Adventuring through small towns, good books and coffee shops
After an adventurous Day 1 on my solo trip in Arizona, I was ready to get a start on Day 2. I woke up around 5:30 AM so I could watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. Since my cabin was only 20 or so yards from the edge, I got up and started down the Bright Angel Trail before the sunrise.
Overall my first day was such a joy. Once I touched down in Arizona, I was so much less nervous about traveling alone and just excited. I got to feel the warmth from the sun which Pennsylvania hadn’t had much of before I left, got to visit two new National Monuments, and visited one of my favorite National Parks. Day one was a great success.
While 12 days is a decent amount of time for a trip, we covered about 3000 miles so we weren’t able to get to all the hiking we would have liked. There were some hikes we cut due to time or others we didn’t even know about prior to getting to the locations. Because we loved our time in the Southwest and plan to visit again, we started to list our must do hikes for our next adventure through these beautiful states which you can find below.
We spent time in 5 states including Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. We visited 9 National Parks, 3 State Parks, as well as National Forests, Monuments, Preserves and Tribal Parks.
Some people visiting spend 20 minutes viewing the canyon from an overlook and others can spend a week or more here taking various hikes around or down into the canyon. If you have only one day in the area like we did, below you’ll find some tips on how to make the most of your time.
There are so many incredible hikes in Pennsylvania. What you’ll find below are some of my favorites across the state. Most hikes are 1-3 miles and each tends to have a feature like a stream, waterfall, or great view along the hike. Some are loops while others are an out and back. Check out the trails and photos below to plan your next fall hike!