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The hoodoos of Bryce Canyon are absolutely spectacular any time of year, but when capped by snow, they are especially otherworldly. If you’re able to go after a snowfall but on a bluebird day, this just might jump to the top of your favorite National Park visits ever. Snowshoes and/or microspikes are highly recommended — the chances are very high you’ll be trekking through the snow. Depending on the route you want to take, it Read more…

If you want to avoid the crowds and high temperatures, visiting Zion in the winter can be a great choice. Lodging is cheaper and wait times are shorter. But be warned: not everything will be open, and it’ll be extremely important to watch the forecasts. You may still be able to visit the Zion National Park heavy hitters: Year round, you must get a permit to hike Angel’s Landing. This is arguably the most famous Read more…

Arizona gets hot — we all know this. But you can actually climb in southern Arizona year round! Mount Lemmon is a sport climbing mecca. There are crags from 2,000 feet to 9,000 feet elevation, up a beautiful winding road onto the mountain, and many of them have very short, accessible approaches. In the winter, you can start your day skiing at the top and end with a sweaty climbing session lower down! We climbed Read more…

There’s nothing better than a desert in early spring, and nothing more reinvigorating than days on end of sunshine in the depths of winter. So it makes sense that the height of tourist season in hot and sunny Arizona is winter and spring! We’ve been going to Tucson in February for a few years (cough Gem and Mineral Show cough), but the highlight for me is getting outside hiking and climbing and exploring. Here’s a Read more…

There are some places everyone thinks of when they think sport climbing in the US – Yosemite in California, Red River Gorge in Kentucky, Red Rocks in Nevada. I’m here to tell you that you should add Puerto Rico to your list. There’s limestone for days: impressive karst formations rising right up from a gorgeous white sand beach, jagged blue cliffs jutting out of the jungle, and everything in between. When we hiked up to Read more…

Puerto Rico hosts the only tropical rainforest in the United States, and even if you don’t get a ticketed entry to El Yunque National Forest, you can still experience it! If you’re into massive hikes Puerto Rico might let you down—because it’s a small island and trail building in the jungle is tough, most of the trails are quite short by mainland standards. The longest ones we could find were about 6 miles long. But Read more…