Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California

Discovery Walk: [July 2000] The Discovery Walk is a 1.0 mile self-guided nature trail amid an Ancient Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva ) forest, called the Schulman Grove. These twisted, gnarled trees live in the White Mountains near the city of Bishop, California, and they have lived there for over 40 centuries! In fact, some of these trees were living when the Egyptians built the pyramids—it is totally mind boggling to think about the things that have come and gone in the lifetime of these trees. As you hike the Discovery trail, you will in fact discover several things, one being that the first tree to be dated at over 4,000 years old is located in this grove, and it was given the name of pine alpha. The second thing you will discover is that Ancient Bristlecone Pines live the high life, and by that I mean that they grow above the 10,000 foot elevation level. This high elevation desert lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra, where the lack of precipitation has created a starkly beautiful landscape for the hiker to enjoy. So, take your time and savor the close-up views of these ancient giants, and the panoramic views of Inyo National Forest and White Mountain Peak.

NBH Tip: While the oldest trees are not identified, for their own protection, they can be seen from either the Methuselah Trail or the Discovery Trail, so even if you don't know exactly which tree is the oldest, you can be rest assured that you will be seeing trees in the age range of 4,000 to 5,000 years old.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Blue Mesa Trail: [August 1997] Do you want to view a landscape that is out of this world? If your answer is yes, then the Blue Mesa Trail is sure to please—located in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, this mile long trail takes you down into the Painted Desert, a landscape brushed in blue, where you will find cone-shaped hills banded in a variety of colors and intricately eroded into unique patterns. The steep Blue Mesa Trail gives the hiker access to not only these badlands, but to the park’s namesake—the Petrified Forest. The trailhead starts up on the windy mesa, but once you descend below the rim, the air is calm and warm. In contrast, up on the mesa, the wind can be fierce, but do not let the wind stop you—head down the trail to get close-up views of the petrified trees. The remnants of the trees lie scattered all along the edges of the trail, allowing for excellent viewing and/or photo opportunities. The trail descends 100 feet below the rim, and can be a little steep for some people, but it can be easily managed by anyone in good physical condition. Oddly enough, not very many people venture down into Blue Mesa, so if you like solitude you will find it on this trail—most people opt to view the Blue Mesa from the overlook, but to truly appreciate it you must get a closer look from below the rim.

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NBH Tip: You will be amazed by the almost deafening silence this spot provides, and you should be prepared to spend at least one hour in this area in order to take in the beauty of the colorful fossils. Before leaving Blue Mesa, make sure to look back upon your hike from the overlook that is accessible from the loop road, from here you can see the vastness of the area you just hiked.

 

Kings Canyon National Park, California

North Grove Loop: [August 1993] The North Grove Loop Trail, a spectacular 2 mile loop, allows you to get away from the crowds visiting the General Grant Tree and to take a quiet stroll along a dirt road through a forest of giants. The trailhead is located at the Grant Tree parking area, where you will start with a brief descent on a paved road before veering right on the North Grove Loop Trail—your path then descends 0.75 mile through a mixed forest of incense cedar, sugar pine, white fir, and sequoia. The sequoias along this trail appear gigantic next to the smaller trees in the grove—they provide a scale that truly highlights the enormity of the sequoias. When we did this hike there was a prescribed burn and the consequential smoke added an ethereal quality to the already magical forest, and the smoke made it possible to see tons of Jacob’s ladders streaming down in the sunlight—truly magical!

NBH Tip: Do not miss the 0.5 mile loop trail around our nation’s Christmas Tree—the General Grant Loop Trail (see below) leads the hiker around the 267.4 foot, 2,000 year old General Grant Tree. This sequoia is the third largest tree in the world, and is the only living shrine—quite a specimen!

 

 

General Grant Loop: [August 1993] The General Grant Tree Trail is a paved, 1 mile loop, through a beautiful grove containing a dense concentration of giant sequoias. Interpretive signs identify historical events, forest features, and the names and information associated with various sequoias—of particular interest is, of course, the General Grant Tree. This 2,000 year old tree is the third largest living tree in the world, standing 267 feet tall with a base diameter of 40 feet. It also has the honor of being named the Nation’s Christmas Tree, and the only living shrine to Americans who have died in war. You begin the loop by taking the right fork, past the Robert E. Lee Tree and the Fallen Monarch—a 124 foot hollow giant sequoia. The main trail then continues to loop, eventually circling the trail’s namesake, the General Grant Tree.

NBH Tip: Other highlights along this short trail include the Vermont Log, the Gamlin Cabin, the Centennial Stump, the California Tree, and the Lincoln Tree, but they all pale in comparison to the General Grant Tree, which has a larger base diameter than any other sequoia.

 

Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee

Woodland Trail and Gorge Overlook Trail: [September 1989] Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s premier state parks, mainly due to the 40 miles of trails that lead into Cane Creek Gorge and past numerous waterfalls—including Fall Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States. In order to make the most of your hike at the park, begin at the Betty Dunn Nature Center where you can combine the 0.8-mile yellow-blazed Woodland Trail and the 1.1-mile red-blazed Gorge Overlook Trail for a 2-mile roundtrip hike full of grand scenery. Fall Creek Falls State Park offers a variety of day-use trails—providing access to some of the park's loveliest areas, the trails pass into virgin woods, over fast flowing streams, and around awesome gorges and waterfalls. At the sign for Fall Creek Falls, just behind the visitor center, cross the swinging bridge over Cane Creek Cascades and climb the concrete steps. At the top, bear right and soon you come to a trail junction, which marks the start of the loop. Follow the Gorge Trail ahead to loop back to the trailhead via the rim of Cane Creek Gorge. There are a series of short spurs off this 0.6-mile section of the hike—we recommend hiking all four. The first spur trail is reached in 0.4 miles, and it leads to the Cane Creek Overlook—one of the best views in the park, you will see the vigorous 85 foot Cane Creek Falls plummeting over a rocky cliff. Back on the main trail, make your way to the other spur trails—next stop Cane Creek Gorge Overlook. After taking in the immensity of the Cane Creek Gorge, continue hiking the main trail for views from Rocky Point Overlook and finally, Fall Creek Falls Overlook. Fall Creek Falls is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains, plunging 256 feet into a shaded pool at the base of its gorge. Just ahead, you will join the Woodland Trail that will take you back to the Nature Center, or you can take a detour on the 0.4 mile, orange-blazed Fall Creek Falls Trail for an up-close view of the park’s namesake.

NBH Tip: At the Falls Overlook, the trail to the left continues to the plunge pool of Fall Creek Falls—this trail winds through ancient layers of rock as it descends through the Fall Creek Gorge, allowing the hiker to experience the cool temperatures and looming trees of a virgin forest. 

 

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Hosmer Grove Nature Loop: [June 1999] The Hosmer Grove is located 3,500 feet below the summit of Haleakala—at an elevation of 6,800 feet, this easy trail can still take your breath away. The half-mile loop, complete with 14 self-guided interpretive plaques, begins in an alien forest and continues through a native Hawaiian shrubland. Ralph Hosmer planted the “alien” trees in 1910 as a forestry experiment—the trees included pine, spruce, cedar, and eucalyptus. As you hike the trail, watch for the silver geranium, an endemic Hawaiian plant found nowhere else on earth. We began our hike in the late afternoon when the sun was bathing the grasses and plants of the shrubland in a golden shower—it was so intense that the plants seemed to glow with a fiery hue.

NBH Tip: The footing along the Hosmer Grove Trail can be uneven and slippery at times, so watch your step. In addition to watching for tricky spots along the trail, keep an eye out for native birds—many species, such as the beautiful honeycreeper, live in and around the native Hawaiian shrubland.

 

Redwood National and State Park, California

Lady Bird Johnson Nature Loop: [August 1994] This ridge top grove, dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson, features a beautiful stand of old-growth redwoods and an easy 1.3 mile loop trail on which to admire the huge trees. In order to experience the grandeur of these 350 foot giants for yourself, just head for the trailhead located at the parking lot at the end of Bald Hills Road. In addition to providing excellent ground level views of the redwood forest, this and other groves give the hiker an opportunity to experience the forests of California’s past—back to a time when giants dominated the forests along the northwest coast. In fact, walking on this trail and viewing these ancient trees, some are over 2000 years old, really humbles a person. In addition to our feeling of reverie, we also had the feeling we were being watched, or one might say stalked, while hiking this trail close to dusk. Huge trees and chest-high ferns only served to intensify the feeling of unease associated with the sense of unwanted company on the trail, and it was not long before our imagination conjured up everything from mountain lions to Sasquatch—what was truly following us, if anything, remains the secret of the redwoods.

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NBH Tip: The grove features, in addition to the magnificent redwood trees, Douglas fir, Pacific rhododendron, evergreen huckleberry, and solal—more than 200 plant species grow in the redwood forests. In addition, the grove features a variety of ferns, including sword, wood, deer, and leather varieties. These ferns provide shade and protection for smaller plants, and help hold moisture in the soil. The entire forest is especially intriguing and mystical if the fog has rolled in from the coast—but just remember, if you smell a weird musty blueberry smell, Bigfoot might just be watching you—perhaps the trees are not the only giants in these forests!

 

Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington

Lewis River Trail #31: [May 2001] The Lewis River Trail totals nearly 15 miles in its entirety, but you can access the trail at five different points—allowing the hiker to control their mileage as they please. The hike we describe here begins at the Lower Falls Recreation Area, near the campground, and follows the river to the top of Upper Falls for a total hike of 6.5 miles (3.25 miles one-way). This spectacular hike follows the course of the Lewis River as it meanders through a magnificent old-growth forest of Douglas fir, Western red cedar, Pacific silver fir, and maple—along the way passing five scenic waterfalls. We began our hike at the campground after setting up our tents—guiding us on this beautiful hike were Lizbit and BP, who have hiked/biked this trail on numerous occasions. Our first stop was Lower Falls, just a short walk downriver from the campground. Lower Falls is a dramatic waterfall that spills over an ancient shelf formed by a lava flow—be sure to take advantage of all the viewpoints along this trail, as each one offers a unique view of the picturesque falls.  The constant spray from the waterfall has provided the perfect atmosphere for the mosses that call the temperate rainforest of the southern Cascades home, in fact, the moss covers everything that doesn’t move—including the split rail fence that borders the trail. From the base of the falls, we backtracked to the campground and continued following the relatively level (elevation gain is less than 300 feet) lowland Lewis River Trail #31 all the way to Upper Falls, passing along the way Copper Creek Falls and Middle Falls. At around 0.8 miles from the campground, you will see the top of a small waterfall, and then at mile 1.2 you will come to a bridge over Copper Creek Falls. This striking cascade of water leads down to the Lewis River in a rather waterslide type fashion—forget about it, much too dangerous. Although, BP did wade out to stand in the middle of the cascade, and he persuaded me to do the same—probably not the smartest thing we’ve ever done, but it did make for pretty cool photos. Just past Copper Creek, you will come to Middle Falls—whoever named the falls was really lacking in imagination—another shelf-like falls worth exploring. Back on the main trail, you will soon pass under some enormous cliffs covered with neon green lichens, and then drop down into an area with amazingly large trees. There are some Western red cedar here with a diameter of nearly six feet, and a Douglas fir to the left of the trail that is close to ten feet thick. As you continue hiking through the moisture laden, cool atmosphere—water literally drips from every rock surface—you will soon hear the sounds of Upper Falls. The amphitheater of Upper Falls, with an 80-foot plunge, soon comes into view, complete with giant logs and boulders perfect for lounging. A trail to the left leads 0.2 miles up the cliff to a platform that overlooks the top of Upper Falls—a worthy side trip hiked by Pick.

NBH Tip: About half a mile from the campground, you will see an old bridge (or rather, half a bridge) that spans the river—this used to be an access bridge for campers, when the campground was on the far side of the river. You will also see an old see an old handcart on a cable that spans the river. We hiked down to see if it was still in working order, but it looked pretty dangerous. The climb down the cliff to the river was very steep so be careful if you go for a closer look.

 

Mastic Reserve, Grand Cayman Island, BWI

Mastic Trail: [December 2001] A hike along the 2 mile long Mastic Trail, a path that is 200 years old, allows for the chance to experience a fascinating exploration deep into Grand Cayman’s wild interior—an area where the woodland has been evolving undisturbed for the last two million years. The hike will take approximately three hours roundtrip for the 2 mile out and back (4 miles total) and the elevation gain along the trail is almost imperceptible, gaining only 50 feet from the trailhead elevation of 10 feet to the island’s highest point—a 60 foot high mound locally referred to as “the mountain.” The trail is normally hiked with a guide from The Cayman Island National Trust, but it can also be hiked without a guide—we chose to hike alone, which was good and bad, as I will explain later. Armed with a road map and some rudimentary instructions on reaching the trailhead, we set off for Mastic Road—a dirt road, which you follow until you come to a barbed wire fence with a sign that reads, “Please keep gate closed.” At this point, just untie the fence, pull it back off the road, drive through, and then return the fence to its original position—make sure to tie it securely as it serves as a cattle guard. Continue to drive the road until you see the small parking area with the trailhead sign on your right. The trail starts off through the ancient woodland where you will immediately see and hear some of the many birds that inhabit the area. We saw mangrove cuckoo, West Indian woodpecker, smooth-billed ani, mockingbirds, Caribbean ground doves, bananaquits, and we heard Cayman parrots above us in the palms—unfortunately we never caught a glimpse of these endangered birds. As you walk further into the forest, you will come to a wooden barricade used to keep dogs from entering the trail area, just climb over this and keep on hiking. You will soon enter a Black Mangrove wetland, which can be wet and muddy at times. As you walk through the black mangroves, keep an eye out for hickatees (a fresh water turtle) and frogs—we didn’t see either one. In addition to the turtles and frogs, there are hundreds of tree species along this trail and they are so densely spaced that they often form a tunnel for the hiker to walk through. Among the trees you will see are: black mangrove, royal palms, calabash, mahogany, cedar, silver thatch palms, and, of course, a mastic tree. Other sightings along the trail might include: butterflies, lizards, agouti, iguana, large hermit crabs, termite nests, orchids, and non-poisonous snakes—we saw all of these except agouti and iguana. The hermit crabs are the size of softballs, the lizards range from brown to bluish green, and the snakes, well well, we had our fill of those—we counted six on this short 2 mile hike! Including one slithering down a tree towards me as I was preparing to take a picture of the trail! It was very unnerving to be walking along and the snakes be basking right on the trail, and they didn’t want to move either—we would have to prod them with a stick to get them to leave! Of the six snakes that we saw, one was a brown colored snake, which was rather timid, but the rest were greenish-blue and not shy! They were about the size of a garter snake and about 2 to 3 feet long. I have to say this is one trail I was glad to be off of, but this area and other similar expanses of forest in Cayman, are of international significance representing some of the last remaining examples of the Caribbean's subtropical, semi deciduous dry forest, which have been the target of particularly intense deforestation throughout the West Indies. I am indeed glad that we were able to experience this ancient forest—but once was enough!

NBH Tip: If you like reptiles you will love this trail, and if you go without a guide be prepared to get a little freaked out—the vegetation is claustrophobic at times and the snakes will keep you on your toes. Despite being a bit unnerving, the trail is well marked

 

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman Island

Woodland Trail: [December 2001] This trail is under a mile long and is located within the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Grand Cayman Island, and it is a great way to familiarize yourself with the native plants and wildlife of the island. Along the trail, you will pass through buttonwood swamps filled with bromeliads and orchids, and through cactus country, with its massive agave plants and other cacti. The trail is nice and wide, and is marked with informative signs identifying the many species of plants found within the park. In addition to the flora, you will see many birds along this trail including bananaquits, zenaida doves, Grand Cayman parrot, and vitelline warblers (a small yellow bird seen only in the Cayman Islands and Swan Island). If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the endangered Cayman Blue Iguana, which we did happen upon—it was grazing right beside the trail, and we felt very lucky to have encountered such a cool animal.

NBH Tip: The Woodland Trail and The Mastic Trail are very close to each other on the island so be sure to rent a car and visit both of them. We recommend hiking only The Woodland Trail if you are afraid of snakes (see trail description above). Even though it is still possible to encounter snakes on The Woodland Trail, it is wider and more open than The Mastic Trail giving you a better opportunity to avoid them if necessary.

 

Withlacoochee State Forest, Florida

McKethan Lake Nature Trail: [January 2002] The McKethan Lake Nature Trail is a 2 mile loop through the Withlacoochee State Forest (declared one of the "10 Coolest Places You've Never Been in North America" by the World Wildlife Fund) where you will see hardwood hammock and pine communities—in fact, you will see four different species of southern pine, namely the longleaf, slash, sand, and loblolly. A self-guiding pamphlet identifies many of the plant life in the area, and describes 24 points of interest adding to the enjoyment of the forest. Among the more interesting plants are the resurrection fern, deer moss or reindeer lichen, cabbage palm, and bear grass. When you reach the lake, keep an eye out for wading birds—we happened upon a beautiful heron near the boardwalk. After enjoying the lake, continue hiking along the loop trail back to the trailhead and your car.

NBH Tip: If the visitor center is closed, don’t worry, you can pick up a self-guiding brochure at the trailhead. This trail takes about one hour to hike, so take your time and watch for armadillo, white-tailed deer, and grey squirrels that just might cross your path.

 

John B. Sargeant Sr. Park, Florida

Wilderness Park Boardwalk: [January 2002] The Wilderness Park Boardwalk is a short 0.25 mile elevated trail along the inlet of the Hillsborough River near Tampa, Florida. The views of the river confluence with Flint Creek, and the abundance of bird life, make this a very appealing trail—particularly for naturalists. Along our hike we saw several wading birds including ibis, heron, and egrets—there were also several buzzards roosting in the treetops, and a red-tailed hawk perched on a cypress branch waiting for prey. This is also a good place to spot alligators in warmer weather—we hiked this trail in January so the gators were probably snoozing in the warm mud. In addition to the boardwalk, there is also a dirt trail at the park, located on the left side of the boat ramp. We could not locate any mileage signs so I can’t tell you how long the trail is, but I can tell you that it is worth exploring—we walked as far as we could until the trail got pretty soupy. I wish we could have hiked farther, but nonetheless, the vistas were fantastic. On the day we hiked these two trails it was raining and fog was rising from the surface of the river, giving the park a spooky atmosphere that made for surreal looking landscapes. In addition to the great scenery, this is a great hike for nature photography buffs—so bring your telephoto lenses and you will be sure to get some great shots of the birds!

NBH Tip: If you are setting out for a canoe trip down the river, or just hiking the dirt trail, be sure to include the boardwalk in your outing—it allows you to get really close to the wildlife for great photography.

Yosemite National Park, California

Tuolumne Grove: [August 2002] The Tuolumne Grove, one of three giant sequoia groves in Yosemite, is much less crowded than the Mariposa Grove and, thankfully, does not have a tram tour through it—so you can enjoy the beauty and serenity of the forest away from the sounds of civilization. To access the trailhead, park at the lot located off of Tioga Road.  From here, the route follows an old road, which is now closed to traffic, passes through a closed gate and descends approximately 500 feet into a beautiful old forest of white fir, Douglas fir, sugar pine, and incense-cedar. The cedar, with its smooth red bark, is often confused with the giant sequoia, but the first sequoia will not appear for about a half mile. A major highlight of this 2-mile roundtrip hike is the gigantic Tunnel Tree, also known as the Dead Giant, which can still be accessed and walked through by hikers. The trail has interpretive signs along the way that help the hiker understand more about the life of these trees—particularly interesting was the info on the chickaree, a red squirrel that is very important to the life of the Sequoias. As the squirrels feast on the fleshy green scales of young sequoia pine cones, one of their major food sources, the seeds are liberated and become ready for propagation. In addition to the squirrels, the trees also rely on fire and insects to reach the ripe old age of 3,000 years old.

NBH Tip: The sign at the top of the road states that the grade of the road is 6%, but it sure seems steeper than that when climbing back up towards your car—just take your time and the uphill battle will be one with little to no fatalities.

 

Mariposa Grove: [August 1993, June 2000] In order to see a few of the most famous trees in Yosemite National Park, you need only hike this easy1.6 mile out-and-back trail. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias provides the hiker with endless opportunities to view and learn about these magnificent trees—among the more interesting specimens you will encounter along your hike are the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor and Three Graces, the Giant Grizzly, and last but not least, the California Tunnel Tree. The giant sequoias are the largest living organisms on planet earth, not to mention, at up to 3,000 years old, among the oldest as well. The coast redwoods are indeed taller, and the bristlecone pines in the White Mountains are older, but the sequoias are definitely the most massive of the big trees. The trail that winds through the Mariposa Grove is marked by a series of interpretive plaques that describe the shallow root systems of these giants, and the tiny seeds that depend on fire to maintain reproduction and health. In fact, fire is so vital to these trees that you will often see fire fighters supervising controlled burns within the grove. Another highlight encountered while hiking, at least for us, is admiring the gigantic pine cones that are scattered along the trail—if you see one, be sure to pick it up and look it over, but put it back where you found it when you are done. As mentioned above, you will get to see the famous Fallen Monarch along this trail—just follow the signed trail from the parking lot and you will reach the tree in 0.1 miles. The exposed root system of this massive tree is a great place for a few group photos. In a just a short distance, you will reach a beautiful grouping of trees known as the Bachelor and Three Graces, then the trail climbs a little until reaching the Grizzly Giant at 0.8 mile. On our second hike through this grove in 2000, we were especially cautious while near the Grizzly Giant, as we were caught in a thunderstorm and we feared lightning might topple one of the branches—a single lower branch of this tree is said to be larger than any non-sequoia in the park, not something you want falling on you! Thankfully, the storm passed without incidence, and we lived to tell the tale. The last highlight of this short hike is the California Tunnel Tree, which is located about 50 feet beyond the Grizzly Giant. The tunnel was originally cut in 1895, and fortunately this maimed giant still stands—unlike the Wawona Tunnel Tree that fell due to weakened roots and a heavy snowfall in 1969. Hopefully, this tree never suffers a similar fate. After posing for a few pictures, return to the trailhead the way you came.

NBH Tip: Mariposa Grove is the largest and most popular grove within Yosemite National Park, so crowds can be large, but do not despair—as the trail moves away from the tram access the forest becomes surprisingly soothing.

Mariposa revisited June 2000:

 

Devil's Postpile National Monument, California

Rainbow Falls: [August 2002] Located in Devil’s Postpile National Monument, the 101 foot rainbow shrouded waterfall of the San Joaquin River known appropriately as Rainbow Falls, is just a short 1.5 mile hike from Shuttle Bus Stop 9—the Rainbow Falls Trailhead. The shuttle bus, which runs approximately every 20 or 30 minutes from Mammoth Mountain, is the best and sometimes the only way to reach the trailhead. The trail is mostly downhill and affords fantastic views as it crosses through the Ansel Adams Wilderness. There are three viewpoints along the trail, with the first two being from above the falls, and the third from the base. This last viewpoint is reached by climbing down several steps, and despite having to climb back up the steps the effort needed for this great view is totally worthwhile. A word of advice, if you want to take advantage of the rainbow effect plan your hike for late in the afternoon. After spending some time at the waterfall it is time to head back on your return trip, and you have some choices on how you return to the shuttle bus—you can head back to the Rainbow Falls Trailhead for a 3 mile roundtrip hike, or you can take the trail that leads you past another geologic marvel, the one known as Devil’s Postpile. If you choose the latter, you will be to the shuttle bus stop at the Ranger Station in another 2.5miles, for a 4.0 mile roundtrip hike—we chose to hike past the postpile with its unusual columnar basalt formations. The columns can have anywhere from four to seven sides and are stacked together forming a honeycomb pattern that is truly amazing to see.

NBH Tip: When you buy your ticket for the shuttle bus be sure to ask what time the last bus will run and then time your hiking accordingly. The last bus was at 7:45pm when we were there in August of 2002. Another thing to take into consideration is how to best view/photograph a rainbow at the waterfall—this is actually quite predictable, as all you need is some mist (provided quite regularly by the falls) and some sunshine (usually not a problem in the Sierras) and “voila” rainbows! Just make sure the sun is at your back with these elements in place and you will always have a rainbow to call your own.

Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia

Blackwater Falls: [October 2002] In order to reach the falls of the Blackwater River, you must descend 214 stairs to reach the base of this spectacular waterfall—located near Davis, West Virginia. The stairs are on a wooden boardwalk, which makes the hike much more pleasant and easily accessible for any fit hiker. Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the falls of the Blackwater River, whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories, then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. The "black" water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles—logging in the area has resulted in the falls being less amber colored then in years past, but it is still visible. This is one of the most photographed scenes in West Virginia and when you see it with your own eyes you won’t have to ask why.

NBH Tip: When you make the hike to the falls, take the time to stop at each of the overlooks, which are built into the boardwalk, to get different perspectives of the falls. The falls make for great photography, especially if you take a tripod and slow the shutter down in order to blur the water—giving it an ethereal appearance.