Taughannock Falls State Park

Where: Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
Trail: Gorge Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

The trail is wide and well-groomed. Because of the short distance to the falls, there were a lot of tourists. The water was low and we ended up walking in the creek-bed--hopping rocks and wading in the water until we got closer to the falls, which made the "hike" a lot more fun than if we'd just stayed on the trail.

Generally, I am all about getting as close to the waterfalls as possible [which is probably why I almost fell off a waterfall once], but in this case, I heeded the warnings and stayed on the right side of the barrier. Rocks are constantly breaking and falling into the pool at the base of the waterfall (sometimes injuring or even killing tourists who decide to get too close). This is one place that I would highly recommend following the rules on.

Robert H Treman State Park

Where: Robert H Treman State Park, New York
Trail: Gorge Trail and Rim Trail
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Distance: 6 miles
Adventure Rating: 4 stars
Pets: Not allowed on Gorge Trail

The hike begins in the forest and there are several places with steep hills. Throughout the hike, there were many times that we had to take breaks due to the steep steps--especially on the Cliff Staircase. There were many opportunities to get close to Enfield Creek and the many small falls. There were also tight squeezes and some rock scrambling.

Lucifer Falls

Enfield Falls

Watkins Glen State Park

Where: Watkins Glen State Park, New York
Trail: Gorge Trail and South Rim Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: approximately 2.5 miles total
Adventure Rating: 2 stars
Pets: Not allowed on the Gorge Trail

We hiked the Gorge Trail to the Mile Point Bridge and then took that to the South Rim Trail. For such a small park, it sure has a lot to look at, making it well worth the trip. The Gorge Trail has hundreds of stone steps, so sturdy shoes are needed. In addition, the steps and walkways are off wet and slippery due to the waterfall spray, so take caution.

Pine Haven Recreation Area

Where: Pine Haven Recreation Area, Sanford, Michigan
Trail: Pine Haven Loop, Mud Creek Loop, Riverside Ravine
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 1.5 miles, 1 mile, .2 miles
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Pine Haven has over 13 miles of trails in its 325 acres. The main trails are wide enough to hike side-by-side as a group.

Here is the route we took: [see map] Parking lot to marker A to B to C to H to I to J to K to L to M to N to O to P to the parking lot.

Bluffs of the North Fork San Gabriel River

Where: Bluffs of the North Fork San Gabriel River, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Trail: Goodwater Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: ?
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

We started at mile marker 11 of the Goodwater Hiking Trail and hiked out a couple miles (I'm not how far we went) and back. [The Goodwater Trail is a loop that goes all the way around Lake Georgetown and is 28 miles long.] Our hike started out along the San Gabriel River and then entered the surrounding forest. After a short distance, we came to a creek with a tree stretched across it. Judging by the boards attached to the tree, it was meant to be crossed.

A couple of the people in our hiking party were hesitant to cross [unlike me, who couldn't wait to cross it and wishes every hiking adventure had one of these]. They did make the crossing, but when it was time to turn around and hike back, they chose to cross the San Gabriel River, which was pretty cold.

Crockett Garden & Falls

Where: Crockett Garden & Falls, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Trail: Goodwater Hiking Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 5 miles, out and back
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash









The Goodwater Trail is a loop that goes all the way around Lake Georgetown and is 28 miles long. We didn't have the time or the inclination to hike 28 miles. So, we did a short 5 mile section. We started in a parking lot and hiked through the woods toward the lake, which was a lovely greenish-blue color. We then hiked the rest of the trail to the Crockett Gardens and the spring-fed waterfall. [Note: the waterfall and spring are extremely delicate so don't enter the water or attempt to climb on the waterfall.] The trail is pet-friendly, though we did not bring our dogs for this adventure.

Sam Houston National Forest

Where: Sam Houston National Forest
Trail: Lone Star Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: no idea
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Unfortunately, I have no idea how far we hiked because we didn't have a map, which is probably why we got lost on our way up to the forest. [Mapquest sent us to a road that didn't exist. We had to call a friend in another state to look up directions for us.] The weekend following this trip, I discovered a tick on Toby--this has been our only encounter with a tick.