Region: Northeast (Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut)

Length: ~31 miles (3 days)

Physical Difficulty: Easy

• The elevation gain is 2,848 feet, and two sections account for the bulk of the elevation gain: Mount Misery (441 feet) and about 2 miles of steep up and down scrambling through rocky ravines north of Beach Pond.
• Mostly soft dirt trails and forest roads. Some short, paved road walks.
• Water crossings can be tricky after heavy rain, but bridges, some in poor condition, span the deepest crossings. I had to take off my shoes and pants to wade across one deep crossing, but I suspect the deep water was because of torrential rains in the days before my hike.

Logistical Difficulty: Easy

• Loop trail done in three days, so resupply not needed. Only two sites where camping is allowed: Dawley Pond and Dry Reservoir shelters. Permits are required.
• Plentiful water. Late-winter rainstorms before my hike left trails covered in water.
• Some forest roads leading to trailheads are closed for the winter so it’s a good idea to call Pachaug State Forest headquarters to find where you can park in the off-season.

Season: Year-round

Net Elevation Gain: 2,848 feet

Note: We are having difficulties uploading a GPX file to the website, and will update the trip report when we are able to import the GPX.

Hiking the Pachaug State Forest Loop

The ~31-mile loop that I hiked combined parts of the Pachaug and Nehantic Trails in Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut’s largest state forest at 26,477 acres.

Horses are permitted on sections of the trail, and I saw two men riding horses and a fair amount of horse poop on trails. The trails also cross sanctioned dirt bike tracks.

Trailhead parking (shown on this interactive trails map) is scattered throughout the forest, but if you’re planning the off-season loop that I did I recommend parking on Fish Road, which has year-round access. The hike from Fish Road to the Dawley Pond Lean-to is ~14 miles, ~11 miles to Dry Reservoir Lean-to, and ~6 miles to Fish Road.

I parked at Fish Road and hiked south for 2 miles on the Nehantic Trail through mountain laurel stands before reaching Green Fall Pond. Water covered low-lying trail sections, a harbinger of wet trails to come for the rest of the hike.

I stopped for lunch at Green Fall Pond, a seasonal recreation area with swimming, picnic tables, outhouses, grills, and camping. This is the southern terminus for the Nehantic and Pachaug Trails.

Heading north from Green Fall Pond on the Pachaug Trail the route follows a low and mostly dry ridge for 4 miles to Route 165, crossing Route 138 along the way. The trail turns right onto Route 165, a state highway with narrow shoulders and fast-moving vehicles, for a short hike skirting the southern end of Beach Pond. The road walk enters Rhode Island at the bridge over the pond outlet, then crosses the road and heads back into the woods as the trail winds north along the pond’s eastern shore. The trail hugs the shore through the Arcadia Management Area in Rhode Island before veering away from Beach Pond and back into Connecticut and Pachaug State Forest. This is a nice stretch of the hike that offers waterfront access for hikers, unlike across the pond where the Connecticut shore is crowded with mega houses.

After leaving Beach Pond the trail begins a roughly 2-mile stretch through rocky ridges and ravines that were filled with water after late-winter rains. The trail becomes a scramble up and down the low but steep ridges, and is the most difficult section of the loop.

After the ridges the trail flattens out, and the hike to the Dawley Pond Lean-to is fast and easy. Although it’s called the Dawley Pond Lean-to, the three-sided structure is north of Dawley Pond, on Great Meadow Brook Pond.

The map here correctly shows the shelter’s location on Great Meadow Brook Pond. The Connecticut Walk Book, a comprehensive guide to Connecticut’s blue-blazed trails, mistakenly shows the shelter on Wickaboxet Marsh.

The shelter was clean when I arrived, but because it is so close to a road the shelter apparently can be a trashy party spot.

I filled up with water at the Great Meadow Brook Pond outlet just before reaching the clearly marked shelter side trail, and recommend filling up at one of the streams north of the pond if you’re coming from that direction. The pond shore is weedy and shallow at the shelter, making it difficult to get water.

The trail heading north from the shelter to Cedar Swamp Road passes stone walls and cellar holes, remnants of long-ago farms. An apparent gravesite for a 3-year-old girl who died in 1891, with fresh remembrances left at the site, sits along the trail through this section.

Emerging from the woods onto Cedar Swamp Road, the trail heads west for a short road walk. The road climbs easily to a wide-open hilltop farm—at 600-plus feet the highest point on the trail—where the wind blew fiercely from the northwest during my hike, pushing against me as I pushed back.

The trail crosses Route 49 to Hell Hollow Road, and the road walk isn’t well-blazed. But a sign does indicate the trail’s return to the woods, which loops north off Hell Hollow Road before heading south and crossing the road again.

The trail stays in the woods for several miles, crossing and following forest roads. The trail passes the Lowden Brook Cascades, and several deep pools in the brook below the falls look like promising cooling-off spots on a hot summer hike.

The walking continues to be easy to the Pachaug Trail junction with the Nehantic Trail. At this point the Pachaug and Nehantic Trails merge and head west through a recreation area popular for exercise walking. The trail soon veers left into the woods and begins ascending Mount Misery, supposedly named by European settlers for the area’s miserable farming soil. The hike to the 441-foot summit is easy and fast, and the main view is to the east and the forests I passed through on the first day of my hike.

The trail descending Mount Misery is blue-blazed but it’s easy to mistakenly follow—as I did—a herd path rather than the marked trail. At the base of the mountain the trail again follows a forest road before re-entering the woods.

A short distance later the Pachaug Trail heads south while the Nehantic Trail continues west to the Dry Reservoir Lean-to. The trail crosses a stream just before the shelter, and this is the water source for the shelter.

The Dry Reservoir Lean-to is clean, but small. I couldn’t stand up without bumping my head.

Although there’s no outstanding view at the shelter, I did see a stunning sunset and sunrise through the bare trees.

The final leg of the hike is ~6 miles, backtracking over Mount Misery and then south on the Nehantic Trail from the junction where the Pachaug Trail splits off to head north. The hike from that point back to Fish Road is flat and easy, with a short road walk on Route 49. Although blazes are few on the state highway the turnoff into the woods is clearly marked.

How to Get to Pachaug State Forest

Norwich and New London are the closest cities in Connecticut, each about a 30-minute drive to Pachaug State Forest. TF Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, is about an hour drive away.

Trailheads: Fish Road, Green Fall Pond Road, Shetucket Turnpike, Brown Road, Hell Hollow Road, Fire Tower Road, and Headquarters Road.

About the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop

The trails are mostly flat, with easy vehicle access to trailheads. Because camping is allowed only at shelters, the loop I hiked requires at least 14 miles to a shelter the first day, and about 11 miles to a shelter the second day.

But there are opportunities for shorter loops using the many interconnecting trails in the state forest. And two shelters on the Narragansett Trail make a point-to-point hike possible on that trail, or possibly putting together a different loop hike.

Here’s the route I followed on my hike:

Day 1: Park in the parking area for about 6 cars on Fish Road in Voluntown, CT, at the Nehantic Trail trailhead. Hike ~2 miles south on the Nehantic to its southern terminus at Green Fall Pond, and at the pond take the Pachaug Trail north to Dawley Pond Lean-to. Total mileage, ~14 miles.

Day 2: Continue north on the Pachaug Trail to Hell Hollow Road, then veer south and after several miles connect with the Nehantic Trail at the recreation area. Hike west on the Nehantic-Pachaug Trails over Mount Misery, then head north on the Nehantic Trail when the Pachaug splits off to head south. The Dry Reservoir Lean-to is a short distance north on the Nehantic Trail. Total mileage, ~11 miles.

Day 3: Backtrack on the Nehantic Trail and Nehantic-Pachaug Trails to the junction where the Nehantic heads south and the Pachaug goes north. Follow the Nehantic Trail south to Fish Road. Total mileage, ~6 miles.

When to Hike the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop

Spring: April can be a good month for hiking as trees begin budding and wildflowers bloom; May is warm and still mostly bug-free. March is iffy. During my hike in early March streams were swollen—one required knee-deep wading—and trails were filled with water in low spots after a week of heavy rain. Temperatures for my hike were 29 to 45, but a few days later they reached the upper 60s.

Summer: Buggy, humid, and hot.

Fall: My favorite time for backpacking. The days begin cooling off in September, and October brings peak New England foliage. November can continue to have good weather good for hiking, but hunting season begins in the state forest.

Winter: Snow is rare, and when it falls usually melts within days, making the Pachaug a good winter hike if you have cabin fever.

The Pachaug-Nehantic Loop Terrain

The trail is mainly flat as it meanders through pine and hardwood forests. The Pachaug Trail follows low ridges north of Green Fall Pond and then rocky, steep ridges north of Beach Pond.

Mount Misery is the only significant climb on the Pachaug-Nehantic loop.

Ponds, marshes, and streams are plentiful, some next to the trail, others visible in the distance through the trees.

Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water

Permits: Permits are required to stay at the four shelters in Pachaug State Forest. Dispersed camping is not allowed. Information on obtaining permits from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection can be found here.

Shelters: Dawley Pond and Dry Reservoir shelters are on the loop I hiked; Peg Mill and Legend Wood shelters are on the Narragansett Trail, which connects with the Nehantic and Pachaug Trails at Green Fall Pond. The shelters do not have bear boxes or privies.

Water: Streams and ponds are close enough along the trail that I didn’t worry about running short of water. I carried a liter and never ran dry.

Route-finding: The Pachaug and Nehantic Trails are marked with solid blue blazes; side trails use different-colored blazes and most are marked with signs. Blazes are sparse on road walks but signs mark trail turnoffs into the woods.

Know Before You Go

Clockwise or Counterclockwise?: It’s personal preference. I hiked the Pachaug-Nehantic Loop counterclockwise to get the longer-mile days out of the way on the first two days, with an easy hike to my car on day three.

Private Land: Parts of the loop pass through private land, making it important to follow the camping guidelines to preserve trail access.

Parking: The Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which maintains the 825-plus miles of blue-blazed hiking trails in Connecticut, has an interactive map on its website showing trails, shelters, and trailhead parking, with directions to the trailheads.

Transportation: Driving your own vehicle is the only practical way to get to the trail.

Cell Reception: Good throughout the forest.

Trail Guide: The Connecticut Walk Book is the ultimate guide to Connecticut’s blue-blazed trails. The book is compiled by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which maintains the trails, and can be purchased from the CFPA or through Amazon.

Trail Updates: Trail information such as reroutes and damaged bridges can be found here. But the information does not appear to be updated online to indicate whether problems have been resolved.

Ticks: Lyme disease was first identified in Connecticut, and the ticks carrying the disease can be active year-round. I spray my clothes with permethrin and do careful tick checks of my body after every hike in the woods.

About the Forest: At 26,477 acres in six towns, Pachaug is the largest state forest in Connecticut. The word Pachaug derives from the American Indian term meaning bend or turn in the river, referring to the 9-mile Pachaug River. The forest was inhabited by Narragansett, Pequot, Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Pocumtuck, and Mohegan peoples, most of whom were driven from their lands by European settlers.

Tree Damage: Gypsy moths heavily damaged oak and maple trees in the 2010s, evidenced by swaths of clear-cut forests and the number of dead trees on the ground in the Pachaug State Forest.

State Campgrounds in the Forest: The Green Fall Campground and Mount Misery Campground in the forest are car-camping sites that offer base camps for hiking.

Pachaug State Forest Resources

Pachaug State Forest

Interactive Map of Trails, Trailhead Parking, and Shelters

Backpack Camping in Connecticut

Weather

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Region: New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts)

Length: 215 miles (14 to 20 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

Logistical Difficulty: Difficult

Season: Year-round
Highest Elevation: 1,617 feet
Lowest Elevation: 0 feet
Net Elevation Gain: 30,000 feet

Hiking the New England Trail

The New England Trail threads its way through heavily populated private land and preciously preserved public land from Long Island Sound in Connecticut north to Royalston Falls in Massachusetts and the terminus at the New Hampshire border. Most of the trail follows the rocky Metacomet Ridge, with expansive views of farmland and encroaching suburban housing developments below, and at times the trail skirts the edges of residential yards and follows paved roads. Despite that closeness to suburbia, there’s solitude in the woods, especially in winter, when I hiked most of the trail.

The woods tell the story of early New England: stone walls built by farmers, a graveyard for smallpox victims, and stone caves where men fighting with post-Revolutionary War insurrectionist Daniel Shays reportedly camped.

The 21^st century tells a different story: encroaching suburban neighborhoods and battles to secure the trail’s path where it passes through private land.

And that’s what makes thru-hiking the NET a challenge. The on-trail campsites are on public land or private land with landowners’ permission, and hikers are advised to leave the trail for overnight accommodations if not staying at a designated campsite.

The southern and northern trail sections have the most sites, with only three overnight sites in the wide gap in between. Observing the guidelines against stealth camping means paying attention to when you need to get off trail to sleep. Although the trail frequently crosses roads, many of them pass through suburban neighborhoods that don’t offer opportunities for resupply and lodging.

And be aware that if you choose to stealth camp, you may be pitching your tent in someone’s backyard.

Roadwalks are the bane of thru-hikers, and the NET has plenty of them. The Western Massachusetts Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which together maintain the trail, are working to move those roadwalks into the woods and establish more campsites.

Lyme disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut, a town near the trail, and it’s now present in ticks all along the trail. It’s a good idea to check daily for ticks—even in winter—and treat your clothes with Permethrin to repel them.

Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes live along the trail in Connecticut and southern Massachusetts, although it’s rare to see one. They are considered endangered in both states.

How to Get to the New England Trail

The southern terminus on Long Island Sound in Guilford, Connecticut, is an easy reach using public transportation. The northern terminus in Royalston Falls has no public transportation and cell coverage is spotty. The New England Scenic Trail Hikers Facebook page has information on people willing to shuttle hikers in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Northern Terminus

The trailhead parking in Royalston Falls is .7 miles from the northern terminus at the New Hampshire border. The TTOR Lean-to is near the terminus, so it’s possible for northbound thru-hikers to stay there after reaching the terminus or stay at the shelter to begin a southbound hike.

Although Uber and Lyft say they have drivers who go to the northern terminus, actually getting someone to drive you may be a different story.

Public transportation to the northern terminus is possible, but involves planning and several steps. Greyhound and Amtrak both stop at the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and from there a Franklin Regional Transit Authority bus goes to Orange, Massachusetts. An Uber or Lyft could be possible from Orange to the terminus at Royalston Falls, about a 16-mile ride.

Another possibility is taking the MBTA Commuter Rail from Boston to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and setting up an Uber or Lyft to the northern terminus. It’s about 34 miles from Fitchburg to Royalston Falls.

Because of spotty cell reception at the northern terminus arranging an Uber or Lyft from there is dicey. If you’re heading north the Mt. Grace peak is a good spot to arrange a pickup at the northern terminus.

Southern Terminus

Getting to the southern terminus at Chittenden Park on Long Island Sound in Guilford is much easier.

Nearby New Haven, Connecticut, is a major rail and bus hub, and from New Haven the Shoreline East train runs to Guilford, where the NET passes through the station. Hikers taking the train to Guilford walk a short distance to the southern terminus, turn around, and begin their northbound hike, passing back through the train station.

The following public transportation options provide access to the southern terminus:

Amtrak Hartford Line: Commuter service from Springfield, Massachusetts, to New Haven. Amtrak trains from Burlington, Vermont, and Montreal, Canada, also stop along this line.

Amtrak: Nationwide rail service that has a stop in New Haven.

Metro-North: Rail service from Grand Central Terminal in New York City to New Haven.

Shoreline East: Train from New Haven to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, with a stop in Guilford.

Peter Pan: Bus service to New Haven from cities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Greyhound: Bus service to New Haven from cities across the country.

When to Hike the New England Trail

Spring: Late March through mid-May are good times for starting at Long Island Sound. The snow should be gone by then, although late March and April snowstorms are always possible in northern sections. Late May into June can be irritatingly buggy.

Summer: Hot, humid, and still buggy. A dry summer can make water supplies low and the hike difficult.

Fall: Cooler temperatures, no bugs, and the leaves are starting to change color by late September. September rains can replenish water supplies.

Winter: Snow is rare near the coast, more likely from northern Connecticut to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Still, in southern Massachusetts and all of Connecticut it’s rare lately that snow on the ground lasts more than a week after a winter storm.

The New England Trail Terrain

The trail starts at sea level on Long Island Sound in Guilford, and follows roads north through Guilford for about 3 miles before climbing atop the Metacomet Ridge, whose craggy, reddish cliffs are made up of traprock, a volcanic basalt rock. Hikers climb up and down the mostly dry ridge, high above suburban housing developments and nearby cities, as it winds through Connecticut and southern Massachusetts.

Those ridgetop climbs and sweeping views from open cliffs are repeated along the trail through Connecticut: Trimountain; Beseck Mountain, where the trail passes close to the steep ridge cliff; Mount Higby, with views south to Long Island Sound and north to Mount Tom in southern Massachusetts; Chauncey Peak, which drops steeply to Crescent Lake on one side and a working quarry on the other; Lamentation Mountain; the Hanging Hills; and Ragged Mountain, popular with rock climbers.

Along the way Castle Craig in the Hanging Hills and Heublein Tower farther north provide good views of the surrounding land in Connecticut, and can be packed with day trippers.

Soon after entering Massachusetts hikers encounter the Westfield River, which can be crossed if the water is low. If the water is high a shuttle is the best way to cross the river. Go to the New England Scenic Trail Hikers Facebook page and search for “Westfield River shuttle” to find people who drive hikers across the river.

The trail then passes the Harold Akey Tentsite, the last established tentsite until the Erving State Forest shelter some 50 miles north. A short distance north the trail climbs East Mountain on switchbacks and continues along the mountain’s ridge before descending to state Route 202.

The next major climb is Mount Tom, 1,202 feet high. The trail continues through the Mount Tom Range, passing over Whiting Peak, Goat Peak, and Mount Nonotuck, before descending to Route 5 on the west side of the Connecticut River.

The river is too deep and wide to cross, and a roadwalk to cross the nearest bridge is about 10 miles. The trail starts well away from the river on the east side and getting to it from the river requires bushwhacking through private land, so finding a boat ride across the river might not be the best idea.

Many thru-hikers shuttle to Northampton, Massachusetts, or Hadley, Massachusetts, to rest and clean up at a hotel, and resupply for the rest of the hike.

The trail east of the river starts in Skinner State Park on Mountain Road in Hadley, and climbs to the Summit House, with restrooms and water, on Mount Holyoke. From there the trail passes over Mount Holyoke, Mount Hitchcock, Bare Mountain, Mount Norwottuck, and Long Mountain through the Mount Holyoke Range. The trail through the range is packed with panoramic views and up and down rock scrambling, with a steep drop and climb between Bare and Norwottuck mountains. The Notch Visitor Center between the two peaks has flush toilets and water. Norwottuck, at 1,106 feet, is the highest peak in the range.

After coming down from the Holyoke Range, the trail meanders gradually up and down before reaching the moderately flat Quabbin Reservoir watershed, the most isolated section of the trail. Four towns were abandoned to fill the reservoir that supplies water for Greater Boston, and the lands around Quabbin are empty and protected.

Farther north the trail climbs Stratton Mountain and Mount Grace, at 1,617 feet the highest peak on the trail, before ending at Royalston Falls and the New Hampshire border.

It’s possible to do 15- to 20-mile days on the trail, making a thru-hike in 14 to 20 days within reach. Because the trail crosses so many roads multi-day hikes with stops at overnight campsites can be combined with daylong section hikes.

Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water

Permits: No permits are needed to hike the New England Trail.

Camping: Some of the designated camping sites, such as the Richardson-Zlogar Cabin in Massachusetts, require reservations. Fires are not allowed at campsites in Connecticut, and stealth camping along the trail is discouraged. Trail maintainers are working to add more overnight sites.

The sites from south to north are: Godman Group Campsite, Cattails Shelter, Lamentation Mountain Primitive Tentsite, Windsor Locks Scouts Primitive Tentsite, Harold Akey Tentsite, Mt. Holyoke Outing Club Cabin, Wendell State Forest Lean-to, Richardson-Zlogar Cabin, Mt. Grace Lean-to, and TTOR Lean-to at Royalston Falls. Campsite details can be found here.

Campsites are nicely spaced between the southern terminus and Lamentation Mountain Primitive Tentsite and between the Wendell State Forest Lean-to and the TTOR Lean-to at Royalston Falls near the northern terminus. But the long gap between Lamentation Mountain and the Windsor Locks Tentsite may require getting off trail for the night. The same goes for the gap between the Connecticut River and the Wendell State Forest Lean-to.

The Richardson-Zlogar Cabin, with its wide open vista east to Mount Grace and Mount Monadnock, and a beautiful sunrise view, is the gem of the trail’s shelters. The cabin is locked and needs to be reserved online to get the lock code. It’s also possible, but not necessary, to reserve the tentsites as they rarely fill up.

Although the NET website lists the Mt. Holyoke Outing Club Cabin as an overnight site, the guidelines on picking up and returning a key make the cabin an impractical option.

The Windsor Locks tentsite is near Bradley International Airport, and planes taking off frequently passed noisily overhead while I camped there; the lights from one plane lit up my tent.

Water: Few of the campsites have natural water sources, and water can be scarce along the trail from Long Island Sound to the northern end of the Holyoke Range. Some overnight sites have water caches, but it’s best not to rely on them. Water is easier to find north of the Holyoke Range.

Route-finding: The trail is marked with blue blazes in Connecticut, white blazes through Massachusetts. M&M signs (Metacomet and Monadnock, the trail name in Massachusetts before it became the New England National Scenic Trail) are nailed to trees alongside white blazes in northern Massachusetts. Numerous side paths cross the NET, so paying attention to blazes is important. If your mind wanders in thought on trail like my does it’s easy to miss a turn blaze and head down a side path instead of staying on the NET. And keep in mind that sometimes at trail junctions the most heavily used path that lies ahead might not be the NET.

Rivers: The Westfield River in Massachusetts can be waded if the water is low. The roadwalk around the river crossing is 3.7 miles on busy roads, so it’s best to arrange a ride if the river is high. The Connecticut River in Massachusetts can be crossed by roadwalking 10.2 miles along high-speed, high-traffic roads. Some hikers arrange a ride to lodging in Northampton or Hadley after the trail reaches the western bank of the Connecticut, resupply, and resume walking the trail the next day on the eastern bank.

Parking: The NET website has an interactive map that shows parking areas along the trail, describes how many cars each spot fits, whether they’re lots or road shoulders, and provides directions to them.

Trail Angels: Some people along the trail help with rides, lodging, and water caches, but there isn’t a well-established system of hostels and shuttle drivers. Search the New England Scenic Trail Facebook page for people willing to shuttle hikers or post on the page that you’re looking for a ride.

Know Before You Go

On to Canada: It is possible to hike from Long Island Sound in Connecticut to Canada following the NET; the New Hampshire Metacomet & Monadnock Trail and the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway in Southern New Hampshire; and the Cohos Trail in northern New Hampshire. Several options link the Greenway to the Cohos Trail, with information about them on the NET to Cohos Trail Facebook page.

North or South?: Which direction to hike can depend on the season or how you’re getting to and from the termini. If you’re starting in late winter or early spring setting off at Long Island Sound makes it less likely to encounter snow in the north. Starting in the north during the fall means hiking with the foliage as it changes color north to south.

Arranging transportation to the northern terminus is complicated, while southern terminus transportation is easy because the trail passes through a train station a short walk from the terminus. So hiking south means getting the complicated trip planning out of the way and scoring an easy ride at the end of your hike.

Spur Trail: A ~28-mile NET spur trail runs from near Broomstick Ledges in Guilford to the Connecticut River in Middletown, Connecticut. Once at the river, it’s necessary to backtrack to the main NET. The spur is considered part of the New England Trail, but is it part of a thru-hike? Many thru-hikers walk past the spur trail. The NET website, however, says hikers have to walk every mile of the trail to get an NET finisher patch.

Resupply: Meriden, Connecticut, and Hadley are good jumping-off points for lodging and resupply. Small restaurants and stores on or near the trail also provide food options, but north of Hadley lodging and food stores are far from the trail. The trail passes through the parking lot of Guida’s Restaurant on Route 66 between Beseck and Higby mountains in Connecticut, making it a favorite thru-hiker stop. The trail also passes through the small village of Tariffville, Connecticut, which has some restaurants.

Cell Reception: Cell phone reception is good from Long Island Sound through the northern end of the Holyoke Range. After that it’s good on peaks, but not reliable down low.

Trail Guides: Paper maps of the New England Trail—one for Connecticut, one for Massachusetts—are available here. The maps show trail section mileage but not elevation. The NET online interactive map gives information on camping, directions to trail parking, and section mileage. FarOut has an NET app.

Gun Ranges: Multiple gun ranges and an archery range are near or right next to the trail in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

One of 11: The New England Trail is one of 11 National Scenic Trails. The others are the Appalachian Trail, Arizona Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Florida Trail, Ice Age Trail, Natchez Trace, North Country Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, and Potomac Heritage Trail.

National Park Status: The New England Trail was granted national park status by the U.S. National Park Service in late 2023.

NET’s Origins: The New England Trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in 2009, and is comprised primarily of the historic Mattabesett, Menunkatuk, Metacomet, and Monadnock trails in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Those trail names are still used along sections of the NET.

New England Trail Resources

The New England Trail: Trail website with an interactive map showing campsites and parking. Maps of the trail through Connecticut and Massachusetts are also available.

FarOut: Mobile app of the NET available.

Amtrak

Shoreline East

Metro-North

Peter Pan bus

Greyhound bus

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The Ozark Highlands Trail is a 254-mile point-to-point backpacking route in Arkansas. It is a blazed trail through the northern part of the state with multiple stream crossings. A full thru-hike is considered to be 165 miles, with 254 miles being the full proposed (and possible) route.

Region: Middle South (Arkansas)
Length: 165 – 254 miles (10-18 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

• Creek and river crossings ebb and flow with the weather
• The trail is moderately graded
• The climbs and descents are short

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• No permits needed
• Both termini are hard to access
• Resupplies can be tough

Season: Fall, Winter, Spring

Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail

The Ozark Highlands Trail is a route through northern Arkansas that follows the spine of the Ozark Mountains from east to west.

The trail is white-blazed along most of its route and is fairly straightforward to follow. There is also a FarOut guide. Compared with the Ouachita Trail, there are not as many signs or markers, but for the first chunk, every mile is signed.

The trees are deciduous with small groups of pine and the weather is temperate and mild. On my thru-hike I saw deer, elk, and porcupine. Locals also spoke of small black bears in the Ozarks. It is a peaceful environment that is far removed from any towns. This also makes the resupply strategy more difficult than comparable trails.

One big factor on the Ozark Highlands Trail is the water. There are numerous crossings every day, an abundance of waterfalls, and little need to have more than a 2-liter capacity. I thru-hiked this trail in February, which is one of the wetter times of the year, but water seems to flow year-round based on many of the online comments and water sources on maps.

The Ozark Highlands Trail is not finished, and there are two distinct sections with the opportunity to connect them as I did. The first 165 miles to the Buffalo River at Woolum are largely considered an entire thru-hike, but there is a decent section for 40 more miles to Dillards Ferry at Highway 14 that I was able to easily complete. From there, it was a 20-mile slog of bushwhacking, looking for a trail, and following gravel roads to get to the Sylamore section of the trail. The east end of the trail was beautiful and my 254-mile route ended at Matney Knob Trailhead.

How to Get to the Ozark Highlands Trail

Western Terminus: Fort Smith State Park, Arkansas
Closest City: Fort Smith (1 hour)

Eastern Terminus: Matney Knob Trailhead, Arkansas, or Woolum Campground, Arkansas
Closest City: Mountain Home, Arkansas (20 minutes)

I hiked this trail eastbound and was able to get a ride to the trailhead from a friend, but there is a very active Facebook group and numerous resources for getting to the trail on the Ozark Highlands Trail Association website.

Ozark Highlands Trail Western Terminus

From Fort Smith, Arkansas, it’s a 40-minute drive to Lake Fort Smith State Park

Ozark Highlands Trail Eastern Terminus

The trail ends abruptly at either Woolum or Matney Knob Trailhead (depending on where you conclude your thru-hike). Mountain Home is the largest city of any kind, but transportation can be tricky. I was able to hitch across the state to Fayetteville but there are also some bus options and the opportunity to rent a car to get to a major city. I found hitching to be fairly simple in Arkansas.

When to Hike the Ozark Highlands Trail / Which Direction

The Ozark Highlands Trail fits snuggly into the shoulder seasons when the weather is tamer in Arkansas and without the sticky heat and humidity that the region experiences during the summer. A generally equal split hike the trail in the early spring and the fall, with the season lasting a few months twice a year.

The trail can be hiked year-round, but a number of factors ranging from bugs to floods to cold weather make the February to April and October to November timeframes the most popular. In late February it snowed on me and the rivers were swollen after a rainstorm. The weather can be inclement, and despite the lack of true elevation the terrain can be rugged.

Most thru-hikers start at Lake Fort Smith State Park and travel eastbound because it is fairly easy to get a ride to and makes the logistics work a little better. The two possible termini on the east side are both remote and difficult.

Ozark Highlands Trail Terrain

The Ozark Highlands Trail is very much under the canopy of deciduous trees, but there are a number of views as the oscillating elevation brings you up and down numerous mountains. The trail is rocky with mud, waterfalls, and numerous stream crossings. Compared with the drier Ouachita Trail to the south, the Ozark Highlands Trail has a lot more dependable water.

Ozark Highlands Trail Resupply

Resupply can be complicated on the OHT. There are no major towns nearby, and the roads cutting through the mountains are lightly traveled. But with a couple of longer carries the trail can be thru-hiked without going hungry.

Resupply 1, Ozone, Arkansas
Mile 68

A tiny Burger Barn that accepts thru-hiker packages is only 2 miles off the trail. The other option at this crossing of Highway 21 is Clarksville. If you can manage the long carry from here to Woolum, the simplest way to thru-hike the Ozark Highlands Trail is to only resupply at this location.

Resupply 2, Highway 65
Mile 205

If you are hiking the full (proposed) length of the trail, Highway 65 is well-traveled and can provide access to a Dollar General in St. Joe. It is a fairly easy hitch and is the only real relevant resupply option for the second half of the lesser-traveled section of the trail.

Logistics: Camping and Water

Camping: Camping is dispersed and plentiful on the OHT. There are a number of flat spots, and FarOut has a number of waypoints marked as potential spots to set up a tent.

Water: There is so much water on the Ozark Highlands Trail that flooding can be an issue. Especially in the Hurricane Creek section, the water crossings can swell substantially when it rains. Keep an eye on the weather and the current levels of the rivers and creeks.

Ozark Highlands Trail: Know Before You Go

Weather: Shoulder season hiking comes with variable weather. I experienced rain, snow, and sunshine in late February. The weather was in the 70s one day and dipped below 20 the next. Packing the gear to weather any potential conditions is highly recommended.

Ozark Highlands Trail Resources

Ozark Highlands Trail Association

Ozark Highlands Trail Guide – Book

Ozark Highland Trail Facebook

The post Ozark Highlands Trail appeared first on Backpacking Routes.

Region: Deep South

Distance: 30 miles (2-4 days)

Physical Difficulty: Difficult

• 7,000 feet of total elevation gain SOBO; 8,200 feet NOBO
• Rocky and rooty terrain
• Steep sections and seasonal water sources

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate 

• Route is poorly marked in Shining Rock Wilderness
• Infrequent water sources, depending on the season
• Easily accessible trailheads

Season: Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter

Elevation Gain: 7,000 feet SOBO / 8,200 feet NOBO

Hiking the Art Loeb Trail

The Art Loeb Trail is a difficult point-to-point route in the Pisgah National Forest that takes hikers through a variety of terrain across the Blue Ridge Mountains. As is typical with hiking the Southern Appalachians, there are steep ascents and descents, offering spectacular views at the top but tough on the knees going down. We chose to hike this trail north-to-south as it was both logistically and physically easier than the alternative. 

The northernmost quarter of the trail, heading south, is a steady climb up toward Cold Mountain through the heavily wooded forest of the Shining Rock Wilderness. A spur trail can take you to the top of Cold Mountain if you wish to further explore the namesake of the popular book and movie. Continuing on the ALT, you will pass through The Narrows, a single-track, rhododendron-lined section of ridge walking that offers gorgeous overlooks. Exiting The Narrows, the trail widens and you enter Shining Rock Ledge, an area scattered with quartzite ranging from pebble-sized rocks underfoot to small boulders resting among the trees. At mile 6.8 is Shining Rock Gap and a junction with Old Butt Knob Trail, which you can take to see the actual Shining Rock itself. Near the end of this section, you’ll pass two water sources near each other, which are the last opportunity to get water if you plan on camping before Black Balsam. 

Continuing on, you’ll reach Flower Gap in less than half a mile, the first spot of near-continuous views for several miles. There are some campsites in this area that looked great but were all taken by the time we got there. We continued toward Ivestor Gap, an open, grassy gap with views on each side, where we set up camp for the night. Both the sunrise and sunset were absolutely incredible from this location. I highly recommend camping here. If you do want to keep moving down the trail, there are some sporadic campsites between here and Black Balsam that also offer stellar views.

After packing up the next morning at Ivestor Gap, we continued south along the ridge and summited Tennent Mountain, which has jaw-dropping 360-degree views of many well-known mountaintops in the region, including Clingmans Dome far off in the distance. The hike from Tennent Mountain to Black Balsam Knob is definitely one of my all-time favorite hiking experiences! I cannot stress this enough. An abundance of blueberry and blackberry bushes line the trail, offering a good opportunity for a morning snack, and the continuous views impress for miles. The berry bushes do entice bears to the area and there was evidence of their presence, though no bears were spotted during our hike. You will pass a water source in this area–the last one until Deep Gap Shelter about six miles ahead.

Ascending Black Balsam Knob we inadvertently took the Black Balsam Trail instead of the ALT, but after talking to a few people I learned that this is a common mistake that actually provides a better viewing experience than following the Art Loeb Trail to the top. We hung around Black Balsam for a bit and took in the scenery while trying to identify the mountains we spotted in the distance. If you reach Black Balsam after 8 in the morning on a weekend, expect it to be somewhat crowded. As you descend Black Balsam, after you descend the wooden stairs, veer right at the Mountains-to-Sea Trail junction to cross USFS 816 to stay on the Art Loeb Trail. A steep descent to the Blue Ridge Parkway provides some additional views and a chance to escape the crowds.

The southern half of the trail has a very different vibe than the sections before Black Balsam. The trail is rocky and rooty and the ascents and descents are steep, but peaks such as the one on Pilot Mountain offer magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the top. In early September, we only came across three water sources between the spring past Tennent Mountain and the southern terminus at the Davidson River. The first of the two sources you’ll come across if doing a SOBO hike is just south of Deep Gap Shelter, along an old logging road. The second source is next to Butter Gap Shelter and the third is about a mile down the trail from there. After Butter Gap, there are many small climbs mixed with some smooth ridge running and old logging roads before reaching the final descent toward the southern terminus, where you’ll find a river to dip in to celebrate your completed thru-hike if the season’s right!

How to Get to the Art Loeb Trail

Nearest City: Brevard, North Carolina (42 miles from Camp Daniel Boone/northern terminus; 5 miles from Davidson River Campground/southern terminus)

Camp Daniel Boone / northern terminus (Google Map)

Davidson River Campground / southern terminus (Google Map)

No parking is allowed at the northern terminus at Camp Daniel Boone. We left our car at the southern terminus and had a friend drive us to the northern trailhead.

There are shuttles in the area that are a good option if you only have one car or are flying to the area and need a ride. If driving and you only have one car, depending on the direction you’re hiking, the shuttle could drive you to Camp Daniel Boone to begin a SOBO hike or pick you up there at the end if you’re hiking NOBO.

If you’re flying to North Carolina, your best bet is probably to fly into the Asheville airport (AVL) and take a shuttle to and from the trail. This airport is 22 minutes from the Davidson River Campground and 52 minutes from Camp Daniel Boone.

When to Hike the Art Loeb Trail

The ideal seasons for hiking the Art Loeb Trail are late spring, summer, and early fall. However, this hike could be easily managed in any season, including winter, with a reasonable amount of preparedness.

We hiked the trail over Labor Day weekend; the temperature was in the 70s during the day but varied a bit depending on the elevation. We camped at 5,700 feet elevation the first night and the low temperature was in the 30s, but conditions were warmer–50 degrees–the second night when we dropped to 3,200 feet. Mosquitoes weren’t as much of an issue as expected, but the water was scarce. Any season outside of the summer months would likely offer more abundant water sources.

Fall is a gorgeous time of year in North Carolina as the trees are changing colors, making October a perfect time to hike this trail. Keep in mind that temperatures may have already dropped below freezing at higher elevations by this point in the year.

If you are considering a winter hike of the Art Loeb Trail, be aware that it is not uncommon for the Blue Ridge Parkway to be closed during winter months when there are ice storms or periods of freezing weather.

2 night/3 day SOBO itinerary
Day 1: Camp Daniel Boone to Ivestor Gap (9 miles)
Day 2: Ivestor Gap to Butter Gap Shelter (13 miles)
Day 3: Butter Gap Shelter to Davidson River Campground (8 miles)

3 night/4 day NOBO itinerary
Day 1: Davidson River Campground to Butter Gap Shelter (8.5 miles)
Day 2: Butter Gap Shelter to Deep Gap Shelter (6 miles)
Day 3: Deep Gap Shelter to Flower Gap (8 miles)
Day 4: Flower Gap to Camp Daniel Boone (7 miles)

Art Loeb Trail Terrain

The Art Loeb Trail takes hikers over peaks and ridges, through forests and across balds as they cross some of the best-known mountains in North Carolina. The section from Flower Gap to Black Balsam Knob is exposed to the elements, so keep an eye on the weather forecast. Much of the southern half of the trail is heavy with rocks and roots, making the steep descents challenging and somewhat dangerous. Other sections are relatively smooth underfoot.

In September 2021, we had to traverse a landslide in the Shining Rock Wilderness, one of the most challenging obstacles we encountered on the trail.

Logistics: Direction, Land Management, Water

Art Loeb Trail Resupply Strategy  

Since this trail is only 30 miles and can be hiked in 2-4 days, it’s possible to complete the hike without needing a resupply. If a resupply is required, you would need a hitch or shuttle into Brevard, which could be up to an hour away or as close as 15 minutes, depending on your point along the trail.

Logistics 

Camping: Camping is free and first-come, first-served on the ALT. Many campsites lie along the trail, providing plenty of options for setting up camp. However, the lack of water sources limits your options if you wish to camp near water.

Permits: No permits are needed to hike or camp along this trail 

*Water: Water sources are plentiful between Camp Daniel Boone and Flower Gap. From SOBO mile 10 (just past Tennent Mountain) to the southern terminus at Davidson River Campground, water sources are sparse. In early September, there were only three water sources on the southern half of the trail (SOBO): one at Deep Gap Shelter (mile 15), one at Butter Gap Shelter (mile 21), and the third about one mile south of Butter Gap (mile 22).

Route Finding: A GPS map or map and compass are recommended. The trail is not marked in the Shining Rock Wilderness on the northern end of the trail or through Black Balsam. The trail runs along the ridge in these areas, so if you’re ever unsure stay along the ridgeline.

Special Gear: Bear canister required if camping in Shining Rock Wilderness.

Know Before You Go

This is a challenging trail with many steep ascents and rocky terrain. I would not recommend it for beginners.

• In the Shining Rock Wilderness, bear canisters are required and fires are not permitted.
• Water can be difficult to come by, especially along the southern half of the trail.
• The trail is not marked in the Shining Rock Wilderness on the northern end of the trail; a GPS map or map and compass are recommended.
• This trail is popular with day-hikers, especially on weekends.

Who was Art Loeb?: Yale grad, conservationist, avid hiker, Art Loeb and a hiking partner began piecing together trail sections between Davidson River Campground and Camp Daniel Boone. He died in 1968 at age 54, and the next year the trail was completed and named after him.

Additional Resources

USFS Trailhead Link and Info

National forests in North Carolina – Shining Rock Wilderness (usda.gov)
Shuttles

https://pvadventures.com/art-loeb-trail-shuttle/ https://wnctrailshuttle.com/art-loeb-trail/

https://mountainhighshuttles.com/

Laura Russell lives in Atlanta and enjoys going on outdoor adventures with her dog, Mallie, around the Southeast and beyond. She loves taking long road trips and has driven over 25,000 miles through 36 states, incorporating hiking into all of her travels. She started backpacking in 2020 and has many trails on the horizon. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @laura.russell_ 

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Region: Pacific West (Death Valley National Park, California)

Distance: 30 miles (2-3 days)

Physical Difficulty: Difficult

• Dry and exposed terrain
• Difficult to navigate through the terrain and across numerous game trails
• Water is very sparse and difficult to find; little info on current water conditions

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate 

• No resupplies to worry about
• Defined water stops
• Few alternates to make wrong turns within the canyons

Season: Winter

Elevation Gain: 7,200 feet

Max Elevation: 3,691 feet

This is the rough route for the loop, but with the difficulty, we want to encourage you to further plan and note where each water source is, the logistics of reaching it, and become familiar with the turns and nuances of the terrain that can all be seen on a topographic map.

Other important GPS points:

Hiking the Death Valley Four Springs Loop

The Death Valley Four Springs Loop is one of the most difficult routes on our website. Don’t be fooled by the shorter distance and the wide-open terrain. There is no defined trail, and only a series of large canyons to hike through connecting four springs in the foothills of Death Valley. This route is in the southern and more rugged section of the national park, where it is rare to see even another car on the road.

The water on the route is the most tedious, difficult, and unknown aspect. The springs are often little more than seeps and trampled through by the wildlife. During my time in Death Valley, I saw wild horses, jackrabbits, burros (donkeys), and goats. On this route, I saw 20 wild burros.

As the name would suggest, the Four Springs Loop links four springs. While knowing their reliability completely depends on the conditions, I was able to scoop water out of each of them in February. In the clockwise direction, the springs are in the following order: Lost Spring, Squaw Spring, Willow Spring, and Mesquite Spring. These springs are the backbone of the route. Squaw Spring proved to only be a muddy pit, but the other three had enough water to easily scoop out with a bottle.

The route starts off on Warm Springs Canyon Road at a small, rugged intersection with ample room to park (location here). It initially follows an old road and drops down into the start of Lost Spring Canyon. There is a junction where two canyons split and this is where the loop completes itself. So the choice is either to hike clockwise or counterclockwise. Since I traveled the loop clockwise, that is the direction this will follow. The canyon on the left is Lost Spring Canyon and it is fairly simple to navigate through the soft dirt. The footing isn’t great and there are a couple of places where the walls narrow, but as long as you stay within the canyon, it should lead up to Lost Spring.

Beyond Lost Spring the canyon narrows further and becomes more difficult to climb through with a backpack. But there are plenty of burro trails to follow to avoid the thick brush. As the route continues to climb, it becomes exceedingly easy to take a wrong turn, especially as you approach the pass. Over the pass, the route drops into Anvil Spring Canyon and follows it all the way up to Squaw Spring. The spring is on the side of a large hill with lots of vegetation, but I did not find the spring to be flowing very well.

From Squaw Spring there are defined burro trails that lead north and slowly swing more to the west. There are signs of use as the route nears Willow Spring. A spur off Warm Springs Canyon Road leads to Willow Spring and a firepit can be found at the spot. At this point in the route, the trip can be extended further west to Anvil Spring, and even up to Striped Butte. But if this is as far as you are hiking, head back through Anvil Spring Canyon toward Squaw Spring, but instead of heading south to the spring, veer north into another larger and flatter wash.

The wash will slowly grow more narrow until the walls are quite steep. Shortly after you will reach Mesquite Spring. Steep canyon walls continue all the way through until it opens back up again at the junction that previously took you farther south at the beginning of the route. Retrace the steps through the wide canyon and back to the old road and to your parked car.

How to Get to the Death Valley Four Springs Loop

Nearest City: Las Vegas, Nevada (131 miles)

The trail begins off Warm Springs Canyon Road in Death Valley National Park. This is where I parked my car to do the loop (link here). It is a long drive from any established cities or even gas stations, so be prepared to be remote. But, while you are in the remote corner of the park, it is worth checking out Warm Springs Camp.

Instead of driving up and through Death Valley Junction and the more developed portions of the park, it is much faster to drive into the park through Shoshone and into the southeast corner of the national park. At Ashford, Junction follows Warm Springs Road leading off to your left and then to the GPS coordinate. There is little to no cell service in the area, so bear in mind that all directions should be downloaded before entering Death Valley National Park.

When to Hike the Death Valley Four Springs Loop

Water is the main constraint in Death Valley. It is one of the driest places and the water that is in the desert is often saline and undrinkable. The little amount of water combined with the heat makes this a perfect winter backpacking trip. The temperatures remain cooler and the chances of still-flowing springs are much higher.

Death Valley National Park Four Springs Loop Terrain

The terrain is very dry and rugged. The washes are uneven, loose, soft, and taxing to navigate through. The miles in Death Valley National Park are much more difficult than trail miles simply because of the continual attention required and the taxing terrain.

Logistics: Direction, Land Management, Water

Loop Direction: I traveled this loop in a clockwise direction and it seemed to work well with the reliability of the springs and camping. It did take a scoop in order to use Squaw Spring, but in a clockwise direction, the first half of the trail is more difficult than the second half. But the route can be done successfully in either direction.

Land Management: Death Valley National Park manages the entire area. To backpack, users should issue themselves a free voluntary permit either online or at one of the two ranger stations.

Know Before You Go

Water Capacity: One of the biggest causes for concern on this loop is water, water capacity, and successfully treating the water that is out there. With water so sparse in most of Death Valley, the water sources are very busy with wildlife and often are not clean. This route is designed to link a series of water sources throughout the canyons in the foothills of the national park, and many burros were standing right in the middle of the sources as I came upon them. I carried three liters for doing the loop as an overnight, but if you are planning to be out there longer, I would recommend carrying more capacity.

Remoteness: The route is far from any major visitors centers and has no cell service. It is important to be prepared and consider taking a personal locator, GPS unit, or some type of messenger with the challenges that this route presents.

Additional Resources

Death Valley National Park Website

Death Valley National Park Maps

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The Lost Coast Trail is a 26.4-mile point-to-point backpacking route along California’s North Coast. It is a rugged trail that traverses sandy beaches, boulder fields, and coastal bluffs, and it can be hiked in 2-3 days

Region: Pacific West (King Range National Conservation Area, California)
Distance: 26.4 miles (2-3 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate 

Logistical Difficulty: Difficult 

Season: Year-round
Elevation (average): Sea level
Total Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet

Hiking the Lost Coast Trail

The Lost Coast Trail covers 25 miles of undeveloped coastal wilderness, only 5 hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area. This hike is moderately strenuous and is perfect for the hiker who loves a logistical challenge. Starting at Mattole Beach and ending at Black Sands Beach, you will experience breathtaking views of the coast, including the Punta Gorda lighthouse (decommissioned in 1951), bountiful tide pools, and a lively colony of elephant seals. 

Based on the strong wind coming from the north, it is usually recommended that hikers follow the trail from north to south. However, if you are looking for a quieter wilderness experience, hiking from south to north may offer you the opportunity to hike and camp away from other groups and is a totally viable option. Each creek offers drastically different camping experiences, from the sunrises and sunsets to the wildlife that frequent that specific stretch of coastline. Wildlife that are often encountered along the trail include sea birds, sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals, river otters, black bears, blacktail deer, and the occasional Roosevelt elk.

During the summer of 2021, I spent collectively over a month on the Lost Coast Trail as a volunteer. I have hiked a variety of routes utilizing many different trailheads, in various weather conditions, with drastically different itineraries. My most enjoyable jaunt on the LCT, however, was hiking from Mattole to Black Sands with my brother in just a day and a half. 

Lost Coast Trail Permits

Wilderness permits are required for any overnight stay in the King Range Wilderness and can be obtained through Recreation.gov. Permits for the entire year (October to October) are released on October 1 at 7am PST, and the summer season is typically booked within a few hours. One person can reserve up to 5 permits for their group. When reserving a permit online, you will need to know which trailheads you plan to enter and exit at and a nightly itinerary for where you plan to camp. While this information is required for the online process, your selections are only used for safety purposes, in case of missing persons reports, or accidents, and will not be enforced by BLM rangers. Once you enter the wilderness area, you have “hiker’s discretion,” meaning that you can choose to hike as far as you want or camp wherever you choose (as long as it is 10 feet above the high tide line). Additionally, this means that you can stay in the King Range Wilderness area for up to 14 days after your permit start date. If you love it out there, extend your trip and explore one of the many inland routes!

Because permits sell out quickly, many attempt to start their hike a few days before or after their permit start date, assuming that they can do so legally. However, the permit system used by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in this region allows for 60 people to enter per day during peak season (May 15 to September 15) and 30 people to enter per day during non-peak season (September 16 to May 14). This means that if you attempt to start your hike on any day other than your permit start date, your permit is invalid and you may be ticketed by a BLM ranger stationed at either trailhead. The Lost Coast is on an extremely narrow sliver of coastline, therefore the impact that over-recreation has on the landscape can be extreme. If too many people attempt to start on a specific date, they will most likely get stuck at the same camping areas by the tides, resulting in overcrowding and damage to the resource area. 

The biggest piece of advice that I can offer regarding permits is to check the predicted tides for your preferred dates! Many people don’t know that tide predictions are extremely accurate (even a year or more in advance) and can allow you to mitigate unfavorable tidal conditions by choosing days with low tides under 3 feet and slow tidal swings. Here’s the Lost Coast Trail permit page.

How to get to the Lost Coast Trail

Nearest City: Eureka, California (50 miles)

Mattole Beach Trailhead

Black Sands Beach Trailhead

The most popular option to navigate this point-to-point route is hiring a shuttle service. These services are privately operated and are not affiliated with the BLM. It is recommended that you book your shuttle far in advance in order to guarantee a spot. Typically, prices are about $100 per person. (Expensive, yes, but definitely worth it to most folks.) Usually, hikers will meet their shuttle drivers early in the morning at Black Sands Beach day use parking lot, where they will leave their car, and be driven along unmaintained, windy dirt roads for two hours to start at Mattole Trailhead.

There are three services that are legally insured to shuttle hikers between trailheads along the Lost Coast:

• Lost Coast Adventure Tours
• Mendo Insider Tours
• Bill’s Lost Coast Shuttle Service: 707-442-1983

If you’re a fan of long car rides, have an extra day to station your cars before you start your hike, and would prefer to save your money, you may also consider the method of leaving a car at each trailhead. The biggest thing to consider in this option is your vehicle’s ability to drive on windy, unpaved mountain roads for hours. 

1. If you have a high-clearance vehicle (4WD/AWD recommended, necessary in the winter), you may choose to take this route between trailheads. (About 2 hours). This is also the route that the shuttle drivers will take. *Note: I have never driven my personal vehicle on Ettersburg Road or Wilder Ridge Road, and I would recommend that people from out of the area choose the second option that follows the 101. MAP IT HERE

2. If your vehicle does not have high clearance, you will need to take this route between trailheads. (About 2 hours, 40 minutes). This is my preferred route and the route I suggest to all visitors from out of town. There will still be some unpaved sections along Mattole Road, but nothing unmanageable. MAP IT HERE

Accessing the coast from any other inland trailhead requires high-clearance AWD vehicles to navigate the unmaintained and unpaved roads within the King Range. It is also worth noting that cell phone service is usually unavailable and that AAA will not be able to reach your vehicle in case of an emergency. 

Another option is organizing up a key-swap with hikers who are hiking the opposite direction as you. I have no personal experience with this, but it seems to be a fairly popular option for some trusting individuals. If this is something you would consider, you may have luck finding a buddy in the Facebook group Lost Coast Trail CA.

Lastly, you may very well choose to hike out-and-back. More power to you!

When to Hike the Lost Coast Trail

While this hike is accessible year round, I would suggest reserving a permit for the spring season to enjoy the blue skies, wildflowers, and baby elephant seals. The most popular time to hike the Lost Coast Trail is during the summer, resulting in more human interaction. There are never crowds along the LCT, but you are likely to run into larger groups of people when you arrive at your camping area for the night. Additionally, the King Range usually goes into its first level of fire restrictions in July, but as early as June. In 2021, campfires were allowed on the LCT until mid-July, and all open flames and camp stoves were banned on August 11. The fall season (through November) may also be impacted by the summer’s burn ban. In the winter, storms offshore cause hazardous ocean conditions that increase risks associated with hiking along the coast. It is also worth noting that this area of Humboldt County typically receives 50-70 inches of rainfall annually, most of which comes down in the late fall-early spring. 

Your itinerary will be mostly dependent on your ability to hike through each impassable zone during a low-tide window. The following itinerary is a common way to break up the hike, but every single person’s hike is different based on the conditions. Impassable zones and tides will be discussed in detail in the section “Trail Terrain.” Additionally, this hike can certainly be completed in a single day if the tidal conditions are in your favor and you can get through both impassable zones at a low tide. Many people travel slowly along the LCT in order to enjoy the coastal scenery, taking as long as a week to complete their hike. 

Day 1: Mattole Beach Trailhead to Cooskie Creek (6.8 miles)

• This section of the trail is entirely along sandy beach or slippery boulders, so anticipate a slower pace. (1.5 mph)
• You will pass the impassable point at Punta Gorda and hike halfway through the northern impassable zone. Fear not, Cooskie Creek offers a safe creek valley for camping where you will be safe from the tide. 
• You can also hike up Cooskie Creek to find hidden campsites and a small swimming hole early in the summer season. 
• River otter activity here is common and you may see them hunting and swimming in the creek in the early morning. 

Day 2: Cooskie Creek to Miller Flat/Big Flat (9.8 miles)

• For the first 2 miles, you will be finishing the northern impassable zone and hiking in sand. Be sure to start your hike when the tide is receding. There is a “pinch point” at Randall Creek that may require you to run around a rocky outcropping to avoid being hit by a wave. Be sure that when you reach Randall Creek the tide is under 3 feet, or you will not make it past the pinch point. 
• The remaining 7.8 miles are on a bluff above the beach. Here, you will not need to worry about the tides, because you are at least 20 feet above sea level. Bonus: You will be able to pick up your pace along the compacted, flat trail. 
• When you reach Big Flat Creek, you will have many camping options. The north side of the creek is considered Big Flat, and the south side is considered Miller Flat. 
• By camping here, you will be setting yourself up well to hike through the southern impassable zone the following morning during low tide. 
• Note: There is a private residence at Big Flat, and they often host yoga retreats. If camping alongside a group of yogis isn’t your desired wilderness experience, camp on the south side of the creek at Miller Flat. 

Day 3: Miller Flat to Black Sands Beach Trailhead (8.5 miles)

• Your first mile will continue along the bluff before dropping you back onto the beach just north of Shipman Creek. This is the beginning of the southern impassable zone, and it continues south on to Gitchell Creek.
• For this section, be sure to hike during a receding tide and reach Gitchell Creek while the tide is below 3 feet. 
• Once you’ve reached Gitchell, you can slowly meander and enjoy the remainder of your hike to Black Sands, due to the wide stretch of beach in the southern section. 
• Keep an eye out for bear tracks along the beach if you’re traveling in the early morning!

Lost Coast Trail Terrain 

The terrain of the LCT is the most precarious and challenging aspect of this route. The northern and southern sections follow the coastline, while the middle section (Randall Creek to Miller Flat) follows a bluff trail above sea level. Along the coastal sections, you will spend most of your time hiking through sand or jumping through boulder fields. In the middle bluff section, you will walk through overgrown lupine and poison oak before it opens up to a flat, grassy prairie. There are shallow creek crossings every mile or so, but you will probably be able to stay dry by rock hopping. Due to the sandy and rocky terrain, it is recommended that hikers plan for a slower pace of 1.5 mph.

When traveling along the beach, one needs to plan to pass through the 3 impassable zones at specific times in order to mitigate the danger of rising tides trapping you along the cliffside. 

1. The northernmost “impassable point” is located 2.4 miles south of the Mattole trailhead. If the tide is higher than 5.5 feet, the rocks along Punta Gorda will all be underwater, making that spot impassable. A tide lower than 5.5 feet will allow you to safely hike past this point. 
2. The northern “impassable zone” is located between Sea Lion Gulch and Randall Creek. Start hiking this section on a receding tide, and be sure to reach Randall Creek while the tide is lower than 3 feet. If the tide is higher than 3 feet, you will not be able to hike around the rocky outcropping located at Randall Creek. 
3. The southern “impassable zone” is located between Big Flat and Gitchell Creek. This section should also be hiked on a receding tide. Most of this section is a fairly narrow strip of beach, so aim to hike this entire section while the tide is below 3 feet. 

Lost Coast Trail Resupply Strategy 

The LCT is short enough to not require a resupply strategy. Be sure to carry a hard-sided bear canister large enough to fit all food, trash, and scented items! 

Logistics: Land Management, Water, Special Gear

What type of land: The entirety of the Lost Coast Trail is located within the King Range Wilderness, meaning that you are held to all wilderness rules and regulations. This area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Dogs are allowed to use this trail, but must remain leashed near the Punta Gorda lighthouse when passing the elephant seal colony. 

Water: One of the most convenient aspects of the LCT is the availability of water year round. Hikers will encounter a running creek about every mile or two along the coast, minimizing the need to carry an excess of water. As temperatures rise and flows decrease, some of the creeks may grow algae in the shallow parts closest to the ocean. If this is the case, simply hike up the creek a bit to reach fresh, flowing water. All water along the Lost Coast must be filtered before consumption. 

Special Gear: The one piece of gear that has saved me on the LCT a countless amount of times is a good pair of trekking poles. Whether you’re pulling yourself through the sand or balancing yourself while hopping between boulders, a pair of poles is essential. Many hikers also choose to wear gaiters for the sand, creek crossings, ticks, and poison oak. 

Know Before You Go

Due to the intense planning process, this trail is best suited for experienced backpackers who are very comfortable with organizing logistics and researching.

You need to pass through the impassable zones at receding tides lower than 3 feet. If you are having a difficult time understanding the tide charts for your dates, you should call the BLM King Range Project Office to have a ranger answer your questions at 707-986-5400. This is not something you should just “wing”; understanding the coastline and tides is necessary in order to safely navigate this route. 

Ticks, poison oak, and rattlesnakes are three of the most common concerns among LCT hikers. If you are sleeping without a closed tent, consider treating your gear with permethrin to ward off the ticks. Rattlesnakes can be found as close as a few feet away from the ocean and will be lethargic in the early mornings, so they may not rattle. Keep your eyes open, and always kick pieces of driftwood before taking a seat. 

While you may see a number of large driftwood structures along the beach, please help maintain the wilderness and do not build any. People tend to hide their trash inside them, which attracts rodents and rattlesnakes.

Fire restrictions are usually put into place in midsummer. If you are hiking between July-November, be prepared to eat meals without the use of a camping stove. 

The black bear population in the King Range is very healthy, which is why you are required to carry a hard-sided bear canister on all overnight trips in the wilderness area. Bear canisters can be rented for $5 from the BLM King Range Project Office in Whitethorn, from your shuttle driver, or from the Petrolia Store. 

While dogs are allowed on the trail, they often struggle with the terrain. If you are planning on bringing your pup, you should also bring them a pair of booties for the hot sand. 

Because the LCT is on such a narrow strip of land, you are supposed to dig your catholes in the intertidal zone, not up the creek valleys. This offers some of the most beautiful cathole views imaginable! 

Lost Coast Trail Resources

Shuttles:

• Lost Coast Adventure Tours
• Mendo Insider Tours
• Bill’s Lost Coast Shuttle Service: 707-442-1983

The App Avenza has downloadable maps of the Lost Coast Trail, which is the exact same version distributed by the BLM. This allows you to see yourself in real time on the map and easily navigate along the outlined impassable zones. 

Official Lost Coast Trail map

Most reliable website for checking the tides

The Lost Coast Trail CA Facebook group is a good resource for those with questions from other hikers. Group members often coordinate permit cancellations with each other to allow others to claim them promptly. 

Kacie Hallahan lives and recreates behind the Redwood Curtain of Northern California. She worked as a BLM wilderness ranger on the Lost Coast, hiking the entirety of the trail every week for 10 weeks. Follow her on Instagram for more of her adventures @idkacie.

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The Black Canyon Trail is a 76-mile National Recreation Trail located between Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona. The trail is popular with mountain bikers and there are plans to extend the trail even farther. It is a great trail to hike in the shoulder seasons.  

Region: Southwest (Prescott National Forest, Arizona)
Length: 76 Miles* (4-6 days)
*Opportunity to extend trail a bit north and south. They are working to extend the trail.

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

• Long distances between water sources 
• Very exposed with little shade
• Rocky trail

Logistical Difficulty: Easy

• No permit required 
• Point-to-point trail
• Possible to resupply midway 

Season: Late Fall, Winter, Early Spring

Elevation (Average): ~ 3,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~ 5,500 feet

Hiking the Black Canyon Trail

The Black Canyon Trail is most well known as a mountain biking trail, but the route is perfect for hiking as well. It is almost perfectly constructed for an off-season point-to-point backpacking trip. There are just enough water sources along the way to never have to stretch the limits of a hiker’s carrying capacity, and there is the opportunity to resupply almost exactly halfway through the trail. As if meant to be, the town of Black Canyon City is located midway and provides easy access to a grocery store, Family Dollar, restaurant, and cafe.

The beauty of the Black Canyon Trail is the stark transition in the landscape as elevation is lost. Starting near the high point the trail is anything but all downhill. But with the general trend being down, the terrain changes from windswept desert to saguaro cacti-filled hills. It is a rocky and dusty trail, but nothing more than anything else comparable in the desert.

From the beginning to the end the trail parallels Interstate 17 but offers quite a different view than a simple drive from Flagstaff to Phoenix. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas, deer, and a number of other desert creatures live in the hills of the Black Canyon Trail and easily prove that the dry desert is anything but barren. Rabbits dart in and out of cacti and cholla periodically jump up and stick in shoes and legs.

The Black Canyon Trail was originally designed for mountain bikers, and with their sport well represented, it remains a popular single track bike-packing route. But the same things that make it appealing to bikes also appear to backpackers. As with any multi-use trail, be sure to pay attention and share the trail with others. There are a number of 4×4 roads that intersect the route and these places are well used by ATVs and dirt bikes. While these represent only a small portion of the trail, it is worth noting before setting up camp at a busy intersection.

In April I set out a small water cache in one of the more dry sections of the trail to make sure that I would not be without water. It turns out there was still a small puddle in a nearby section of the Agua Fria River, but if you are hiking the trail early in the fall or late in the spring, a water cache may be beneficial. The other note is that on top of Table Mesa there are always a number of people shooting. This is a popular spot for target shooting, so don’t be shocked when it feels as though you are entering a war zone.

How to Get to the Black Canyon Trail

Northern Terminus: Near Orme Road
Closest City: Phoenix (86 miles)

Southern Terminus: Carefree Highway (Highway 74)
Closest City:  Phoenix (35 miles)

When to Hike the Black Canyon Trail

The Black Canyon Trail is best hiked in the late fall, winter, or early spring. The BCT is on the edge of the Sonoran Desert and water is scarce. Hiking it in the winter ensures that the temperatures are more manageable and the water sources are more likely to be flowing. In mid-April, we found puddles as water sources, but much later in the year and these puddles would have been dried up.

Black Canyon Trail Terrain 

The Black Canyon Trail is dry and on the edge of the Sonoran Desert. There are a number of desert wildlife including tarantulas, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and rabbits. While sometimes thought of as scary, all these animals have a fear of humans and are unlikely to be aggressive. Give them their space and carry on. On the trail note the changing cacti, from prickly pear to saguaro; as the elevation decreases on the trail the entire landscape experiences subtle changes. Around the banks of the often dry Agua Fria ample brush and vegetation can be seen. The desert landscape is entirely dependent on its surroundings, water, and elevation. It is a fragile landscape. Choose to camp carefully and allow the precious vegetation to continue to thrive.

Logistics: Camping and Permits, Water

Camping and Permits: There are no permits required for the Black Canyon Trail and dispersed camping is legal within the national forest. Be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles.

Water: Water is one of the most difficult things to plan on this trail. In the general hiking season for this trail (late Fall to early Spring) the Agua Fria River is likely to have pools. Also, about midway is Black Canyon City, where a resupply and a refill on water can be found. Plan water carefully, and it may be best to put out a couple of water caches.

Food: A resupply can be done in Black Canyon City to break up the trail. There is a restaurant, a gas station, Family Dollar, and a small market.

Know Before You Go

Resupply: The resupply location of Black Canyon City is right next to the route. In fact, the trail passes through city limits. Simply by walking a few blocks you can easily resupply, refill bottles, and eat at Beni’s Pizza. At under 80 miles the route can easily be done with a resupply, but the opportunity does exist.

Transportation: The route is a point-to-point hike, which means transportation can be tricky. The current northern terminus is a little hard to get to, especially with a hitch, so it may be worthwhile to find an easier access road starting from Highway 169.

Water Capacity: I carried a 3.5-liter capacity when I hiked the trail in mid-April, but depending on your comfort, hydration needs, and whether you are dry camping, the capacity to carry water should be carefully considered.

Sun Protection: There is very little shade on the majority of the trail, so wearing full sleeves and a sun hat is our recommendation. Sunscreen is also a necessity with the direct exposure under the desert sun.

Black Canyon Trail Additional Resources

Black Canyon Trail Coalition

Black Canyon City

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The Lone Star Hiking Trail is a 96-mile point-to-point hiking trail located in East Texas just north of Houston. It is marked with white blazes and can be hiked in 4-10 days.

Region: Southwest (Sam Houston National Forest, Texas)
Distance: 96.4 miles, 4-10 days

Physical Difficulty: Easy 

• Flat and well-maintained the vast majority of the trail 
• Some muddy sections but limited overall
• Some scrambled-up V-shaped dips across dry streambeds along the trail

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• Camping in designated campsites only during hunting season
• Water is scarce and low-quality in times of drought
• Proper preparation means relatively easy resupply / access to water caches at easily accessible trailheads

Season: Late Fall, Winter, Early Spring

Average Elevation: ~250 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~1,000 feet

Hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail

Hiking has always been a meditative experience for me, and I knew the routine of figuring out water for the day, what snacks I wanted to eat, setting up camp, rinsing and repeating would help me process events I had recently gone through. I drove 4.5 hours from my home in Austin, Texas, to Sam Houston National Forest, passing through the cities of Katy and Houston along the way (ironic because my name is Katie Houston). 

This really is the perfect thru-hike for beginners, people who know they like hiking but don’t know if they love long-distance hiking, someone preparing for a longer thru-hike, doing a gear shakedown, or just looking to have a fun week on trail and crush some miles in the process. I was able to giggle as I passed the sign announcing the “LSHT High Point” of just over 400 feet. Though there were a few times I had to scramble down and back up V-shaped ditches carved by streams, the trail was technically the easiest hiking I’ve ever done.

I’ll cover the logistics later, but there is definitely a special place in my heart for a trail of this length because I felt accomplished at the end but also carried all my food for the trip and didn’t have to manage any complex hitches or resupplies. I also wasn’t in a town every day, didn’t have any excessively long road walks, and felt remote enough to get the mental benefits of being alone in nature.

You can hike the trail east or westbound, it doesn’t make much of a difference either way. I chose eastbound because it was easier for me to drop off my car at the eastern terminus than the western … and that’s about it! I met a couple of thru-hikers along the way; about half were hiking westbound and half were headed east. The first few segments I hiked had recently been through a prescribed burn and the feeling of hiking through a smoke-filled (yet safe) forest was incredible. From there, the terrain jumped from swampy, jungle-like forests to sparse, tall pine trees reaching toward the sky and creating a dense canopy that left me protected from the sun. There were large lakes, meandering streams I followed for miles, and dense vegetation that was well-maintained away from the trail but allowed for about 1,000 spiders to have a rude awakening when I bumbled my way through their intricate webs strewn across the path.

How to Get to the Lone Star Hiking Trail

Nearest City: Conroe, Texas (Approximately 20 miles, centrally located)
Western Terminus: LSHT Trailhead 1
Eastern Terminus: LSHT Trailhead 15 

Conveniently for hikers, the trailheads for the LSHT are named just that: Lone Star Hiking Trail – Trailhead #(1-15). Wouldn’t it be nice if all trail logistics were this simple? They all technically have specific names, but Google Maps recognizes them as LSHT Trailheads.

I dropped off my car at the eastern terminus and took a 40-minute shuttle to the western one. There are plenty of shuttles and local cab companies to choose from, and this is a pretty painless part of the journey.  All of the thru-hikers who I encountered took a similar approach to mine: car at one end, shuttle to begin. Traveling eastbound or westbound doesn’t really make much of a difference. If you do choose to leave your car, pack yourself a grab bag of all your favorite energy drinks, a liter or two of fresh water, and a change of clothes (including comfy shoes!). The next people you interact with and your future self will thank you!

If you do fly in, there are limited options. A one-way car rental will probably be your best bet or the Greyhound bus service runs from Houston to Conroe and you could get a shuttle from Conroe to either terminus of the trail if you wanted to.

When to Hike The Lone Star Hiking Trail

The most months to hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail are January through April. The late spring/summer months in Texas can be brutal, with temperatures routinely reaching over 90 degrees. Biting bugs can also make for an uncomfortable trip this time of year. The only reason I don’t recommend October-December is because deer-hunting spans the entirety of these months and that presents challenges I will discuss later on. This trail isn’t very popular as a thru-hike, so I wouldn’t worry about a bubble of hikers to compete with for good campsites on this trail. I hiked the weekend of spring break and only spent one night camping with another person and saw maybe three or four other thru-hikers along my journey.

The Lone Star Hiking Trail Terrain 

As a born and raised East-Coaster, I had some stereotypes in my head about what kind of hiking trails I would encounter in Texas. In my head, I was surrounded by tall, wispy grasses, flat and never-ending plains filled with herds of cows, and a distinct lack of forest and tall trees. I could not have been more wrong. The trail was flat, yes, but offers a look at some incredibly diverse forests in just under 100 miles. From skinny, tall pine trees that reach toward the sky to swampy, jungle-like heat traps, every segment was like entering a completely new ecosystem with its own distinct foliage. It was almost jarring at times. But it kept my head on a swivel to appreciate the beauty of the trail. All in all, this trail is flat, there is plenty of tree cover for shade, and the insects were are unmanageably bad. 

The Lone Star Hiking Trail Resupply Strategy 

As mentioned, there are 15 trailheads along the LSHT. A few hikers I met had organized with shuttle drivers or partners to resupply them at one of these easily accessible stops. Others just cached water with their name on it in the bushes at a few choice trailheads before they set off, just to ensure it wouldn’t be a concern no matter the conditions. 

There are 2 seasonal camp stores that are located walking distance from (but not directly on) the trail. The first is Huntsville State Park, located 1 mile from eastbound mile-marker 35.6. The second is Double Lake Recreation Area, located at eastbound mile-marker 75. There is also a large gas station/convenience store at eastbound mile-marker 90.9 located 1 mile south of LSHT Trailhead #14 parking lot.

Hikers can mail themselves a resupply package to be picked up at the Huntsville post office, but that includes either coordinating a shuttle, trekking an extra 6 miles north of LSHT Trailhead #7 parking lot (eastbound mile-marker 35), or hitching a ride. 

Otherwise, your easiest option (and what I chose to do for my thru-hike) would be to carry everything with you from the beginning. I was planning on hiking the trail in four or five days so I packed five days just to be safe. Carrying the extra weight was worth the easier logistics and I’d choose this method again in a heartbeat. 

Logistics: Hunting, Camping, Water, and Special Gear 

Hunting and Camping: Though no special permits are needed to hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail, if you hit the trail during deer-hunting season, be prepared to camp only in designated hunting campsites and nowhere else. Generally, the deer-hunting season begins in late September and runs through early January. Hikers should wear brightly colored clothes (fluorescent orange preferred), keep dogs under control and leashed, and camp in the sites designated by USFS during deer season. There’s no shortage of designated sites along the trail and they are all clearly marked in the online and paper guides mentioned in the reference section below. There is also one 2-mile section of trail that passes through the Big Creek Scenic Area (eastbound mile-marker 78.6 – 80.6), where camping is not allowed.

Water: Water scarcity and quality can definitely be an issue on this trail. Thankfully I happened to head out immediately after a long rainstorm hung out over the region, so I didn’t have much issue finding frequent sources. What I did have a problem with was my own comfortability with these sources. While I saw other hikers gently pushing away yellow-films of pollen to collect brown, stagnant pond water, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it and held out for once-a-day fill-ups at flowing sources. Sometimes those still didn’t smell great or were definitely not clear, but no bugs flying around the surface and a flowing source was about as good as it got on this trail. I consumed about 3 liters per day between cooking and drinking and never ran out between sources. The most I carried at one time was 4 liters but I was just starting out and feeling nervous about the conditions on trail.

Both the print guide and online PDF guide (links in reference section) that I used on trail assessed sources based on a D.R.O.P.S. system from 1-5 and included notes about whether it was a seasonal source, if you shouldn’t drink from it because of unseen agricultural runoff, or any other concerns. I found these evaluations to be pretty accurate and though water in general is a concern on this trail, while I was on the thru-hike I never actually had any of those fears manifest in any way for me.

Special Gear: There are definitely biting bugs in Texas no matter the time of year. I didn’t encounter many in March, but that’s likely because I used permethrin on every piece of clothing I took with me and on my tent. I definitely recommend using bug spray and bringing sunscreen for road walks that have lots of exposure to the big ol’ Texas sun. 

Know Before You Go

Hunting Season: Deer hunting season runs from late September to early January, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only time of year Texans head out into the woods to hunt. Squirrel hunting is in March, turkey hunting is typically in April, and hog hunting is year-round during daylight hours. Check Texas Parks and Wildlife for specific dates on hunting season and make sure if you’re embarking on your journey during one of those months to wear fluorescent orange, keep dogs close and under control with a leash.

Falling Tree Branches: Large branches that are trapped in the canopy present a clear and present danger to campers on the Lone Star Hiking Trail. Be sure to always check your surroundings before pitching your tent for the night and do so with the expectation that a strong wind storm will blow through (because in the Texas backcountry, it just might). 

Controlled Burns: As I mentioned, I got lucky with my planning and didn’t get stopped in my tracks to wait for a prescribed burn to take place before I could pass through, but I got pretty darn close. I loved the eerie feeling of trekking through forests that had been burned just a day before I was there, but it might not be for everybody. The smoke was dense in some sections (never more than a mile or two at a time) and thankfully I had my N-95 mask to put on. But if hiking in smoke isn’t your thing or you have a preexisting condition that would make a thru-hike that much harder for you, I’d give the forest a little while to cool off (literally). You can check the schedule of prescribed burns by contacting Sam Houston National Forest. 

Road Walks: If you’ve been bit by the thru-hiking bug, it’s inevitable that you’ve done your fair share of road walks and the Lone Start Hiking Trail is no exception. There are a couple of sections of road walks ranging from 0.3 miles to just over 5 miles at a time, but total mileage on the road doesn’t account for more than 15 miles total at most (including gravel forest road sections). 

Unleashed Dogs: My biggest fear on trail was related to my online guide that included the blurb WATCH FOR DOGS in bold red letters next to one or two of the road walks. I had three instances on the Lone Star Hiking Trail when unleashed dogs would see me walking on the road past their house, fly through their open gate barking hysterically, and then remain close to me barking until I made it farther down the road. (They never hurt me but they certainly weren’t happy to see me and definitely terrified me and other hikers I talked to.) I don’t have a great answer on how to deal with this except that I carried a sound grenade and pepper spray as a last resort. I also got some big sticks to carry when I was warned about dogs so I could at least keep them at a distance. After my hike, I went on the LSHT Facebook Group, and dogs scaring hikers was an unfortunately common theme.

Lone Star Hiking Trail Resources

• The Lone Star Hiking Trail Facebook Group is a great place to get answers to questions you may still have about your trip and up-to-date information about conditions on trail (and you may find a trail angel or two poking around as well). 
• Charlotte Tomkavitz lives a 30-minute drive to any trailhead on the LSHT and offers shuttles to hikers. I used her services for the bridge reroute (discussed below) and to shuttle me from the eastern terminus where I left my car to the western terminus.
• Texas native and experienced long-distance hiker Karen Borski’s The Lone Star Hiking Trail: The Official Guide to the Longest Wilderness Footpath in Texas 2nd edition is a printed guidebook with everything you need to know about logistics, mileage charts, section maps, designated campsites, and more. However, it does not include the bridge reroute discussed below. Otherwise, this is a wonderful resource that I used to prepare for my trip before I set off.
• Presented by Don Brewington and The Lone Star Hiking Club, The Thru-Hiker’s Guide is what I used as a resource while I was actively hiking the trail. I took screenshots of the free guide online and made sure I had enough battery to refer to it when I needed to. That way, I didn’t have to worry about service or the weight of a book on my back.
• There is currently a bridge over the East Fork of the San Jacinto River that is out. There is a reroute and all information is available here through The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club.
• Want to get to know the trail before you embark on your thru-hike? The Lone Star Hiking Trail Club invites you to join them on their group or trail-maintenance hikes on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. 
  

Katie “Oats” Houston (she/her) got bit by the thru-hiking bug in 2019 when she completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. But the trail gave her more than just 2,200 miles under her boots… it also gave her a family. She rescued her husky (appropriately named Thru) on trail in Virginia and met her partner two-thirds of the way through their journeys. They upgraded from tent to camper to school bus and now finally have settled on a ranch outside Austin, Texas. She has since hiked the Colorado Trail (2020) and Lone Star Hiking Trail (2021) and has a goal of hitting 10,000 miles by the time she turns 25.

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Region: Southwest (Zion National Park)
Length: 14 miles (2 days)

Physical Difficulty:  Moderate 

• Route gains roughly 2,500 feet over 14 miles (round trip)
• Many signed campsites near Kolob Arch
• Trail quickly gets muddy in inclement weather

Logistical Difficulty: Easy

• Out-and-back hike
• Access to reliable water
• Very well-marked trail

Season: Fall, Spring
Elevation (Average): 5,500 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 2,506 feet (round trip)

Hiking to Kolob Arch in Zion National Park

Kolob Arch is located in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. Being a more difficult location to reach than the narrows or Angels Landing, Kolob Arch is the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip in the third-most visited national park.

Kolob Arch is the second-longest arch in the world, only trailing after Landscape Arch in Arches National Park. But this Zion arch takes a little more effort to visit. There are technically two ways to reach the arch (one from either side) but this write-up begins at Lee Pass, off Kolob Canyons Road.

The trail is nestled between the towering peaks and smaller buttes, causing it to hold mud and puddles for a long time. The trail leaves the trailhead parking lot and immediately swings around Gregory Butte and follows the La Verkin Creek drainage. Posts with numbered campsites begin appearing after only a few miles.

There are 13 different campsites scattered along the creek. Being a national park, a backcountry reservation is required to stay at each spot. The sign marking the turn toward Kolob Arch is just over 6 miles from Lee Pass. From the sign it is a mile back to the view of the arch towering above. The trail to Kolob Arch is much rougher than the route through the drainage. Downed trees, rock hopping across small creeks, and small overgrown sections can be expected.

At the end of the mile-long hike up the canyon, look up to the left and witness the second-longest arch in the world! This route can be extended far beyond 14 miles by simply reserving a campsite farther back. The larger-numbered campsites are farther from Lee Pass.

The Virgin River and tributaries often have blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. When I hiked this route the ranger warned me to only collect water from natural springs and not La Verkin Creek. It is best to research the current conditions and status of the water in Zion National Park, as with any desert backpacking trip.

How to Get to Kolob Arch

Closest Major City: Las Vegas, Nevada (155 miles)
Closest Town: Escalante, Utah (55 miles)
Lee Pass

Getting to the Lee Pass Trailhead is simple. A signed exit off Interstate 15 will travel past a small visitors center with a park entrance checkpoint. From the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center it is a 4-mile drive up Kolob Canyons Road to a signed trailhead parking area.

Kolob Arch Season / Direction

Season: In good weather, the route is perfect from the late fall to the early spring. But bad weather can easily saturate the route, and in a cold snap, snow can stick around at elevation. Occasionally, Kolob Canyons Road is closed because of snow and ice too. It is possible to hike in the summer although it could get quite hot.

Direction: This is a simple out-and-back hike with well-signed campsites, turns, and forks.

Logistics: Permits / Camping, Navigation, Water

Permits / Camping: Permits are needed for backcountry camping in Zion National Park. They can be obtained online or in-person the day before starting your hike. You will need to camp at your reserved campsite.

Navigation: Navigation and finding your assigned campsite are simple due to the ample signage in the national park.

Water: Check the current conditions and water quality associated with cyanobacteria.

Know Before You Go

Water: Although Zion National Park has a number of streams that flow through it, the park is in the desert and water quantity and quality fluctuate greatly.

Pack It Out: Pack everything out, including human waste.

Camping: Camping is permitted only at the campsite that matches the backcountry reservation made through the park service.

Resources

Zion National Park Backcountry Permits

The post Zion National Park Kolob Arch appeared first on Backpacking Routes.

Region: Pacific West (Death Valley National Park, California)
Length: 16-20 miles (2 days)

Physical Difficulty: Easy

• Route gains ~250 feet per mile heading into the canyon
• Tread isn’t marked trail, but footing isn’t hard
• Short hike; water carries aren’t excessive even if spring is dry

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• Walk-up permit easily available for overnight camping
• Parking on the side of the road is simple
• Route-finding needed, no trail across wash into canyon

Season: Winter
Elevation (Average): ~1,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~2,900 feet

Hiking Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon

This is the second route from our recent trip to Death Valley. The Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop can be found here.

The Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon hike is, for the most part, a mellow backpacking overnight. Most people will be fine leaving later in the morning and having plenty of time at camp, then enjoying just a few hours on the way out the next morning. The biggest thing with this route is figuring out where to go. The foothills of the Funeral Mountains all look very similar, and it’s easy to wind up between two massive volcanic ash features and get funneled into the wrong canyon. Stay on top of the GPS track, and you should be fine.

Keep in mind that the GPS track doesn’t have to be followed to the most minute degree: use your eyes and your brain to navigate the best direct path, but use the track as a guideline for getting to the right canyon.

The hike begins by leaving your car by the side of the road and walking out into the desert wash. It feels like the start of a post-apocalyptic movie, but you’ll be fine. There is no trail, so we just veered in the direction of the canyon entrance, picking our way over rocks and walking through the smoothest sections of the wash. Four miles later, we were at the foothills of the Funeral Mountains, and Jeff used the GPS track to guide us around the last corner and into the canyon. There are a few spots where you’ll have to circle around a dry waterfall, but overall, it’s a very straightforward hike from here on out.

About 3.5 miles later we reached a massive cairn, and from here, it was less than a mile to the spring. The section through the canyon is lovely. Some parts seem more like a trail, but mostly this is desert walking: choose the path of least resistance. Once we reached the spring we filled up on water, then set up camp on a nice ledge a bit farther on. You can continue past this point and gain more elevation toward the pass, but the out-and-back to the spring is a wonderful winter trip.

Getting to Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon

Closest Major City: Las Vegas, Nevada (151 miles)

This “trailhead” is super easy to access: you’ll just park your car on the side of US 190 at mile marker 104, a few miles from Furnace Creek Ranch. Be sure to grab an overnight permit from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and leave it on your dashboard.

Note that our GPX track might put your vehicle parking space at the wrong mile marker up the road, so just make sure you park at Mile 104 and aim towards the GPX track and mouth of the canyon from there.

You can get to Death Valley in just two hours from Las Vegas by heading south to Pahrump, Nevada. I recommend grabbing food and gas in Pahrump, then driving 190 into the park via Death Valley Junction.

When to Hike Death Valley Indian Pass Canyon

This is a perfect winter overnight, and can also be hiked in early spring and later fall, if you don’t mind hotter temperatures. We hiked this route in the middle of February, and it was glorious. Temperatures were in the mid 60s during the day, and mid-30s overnight, at around 2,000 feet of elevation. Weather is cooler in the canyon once the sun drops out of sight, so be prepared with a warmer sleeping bag than you think you might need, and a few extra layers.

Logistics: Permits / Camping, Navigation, Water

Much like our other Death Valley route, the face-value logistics are simple: it’s an out-and-back; you literally park your car on the side of the road and walk away from it. But desert hiking takes extra planning and navigation, so come prepared.

Permits / Camping: Permits are free and available as walk-ups at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. If you have a National Parks Annual Pass that will take care of the park fee. If not, you’ll need to pay the $30. Death Valley is odd because you don’t pay an entrance fee at the park, since US 190 is a route through this region, but for usage like this, you’ll need to pay. You don’t need to reserve anything for overnights in advance, and camping is allowed anywhere along the route, just be sure to follow all LNT guidelines.

Navigation: If anything will mess you up on this route, it’s finding the right canyon entrance. Once you start across the wash, aim yourself at the mouth of the canyon on your map or GPS tracker, and just stay vigilant. Once you enter the canyon it’s easy, but before then, the wash can be more confusing than you think. Luckily, if you get confused, you can just turn around and see your car and orient yourself from there. Getting out is easy—you’ll be able to see the salt flat from 5 miles back, and the road appears in eyesight faster than you think it will.

Water: The spring at the back of the canyon should be reliable, but as always, plan like it won’t be. With the navigational uncertainty of the route, you don’t want to run out of water if you end up hiking longer than you anticipate. We had cooler weather and carried 3 liters each, preparing to not have any at the back of the canyon.

Know Before You Go

Cell Service: There is barely any. Jeff had better luck with Verizon than I did with ATT, and there’s no wireless unless you’re staying at one of the locations. Download the GPX file before you enter the park, and make sure it’s available offline. I also recommend taking a screenshot of the hike description, and planning whatever you need in advance.

Food and Gas: You can get food and gas in the park, but it’s expensive and options are limited. Pahrump and Beatty both have food and fuel. Coming from Vegas means you hit Pahrump right in the middle of the drive. The town has an Albertsons and Walmart.

Temperature Fluctuations: While it might be 60 degrees or warmer when you start, desert nights are cold, and desert nights in the canyon are colder. Bring warmer camp clothes and a sleeping bag than you think you might need. Sun protection in the form of sunscreen, a hat, or a sun shirt is recommended for crossing the wash. I carried a 20-degree sleeping bag and a puffy and my feet got pretty cold at night.

Pack It Out: Just going to remind you all to pack out your poop.

Campfires: Fires were not permitted in the backcountry during our trip. This was noted at the visitors center and the ranger station.

Flash Floods: Flash floods can happen at any time of year, but visitors and hikers in fall and spring should use extra caution and keep tabs on the weather, especially in the canyons.

Resources

Death Valley backcountry permit

Death Valley weather

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