state,” said Brandi Horton, vice president of communications for the RTC, in a statement. “It matters so much because it illustrates the relevance of trail networks to the nation. This is happening literally everywhere in America.”

Here are five of the most exciting RTC developments from 2023.

Discover the LA hiking trail frequented by stars like RuPaul and Taylor Swift

Visit a star-studded trail.

Celebrity sightings probably aren’t what draws most hikers to the great outdoors. Still, for fans of people like Taylor Swift, the chance to see your favorite star can be excellent motivation to explore a new trail. If you’re curious to discover a hiking hotspot frequented by celebrities like Swift, Ed Sheeran, and RuPaul, make your way to Los Angeles, California’s Franklin Canyon Park.

Visitors will find this lovely nature retreat tucked away between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley. Rumor has it that couples like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis love to hike the trails within Franklin Canyon Park. In 2013, Taylor Swift and friend Ed Sheeran were even spotted hiking in the park. Swift was seen hiking Franklin Canyon again in 2019, with then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

https://www.instagram.com/taylahschild/p/C0AJQHgN4fL

Want to check out Franklin Canyon Park for yourself? While you’ll want to check the park’s official website for any closures, the area welcomes anyone looking for a place to unwind and escape the city. Get a sense of the area and learn what to expect there with the gallery of Franklin Canyon Park trail photos below.

Mind-blowing sights you’ll see on Glacier National Park’s best hike

It’s a stunner.

Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the best hikes in Montana. Some hikers may even consider it the best hike in America. Join us on a trek through the woods to see what makes Avalanche Lake so special.

Two key factors help determine a trail’s popularity: accessibility and scenery. Spectacular views draw people to a trail, and accessibility ensures that those visitors can actually enjoy exploring the trail. While few trails are accessible to all people, the Avalanche Lake hike’s moderate difficulty makes it manageable for a wide audience of hikers. Plus, the Trail of the Cedars section of the hike is accessible using off-road wheelchairs.

Now, let’s dive into the scenery you can look forward to during your Avalanche Lake hike. If you’re looking for crystal clear waters and breathtaking natural landscapes, you’re in luck. Here are seven photos showing off the best of Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake hike.

Can you handle trail running along Mount Rainier’s Skyline Loop?

Shake up your running routine.

Washington state’s Mount Rainier National Park draws in visitors from all over the world. The park’s outstanding landscapes and inviting trails make it a treat for outdoorsy adventurers. But did you know it’s also a great place for trail runners looking for a challenge?

One of the region’s most captivating trail running spots is none other than Skyline Trail, aka Skyline Loop. With an elevation gain of roughly 1,700 feet and a round-trip distance of about 5.5 miles, this hiking/running trail welcomes athletic guests who want a strenuous workout. Runners brave enough to tackle this loop trail will be rewarded with some truly life-changing views. Get a sneak peek at those sights with these photos of Mount Rainier’s Skyline Trail.

What it’s like to explore The Narrows at Zion National Park

Discover The Narrows.

Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful places in America. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the United States. As of 2022, the park ranked fourth on a list of the country’s most visited national parks.

So, what makes Zion National Park stand out against other beloved destinations, like the Great Smoky Mountains or the Grand Canyon? Well, while the park’s breathtaking sandstone rock formations certainly earn it a lot of love, hikers will tell you that their favorite parts of Zion are the magnificent trails. At spots like Angels Landing, hikers can challenge themselves to tackle a complicated trail and earn mind-blowing views for their efforts. Then, you have trails like the ones that pass through The Narrows of Zion Canyon. These treks present their own challenges and sights that make them irresistible to hikers. Here’s what you should know before visiting The Narrows at Zion National Park.

The outdoorsy traveler’s guide to Redding, California

Discover the city’s top adventures.

California gives adventurous travelers seemingly endless outdoor travel possibilities. You can surf by the shore, ski the summits, and hike gorgeous trails. The state even has nine national parks to visit. Among those national parks are heavy-hitters like Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Yosemite. With so many activities and destinations to explore, individual California towns can sometimes be overlooked by tourists planning their next trip. Don’t make that mistake the next time you’re near the charming town of Redding.

Redding, California, claims the title of “sunniest city in all of California.” It also enjoys spectacular views of nearby Mount Shasta. On a recent trip to the area, Outdoors Wire scoped out some of the city’s best spots and recreation opportunities. What we found will have you itching to plan a visit. Here are five awesome outdoor activities to experience in and around Redding.

Hikers on your holiday list? Give the gift of a new backpack.

Snag the perfect hiking pack.

If there’s a hiker on your holiday shopping list, have you taken a look at their favorite daypack lately? Hikers can become notoriously attached to a backpack — no matter how scruffy, smelly, and generally unsightly it may become over years on the trails. It might be time to stage an intervention in the form of gifting your hiking loved one with a fresh new daypack. Here are some of the hiking packs that rate the highest with happy customers. Once your giftee gets used to the idea, we’re sure they’ll appreciate well-functioning zippers, grit-free pockets, and that new backpack smell.

Find even more hiking gift ideas here.

5 things to know before you hike the Lower Kaaterskill Falls Trail

Hike smarter with these tips.

People have long flocked to the Catskills Mountains in southeastern New York for a dose of nature and fresh air. The area has more than 30 peaks taller than 3,500 feet and is popular for hiking. Kaaterskill Falls Trail is one of the region’s more popular trails. When I visited on a Friday in mid-October, it was peak leaf-peeping season, and the Lower Falls Trail was getting plenty of use. It’s a short hike — 1.6 miles out and back — with a big payoff: up-close views of a gorgeous waterfall. But just because it’s short doesn’t make it easy. Here’s what to know before you hike it yourself.

Warm up in the glorious pools at Idaho’s Goldbug Hot Springs

Take a dip.

Amid Idaho’s rocky mountain landscapes, a hidden treasure awaits hikers who are curious and determined enough to find it. This gem of a destination is called Goldbug Hot Springs. Nestled within Salmon-Challis National Forest, Goldbug’s geothermal pools are the reward for visitors who make it to the end of a challenging two-mile trail complete with steep switchbacks.

Want to see if you can handle the trek out to the hot springs? If so, this Outdoors Wire guide can help you scope out the area. Get an idea of what sights you’ll see and the terrain you’ll encounter with this photo guide to Goldbug Hot Springs. Plus, discover other hot spring destinations in this list of America’s best hot spring resorts.

Uncover the beauty of Daisetsuzan, Japan’s biggest and wildest national park

Trek through this natural wonder.

Koetsu Ichinei was the first person our group met on a trip to Daisetsuzan National Park, and I cannot imagine a better park ambassador. The prominent photographer has spent decades hiking the Daisetsu Mountains with his heavy old Linhof Master Technica 4×5 camera. He used to camp for a month in winter, and two to three months in other seasons, capturing the year-round beauty of these mountains in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Now that he’s 84, he only camps for a week. During our group’s visit to his photo gallery — where his mountain photos fill a former school — he was preparing to take his old camera out to shoot fall foliage.

A man in a blue sweater and pants standing in front of a large photo of a snowy mountain.
Photographer Koetsu Ichinei is the lead photographer of Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group. / Photo by Teresa Bergen

Daisetsuzan is Japan’s largest national park (875 square miles) and boasts some of the country’s wildest scenery, but it seems undiscovered by foreign tourists. In my few days touring the park, I mostly encountered domestic travelers out for a hike.

A hiker standing looking over a lake in the forest.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

“Daisetsuzan” means great snowy mountains. Which is apt, considering there’s a looong winter season here and a short summer. If you don’t want to freeze, July through September are good times to visit. Fall foliage usually peaks in mid-September. It starts snowing again in October. During my few days in the park, I could appreciate why Ichinei spent his whole photography career capturing its many moods.

Wildlife in Daisetsuzan

Before setting out on the Daisetsu Kogen Onsen Numa-meguri Hiking Trail, you’re required to watch a bear preparedness video. My group sat in the Brown Bear Information Center, absorbing the mixed message. Everybody was curious about seeing a bear (why else would they hike the notoriously bear-infested trail?), yet the video preached avoidance. This heightened the drama. We looked at a map of the designated areas along the trail where visitors are allowed to eat. These sectioned-off spaces reduce the chances of attracting bears. Also, you can’t cook anything or even make coffee on the trail.

A screen displaying bear safety tips for hikers.
A scene from the instructional video shows defensive techniques. / Photo by Teresa Bergen

Besides brown bears (aka grizzlies), Daisetsuzan is home to Ezo red foxes, Yezo sika deer, Hokkaido squirrels, and Yezo stoats, which are weasel relatives. I had mixed feelings about bear sightings but would have loved to see Blakiston’s fish owl, the world’s largest living owl, which can have a six-foot wingspan. However, we saw only squirrels.

The hike was rooty and rocky, so you had to watch your step, but it wasn’t too steep. The leaves turned late this year, so in mid-September, we saw the first yellows and reds. We also saw sulfurous vapors pour out of fumaroles. These volcanic mountains are still very active.

A hiker on a trail overlooking a rocky creek and fumeroles in a forest.
Visitors can explore fumeroles at Daisetsuzan. / Photo by Teresa Bergen

Further along, we crossed swampy areas full of skunk cabbage, flowing streams, and ferns that reminded me of my Pacific Northwest home. We stopped to rest by picturesque ponds.

Onsen hotels

You can stay in several onsen hotels in Daisetsuzan National Park. These hot springs resorts feature bathing pools and the chance to swan around the property in a yukata, or bathing kimono.

We stayed at Hotel Taisetsu, a huge and luxurious lodging in a dramatic gorge. It had three different onsens to soak in, including the glorious rooftop bath with a mountain view. Hotel Taisetsu made us a lavish, multi-course dinner and was kind enough to accommodate my vegan ways. They also have a bakery café with espresso and good pour-over coffee, which is not always easy to find in Hokkaido.

An onsen pool overlooking a fall field.
Photo courtesy of Taisetsu Kamuimintara DMO

If you go

If you’re visiting from another country, you’ll probably fly into Tokyo and then take a domestic flight to Asahikawa, the nearest airport. Unless you speak Japanese, you might need some help getting around. Our English-speaking guides at AdventureLab Taisetsu Hokkaido were excellent.

Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Lake Shikaribetsu on a press trip in conjunction with the Adventure Travel World Summit. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.