Month: June 2020

8 Epic Hikes In & Near Vancouver: From Day Hikes to Longer Treks

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The city of Vancouver is located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia in Canada.

The city’s mild climate and location surrounded by ocean, mountains, rivers, and lakes make the area a popular destination for outdoor activities with fantastic hiking trails near Vancouver.

Downtown Vancouver is in close proximity to the North Shore Mountain range and the Garibaldi Mountains with some excellent mountain scenery and spectacular lakes to explore.

The largest island off the west coast of North America, Vancouver Island, has fantastic coastal hiking trails through spectacular old-growth forest and long stretches of trails right on the beach with the opportunity to see marine animals such as whales, orcas, dolphins and more!

When staying in downtown Vancouver in the center of the city you are close to several amazing forest and mountain trail hikes near Vancouver that can be reached by the local public transport system such as the Grouse Mountain, Lynn Headwater Park, Quarry Rock, and the Baden Powell trail.

A short drive from the city, also within reach by public transport there are several challenging backcountry wilderness mountain trails such as hiking to Garibaldi Lake and The Stawamus Chief.

The Best Day Hikes in Vancouver

Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain located about 15 minutes by public transport from Downtown Vancouver. It is a beautiful mountain close to the city center rising 1250 meters (4100 feet) above the city.

The mountain is a popular location for outdoor activities inside the city with fantastic ski runs and facilities for snow sports in winter and home to the challenging Grouse Grind hiking trail and several other exhibitions and entertainment on the mountain in summer.

The Grouse Grind trail has quite a reputation when it comes to hiking in Vancouver, as it’s known as one of the toughest challenges the city can throw at you! It is a steep hiking trail up Grouse Mountain with about 3000 stairs climbing 853 m (2800 feet) vertical over a distance of 2.9 km (1.8 mi).

It is a one-way trail; you can only go up the mountain hiking the Grouse Grind and have to go down using the Skyride Gondola for $15 CAD for the ride down the mountain.

The other option is to hike down with a steep trail with some technical parts called the BCMC trail. The Grouse Grind only takes about one and a half to two hours on average to reach the top, but it is a steep hike. Grouse Mountain is easily reached by a shuttle from Canada Place in Downtown Vancouver, making it one of the easiest to get to hikes in Vancouver.

Lynn Headwater Park

The beautiful Lynn Headwaters is a massive regional park located in the city of Vancouver with 74 km of hiking trails for all skill levels to explore.

The trails in the park vary from easy flat routes to more difficult backcountry trails including more uphill and even some scrambling. It is amazing to find such beautiful forests located inside the city, making it possible to actually go hiking in Vancouver and not just near it!

The Lynn Headwater Park is easy to navigate to by public transport from Downtown Vancouver: a quick ride with the sea bus, and from there, bus #228 goes all the way to Lynn Valley Center.

The Lynn Loop is an easy, fairly flat 5.2 km trail passing through a forest filled with Cedar and Hemlock trees and next to the running water of Lynn Creek. The route is well-marked and the trail is wide and easy to follow.

The Headwater trail is a longer trail at 14km: not too steep, but a bit more challenging.

For a harder climb, attempt the Lynn Peak trail, a steep climb with an elevation change of 720m over 4km. This trail is often compared to the Grouse Grind and takes about 4 hours to complete with epic views of Vancouver and Mount Seymore rewarding you at the end of a tough Vancouver hike!

Baden Powell Trail

The Baden Powell trail is a challenging 48 km trail connecting Deep Cove with Horseshoe Bay on Vancouver’s North Shore.

There are a lot of steep climbs with a total ascent of 4860 m over the route. To hike the complete trail, you need a full day, as there is nowhere to camp on the route.

The trail does however have several parts that can be reached easily, so you can hike different parts of this trail, so you don’t have to do the whole stretch in one go if that’s too intimidating.

The four sections of the trail commonly hiked are: Deep Cove to Lynn Valley, Lynn Valley to Grouse Mountain, Grouse Mountain to Cypress Mountain and Cypress Mountain to Horseshoe Bay. 

The trail from Lynn Valley to Deep Cove goes from Lynn Valley park, starting at the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, a beautiful 50m high suspension bridge, a popular free alternative to see the well-known (and expensive) Capilano suspension bridge. This part of the Baden Powell trail passes several beautiful landscapes, including views of Deep Cove, the Seymour River, and Lynn Creek. 

The Quarry Rock trail in Deep Cove is an easy 3.8 km hike with beautiful views. Quarry Rock is a large rocky outcrop with amazing views close to the ocean in Deep Cove. The trail overlaps with the Baden Powell trail.

Epic Hikes Near Vancouver & On Vancouver Island

Garibaldi National Park, Whistler

Garibaldi National Park is a wilderness park between Whistler and Vancouver on the coastal mainland. The park gets its name from the glacier-ringed Mount Garibaldi located inside its borders.

This spectacular park is amazing for hiking near Vancouver, with more than 90 km of excellent trails clearly marked, leading you to some of the most beautiful glacial lakes and viewpoints in British Columbia.  

The trail winding to the amazing Garibaldi Lake at an elevation of 1450 m is a bucket list hike to do in the park! The hiking trail is an 18 km out and back route and takes on average 6 hours to hike. This perfect turquoise glacial lake hedged by beautiful mountain peaks makes for unreal views.

The lake is a great place for a swim during this strenuous walk. It is possible to extend the route by hiking to either Panorama Ridge or the Black Tusk peak.

Both these hikes are long day hikes and are often done as backpacking trips camping either at Garibaldi Lake or Taylor Meadows. The park is located close enough to Vancouver allowing for long day hikes from Vancouver, granted you get an early start.

The trailhead leading to Garibaldi Lake, Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge is in the Rubblehead parking area, located 35 km from Whistler and 70 km from Vancouver. The park can be reached from Vancouver by public transport with the Parkbus. 

The Stawamus Chief

The Stawamus Chief hike outside the village Squamish near Vancouver is named after the massive granite rock ‘The Chief’ you climb during this amazing hike. This huge rock is very famous for rock climbing.

The Chief has three peaks that you can summit during this hike. It is a challenging hike with a total elevation gain of more than 900 meters. The three peaks are separate, so you go down after climbing one peak before you start to go up the next.

The total distance of the hike to all three peaks is about 8 km and takes most people 4 or 5 hours to complete. Getting to the top of each peak is challenging and hikers make use of chains and ladders to scramble to the top of the granite rock in some sections.

The views of Howe Sound and Garibaldi Provincial Park are incredible from the top of the peaks of the Chief. The hike follows the same path up and down. It is possible to only climb the first peak or only peak one and two, which will take a lot less time.

The granite rock gets very slippery when it is wet and it can be dangerous, so this hike is better to do in summer in dry weather. The Chief is right next to Highway 99: only about 55 km from Vancouver and less than 5 km south of Squamish. There are daily buses from Vancouver to Squamish, making it easy to get to from Vancouver.

The Juan de Fuca Trail, Vancouver Island 

The Juan de Fuca marine trail is a beautiful coastal hiking trail over beaches and forest along the coast of Juan de Fuca provincial park on Vancouver Island.

This challenging hike on Vancouver Island is a backpacking trail and you have to carry all the food, gear, and supplies you need for the duration of the hike.

The total distance of the Juan de Fuca hiking trail is 49 km through dense forest with plenty of hills to conquer. The hiking route starts from China Beach, close to the town Sooke in the south, to Botanical Beach located close to Port Renfrew in the north.

The trail takes an average of 4 days to complete. There are campsites to stay along the way, and no pre-booking is necessary, you can leave the camp fee in a deposit box on site.

Plenty of marine animals can be seen when hiking on the beach; keep in mind to always keep an eye out for bears on the route and feel free to explore the intertidal pools. Bear Beach has beautiful pools filled with barnacles, mussels, anemones, and other interesting animals.

There are several trailheads on the Juan de Fuca trail with car parking making it easy to do day hikes or to hike only a part of the trail. Parkinson Creek, Sombrio Beach, and China Beach are all quick to reach from trailheads, each with car parking.

Doing Vancouver island day hikes along the trail and spending some time on these beaches is great. Sombrio is a very nice beach to come for the weekend. The beach has a beautiful hidden waterfall in the forest and is one of the most popular beaches for surfing on Vancouver Island.

Transport to the Juan de Fuca Trail can be arranged with the West Coast Trail Express from Victoria. To get to Victoria from Downtown Vancouver takes about 3 hours by car and ferry. The ferry trip is beautiful, passing islands (and seeing marine life with a bit of luck!)

To get to Victoria by public transport use the SkyTrain’s Canada Line and bus service to get to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, take a ferry to the Swartz Bay terminal on Vancouver Island, and take bus #70 to downtown Victoria.

The West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island 

Famous for being one of the toughest and most beautiful multi-day wilderness hikes in the world, the West Coast Trail hiking route on the west coast of Vancouver Island is an experience pursued by numerous adventurers every year.

The fauna and flora on this trail is unreal. This 75 km multi-day hike challenges hikers with tough terrain; hours of walking on the sand, pools of mud, and about 70 ladders to climb — with all your gear to boot. It is a 5 to 7 day hike, which requires carrying your tent, supplies, food, and gear for the whole route.

A key difference between this and the Juan de Fuca hike is that you have to complete the entire trail. There are not other trailheads to start or exit on the way.

Part of what makes this trail so special is that the majority of the hike is on miles of extensive, white sandy beaches, and you can pitch your tent on the beach every night!

When not hiking on the sand, the trail goes through spectacular indigenous forest; however, this is where it can get very muddy and tough when it rains.

The wildlife you can see on the West Coast trail is incredible, from terrestrial animals like deer, bears, and wolves in the forest to marine animals like orcas, whales, and dolphins while hiking on the beach.

Only 30 people are allowed to start hiking the West Coast trail per day, so booking this trail early is important. Transport to the West Coast Trail can be arranged from Victoria with the West Coast Trail Express.

The Trans Canada Trail

Also known as The Great Trail, the 24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles) route is the longest recreational trail in the world and stretches over the massive country of Canada connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.

The complete trail has only been hiked by a few people, taking more than two years of committed full-day daily hiking to complete. The trail is made up of about 400 different sections, and it is said most Canadians live so close to the trail that they can get there within about 30 minutes.

The West Vancouver part of the Trans Canada Trail starts in Horseshoe Bay, along the Seaview Walk, and then splits into an upper and lower trail.

The upper trail across the Upper Forested Lands is good for hiking. Where the Great Trail passes through Vancouver’s Burnaby Mountain Conservation, it connects many different walking routes in the area. In Vancouver, more than 42 km of trails are part of the Great Trail and 24 km of these trails are next to the ocean, either on shoreline pathways or on the seawall. 

About the Author

Campbell from South Africa and Alya from Russia have been traveling the world together searching for the best hikes and dives on the planet since the day they met in the Philippines in 2014. A lot has happened on the way, starting their successful travel blog Stingy Nomads, getting married, and they are still traveling!

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11 Outstanding Things to Do in Orcas Island: A Local’s Guide

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Contributing writer: Roo Smith

I grew up on an island paradise located in an archipelago of 172 named islands, as well as many others unnamed.

The community of just over 2,000 people in the winter means that you know just about everybody by name and it’s not uncommon to see the same faces at pick up soccer games as you do acting in community theater.

This island was named as one of the top 52 places in the world to visit by the New York Times in 2019 due to its amazing wildlife, sweeping ocean vistas, and welcoming population.

The location of this island may surprise you: it’s not located in French Polynesia, but rather situated a few hours off the coast of Washington State.

Orcas Island, the biggest geographical island of the San Juan Islands and my increasingly famous hometown, isn’t necessarily as difficult to reach as French Polynesia but it’s also no easy day trip from Seattle or Vancouver.

Getting to Orcas Island

To begin the journey to Orcas Island you must first arrive at the ferry terminal of Anacortes, Washington.

The Anacortes ferry terminal, as well as the 2-hour ferry boat ride, is where the Orcas Island experience truly begins so take it as an excuse to hike around the beaches and appreciate the views of Mount Baker across the water.

On the boat, the beauty is nothing short of fantastic so although some of us on the ferry on not paying attention to the views around us since it may be a monthly errand run to Costco, I highly recommend spending most of the boat ride taking in the stunning ocean vistas from the open-air decks.

From the moment you step on the island, put the phones away, take the cameras out, and start the adventure. As somebody who spent their whole life on Orcas Island, here are my favorite things to do in Orcas Island to explore while you’re there.

Visit Moran State Park

If you go to Orcas Island and don’t visit Moran State Park in any capacity, you missed a big part of the beauty that Orcas has to offer.

There truly is something here for every type of person.

Go mountain biking

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to mountain bike the West Boundary Loop (a 5.6-mile trail with 1,620 feet of elevation gain), you will not be disappointed.

This is one of the most appreciated mountain biking trails on the island and although the climbs are steep, the experience of flying through the old-growth forest with enchanting moss or simply hiking up the mountain’s northern face will definitely have you feeling fulfilled.

Go for a hike

If mountain biking or longer hiking trails isn’t something that interests you, there’s a number of mid-length trails that vary in length from 0.25 miles to 3-4 miles.

A Sunday tradition for my family growing up consisted of visiting one of our two favorite trails; Cascade Falls or the Mountain Lake Loop.

Hike to Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls is a 0.25-mile trail that leads down about 130 feet to the base of a magical 40-foot waterfall that boasts the title of the tallest waterfall in the entire San Juan Islands.

The waterfall connects with a creek that squiggles down through a jumble of logs and branches before settling into a gentle flow through the old-growth cedar trees and vibrant moss.

The combination of the waterfall and the creek make it the perfect place to hang with families and small kids as well as a place for adults to play around on the fallen logs, appreciating nature’s playground the way it’s supposed to be enjoyed.

Hike the Mountain Lake loop

Mountain Lake loop, another classic hike, is about 4 miles that’s relatively flat and has some incredible views of this dark blue lake.

There’s a number of sun-warmed vantage points and swimming opportunities throughout this loop so definitely take it slow and bring a snack so you can have a picnic on one of these amazing overlooks.

Admire the beautiful Cascade Lake

Finally, if hiking isn’t something you’re interested in, there are still activities for you to do at Moran State Park.

Cascade Lake, or “The Lake” as locals call it, has a grassy field with a designated swimming area for kids, a paddleboat rental shop, and a treat store during the summer.

During the summer, “The Lake” sometimes gets crowded but if you’re looking for tanning by a body of water, there’s no better place to do it than right here in Moran State Park.

Explore the Ocean

Obviously, since you have to take a boat to Orcas Island, it’s surrounded by water.

Although this ocean isn’t necessarily one you would want to leisurely be swimming in, due to its frigid temperature, that doesn’t mean there’s not an endless amount of activities to do on or near the water.

Go sea kayaking

Sea kayaking is a popular activity here on the island, locals and visitors alike. There are a thousand spots to launch from on the island such as Westsound, Deer Harbor, or Olga.

No matter where you go you’re likely going to encounter a calm, gentle sea as well as some incredible views of the rest of the San Juan Islands from the water.

Due to Orcas Island’s geographical position in the archipelago, strong waves and wind are rare during the summer so, as long as you’re close to shore and avoid major channel crossings between islands, it’s going to feel as though you’re paddling on a lake.

If you don’t own kayaks, there’s still plenty of opportunities to rent or even hire a guide to take you around. Some of my favorite kayak rental spots on the island are located on Crescent Beach and at West Beach Resort.

Go whale watching

Sea kayaking is probably the most popular ocean activity among visitors but that’s not the only way to explore the ocean around here.

There’s a number of whale watching guide services to choose from who will bring you to spot the famous J-Pod, a group of Orca whales that reside in the waters around the San Juan Islands.

I would highly recommend Outer Island Excursions as your whale watching guide company as they have a whale sighting guarantee! If you don’t see whales on your trip, you can go out for free again until you do.

Try your hand at sailing

Sea kayaking and whale watching will definitely keep you busy during your time on Orcas, but the fun isn’t over yet.

If you’re wanting to explore the ocean on your own time and feel the breeze of the salty sea in your hair then sailing may also be an activity worth checking out on Orcas.

There are a number of sailing charter companies that will rent you a boat for the day or week if you’re looking for a true on-the-water experience out in the San Juan Islands.

A number of other islands in the area are within a few-mile radius of Orcas Island so if you want to take day trips to smaller uninhabited islands by boat to camp, hike, or explore, there’s a lot of beautiful wildlife and nature to explore there as well.

Visit the Saturday Market in Eastsound

The word “downtown” on Orcas island doesn’t describe a booming metropolitan area that one may think of when first hearing the word, but rather a small series of buildings where the community comes together.

The Orcas Island “downtown” (also referred to as Eastsound) has adorable shops, bakeries, restaurants that you must visit if taking a trip out there. Of all the things to do in Orcas Island, my absolute favorite is going to the Saturday Markets in the summer.

There’s a large grassy area called the Village Green off the side of the main road through town and it’s here where the Saturday Markets take shape. This market is a series of tents full of local business owners, artisans, restaurant owners, and community members.

You can smell the most beautiful and vibrant flowers from Mimi Anderson from Morning Star Farm or purchase thoughtfully homemade pottery from Luke Bronn Pottery.

You can taste some of the most delicious cookies from Teezer’s Bakery, an old bakery on the island that closed its business doors a few years back but continue to sell their island famous cookies at the Saturday Markets. It’s the only place in the world you can buy them and they’re well worth it.

Often, the Saturday Market will feature live music from local musicians or student bands that accompany the smell of baked goods and freshly picked flowers. It’s here where you will feel welcome into the community that is Orcas Island.

Unlike some destination vacation spots around the U.S., Orcas Island is special because you immediately feel like you’re a part of the community, even if you’re only there for a day.

People will greet you like they’ve known you your whole life because that’s just how they interact with everyone. This small-town feel makes Orcas truly special. You not only get to see the most beautiful and awe-inspiring nature while exploring all the best things to do in Orcas Island, but you get an idea of what it’s like to call this place home.

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5 Incredible Free Campsites in Utah (Near National Parks & Attractions!)

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Allison hiking in utah

 Utah is home to thousands of campgrounds dispersed all over the state. With nearly 75% of the land being public, campers have an unlimited option when it comes to free campsites in Utah! Yes, free!

Sure, Utah’s State Parks and National Parks have their own beautiful campsites but if you truly want to live life elevated and experience what Utah has to offer then these dispersed campsites are guaranteed to take your adventure to the next level.

No more reservations, lucky lottery drawings, or squeezing your tent in between a mass of loud campers (where it’s hard to socially distance). With this article on the best free campsites in Utah, you will be armed with the coordinates to avoid camping chaos.

These coordinates are a simple navigational tool to help you locate a generalized area that allows dispersed camping. Simply plug it into your GPS or smartphone and go!

If you’re not sure how to find the best free camping in the USA, I suggest checking out this guide to free camping in the USA which lists some of the best apps and tips for finding epic campsites that are completely cost-free.

 In this article, I will outline the 5 best campsites in Utah…. that just happen to be totally free! These campsites are typically unknown, lying just on the outskirts of the most popular tourist destinations like the Mighty 5 and the best part is they are 100% free!

Whether you’re seeking a true wilderness adventure, trying to stick to a budget, or just trying to find a place of solitude, these beautiful Utah campsites are out there and waiting for you!

Considerations Before Camping in Utah

 Dispersed camping is defined as camping outside of a designated campground (also called wild camping). This means that there is limited to no camping facilities available (read: no bathrooms).

Dispersed camping is offered to campers through the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service Lands. These are undeveloped federal lands that are available for public use. When considering a dispersed campsite it is important to remember a few things.

1) A 14 day stay limit is imposed on all public lands. This means you can stay in a particular area for 14 days, after that time is up, you must move 25 miles to your next destination.

2) Dispersed campgrounds do not have facilities. There are no bathrooms, wash rooms / showers, and often limited cell service.

3) Always pack enough water, food, and emergency belongings.

4) Always use the “Leave No Trace Rule.” Pack out what you pack in — even your waste!

With those camping rules in mind… don’t let dispersed camping in Utah intimidate you! It is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to experience all of what Utah has to offer.

The Best Free Campsites in Utah (Near Main Attractions & National Parks)

Best Free Camping Near Zion

Utah Campsite #1: N 37°15.221′, W 112°46.077′

Sunset over Zion National Park with a river and Watchman Mountain

Zion is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Utah, and for a good reason. Zion boasts some of the world’s most breathtaking hikes like Angels Landing and The Narrows.

But if you’re looking for a place to rest your weary feet after your adventures, most tourists are out of luck with only two local campgrounds to choose from which are often extremely full.

However, 16 miles outside Zion National Park is a large area that caters to campers. If you’re going East on Highway 9 out of Zion, you’ll find a small turn off to the right just after Mile Marker 51. An old gravel road will lead you to a ring of campsites with spectacular views!

Fire pits, free firewood and a 360-degree view of the surrounding Zion area await you at this magnificent free campsite in Utah. And if you’re lucky, this mostly unknown campsite will be all yours.

Best Free Camping Near Moab

Utah Campsite #2: N 38°28’7.26″, W 109°22’8.88″

Delicate Arch thin stone arch shown at sunset with red rock background

Moab is the gateway to Utah’s legendary red rocks formations that make up Arches National Park, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point State Park.

Millions of visitors flock to Moab each year to catch a glimpse of its otherworldly sights. Permits and local campgrounds fill up quickly but nestled 5 miles outside the city of Moab lies a campers dream!

Manti La Sal Road is the mecca of dispersed camping in Moab. This long winding road will take you up and above the hustle and busy-ness of Moab. You will be welcomed with expansive sites of the desert on your left and massive mountains surrounding you on your right.

There are hundreds of established yet free campsites tucked away on this well-traveled road, yet you’re still just outside the city to make those emergency grocery and libation runs!

Best Free Camping Near Kanab

Utah Campsite #3: N 37°3.200′, W 112°15.581′

Winding river and red rock banks of Lake Powell in Utah

Kanab is home to some of the most slot canyons in the world. Miles of winding slot trails, amazing wave rock formations, and the beginnings of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument can all be found in the heart of Kanab.

But also lying in the heart of Kanab are some of the most alluring, quiet campsites in the world — and some of the best free campsites in Utah!

Spanning from Lake Powell to Hurricane and beyond, Highway 89 is home to hundreds of dispersed Utah campsites that are totally free for campers to enjoy.

If you’re looking to hike the Peekaboo Slots, or grabbing that infamous Instagram picture at The Wave (note: good luck with that permit!), Seamen’s Canyon Road off Highway 89 is the perfect middle ground for your southern Utah adventure.

Located 32 miles west of The Peekaboo Slot Canyon trailhead, Seamen’s Canyon Road offers multiple pullouts underneath the cliffs of Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Best Free Camping Near Salt Lake City

Utah Campsite #4: N 40°36.506′, W 111°7.505′

Woman standing on reflective salt lake with shallow water and clouds

Salt Lake City is the heartbeat of Utah. A colorful, vibrant city that boasts luxury resorts and five-star restaurants… but nestled just outside this stunning, bustling city is a campers paradise!

Miles of trails and millions of acres of dispersed camping await those who want a more primitive adventure camping in Utah but close to the convenience of the capital.

Less than an hour south of Salt Lake, high above Utah Lake, sits a ring of established free Utah campgrounds with breathtaking views. Tent campers and big rigs alike will enjoy this quiet Utah campsite with lakeside views and the city of Provo in the distance.

Located just off Highway 68, West of Provo, this free Utah campsite makes a great location for those wanting a small dose of the big city without the hustle and bustle.

Best Free Camping Near Bryce Canyon National Park

Campsite #5: N 37°40.205′, W 112°12.226′

Woman hiking on Navajo Loop trail in Bryce with red hoodoo rock chimneys in background

 The Alice-in-Wonderland-esque landscape of Bryce Canyon is one of the most underrated parks in Utah, often overshadowed by Arches and Zion.

A picturesque park set among an arid desert landscape, this place resembles something off of Mars. Most visitors will spend the day hiking Bryce Canyons’ Queens Garden and Navajo Loop then retreat back to their hotel rooms for the night.

But if you’re looking for a truly unforgettable adventure, find yourself a quiet and free campsite on the land that surrounds Bryce Canyon and enjoy a night under Utah’s beautiful stars!

Bryce Canyon is surrounded by free public land that is part of the Dixie National Forest. Just to the west of Bryce Canyon National Park lies a plethora of free dispersed campsites.

Heading west on Highway 12 from Bryce Canyon, there is a turn off on E Fork Road. Follow E Fork Road down to Forest Road 088 and make a left. From here, you’ll begin to see pull-outs full of fire rings and free Utah campsites hidden among the pine trees.

This is the perfect spot if you want to spend your day hiking the hoodoos, then rest at night under a blanket of peaceful stars!

***

Utah is made to be explored! Whether you are hiking, climbing or white water rafting, you are guaranteed to find a free Utah campsite that’s perfect for your next adventure! So get out there, start exploring, and live life elevated!

 Keep in mind that while you’re visiting Utah’s public lands, you are a guest and need to abide by the rules in order to keep free dispersed camping in Utah open, available, and enjoyable for all.

For more information on the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service Lands, and the Leave No Trace principles, I’ve provided some additional reading resources linked above. Keep in mind that during certain time periods, some restrictions on dispersed camping may apply, so do your research before planning a trip.

Happy and responsible camping!

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The Best Secret Hot Springs in New Mexico to Soak & Soothe

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New Mexico has long been known as The Land of Enchantment. Wild horses roam the arid desert landscapes, small black bears forage the forest floors and eagles soar high above the mountain ranges.

Many come here seeking spiritual renewal, to steal a small slice of magic from New Mexico’s long-standing traditions. But what many don’t know is tucked away in these enchanting lands are an abundance of geothermal hot springs waiting to be experienced.

 Some of New Mexico’s hot springs are only accessible through a lavish resort or hidden on private property. But in this article, I’ll outline three of New Mexico’s little known hot springs.

These specific hot springs are on public land and open to any visitor willing to make the short…or long hike. I’ll also include some local hangouts that pair perfectly with your spring dip. So if you’re looking to unwind in a private setting and soak up the magic of mineral water, then these hot springs are perfect for your next New Mexico getaway.

Spence Hot Springs

Jemez National Forest, Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico

 Spence Hot Springs is a gorgeous hot spring set high above the forest floor in Jemez National Forest. Surrounded by pine trees and beautiful canyon views of Jemez, Spence Hot Springs is a great choice for those who are looking for a private spot with minimal hiking.

A bubbling geothermal cave empties its warm water into two separate rock pools. The upper pool is slightly warmer ranging in the high 90 degrees while the lower pool reaches about 85 degrees.

The trail that leads to Spence Hot Springs is a 0.6-mile developed trail that traverses over a roaring creek and follows a cool, steadily flowing waterfall all the up to the hot springs.

For the ultimate private adventure, try to get to Spence Hot Springs in the early morning hours just as the sun rises. You will beat the crowds, enjoy the colors of the infamous New Mexico sunrises and you’ll most likely have the place to yourself!

Insider Tip: When you’re on your way out to Spence Hot Springs, stop at Highway 4 Cafe and Bakery in Jemez Springs. A cozy little coffee shop nestled in a canopy of trees in downtown Jemez. Their coffee won’t disappoint and it’ll give you that little extra pep for the steep climb up to the hot springs.

How to Get to Spence Hot Springs: Spence Hot Springs is located 67 miles north of Albuquerque. If you’re headed north out of Albuquerque, you’ll take NM 4 into the town of Jemez Springs. 7 miles after the town of Jemez Springs, there will be a parking lot to your right. The parking lot is located at the trailhead of Spence Hot Springs.

As mentioned above, Spence Hot Springs is an easy to follow steep hike, crossing the San Antonio Creek. Start dipping your feet in the small waterfalls that run the course of the hike and follow the warmest one up to the hot spring!

Jordan Hot Springs

Gila National Forest, Pinos Altos, New Mexico

 The Gila National Forest is home to rolling forest hills, towering canyon walls, and the clear flowing water of the Gila River. And hidden among all the beauty is a serene hot spring.

Jordan Hot Springs is one of New Mexico’s most alluring hot springs. Its crystal clear waters, shimmering rock bottom, and magnificent surrounding landscapes draw visitors from all over the world. A perfect 93-degree pool awaits you in the middle of New Mexico’s most beautiful tree-covered wilderness.

However, this hot spring isn’t for the faint of heart. The only way to experience Jordan Hot Springs is by making the 14-mile round trip hike. The trail leading to Jordan Hot Spring is rated as moderate. Although easy in elevation gains, trekkers must cross the Gila River multiple times.

Because of the lengthy hike, this deters a lot of guests from visiting the springs — leaving Jordan Hot Springs as a great option if you’re looking for a more primitive, less crowded experience.

If you really want to get in tune with nature and the wilderness around you, opt to make this an overnight backpacking trip. Dotted along the trail that leads to Jordan Hot Springs are multiple established backcountry campgrounds. Large, cleared areas with an abundance of fire pits and clean flowing river water, the Gila Wilderness is a perfect location for turning your long hike into an unforgettable two-day adventure.

 Insider Tip: After your long afternoon soaking in Jordan Hot Springs, stop by Doc Campbell’s Post for a quick scoop of ice cream and last chance gas. Doc Campbell’s is an old-timey convenience store that’s been passed down through the generations. Souvenirs line the isles and forest animals decorate the walls. It’s a sweet little oasis and the last stop before heading back to Silver City.

How to Get to Jordan Hot Springs: The nearest town to Jordan Hot Springs is Silver City, New Mexico. Head north on NM 15 out of Silver City. Take the windy, two-lane forest road for 44 miles until you hit the trailhead labeled TJ Corral. From here, you’ll begin your 7-mile hike (one way) to the hot springs.

Manby Hot Springs

Photo by Jessica Reeder / CC BY-SA (License)

Taos, New Mexico

 Manby Hot Springs is a true treasure of New Mexico hot springs! Situated right on the banks of the Rio Grande, this small somewhat hidden hot spring is a great escape from the nearby eclectic city of Taos.

Manby Hot Springs is an undeveloped rock pool that boasts two different pools, both ranging from 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. What draws visitors to Manby is the location and surroundings.

The views from Manby Hot Springs are the epitome of the American Southwest. A beautiful 1-mile hike leads you down into a gorge and opens up to the vast sites of the flowing Rio Grande and its surrounding canyon walls. Visitors can alternate between short dips in the Rio Grande and relaxing for hours in the hot springs.

Insider Tip: An afternoon spent relaxing in the  Manby Hot Springs calls for a margarita! Head back to downtown Taos and enjoy a margarita at The Treehouse Bar and Lounge. Located upstairs from the famous Lambert’s Restaurants, Treehouse Bar and Lounge is a swanky cocktail bar that offers handcrafted cocktails and world class margaritas. If you want to live like a local, try Benito’s red margarita – an enticing margarita with a twist of pomegranate! 

How to Get to Manby Hot Springs: If you’re heading north out of Taos, jump on 64 to NM 522. A slight left will lead you Los Rios Road that connects to Tune Road. Look for the Dobson House sign and take a left at the fork. From here, a large parking lot will lead you to the trailhead. The trail is a nice and easy downhill hike, but don’t forget to look up and take in the sights of the Rio Grande Gorge!

***

New Mexico is bubbling with geothermal activity. Whether you’re looking for a babbling riverside hideout or a mountainside escape, these New Mexico hot springs are your enchanting answer for a truly unforgettable experience!

Pin these New Mexico Hot Springs Hikes for Later!

111 Adventure Quotes & Instagram Captions to Inspire Your Journey

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Want some inspirational adventure quotes for your vision board, journal, or perhaps some adventure Instagram captions?

I’ve gathered my favorite adventure quotes from a ton of different sources and created a curated list of quotes about adventure so that you can simply pull a quote from this list and use it however you like.

Looking for more travel quotes? I’ve also found 100 more travel quotes here!

Beautiful Quotes About Adventure: Caption Inspiration

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”

― J.K. Rowling

“Adventure isn’t hanging off a rope on the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life”

– John Amat

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

― Terry Pratchett

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”

— A.A. Milne

“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.”

— A.A. Milne

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open”

— Jawaharlal Nehru

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

― Hunter S. Thompson

“If adventure has a final and all-embracing motive, it is surely this: we go out because it is our nature to go out, to climb mountains, and to paddle rivers, to fly to the planets and plunge into the depths of the oceans… When man ceases to do these things, he is no longer man.”

— Wilfrid Noyce

“To live would be an awfully big adventure.”

— J.M. Barrie

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”

– Oprah Winfrey

“The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort.”

– Paulo Coelho

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

— Helen Keller

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”

– Amelia Earhart

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”

— William Feather

Adventure Quotes About Courage

“If you don’t take risks, you’ll have a wasted soul.”

― Drew Barrymore

“Let us not become so cautious that we forget to live.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion with one’s courage.”

– Anaïs Nin

“Face the wind bravely. It can carry you to many fascinating places.”

― Scaylen Renvac

“You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

– Andre Gide

“The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.’’

– Casey Neistat

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”

— T.S. Eliot

“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.”

— Harley King 

“Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.”

― Danny Kaye

“Adventures are what happens when an event is flawed, a mark of imperfection.”

― Kij Johnson

Inspirational Adventure Quotes & Instagram Captions

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

— Henry David Thoreau

“Life is an adventure, not a package tour”

– Eckhart Tolle

“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.”

― Herman Melville

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”

— Jack Kerouac

“What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”

― Jack Kerouac

“I needed adventure: not a vacation, not a distraction, but true, meaningful adventure.”

― Paul Rosolie

“Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.”

— Irving Wallace

“Don’t ever live vicariously. This is your life. Live.”

― Lavinia Spalding

“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”

— Ernest Hemingway

“It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

— J.R.R Tolkien

“Love, like everything else in life, should be a discovery, an adventure, and like most adventures, you don’t know you’re having one until you’re right in the middle of it.”

― E.A. Bucchianeri

Philosophical Adventure Quotes

“To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self…. And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one’s self.”

― Søren Kierkegaard

“For an occurrence to become an adventure, it is necessary and sufficient for one to recount it.”

― Jean-Paul Sartre

“This feeling of adventure definitely does not come from events: I have proved it. It’s rather the way in which the moments are linked together.”

― Jean-Paul Sartre

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.”

― George Eliot

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

― Christopher McCandless

“Always there has been an adventure just around the corner–and the world is still full of corners.”

― Roy Chapman Andrews

Funny Adventure Quotes

“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”

― Alexandre Dumas

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”

― Lewis Carroll

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”

― G.K. Chesterton

“Adventures do occur, but not punctually.”

― E.M. Forster

“One of the inescapable encumbrances of leading an interesting life is that there have to be moments when you almost lose it.”

― Jimmy Buffett

“What is deemed a nightmare by one person another deems an adventure.”

― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal!”

– Paulo Coelho

“So shut up, live, travel, adventure, bless and don’t be sorry”

― Jack Kerouac

“I have discovered that even the mediocre can have adventures and even the fearful can achieve.”

― Edmund Hillary

“There is no point of adventure if you have known about everything. I wonder how God deals with the situation, considering the boredom.”

― Toba Beta

“Too much adventure is exhausting.”

― Dean Koontz

“Roald Amundsen says that ‘Adventure is just bad planning.’ In that case, friends, let us make more bad planning!”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan

Reading as Adventure Quotes

“Reading, the safest adventure you can book…”

― Nanette L. Avery

“Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have.”

― Lloyd Alexander

“A book holds another universe. If you open it, you join it and your adventures begin.”

― Kaylee Stepkoski

“A book is the only shuttle service that carries one safely to another dimension and back”

― Vishal Singh

Adventure with Friends Quotes

“Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.”

― Emily Wing Smith

“Adventure, yeah. I guess that’s what you call it when everybody comes back alive.”

― Mercedes Lackey

“It is great to do what you love but greater with the great team.”

― Lailah Gifty Akita

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”

– Tim Cahill

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of the world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”

– Robert Louis Stevenson

“In the end, what you do isn’t going to be nearly as interesting or important as who you do it with.”

— John Green

“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.”

– Izaak Walton

Solo Adventure Quotes & Instagram Captions

“The best adventures are embarked on alone.”

― Lidia Longorio

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure.”

— Freya Stark

“Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.”

– Hannah Arendt

“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.”

– Henry David Thoreau

“There are some places in life where you can only go alone. Embrace the beauty of your solo journey.”

– Mandy Hale

“The inner journey of travel is intensified by solitude.”

– Paul Theroux

Romantic Adventure Quotes

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

– John Steinbeck

“For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”

– Stephanie Perkins

“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”

– Ernest Hemingway

“Will you give me yourself? Will you come to travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?”

– Walt Whitman

“Here’s to all the places we went. And here’s to all the places we’ll go. And here’s to me, whispering again and again and again and again: I love you”

– John Green

“Take that person and travel around the world. Buy a plane ticket for the two of you to travel all around the world and go to places that are hard to get to and hard to get out of. And when you come back… and if you’re still in love with that person… get married at the airport.”

– Bill Murray

“Why should a relationship mean settling down? Wait for someone who won’t let life escape you, who’ll challenge you and drive you towards your dreams. Someone spontaneous who you can get lost in the world with. A relationship, with the right person, is a release, not a restriction.”

– Beau Taplin

“Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures.”

– Lewis Carroll

“What we find in a soulmate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with.”

– Robert Brauld

New Adventure Quotes

“I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts.”

― Herman Melville

“The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow.”

― Aaron Lauritsen

“An open mind and a willing heart are the beginning of many a great adventure. Let’s get started.”

― Colleen Houck

“Everything was an adventure, at night, when you were where you shouldn’t be, even if it was somewhere you could go perfectly well in daylight, and it was then only ordinary.”

― Robin McKinley

“May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.”

― Trenton Lee Stewart

“When in doubt – choose adventure!”

― Thor F. Jensen

“I didn’t say no because between safety and adventure I choose adventure.”

― Craig Ferguson

“New things are the best kind of magic there is.”

― Seanan McGuire

“The greater the complication, the richer the tale”

― Thor F. Jensen

“If happiness is the goal, and it should be, then adventure should be a top priority.”

– Richard Branson

“It was an adventure. You must learn in life to take things more lightly, my dear. The world is always changing. Learn how to allow for it.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert

“You need a break every once in a while to enjoy the everyday and you need the everyday to enjoy the break you take every once in a while.”

― S.A. Tawks

“There will always be those who feel more comfortable not venturing from the warmth of the hearth, but there are those who prefer to look out the window and wonder what is beyond the horizon.”

― Jimmy Buffett

“Adventure, then, is what might otherwise be called hardship if it were attempted in a different spirit.”

― Laura Miller

“I do not insist that this is a full adventure, but it is the beginning of one, for this is the way adventures begin.”

― Miguel de Cervantes

Travel Adventure Quotes

“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.”

– Marty Rubin

“Home is a place to return to, not a place to stay.”

― Marty Rubin

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”

— Robert Louis Stevenson

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

— St. Augustine

“Travel for memories, no matter how much they fade. That’s reason enough.”

― Michelle Jana Chan

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by.”

— Robert Frost

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s OK. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

– Anthony Bourdain

“In moments of great uncertainty on my travels, I have always felt that something is protecting me, that I will come to no harm.”

― Tahir Shah

“Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before. How can there be any adventure, any exploration, if you let somebody else – above all, a travel bureau – arrange everything before-hand?”

― Richard Aldington

“They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things– I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life’s ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There’s so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something.”

― Lisa Ann Sandell

Pin These Adventure Quotes & Adventure Insta Captions

101 Quotes about Waterfalls (Plus Waterfall Captions & Puns!)

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If you’re a fanatic for waterfalls and you’re looking for a waterfall caption that will go beyond the tired old “don’t go chasing waterfalls” quote every 90s kid will forever associate with TLC (RIP Left Eye), this is the post for you.

This exhaustive post about the best quotes about waterfalls will leave with you an overflow of ideas and inspiration for waterfall captions for Instagram or beautiful waterfall quotes to decorate your room, campervan, or house with.

I’ll include beautiful quotes about waterfalls from a variety of sources. If you use one of these lovely waterfall quotes as your Instagram caption for a waterfall photo, tag me so I can see it! I’m @eternalarrival on Instagram.

Beautiful Waterfall Quotes

“A waterfall happily and cheerfully flows in the nature; there is happiness only if there is freedom!”

– Mehmet Murat Ildan

“There’s no better place to find yourself that sitting by a waterfall and listening to its music”

― Roland R Kemler

“There is a waterfall in every dream. Cool and crystal clear, it falls gently on the sleeper, cleansing the mind and soothing the soul.”

― Virginia Alison

“The point is that when I see a sunset or a waterfall or something, for a split second it’s so great, because for a little bit I’m out of my brain, and it’s got nothing to do with me.”

— Chris Evans

“Young leaves, the sound of a waterfall, heard from far and near.”

– Yosa Buson

“I can see my rainbow calling me through the misty breeze of my waterfall.”

— Jimi Hendrix

“My desert soul erupts with turquoise water, floods and cascades and waterfalls rushing in around my rocky parts, pushing and reshaping and filling every hidden dark spot.”

— Kiersten White

“There’s music in water. Brooks babbling, fountains splashing. Weirs, waterfalls, tumbling, gushing.”

– Julie Andrews

“There is a hidden message in every waterfall. It says, if you are flexible, falling will not hurt you!”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan

“When the moonlight and the waterfall come together, all other things fade from the scene.”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan

“Emerald slopes became so tall they touched the clouds, and showers painted diamond waterfalls that sluiced down cliff sides.”

– Victoria Kahler

“There’s hope at the bottom of the biggest waterfall.”

— Patrick Ness

“Water is the most perfect traveler because when it travels it becomes the path itself!”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan

“For an instant, silence, noisier than a waterfall.”

– Salman Rushdie

“A waterfall cannot be silent, just as the wisdom! When they speak, the voice of power speaks!”

― Mehmet Murat Ildan

“Sometimes, it’s hard to tell how fast the current’s moving until you’re headed over a waterfall.”

– Kimberly McCreight

“Do not feel sad for your tears as rocks never regret the waterfalls”

― Munia Khan

“Just let go – and fall like a little waterfall.”

– Bob Ross

“I need waves. I need waterfalls. I want rushing currents.”

– Tahereh Mafi

“It is life, I think, to watch the water. A man can learn so many things.”

– Nicholas Sparks

“Grace is finding a waterfall when you were only looking for a stream.”

— Vanessa Hunt

“It was more than just the gentle tumble of the waterfall, or the wind or the sound of birds. It was much, much more he knew. He looked about him and he knew he had found what he had been looking for.”

― Michael Delaware

“Look with open eyes, and you will see the beauty of the waterfall.”

– Anthony Hincks

“Water is the driver of nature.”

– Leonardo da Vinci

“The vast waterfall of history pours down, and a few obituarists fill teacups with the stories.”

– Marilyn Johnson

“My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”

– Mel Brooks

“The idea is that flowing water never goes stale, so just keep on flowing.”

– Bruce Lee

Creative Quotes about Waterfalls

“Above them, a waterfall tumbled from a clifftop as high as a church steeple. The water fell in milky blue strands, shooting spray in the air that danced in rainbows of gold, pink, and blue.”

― Martine Bailey

“And when you hear the sound of the waterfall coming nearer and nearer, tidy up the boat, put on your best tie and hat, and smoke a cigar right up till the moment you go over. That’s a triumph.”

– Ray Bradbury

“Not a hundred feet away the river roared over a cliff’s edge, and we weren’t really leaves, even if I’d been careful to forget that.”

― Naomi Novik

“Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea.”

– Mikhail Lermontov

“Owls hoot in B flat, cuckoos in D, but the water ousel sings in the voice of the stream. She builds her nest back of the waterfalls so the water is a lullaby to the little ones. Must be where they learn it.”

― Karen Joy Fowler

Inspiring Waterfall Quotes

“When water falls, it flies.”

― Anthony T. Hincks

“Mist to mist drops to drops. For water thou art, and unto water shalt thou return.”

– Kamand Kojouri

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress.”

– Margaret Atwood

“Waterfalls wouldn’t sound so melodious if there were no rocks in their way.”

— Rishabh Gautam

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”

– Norman McLean

“Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.”

— Simon & Garfunkel

“You don’t have the power to make rainbows or waterfalls, sunsets or roses, but you do have the power to bless people by your words and smiles You carry within you the power to make the world better.”

– Sharon Larsen

“Run wild and free like a waterfall”

― Anamika Mishra

“They say that people who live next to waterfalls don’t hear the water.”

– Jonathan Safran Foer

“Once we have tasted far streams, touched the gold, found some limit beyond the waterfall, a season changes and we come back changed but safe, quiet, grateful.”

– William Stafford

“I feel like water that transforms from a flowing river to a tranquil lake to a powerful waterfall to a freshwater spring to a meandering creek to a salty sea to raindrops gentle on your face to hard, stinging hail to frost on a mountaintop, and back to a river again.”

— María Virginia Farinango

“Just as a waterfall grows slower and more lightly suspended as it plunges down, so the great man of action tends to act with greater calmness than his tempestuous desires prior to the deed would lead one to expect.”

– Friedrich Nietzsche

“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.”

– John Muir

“A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.”

– Jim Watkins

Mindfulness Quotes About Waterfalls

“Experiencing the present purely is being empty and hollow; you catch grace as a man fills his cup under a waterfall.”

– Annie Dillard

“With meditation, I found a ledge above the waterfall of my thoughts.”

– Mary Pipher

“A waterfall is concerned only with being itself, not with doing something it considers waterfall-like.”

– Vernon Howard

“Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall.”

– Sheng-yen

“After we are separated by birth from this oneness, as the water falling from the waterfall is separated by the wind and rocks, then we have feeling. You have difficulty because you have feeling. You attach to the feeling you have without knowing just how this kind of feeling is created. When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear. Whether it is separated into drops or not, water is water. Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact we have no fear of death anymore, and we have no actual difficulty in our life.”

― Shunryu Suzuki

“Another way to look at meditation is to view the process of thinking itself as a waterfall, a continual cascading of thought. In cultivating mindfulness we are going beyond or behind our thinking, much the way you might find a vantage point in a cave or depression in a rock behind a waterfall. We still see and hear the water, but we are out of the torrent.”

― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Romantic Quotes About Waterfalls

“Your love is like a waterfall, running wild and free.”

— Chris Tomlin

“I shift an infinitesimal movement towards him. It is like the leap from a waterfall. I do not know, until then, what I am going to do.”

– Madeline Miller

“All anyone can hope for is just a tiny bit of love, like a drop in a cup if you can get it, or a waterfall, a flood, if you can get that too.”

– Edwidge Danticat

“I love you like a river that understands that it must learn to flow differently over waterfalls and to rest in the shallows.”

– Paulo Coelho

“She dares me to pour myself out like a living waterfall. She dares me to enter the soul that is more than my own; she extinguishes fear in mere seconds. She lets light come through.”

– Virginia Woolf

Poetic Quotes about Waterfalls

“When you are outpouring your emotion,
it is like me trying to climb up a waterfall
To get to you.
But if you are calm and have faith in me,
I can sail right over to you
On the still waters of your soul.”

― Kate McGahan

“Seen on a night in November
How frail
Above the bulk
Of crashing water hangs,
Autumn, evanescent, wan,
The moon.”

― Adelaide Crapsey

“When I was walking in the mountains with the Japanese man and began to hear the water, he said, ‘What is the sound of the waterfall?’ ‘Silence,’ he finally told me.”

― Jack Gilbert

“The higher the trail the steeper it grows
Ten thousand tiers of dangerous cliffs
The stone bridge is slippery with green moss
Cloud after cloud keeps flying by
Waterfalls hang like ribbons of silk
The moon shines down on the bright pool
I climb the highest peak once more
To wait where the lone crane flies”

— Han Shan

“within
a waterfall
the sound
of a pine forest
a thousand years old”

— Michael McClintock

“Cascading waterfall
Spray merges with molten air
Exhilarating”

— Cheryl Mary Coleman

“Mountain-rose petals, Falling, falling, falling now… Waterfall music ”

— Matsuo Basho

Common Sayings & Anonymous Quotes about Waterfalls

Get lost in nature and you will find yourself.

When it rains, it pours.

Go with the flow.

Whatever floats your boat.

Life doesn’t flow backward.

We start in different places, but we all meet in the ocean.

Always take the scenic route.

It’s all downhill from here.

Paradise found.

Great things are over every fall and around every bend.

The waterfall is nature’s laughter.

Waterfall Puns for Instagram Captions

Streaming now on Netflix…

Hello, nature, I’ve really mist you

I keep on falling in and out of love with you

Water you doing later?

This view is gorges!

Let all your troubles fall away

I have no current plans

I’m roaring with excitement!

I’ve never mist a chance to see a waterfall

Where you lead, I will fall-ow (yes, this is a double Gilmore Girl and waterfall pun reference, you’re welcome)

Pleased to make your aqua-taince

Some people say I’m an aqua-holic

Sitting here pondering the meaning of life

What are you wading for?

Water-falling in love with this place.

Just gushing with joy.

This view is over the top!

When it rains, it really pours.

Watery waiting for? Jump in!

Just go with the flow on this one

Fallin‘ in love all over again.

I’m over waterfalls. They’re too main-stream.

Pin These Waterfall Puns, Waterfall Instagram Captions & Waterfall Quotes!

88 Thoughtful Safe Travel Quotes to Wish Loved Ones Well on Their Journey

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Is someone you love planning a great adventure and you want to wish them off well with a safe travel quote or saying?

Or is your friend about to embark on a trip of a lifetime and you want to wish them well with a beautiful safe journey quote?

Is someone you love about to start over from scratch, and you want to send them off with some well wishes for a new start with a beautiful quote about new beginnings?

Here is a collection of beautiful safe travel quotes and well wishes for safe journeys, quotes that will inspire your traveler and communicate your love for them.

And if mushiness is not your style — there are some funny travel quotes about leaving and saying goodbye if you prefer to send off your loved one with a quirky bon voyage quote.

Safe Travel Quotes about Adventure

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” – Anthony Bourdain

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

“There [is] nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” – Jack Kerouac

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

“And the purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

Safe Travel Quotes About New Beginnings

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coelho

“It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest thing in the world.” – John Green

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”– Confucius

“It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” – Ernie Harwell

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” – T.S. Eliot

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Semisonic

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

Safe Travel Quotes for Anxious Travelers

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” — Babs Hoffman

“Fear is only temporary. Regret lasts forever.” — Unknown

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”– Jack Canfield

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Unknown

“Jobs fill your pockets but adventure fills your soul.” — Jamie Lyn Beatty

“Run from what’s comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious. I have tried prudent planning long enough. From now on I’ll be mad.”– Rumi

“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” – Mark Twain

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.”– Babs Hoffman

“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” – Anthony Bourdain

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.”– Clifton Fadiman

Safe Travel Quotes about Self-Discovery

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” – J. M. Barrie 

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” — Henry David Thoreau

“We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” – John Steinbeck

“Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.” – Dave Mustaine

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” – Douglas Adams

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”– Miriam Beard

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”– Rumi

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust

“The farther you go, however, the harder it is to return. The world has many edges, and it’s easy to fall off.” – Anderson Cooper

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” – George Augustus Moore

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure.” – Freya Stark

“If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”– Henry Miller (Editor’s Note: this is the quote this blog name came from!)

Goodbye Quotes for Friends

“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” — Helen Keller

“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“A farewell is necessary before we can meet again, and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach

“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Friends never say goodbye.” — Aanand Srivastava

“Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” — Trey Parker

“You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart your mind your stomach because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.” — Wm. Paul Young

“It takes a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye.” — Margott

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” -Richard Bach

Safe Travels Quotes for Couples

“Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”
― Shakespeare

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” – Wendy Wunder

“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” – Charles Dickens

“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” – Rumi

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne

“The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye, the story of love is hello and goodbye, until we meet again.” – Jimi Hendrix

“The pain of a hard good-bye is the heart’s tribute to the privilege to love.” – Beth Moore

“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” – Charles Dickens

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

“Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Seuss

“I thought I was stronger than a word, but I just discovered that having to say goodbye to you is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”― Colleen Hoover

“No more words. We know them all, all the words that should not be said. But you have made my world more perfect.” ― Terry Pratchett

Funny Safe Journey Quotes & Quotes about Leaving

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss

“Don’t ever tell anyone anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” – J.D. Salinger

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it’s lethal” – Paulo Coelho

“Goodbye always makes my throat hurt.” – Charlie Brown

“Sleep tight, ya morons!” ― J.D. Salinger

“I’ll see you in another life. When we are both cats.” — Tom Cruise 

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” — Mark Twain

“I make it easier for people to leave by making them hate me a little.” -Cecelia Ahern

“There is nothing safer than flying. It’s crashing that’s dangerous.” — Theo Cowan

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go” – Oscar Wilde

“‘Where will we go?’
‘I hear hell is particularly nice at this time of year.'” ― Sarah J. Maas

“It’s better to travel well than arrive.” — Buddha

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

“Farewell, fair cruelty” — Shakespeare

Pin these Safe Travel Quotes, Quotes About Leaving, + Bon Voyage Quotes for Later

12 Stunning Things to Do in Sapa, Vietnam

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Sapa is one of the most photogenic hill station towns in northern Vietnam. It has everything you should expect for the adventure of a lifetime.

It has the highest mountain in the country, a stunning national park, beautiful rice terraces, and unique ethnic cultural experiences.

To soak up the highlights of Sapa, I would recommend the below activities as the best things to do in Sapa.

The Best Things to Do in Sapa

1. Trek along Muong Hoa Valley

Trekking is often the main draw for why people head to Sapa. With a wide range of mountain trails, Sapa has a lot to offer for any kind of hiker, from amateur to professional.

If you take a day tour from Sapa, then it’s best to start from Cat-Cat village, following the less-visited trail snaking through the local rice plantations to reach Lao Chai village.

If you’d rather combine trekking with a homestay, Ta Van is a great overnight destination. After seeing the rice terraces, uncovering the traditional life of Black Hmong people (an ethnic minority local to the area), Ta Van village offers a very serene atmosphere where you will be tempted by the hospitality of Giay people.

2. Ride the Cable Car to Fansipan Mountain

Your Sapa trip is incomplete without a visit to Fansipan mountain!

At an elevation of 3,143 meters above sea level, Fansipan is an iconic sight that you should definitely put at the top of your list of things to do in Sapa.

The easiest way to reach the top of this mountain is definitely taking a cable car ride. Over the course of 15 minutes, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a birds-eye view over the lush valley where many fascinating villages are located along the river.

The best time to take the cable car ride is in the morning or late afternoon so that you can behold the cloud covering the nearby mountains!

3. Visit Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall)

Technically, this is the highest waterfall in Sapa. The water cascades from Lo Sui Tung Peak, measuring more than 100 meters high with 3 tiers.

You may not be able to swim here, but your trip will be made well worth it by the awe-inspiring mountain panorama and falls.

There are food stalls right at the foothill so if you are curious about trying local Sapa food, this is a nice place to do it!

4. Ride a Scooter to Tram Ton Pass

Tram Ton Pass holds the record of being the highest pass in the country. Over a 15 kilometer trip, you’ll move from an elevation of 1600 meters up to 1900 meters quickly.

Undoubtedly, a motorcycle or scooter ride is the best way to experience the road. Doing so, you are free to drop by Silver Waterfall, sampling Sapa’s fruit garden, or travel further along 50 kilometers of the pass.

5. Taste Local Cuisine at Sapa Market

The food in Sapa is aromatic and distinctive from other regions of Vietnam.

Bring an adventurous spirit so you don’t regret not trying its famous salmon, horse hotpot, or seven-color sticky rice. The food in Sapa market comes from many different communities with different cooking techniques and traditions, which leads to a diverse array of foods you can sample.

For the real foodie, Sapa has some other options, from fine dining restaurants to cooking classes.

6. Learn about the Red Dzao Life in Ta Phin Village


While touring Sapa, it’s important to participate in sustainable tourism that preserves elements of local culture.

One of the most rewarding places to do that is Ta Phin Village. Here, you can see how Red Dzao women sew their colorful custom designs and create their eye-catching handicrafts.

Another well-known traditional work that happens only in Ta Phin is making herbal medicine, an interesting experience for curious travelers!

7. Find the French Colonial Relics

Sapa Town was first established by the French in 1902 as a summer escape from the humid climate in other parts of Vietnam. These days, you can still find some of the remarkable landmarks that remain from the French colonial era.

The very first piece of colonial architecture you should see is the central church. Known as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, this church was the practicing hub for Christians in the area. There are many other sites that reflect the style of French architecture, scattered across various communities in the Sapa region.

Another faded ruin worth seeking out is Ta Phin monastery. Though it is now abandoned, it has a really beautiful structure.

8. Join a Hmong Sewing Class

Want to learn something useful while in Sapa? Sign up for a sewing class at Indigo Cat Center.

Enjoy learning about the art of batik and be impressed by the attractive traditional patterns that Hmong people have been designing as part of their culture.

To take part in this workshop, you’ll need to book directly at their shop in Sapa town before heading to the “classroom” in Ta Van village.

9. Hike Ham Rong Mountain

Although Sapa has developed very fast, there is still one place that remains unchanged: the Ham Rong mountain.

This ecotourism site recalls the legend of Sapa, where according to the lore, a dragon returned to the sky from this mountain.

You can also watch cultural performances which take place at intervals throughout the day.

10. Shop Local at a Weekly Market

The most colorful markets in the area do not happen in Sapa town. You’ll need to travel to the adjacent district of Bat Xa or the further side of Lao Cai province where Coc Ly, Lung Khau Nhin, or Bac Ha market take place.

Depending on the day of the week, certain markets operate: Cao Son Market (Wednesday), Coc Ly Market (Tuesday), Bac Ha market (Sunday), and Si Ma Cai market (Saturday).

11. Treat Yourself to a Night at Topas Ecolodge

Listed as one of the most unique lodges in the world according to National Geographic, Topas Ecolodge provides dramatic views over the Hoang Lien Son National Park from its pristine infinity pool.

Imagine waking up with the morning fog right in front of your window, like you’re floating in a cloud, and closing each night with a mesmerizing sunset while sipping a cocktail in the mountains.

12. Take a Photography Tour

Capturing the authentic charm of Sapa is the dream of many photographers.

You may not be able to do that without a local guide, who can help you find the best photo spots, translate to ask for consent for photographs and give you pointers on how to improve your craft.

About Tan Nguyen

Tan is a Sapa local and an adventure-addicted traveler who is eager to see unique places. He enjoys traveling off the beaten track and blogs about his adventures at Travel to Work.

The 10 Most Breathtaking Hikes in Germany

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Blessed with some truly magnificent natural beauty, there are over 200,000 kilometers of well-maintained hiking trails in Germany.

Literally a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, nature-buffs, and health freaks, it’s so easy to get off the beaten path and explore the rural landscapes on your own.

Whether it’s Sächsische Schweiz, Allgäu Alps, or the picturesque Baltic Coast, there is something for everyone in Germany!

From glistening mountain lakes to the enchanted Black Forest and its cool treetop walkway, Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, to the otherworldly peaks reaching for the sky to the jaw-dropping views of the glaciers, here are some of the best hiking trails in Germany.

Grab your trekking shoes, a bottle of water and some grain bars, jump in your rental car, and head out to some of these truly inspiring hiking destinations.

The Best Hikes in Germany

Rheinsteig Trail

This 320-km long hike along the bank of the Rhine River allows to test yourself and enjoy difficult gradients and spectacular views of countless castles in Germany, stately homes, cliffs, and vineyards.

The trail is well-marked with plentiful signs along the way that make it easy to follow the paths without using navigation devices. As Germany’s oldest hiking trail, which runs from Wiesbaden to Bonn, Rheinsteig is definitely worth taking.

If you plan on hiking along Rheinsteig Trail, consider starting at Wiesbaden-Biebrich train station, and then follow the path leading to the trail itself through the castle grounds. While going the full distance can be somewhat strenuous, most hikers opt for taking a particular section or two.

Depending on your route you will be able to see Kloster Eberbach, Schloss Johannisberg, Lahneck Castle, and Eibingen Abbey. The trail is open year-round and you’ll need decent walking shoes and supplies to last the length of your hike.

Eifelsteig Trail

The Eifelsteig is the long-distance hiking trail that takes you through the unspoiled scenery of the Eifel. The trail connects the historic cities of  Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia and Trier in Rhineland Palatinate.

While hiking this route, outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the changing landscape of rolling fields, rivers, moorland, and volcanic crater lakes. The total length of the route is about 313 kilometers (194 miles) and is divided into 15 daily sections, each between 14 and 28 kilometers.

For hikers looking for specific types of accommodation, there are hotels, bed and breakfast, campsites, youth hostels, and holiday flats along the route. You may also take advantage of additional services, ranging from advice about hiking, packed lunches, to baggage transfer to your next place of stay.

If you’re looking for some in-depth exploration, you may want to go on day hikes or multiple day hikes in combination with the Eifelsteig. The trail is quite challenging but the old pilgrimage sites and abbeys, along with hilltop-perched medieval castles of Manderscheid make this hike  unforgettable.

Painter’s Way Trail

The Malerweg trail (Painter’s Way in German) is a part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the mountain range located in Saxony (southeastern Germany) and North Bohemia (Czech Republic).

This impressive 112 km (69.5 miles) trail is also known as Saxon Switzerland and Bohemian Switzerland in both Germany and the Czech Republic respectively.

The trail got its name from many romantic artists and poets who loved to spend their time here, roaming around in the search for inspiration. The area became particularly popular as a prime hiking destination in the late 18th century thanks to the painters from Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, Anton Graff and Adrian Zingg.

The hike is broken into 8 daily walks of about 17 km (10.5 miles) each. This allows you can take a day hike or go on an aspiring week-long journey across table-top mountains and narrow gorges. Different stages offer various levels of difficulty, but generally, the Malerweg trail suits all levels of fitness.

The Bastei Bridge is definitely the most popular section is the second stage. Built-in 1824, the scenic bridge wonderfully crosses the rock and overlooks the Elbe River.

If you want to get to Saxon Switzerland from Germany, the nearest city is Dresden.

Alternatively, you can travel from Berlin (in winter or summer, it’s always beautiful). The entire trip takes around 3 hours by car.

If you’re coming from the Czech side it will take about 2 hours from Prague, the Czech capital.

The national park is extremely well-connected to other Western European countries and cities by buses, trains, or planes.

If you’re traveling from Dresden’s Hauptbahnhof (main central station), arrive at Pirna/Liebethal or Stadt Wehlen to start on the second stage.

Ahrsteig Trail

Crossing the Ahr Valley, also known as Germany’s “Red Wine Dorado,” the Ahrsteig Trail takes you to a number of peaceful meadows, narrow rocky paths, isolated high plateaus, and lively wine villages. take your time to soak up the panoramic views of the Ahr Valley, with sights that stretch as far as Cologne.

The 84-km trail follows the Ahr river, and you can hike the entire length of this trail by spotting the Ahrsteig trail logo on the tree trunks along the route and rest on the trail’s comfortable seats along the way.

Hikers should know that there are two ways to walk the Ahrsteig trail. First, you can take the red route, which begins at the source of the Ahr in Blankenheim, and finishes just before Altenahr.

The second way is to take the blue A route that follows the river to the wine-producing area of Walporzheim and onwards to the spa town of Bad Neuenahr and on to Sinzig. Both routes are interconnected, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Before undertaking a multi-stage hike it pays to be in reasonable shape. Particularly, you need to be at a reasonable level of fitness to cover the first 11 kilometers from Blankenheim in the Eifel mountains to Freilinger Lake, a popular nature reserve and recreation area.

Hochuferweg from Sassnitz to Lohme

The third most beautiful hiking trail in Germany in 2012 according to Wandermagazin (a German hiking magazine), the raised coastal path from Sassnitz to Lohme combines the raw charm of the chalk cliffs with unparalleled views of the Baltic Sea.

Situated on Germany’s largest island by area, Jasmund National Park is an amazing place for anyone willing to enjoy the combination of forests, meadows, marshes, and Rügen’s chalk coast.

The 13.5-kilometer long trail takes you from the car park in Wedding/Sassnitz along the steep coast of the Baltic Sea. The path to the Königsstuhl (King’s Throne) passes the Wissower Klinken that once inspired the romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich to draw his famous “Chalk Cliffs on Rügen”.

From the lookout point, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Sicht, the raised coastal path takes hikers through the Ancient Beech Forests that are among the last untouched forests in Europe. These forests are on the UNESCO list as well.

Once the Königsstuhl has been reached, the picturesque chalk cliffs can be appreciated from the Victoria viewpoint. Then head on to the Königsstuhl National Park Centre (German: Nationalpark-Zentrum Königsstuhl) and learn everything about the development of Rügen’s chalk coastline and more than 1400 species that inhabit it.

Should the hike take longer than expected, you can hop on a bus from the National Park Centre back to Sassnitz or continue hiking along the path to Lohme. A bus also leaves to Sassnitz from there.

Lahnwanderweg Trail

The 290-km long trail takes you high above the Lahn River all the way from Netphen to Lahnstein. Lahnwanderweg trail covers a series of viewpoints with spectacular views of the Lahn valley and Westerwald forest.

While some prefer the enchanted landscape at the source and in the upper Lahn valley, others the larger expanse of the floodplain landscapes in the middle Lahn valley and the wild and romantic lower Lahn valley, where the river meanders deeply between towering rocks. At your own walking pace, there are many opportunities to let your mind wander.

The entire path is divided into 19 stages allowing hikers enough time to enjoy and discover the villages, towns, castles, and palaces. It is usually possible to create a magnificent walking experience.

A total of about 6,000 vertical meters and small side valleys contribute to the historical timber-framed buildings, to historical ruins, delightful scenery. If you want, you can even scramble through a few easy and well secured via ferrata passages.

To start this trail you may want to come to Koblenz and then a local train to Bad Ems or Diez.

Circular Path Around the Eibsee

Eibsee is a beautiful mountain lake in Bavaria not far from Dinkelsbühl Germany around 100 km southwest of Munich.

With crystal clear water that turns turquoise on nice summer days, the lake is close to the border with Austria and hikers can reach it either from Grainau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen by car or bus.

The 7-km long loop trail around Eibsee invites you to enjoy the fresh air and picturesque nature and it normally takes about 2 hours to complete at moderate speed — it’s just is perfect for everyone!

With few gentle hills around, it’s possible to hike off-the-beaten-path and walk along the lake. In case you want to skip the regular trail, you’ll need decent trekking shoes and hiking experience.

Alternatively, there is an opportunity to go swimming, rent a boat/SUP, and explore the lake’s small islands. The trail is open year-round.

To start your hiking adventure, you may go either counterclockwise or clockwise around the lake. If you start from the parking and don’t want to do the whole walk, consider going to the right and follow the path in the North direction.

On your way, you will pass the Hotel Eibsee and the actual path which leads around the lake will start. The bulk of the islands can be found on this side of the lake.

This is a great place to visit while you’re near the Black Forest Germany region.

Partnachklamm Gorge

After the snow melts, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany’s tourist ski town, turns into a hiker’s paradise.

Located some 100 kilometers south of Munich in Reintal Valley, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is only a stone’s throw away  from Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain. All these things make Partnachklamm trail a truly unique place and will impress even the most seasoned hikers.

The Eckbauer, a 1238-meter-high peak at the southern edge of Partenkirchen, is a good starting point for a hike. It is the smallest of the Wetterstein mountain chain, as the area’s predominant section of the Bavarian Alps is known, and lined with easy and moderate trails.

Beyond Forsthaus Graseck hotel begins a dramatic gorge, the Partnachklamm, formed by a mountain stream with a number of paths running through tunnels in the rock drilled alongside. A journey through the tunnel makes you feel like a kid again. At the end of the Partnachklamm, for those who don’t feel like walking, there are horse and buggies back to the chairlift, or Eckbauerbahn.

WesterwaldSteig Trail

Heading through low mountain ranges, a 239-km long WesterwaldSteig trail offers mind-boggling views as it extends across Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. The trail is designed for folks looking for picturesque rock landscapes, idyllic lakes, and pretty half-timbered villages.

To start your adventure, head to Hesse Herborn in the Dill Valley. From here, the path leads you to the Fuchskaute, the highest point in the Westerwald. If you’re really want to get some spa treatment consider visiting the town of Bad Marienberg on the way.

As you explore the area around you definitely should wander through the deep Holzbachschlucht Gorge and learn more about the time when the volcanic rock basalt was mined here. A number of monasteries are also located along your way to the Rhine. Pay them a visit if you’re interested in history.

Pretty much any section of WesterwaldSteig can easily be reached by train.  Of course, you can opt for doing one or a few of the sections if you don’t want to hike the entire trail. In this case, find a village that has train connections and start your hike from there. In general, the region is well connected by bus and train.

At the end of each of 16 stages, there are usually some hotels. However, it’s always wise to plan and book where you want to sleep in advance as there is not always a large choice.

About the Author

Ivan Tannenberg is an independent traveler, history junkie, and a techno-geek. Having traveling the world out of a backpack for a year-and-a-half non-stop he is now based in Vietnam aiming to explore new incredible destinations and cities. Go and check his travel blog for more of his journeys around the world. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

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