hikespeak

Want to visit historic ruins and a waterfall you'll be wild about, all on a hike that's under 1.5 miles round trip? Set out for Ney Springs Creek near Mount Shasta City, where you can hike 0.7-miles (one way) up an evergreen canyon to Faery Falls, which plunges about 50 feet. Along the way to this beautiful attraction, you'll pass what remains of Ney Springs Resort, a former destination for... Read more.

Portuguese Bend Reserve is a 399-acre park on Palos Verdes Peninsula with an elaborate network of trails covering beautiful ocean-facing hillsides, canyons, and ridges. With so many trails, several hikes in the park are possible, including the 5.15-mile trek described here, made up of two loops. For something shorter, skip the lower loop for a 3-mile round trip hike with 575 feet of... Read more.

Tawhai Falls is a lovely little waterfall in Tongariro National Park. The short single-drop waterfall along the tree-lined Whakapapanui Stream is located near Whakapapa Village, home of the park's main visitor center and campground, making it a convenient and enjoyable addition to your Tongariro itinerary. The 20-minute walk to the falls is 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) round trip with 40... Read more.

When the water is still, Lake Rotokura acts like a mirror to Mount Ruapehu, delivering a great postcard view. A relatively easy 2-kilometer (1.25-mile) walk crosses through Lake Rotokura Ecological Reserve, located east of the town of Ohakune, just outside the boundaries of Tongariro National Park. This is a peaceful short walk, leading to a setting that's quite beautiful in clear... Read more.

Tongariro National Park has many wonders. Some are impossible to miss, like massive volcanoes, and other, like beautiful waterfalls, are waiting to be discovered. Mangawhero Falls plunges 25 meters (80 feet) in a beautiful setting. The waterfall is below Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand's largest volcano and the highest peak on the North Island. Reach the waterfall on an easy 300-meter round... Read more.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is widely consider one of the greatest day hikes in New Zealand, which puts it on the shortlist of the world's greatest hikes. This 19.4-kilometer long track rises to its reputation and then some, crossing through an active volcanic area in Tongariro National Park at the center of New Zealand's North Island. It is one of the most dynamic and dramatic hikes that you... Read more.

Cherry Canyon Park preserves over 130 acres in the San Rafael Hills, a small mountain range east of the Verdugo Mountains and south of the San Gabriel Mountains in the city of La Cañada Flintridge. The park has many trails, including wide fire roads suitable for horses and mountain bikes and single tracks strictly for hikers. For a good overview of the area, consider hiking to an old... Read more.

Coon Creek Trail explores a coastal canyon at the south end of Montaña de Oro State Park. The trail heads inland for 2.5 miles to a pleasant grove of Monterey cypress at the site of an old homestead that has since disappeared. Take a break in the shade of the cypress trees before turning around for a 5-mile round trip hike with 250 feet of elevation gain. Junctions with Rattesnake Flats... Read more.

With an inspired name and inspiring view, Vital Link Trail presents a rewarding hike in the Verdugo Mountains near Burbank. The trail delivers a good workout too, ascending 1,275 feet in a mile and a half, with opportunities to hike even farther. The steep single track looks out over the east end of the San Fernando Valley toward the Santa Monica Mountains and the skyscraper skyline of... Read more.

Saint Columba Falls Nature Walk offers an action-packed 1.2-kilometer (0.75-mile) round trip trek. Without the waterfall, this would be a pleasant hike through a charming Tasmanian rainforest. To put things over the top, this hike ends at a waterfall, and an impressive one at that. The walk terminates at a viewing platform below booming Saint Columba Falls, one of Tasmania's tallest falls... Read more.