A growing number of flash sale Web sites are offering great deals on adventures. LivingSocial offers day excursions, like "Bike, Hike & Brew," and other events that blend outdoor activities and social gatherings in cities around the country.? Zozi is another site offering flash sales of adventures.
More than 180,000 people are expected to volunteer to help clean up, plant trees and improve the public lands at more than 2,000 sites across the country this Saturday, September 24.
Are you going to be one of them? To find out where there are project near your home, visit National Public Lands Day.
Salt Lake City is the greatest hiking destination in America. Name another city in the country where within 300 yards of the state’s Capitol building and the downtown center you can be walking in a protected nature reserve, spotting elk and raptors. Where else can you have easy access to five federally designated wilderness areas—some within walking distance of residential neighborhoods?
With mountains on every side, Salt Lake City offers a greater variety of dramatic and awe-inspiring hikes than any other major city in the United States. And just beyond the metropolitan area, Salt Lake City is virtually surrounded by thousands of square miles of national forests, and has access to eight national parks that can be reached on less than a tank of gas.
But it’s always a matter of 'so many hikes and so little time'. So, if you’re pressed for time and you only have several hours for a morning hike or afternoon outing, here are five great hikes in the Salt Lake city area — hikes, of various types, that you simply must not miss.
With a trailhead at 10,154 feet, you’re already in the midst of the mountain scenery. Once on the trail you’ll encounter lakes, streams, mountain passes, deep woods, meadows and some stunning views, and never drop below 10,000 feet in elevation. There are a few steep ascents and descents along some rocky and scree sections of trail, but the scenery is so rewarding, it’s easy to overlook the challenges. Even at these high elevations some above treeline) wildflowers abound and wildlife is often nearby. The trail is easy to find and follow, but it’s not well marked, so be sure to pick up a free map at the Kamas Forest Service Office on the way to the trailhead.
Lake Mary, Lake Martha, and Lake Catherine, known collectively as Brighton Lakes, lie at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon just above the Brighton Ski Resort. They form a chain of pristine, alpine glacial lakes set in granite bowls and adorned with woods of fir and spruce. Since Lake Mary is closest to the trailhead and can be done as a 2.2 mile round trip hike, it’s the most popular destination for families and a wide range of hikers. It’s a great spot for a picnic or a summer afternoon of lakeside recreation. Continuing on to Lake Martha and Lake Catherine, the crowds thin, as does the air, and outside of an occasional angler, you may be the only person on the trail as it nears treeline.
Even without touring the cave, the hike on this spectacular trail, carved into and through the rocky cliffs above American Fork Canyon, is memorable in its own right. You’ll ascend 1,000 vertical feet of canyon wall, through sub-alpine forests of fir and pine, before arriving at the cave. The fact that the trail is paved doesn’t detract one bit from the pristine beauty of the canyon setting, plus, you’ll appreciate the surefooted surface as you pass a number of unprotected drop-offs. Allow an hour for the ranger-guided cave tour, and buy your tickets in advance at the visitor center. Remember, the cave remains a constant 45 degrees F, so even on a sweltering summer day, bring a sweater or jacket for your time in the cave.
The Timpanogos Massif dominates the eastern skyline of Utah County to the south of Salt Lake City. The climb to the 11,749-foot summit is a worthy challenge, but one that reasonably fit hikers should be able to achieve. On a summer Saturday you’ll be joined by hundreds of other hikers on the trail as you ascend the Giant Staircase, a series of five canyon benches, before arriving at the upper glacial bowl. Then it’s still another hour or more along a knife-edge ridge trail to the rocky summit. The waterfalls, wildflowers, wildlife (mountain goats are almost always sighted) are as exciting as the commanding summit views.
Doughnut Falls is well-known by local hikers, but rarely seen by visitors. It’s an intriguing sight — a unique waterfall that plunges through a hole in the rock and into a grotto before cascading down the rock drainage below. It’s a short hike that even small children can accomplish and enjoy, but keep them close by, as they’ll be tempted to climb in and around the waterfall, and that can be dangerous. It’s easy to spend an hour or more playing around the falls. The trail and falls are set in a forest of spruce and aspen. You’ll see ground squirrels and chipmunks along the trail, but also be on the lookout for deer, moose and beaver.
Salt Lake City is the greatest hiking destination in America. Name another city in the country where within 300 yards of the state’s Capitol building and the downtown center you can be walking in a protected nature reserve, spotting elk and raptors. Where else can you have easy access to five federally designated wilderness areas—some within walking distance of residential neighborhoods?
With mountains on every side, Salt Lake City offers a greater variety of dramatic and awe-inspiring hikes than any other major city in the United States. And just beyond the metropolitan area, Salt Lake City is virtually surrounded by thousands of square miles of national forests, and has access to eight national parks that can be reached on less than a tank of gas.
But it’s always a matter of 'so many hikes and so little time'. So, if you’re pressed for time and you only have several hours for a morning hike or afternoon outing, here are five great hikes in the Salt Lake city area — hikes, of various types, that you simply must not miss.
With a trailhead at 10,154 feet, you’re already in the midst of the mountain scenery. Once on the trail you’ll encounter lakes, streams, mountain passes, deep woods, meadows and some stunning views, and never drop below 10,000 feet in elevation. There are a few steep ascents and descents along some rocky and scree sections of trail, but the scenery is so rewarding, it’s easy to overlook the challenges. Even at these high elevations some above treeline) wildflowers abound and wildlife is often nearby. The trail is easy to find and follow, but it’s not well marked, so be sure to pick up a free map at the Kamas Forest Service Office on the way to the trailhead.
Lake Mary, Lake Martha, and Lake Catherine, known collectively as Brighton Lakes, lie at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon just above the Brighton Ski Resort. They form a chain of pristine, alpine glacial lakes set in granite bowls and adorned with woods of fir and spruce. Since Lake Mary is closest to the trailhead and can be done as a 2.2 mile round trip hike, it’s the most popular destination for families and a wide range of hikers. It’s a great spot for a picnic or a summer afternoon of lakeside recreation. Continuing on to Lake Martha and Lake Catherine, the crowds thin, as does the air, and outside of an occasional angler, you may be the only person on the trail as it nears treeline.
Even without touring the cave, the hike on this spectacular trail, carved into and through the rocky cliffs above American Fork Canyon, is memorable in its own right. You’ll ascend 1,000 vertical feet of canyon wall, through sub-alpine forests of fir and pine, before arriving at the cave. The fact that the trail is paved doesn’t detract one bit from the pristine beauty of the canyon setting, plus, you’ll appreciate the surefooted surface as you pass a number of unprotected drop-offs. Allow an hour for the ranger-guided cave tour, and buy your tickets in advance at the visitor center. Remember, the cave remains a constant 45 degrees F, so even on a sweltering summer day, bring a sweater or jacket for your time in the cave.
The Timpanogos Massif dominates the eastern skyline of Utah County to the south of Salt Lake City. The climb to the 11,749-foot summit is a worthy challenge, but one that reasonably fit hikers should be able to achieve. On a summer Saturday you’ll be joined by hundreds of other hikers on the trail as you ascend the Giant Staircase, a series of five canyon benches, before arriving at the upper glacial bowl. Then it’s still another hour or more along a knife-edge ridge trail to the rocky summit. The waterfalls, wildflowers, wildlife (mountain goats are almost always sighted) are as exciting as the commanding summit views.
Doughnut Falls is well-known by local hikers, but rarely seen by visitors. It’s an intriguing sight — a unique waterfall that plunges through a hole in the rock and into a grotto before cascading down the rock drainage below. It’s a short hike that even small children can accomplish and enjoy, but keep them close by, as they’ll be tempted to climb in and around the waterfall, and that can be dangerous. It’s easy to spend an hour or more playing around the falls. The trail and falls are set in a forest of spruce and aspen. You’ll see ground squirrels and chipmunks along the trail, but also be on the lookout for deer, moose and beaver.
Wiggling between a woman steering her motor scooter while talking to the man seated behind her, and a trash collector whose broom was sticking out in front of my bicycle, I laughed to hide the fear that I would wind up in his cart filled with garbage if I leaned to far to the left.?Welcome to life in the teeming Liuyin hutong, one of Beijing China's ancient neighborhoods.
Biking through these micro-communities, at times alongside locals with baskets filled with groceries, reveals a side of Beijing you won't see at the popular tourist sites.?Biking through hutongs introduces travelers to daily life in this? bustling city.
Photo: ? 2011 Lois Friedland
Ziplinel Adventures in Vail Colorado has six ziplines that go over a canyon high above a rushing river. It's a great way to see a rougher part of Colorado from up high.
Ready to soar like a bird from tree to tree in a rain forest? Zipline or canopy tours give you a bird's-eye view of the forest, move you across canyons and show you scenery that can't be viewed from the ground. Before you hook onto a line and start zipping, however, reputable zipline tour operators give you basic training, which may include a fast ride on wire close to the ground.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 30 minutes to a few hours
Here's How:
