Hiking around Mount Rainier can cause you to work up an appetite. This might get you wondering where in the park can you find your next meal? Mount Rainier’s most popular dining option is the historic Paradise Inn Dining Hall, but the surrounding areas in Mount Rainier have excellent and surprisingly diverse dining options that […]
Yosemite National Park is any hiker’s dream. The park is incredibly massive with a huge variety in views, terrain, length, and difficulty that suits every hiker. From Giant Sequoias to the Valley Floor to high alpine lakes, this park has it all. From brisk walks to scrambling up the side of a mountain, there is […]
Glacier Point has some of the best hikes and viewpoints in Yosemite National Park! From lush forests to colorful meadows, this place has me coming back year after year and leaving me in awe each time. Glacier Point Viewpoint is the best place in the park for sunrise, and Taft Point and Sentinel Dome have […]
Lake Crescent is a glacially carved lake that is 12 miles long and 624 feet deep. This area is a fairly busy part of Olympic National Park, mostly because of the proximity to Port Angeles, but also because these sapphire waters are the perfect place to cool off and hang out during the summer. While […]
The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the most popular places to visit in Olympic National Park. It’s known for being one of the largest untouched old-growth forests in the United States. With miles of hiking trails, a milky-blue river, and nature surrounding you, it’s no wonder that half a million people visit each year. […]
I spent several days visiting every Yosemite gateway town and all the main hotels inside the park so that I could find the BEST place for you to stay when visiting Yosemite. My name is Matt, and I do research like this so that you can have a great trip to the American West. In […]
Yosemite National Park is one of the most iconic parks in the country—and now I know why. In June 2025, I took a research trip to Yosemite National Park to scope out the trails, hotels, restaurants, and logistics. It was my first visit to the park, and I hiked 20 miles, drove 1700 miles, and […]
Quinault Lake sits at the southwestern-most point in the Olympic National Park. This area is a mixture of National Forest and National Park land, with the southern shore being part of the National Forest and the northern shore in the National Park. Quinault Lake has many things to see and do. But what makes this […]
La Push is known for its hike-to beaches, untouched wilderness, and vast ocean landscapes. Walking miles through the forest takes you to sandy beaches, thriving with life and often less crowded. There are three main beaches in La Push, which I’ll cover in this article. La Push is about a 20-minute drive west of Forks, […]
Kalaloch, pronounced Clay-lock, is one of the most visited areas of Olympic National Park. With a mixture of sandy beaches, tidepooling, and hiking trails in large old-growth forests, it’s no wonder that so many people are drawn to Kalaloch. I have visited Kalaloch many times and will always add this area to my Olympic itinerary […]
