I’ve always been drawn to the trails that lead you to a place of solitude. The ones that require a bit of dust, a few miles of trail under your boots and even a dirt road to find. Canyonlands quickly became one of those places that reminds me why I take the long way to find adventure away from the pavement.

The journey started off spectacularly. A well-maintained trail of packed sand wound through impressive red rock formations and deeper into the desert. After a short incline, we witnessed the dramatic ribbon of red rock over the horizon. Past this arch is when the trail transformed into something far more demanding.

Often overshadowed by its famous neighbors, Capitol Reef National Park proved to be an unexpected highlight during our Mighty Five in Five Days adventure, complete with geological wonders, a hiking highlight and a new fresh-baked favorite.

Known for being the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America. Death Valley National Park is typically a landscape of salt flats and barren rock. But every so often, the valley floor undergoes a transformation that changes the whole landscape: a once in a decade superbloom, and this spring there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to see it for myself.

Zion National Park is a park of contradictions. It is a stunning, diverse ecosystem that also, often feels like the "Disneyland" of the National Park System. The park is often swarmed with touristy crowds checking off a box, as well as nature lovers competing for a moment of quiet. But even amongst the noise, there’s not doubt you can still find those high-reward moments that bring the desert magic to life.

After a winter storm canceled our plans last year, we finally made it to Sequoia National Park for a day of hiking snowy trails in complete solitude amongst 2,000-year-old giants in an experience that left my soul feeling alive.

With the rain still lightly falling off and on, we headed to the west side of the park to explore Wetherhill Mesa. Discovering the ancient secrets of Mesa Verde's Wetherill Mesa and enjoy a rainy journey through the Ancestral Pueblo people's history at Step House and Badger House Community.

Winter storm detour leads to unexpectedly exploring Pinnacles National Park and an adventure of stunning landscapes and wildlife encounters.

With the public lands I love to explore coming under threat here are resources to encourage action to defend National Parks and Public Lands

While this was definitely far from our usual multi-mile hike, the serene Mossy Cave Trail oasis was one stop I would love to visit again.