by Alan K. Lee
Johnston Canyon Trail
Where: Banff National Park, Canada
Type: Out and back
Distance: 3.4 miles (5.5 km) round trip to Upper Falls, 7.5 miles (12 km) round trip to the Ink Pots
Elevation gain: Approx. 330 feet (100 meters) to Upper Falls, 1970 feet (600 meters) to the Ink Pots
Difficulty: Easy to Upper Falls, Moderate (for distance and elevation gain) to the Ink Pots
Map: All Trails
Overview:
The Johnston Canyon Trail is one of the best hikes you’ll find anywhere in the Canadian Rockies. Johnston Creek cascades through a narrow gorge with many small waterfalls and two larger ones. Parts of the canyon are so narrow that the creek fills the canyon floor from wall to wall. Here you’re hiking directly above the creek on a catwalk bolted to the side of the gorge. Sure, it’s very, very popular and can be incredibly crowded, but it’s an incredible hike, not to be missed. Just go early in the morning or in the evening.
Getting there:
From the town of Banff, take the Trans Canada Hwy west for 3.4 miles (5.5 km) to the exit for the Bow Valley Parkway. Proceed on the parkway for another 11.0 miles (17.7 km) to the trailhead parking lot on the right. (Note that for the past three years the east end of the parkway from Hwy 1 to Johnston Canyon has been closed to vehicles – but open to bicycles – from May 1 to June 25 and for the month of September. During those periods vehicles must travel from Banff to Castle Junction on Hwy 1, then backtrack east on the parkway to Johnston Canyon. This has been a pilot program and these closures may or may not continue beyond 2024.
You can also get to Johnston Canyon directly from Banff via the Roam Route 9 bus. Check the website for schedules. There is also a hop-on-hop-off bus from Banff that stops at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise in addition to Johnston Canyon.
Trailhead:
The main trailhead parking area has approximately 120 spaces, but it fills up early. There is now a second parking area on the opposite side of the parkway, but that likely also fills up early and you may see cars parked along the parkway on both sides. There are restrooms with flush toilets at the trailhead and water is available. There is also a small café at the trailhead. There is no fee to park or hike. Dogs are allowed on leash. Strollers are not recommended on the trail, but the trail is easy enough for kids of all ages.
The hike:
The trail is an easy hike, with relatively little elevation gain. In 0.7 mile (1.2 km) you come to the100-foot (30-meter) Lower Falls. Here you can walk through a short tunnel that emerges just feet from the falling water. Just be prepared to get wet.
The trail continues for another 0.9 mile (1.4 km) to the bottom of Upper Falls. There the trail branches, with a side trail going to a viewpoint near the base of the falls and the main trail climbing 130 feet (40 meters) to the top of the falls. We turned around at that point, but the trail continues another 2.5 miles (4.0 km) beyond Upper Falls to the Ink Pots, a group of beautiful spring fed ponds in a mountain meadow.
Check the Banff Travel website for a much more detailed description of the hike.
Other area attractions and activities:
There are too many other attractions in Banff National Park and the surrounding area to list them all, but here are links to some of the best –
The town of Banff
The town of Canmore
Posted July 31, 2024
All photos ©Alan K. Lee
Bicycling is permitted on all park roadways and on the Pa’rus Trail. All other park trails, off-trail routes, and the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel are closed to bikes. There are a number of places in Springdale where you can rent bikes and there are also numerous companies offering bicycle tours of Zion. Biking the canyon is a good alternative to riding the shuttle. From the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to the Temple of Sinawava at the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is about eight miles, with a few moderate hills along the way.
If you drive an electric vehicle, two charging stations are located within Zion National Park, one at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the other at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center in the north end of the park. You can purchase a $5 pass code at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center that is valid for three days at either of the park’s charging stations. In Springdale, there are three Tesla charging stations (as well as others in nearby communities). Electrify America stations are located in St. George and Cedar City. ChargePoint and SemaConnect stations can be found in St. George.
If you’re camping, Zion Canyon Campground in Springdale has 133 RV sites and 47 tent sites. Zion River Resort in nearby Virgin, Utah also has RV sites and cabins. There are two campgrounds within the national park near Springdale, South Campground and Watchman Campground. South Campground has 117 sites, but no hookups. Watchman has about 120 RV sites with full hookups and about 70 tent sites. South and Watchman both require advance reservations, except in winter. The small Lava Point Campground in the north end of the park is first come, first served, but has only six primitive sites. Check the park website for more detailed information. Reservations for the South and Watchman campgrounds can be made through 
Where to Eat
One of the most spectacular hikes in the canyon is The Narrows. There is no trail through The Narrows – you’re hiking the bed of the Virgin River through a narrow canyon no more than 40 feet wide in places. If you’re interested in hiking The Narrows, be sure to check with the park rangers at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. No permit is required, but The Narrows may be closed to hiking due to the possibility of flash floods. Thunderstorms many miles north of the park may lead to sudden and potentially life threatening rises in the river level with no warning, even when the park is sunny and cloudless. But if it’s doable safely, it’s a fantastic and unique hiking experience.
Trails outside of Zion Canyon (and all canyoneering routes) require a wilderness pass. Most are available online through the park’s website, but permits for some trails are only available in person.
One hour and three hour horseback rides within the park can be booked through 
Off road vehicle tours are also available from a variety of providers. Like mountain bike tours, these are outside of the park. Again, I have no personal experience, so can’t make any recommendations, but the tours are popular.
I can pretty much guarantee that no matter who you are or where your interests lie, a trip to Zion National Park will be an adventure you will not soon forget.
Originally posted June 14, 2021 by Alan K. Lee. Updated and re-posted March 15, 2024.
The Beaver Creek visitor center, 1.2 miles east of Hwy 101 on North Beaver Creek Road, would normally be a good first stop to acquaint yourself with the area. If it’s open, you can pick up an informational brochure and map of the trail system there. The map and brochure can also be downloaded from the Beaver Creek State Natural Area website (linked above). There is also a small parking area a few hundred yards east of the visitor center that may have the map and brochure if the visitor center is closed. You can also find a checklist of the birds found at Beaver Creek on the website.
Coming down off Trail Ridge we stopped on the continental divide at Milner Pass (at 10,759 feet you actually come down in elevation from Trail Ridge to the divide). We did a short walk there along the shore of Poudre Lake and, of course, took a photo of the continental divide sign before heading south.
In 1859, Colorado City was founded and later became the capital of the Colorado Territory before the capital was moved first to Golden, then Denver. Colorado Springs was founded in 1871 just east of what became known as Old Colorado City. Colorado Springs grew rapidly and eventually Old Colorado City became incorporated into the growing city, and is now a neighborhood west of downtown Colorado Springs.
The park is very popular and parking can be a problem, but there is also a large overflow parking area just west of 30th Street if the visitor center parking lot is full. There is a pedestrian tunnel under 30th Street to get from the overflow lot to the visitor center. The park also operates a free shuttle bus in the summer that runs from the visitor center to the center of the park with stops at the overflow parking area and the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site.
The park, originally called Short Sand Beach State Park, was created in 1931 through the efforts of Oregon’s first State Parks Superintendent, Samuel H. Boardman. Boardman was a fervent believer that of as much of the coast should be preserved in public ownership as possible. Many of the state parks along the coast were created under his stewardship. Short Sand Beach State Park was renamed in 1958 to honor former Oregon Governor 
Devils Cauldron is a spectacularly beautiful little cove on the north side of Neahkahnie Mountain. It can be reached by either a one mile hike from Short Sand Beach or a much shorter hike from where the Coast Trail crosses Hwy 101. To access the shorter route, drive south on Hwy 101 from the Short Sand Beach parking lots and look for a gravel parking area on the ocean side of the highway. Follow the Coast Trail north a short ways to a signed junction. The Devils Cauldron viewpoint is just a quarter mile walk from the parking area.
On your way back to the trailhead look for another trail branching off to the south. The junction here is unsigned and the trail is sometimes overgrown and impassable. But if it’s open, the trail leads to a narrow shelf of rock that falls away on three sides to the ocean below, and the cliffs of Neahkahnie Mountain tower over the viewpoint to both the north and south. It may not be a place for people with a fear of heights, but it’s one of the most awesome places on the entire coast.
Oswald West State Park is about a two hour drive from Portland, so it’s easily doable as a day trip if you’re from the Portland area or are visiting Portland. But if you want to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of other attractions on the north Oregon coast beyond Oswald West. 
Overview:
Getting there:
Trailhead:
The hike:
The Townsite Trail takes you along the river through a mixed woodland of Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, and red alder with partially screened views of the river. There are several user-made trails leading down to the water, but they are steep (and dangerous if the ground is wet), so be careful if you want to get to the water for a better view of the river.
At about the one-mile mark you’ll come to an open field on your right and you’ll see a boat dock ahead on your left. There is a small parking area here with a restroom. Head down to the dock for the best views of the river on this hike.
Coming back up from the dock, look for a trail to your left. This will take you to Champoeg Creek where it flows into the Willamette. The trail then loops back through the forest and comes out into a clearing. Follow the edge of the clearing back to the restroom above the dock. From there, retrace your route back to the trailhead at the Riverside picnic area.
Best time to go:
Champoeg State Park: 
Posted October 26, 2023 by Alan K. Lee
The property was formerly a privately owned farm that was the site of a proposed housing development. Instead, the property was sold to the land bank in 2015 and the trust obtained the conservation easement. Thirty acres of the property, including the farmhouse and agricultural buildings, were sold by the land bank to Island Haven, a non-profit animal sanctuary, with a conservation easement to protect the land.
Currently, there is no public access to the lakeshore, and the eastern and southern portions of the trail around the lake are closed from October through March. The northern and western portions of the loop are open year-round and can be hiked as a lollipop loop during the winter.
Getting there:
Trailhead:
The hike:
At 0.3 miles the trail turns south and runs along the western boundary of the preserve for another 0.4 miles. The trail then turns southeast and follows the edge of an open field with good views of the lake.
At the 0.85-mile mark, turn right onto a trail that leads through a mix of open fields and partially logged woodland.
At the 1.25-mile mark, the trail returns to the open field. In winter, the trail ahead is closed, so you need to turn left and retrace your route back to the trailhead parking area.
In summer, you can continue straight. The trail then turns right and crosses a bridge over the creek that flows from the lake. Beyond the bridge, the trail runs along the top of the dam that forms the lake, then passes through a small grove of trees.
From there, the trail runs between fields to the old farmhouse site that is now home to the Island Haven animal sanctuary. The trail turns left there and follows a gravel farm road back to the trailhead.
Posted October 12, 2023 by Alan K. Lee
There is no shortage of places to eat in Friday Harbor. For breakfast and lunch, I can personally recommend both Rocky Bay Café and Tina’s Place. For dining with a view, go to Downriggers on the bayfront. Classic Italian food can be found at Vinny’s Ristorante. Vegetarian and vegan food can be had at Mike’s Café and Wine Bar. For quality craft beers and upscale pub food, try San Juan Brewing. For seafood in a casual dining space, check out Friday’s Crab House. We ate at all of those, and all were good. But that’s just a sampling of what Friday Harbor offers. I wish we had had a few more days to sample more of the town’s eateries. What’s a vacation for, after all.
Near Roche Harbor (I think it’s actually part of the resort), the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park is a must see if you’re at all interested in sculpture. There are over 100 works of art (it seemed like many more) spread out over the twenty acres of the garden. Plan to spend at least an hour here. We spent more than that and still didn’t see it all. Admission is free, but donations are requested.
Tensions between the American and British contingents led both England and the U.S. to send military forces to the island. From 1859 to 1872, when the boundary dispute was finally settled in favor of the United States, the island was jointly occupied by both forces. No actual combat occurred, and no one was injured in the Pig War. The sites of the two country’s military installations are now part of 
Conclusion
Posted October 12, 2023 by Alan K. Lee
Best Times to Go:
The hike:
Other area attractions and activities:
Several thousand climbing routes exist within the park, including more than a thousand bolted routes. Climbers literally come from all over the globe to climb here. And an extensive trail system within the park offers hikers a variety of routes of varying lengths and difficulty. Many of the trails are multi-use trails, open also to mountain bikers and horseback riders. Click 
Thirty million years ago the area that is now Smith Rock was on the western rim of the Crooked River Caldera. Over time, nearby volcanic eruptions filled the caldera with ash that compacted into volcanic tuff. The tuff was later overtopped with basalt lava flows from vents about fifty miles away. The Crooked River then eroded much of that, leaving the formations we see today.
On summer weekends you need to come early to have a chance of finding a place to park. The parking areas fill up quickly, and it’s not unusual to see cars parked along both sides of the road leading to the park and people walking in the road. There has been a shuttle system proposed that would allow visitors to park in the nearby town of Terrebonne and bus into the park, but that (to the best of my knowledge) has yet to be implemented. Even during the week, and on spring and fall weekends, parking can be a problem.
Despite the crowds and other problems, Smith Rock is a Pacific Northwest bucket list destination, not to be missed. It’s a spectacularly beautiful place. But if you’re looking for a wilderness experience, you won’t find it at Smith Rock (except maybe in the middle of winter). If you don’t mind sharing the place with others, though, the park is large enough that visitors tend to spread out, and even at full capacity the park doesn’t feel overly crowded if you get a little ways away from the parking areas. (A recent visitor survey found that 69% of the respondents felt the park to be somewhat to very crowded, however.)
The park is located just east of the town of Terrebonne, which is about 25 miles north of Bend, Oregon, and about 140 miles southeast of Portland. For more information, go to the 
Beyond the Twin Falls Trail junction, the North Rim Trail meanders through the forest, passing a children’s play area and a small two-table picnic area.
For a map of the entire park, click 
Chehalem Ridge Nature Park is in a rural area with no other close by hiking or biking opportunities, but the west metro area, not far from Chehalem Ridge, has an abundance. Some of my favorite hikes in the area include 
