Whiteoak Canyon at Shenandoah National Park

Where: Shenandoah National Park
Trail: Cedar Run, Cedar Run Link, Whiteoak Canyon Trails
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 2 miles (I think)
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on some trails 

Originally, we planned to hike the Whiteoak Canyon Trail to the Whiteoak  Fire Road to the Cedar Run Trail, beginning at the Whiteoak Canyon parking lot. That hike is 7.9 miles, and after 3 days of hiking in various locations, we decided we weren't really up for that (especially since we thought it was only 6 miles).

Instead, we hiked a short ways on the Cedar Run Trail until we hit the Cedar Run Link Trail, then we took that over to the Whiteoak Canyon Trail. We hiked up that to the Lower Whiteoak Falls and then hiked the Whiteoak Canyon Trail back to the parking lot.

This is where the Cedar Run Link meets up with the Whiteoak Canyon Trail.

Ritchie Ledges at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Where: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Trail: Ledges Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 2 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

We started at the parking lot and hiked 0.2 miles to the first fork in the trail. We took a right, hiking 0.3 miles to the Ledges Trail, just south of the Ice Box Cave. We hiked past the cave, going north until we came to the steps that cut across the top of the Ledges Trail. After that, we hiked south to the overlook. From there, we hiked north on the connector trail and then cut across the field to the parking lot. I think the whole trip lasted about 2 hours, but probably because we stopped a lot to climb on rocks and explore off trail. It was definitely an awesome short hike.

Pinnacles National Monument

Where: Pinnacles National Monument, California
Trail: Balconies Trail, Balconies Cave, Trail, Balconies Cliff Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 2.4 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Not allowed

There is no through road in Pinnacles National Monument. You can hike it, but that's a long trip. Last time we hiked the east side of the park. This time we decided to hike the west side. The Balconies Trail includes the Balconies Cave, which we was fun. We didn't get to see any bats, unfortunately.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Where: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
Trail: Lighthouse Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 5.75 miles round trip
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

The pictures of Palo Duro Canyon on the state park's website show majestic rock formations, which was what drew me to the park in the first place. On the drive from Amarillo, my friends and I kept wondering where the rock formations were because the land was flat as far as the eye could see. It was like driving through Oklahoma--flat nothing. It wasn't long before we soon realized that the reason we couldn't yet see it was that it was a CANYON.

We paid the $5 per person fee in the gift shop and then proceeded to the parking lot at the trail-head for the Lighthouse Trail. Palo Duro is dog-friendly and we were able to bring our little dogs with us. The trail is 5.75 miles round trip, hiking out to the lighthouse and back to the parking lot. The majority of the hike is pretty easy. The trail is hard-packed red dirt and easy to trek.

We started the hike in the afternoon (not taking into account that the sun sets earlier in the winter) and ended up hiking back to our cars in the dark. When we started, it was sunny and 60, but by the time we were done it was dark and 50. We didn't bring our jackets with us, so we were a bit chilly.

As we were hiking up the last bit (which was really climbing) we ran into a man and his son. The man urged us not to continue on, but to turn back because it would be dark in an hour. When we asked how far it was to the end, he said less than a quarter mile. So we said we wanted to continue. He then proceeded to tell us that a lot of people had died at the park this year... because of the heat. The guy meant well, but the info he gave us was completely irrelevant. We did hike to the end and saw the lighthouse formation (and we didn't die even though the last thirty minutes of the hike were in the dark).

Cantwell Cliffs

Where: Hocking Hills, Ohio
Trail: Cantwell Cliffs
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 1 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

There isn't a lot of hiking at Cantwell Cliffs, but what they have is pretty cool. We descended stone steps, made our way through Fat Woman's Squeeze. There are tons of steps on this trail and boulders to climb on. It was a great start to our Hocking Hills adventure.

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.