The most famous sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park is Mariposa Grove. It is located near the entrance to the park and near Wawona. It is the largest grove of giant sequoias in the park and has many of the most famous trees. There are several hundred mature trees in the park and two of the trees in the grove are among the 30 largest giant sequoias in the wo
Something as massive and popular as the Appalachian Trail is bound to have an interesting origin story and, as it turns out, this 2,190-mile trail certainly does. What started out as a somewhat simple idea has now grown into a monster of a thru-hike , with its trails seeing upwards of thousands annua
Tunneled Trees: Wawona Tree, California Tunnel Tree, and The Pioneer Cabin Tree
The California Tunnel Tree is the last living giant sequoia tree with a tunnel cut through it. Previously there were also the Wawona Tunnel Tree and the Pioneer Cabin Tree (that fell in 20
It should be stated that during this time, the 1940s was seeing somewhat of an industrial revolution when it came to roads and transportation. The general public had a heightened interest in travel which meant that bridging the gaps between states was a priority, thus interfering with the simpler methods of travel - such as thru-nature hiking game strategy|https://naturetrailinsight.com/. The start of the Appalachian Trail's tougher years began with the hurricane of 1
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park in the United States . It boasts some of the best scenery of the Appalachian Mountains and is located in Western North Carolina and over the state line taking up a bit of Eastern Tennes
The trail requires skilled scrambling and intense determination. The Sierra High Route will test a hiker's ability to navigate less-traveled terrain, as well as find their footing on rocky, often slippery mountainsi
Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the park and is one of the most popular spots in the Smoky Mountains. The views here will take anyone's breath away and are endless. Sunrises are rivaled only by the sunsets. To get here, take the 1-mile round trip walk up to the top of the observation t
Only a year after its initial trail completion, this hurricane not only devastated the East Coast but also damaged parts of the trail in the northeast. To add insult to injury, an extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway was built in the same year, making progress even more of a challenge. While 120 miles of the AT were now displaced, arguments over private land sectors soon began with - the final blow - World War II beginning, which halted progress for deca
Two of the (still living) trees in the grove have been shaped by the innumerable fires that have swept through the area through the decades. The Clothespin tree's truck is nearly severed by the repeated fires creating a space large enough for a pickup truck to drive through. While the Telescope Tree has been completely hollowed out from the fires - one can walk in, look up and see the
The Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states, and a great way to get pumped up for such an amazing accomplishment is by getting used to the feeling by trekking the entire span of Vermont. The Long Trail is the oldest long-distance trail in the U.S., taking hikers along the ridge of the Green Mountains from the southernmost tip of Vermont to the border of Canada. With over 65,000 feet of elevation gain over the multi-week trip, hikers are guaranteed to earn the experience needed to master their AT thru-h
If one would like an exhaustive guide to all the 150 official trails in the park, then the National Park Service recommends the book " Hiking Trails of The Smokies ". Another source of information on the numerous trails in the Smokies is Outdoor Project and they have information on 16 must-do hikes. These hikes cover everything from easy strolls near Gatlinburg to epic hikes deep into the backcountry. Some of the best hikes in the park according to Outdoor Project are listed below. Related: Hiking In The Smokies? Don't Read These Ghost Stories Before Yo
As at the time of writing the Mariposa Grove is open to the public. Normally there is a free shuttle bus running from the parking lot to the entrance to the grove. But as of the time of writing that service has been suspended. Updates are on the National Park Service's websi
Find the right time to visit a national park such as this, though, can be tricky. Just as one wouldn't visit a high-altitude alpine park in the dead of winter, one wouldn't typically go for a strenuous hike in Zion at the peak of the summer. There is a 'best' time to visit this beautiful park and, while you're there, add these to your itiner
Besides the remote location, The Maze also requires people to access it via a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle . Without a properly equipped car, travelers to The Maze may find themselves trapped. This isn't a super hard trail once someone arrives, but the journey to and from is risky. The rocky, uneven terrain is also something to watch for, especially for older and young hik