Stinging Fork - Spring City, TN, it's a fairly short hike at only 3 Miles, but the falls/cascades are pretty amazing and it's a good secluded place to spend the day either exploring the area, or swimming in the pool of water below the falls (fairly shallow). Generally there is hardly anyone ever on the trail at the same time as you, so it's extremely quiet and away from everything. Just a nice place to go relax.
Winters bayou in Sam Houston National Forest. It's a little trail that is away from all of the big camping grounds. The trail is a five mile out and back that goes through several different environments. My two favorite things about it are the lack of people and a beautiful bridge over the bayou a couple of miles in. It's a great place for the dogs to cool off and take a break.
I am a huge fan of the multiple Jefferson Park hikes in Oregon's Willamette National Forest. It's a great area for day hikes, backpacking, and meeting folks on the PCT. The only drag is the number of mosquitoes one can encounter during certain parts of the year due to the array of lakes.
I absolutely love Crystal Cove State Park. It's right by the beach, and the views coming down the end of Moro Ridge are stunning. On this map it's the red and the yellow loops. Best part is you can relax and have a picnic on the beach after you hike!
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Stinging Fork - Spring City, TN, it's a fairly short hike at only 3 Miles, but the falls/cascades are pretty amazing and it's a good secluded place to spend the day either exploring the area, or swimming in the pool of water below the falls (fairly shallow). Generally there is hardly anyone ever on the trail at the same time as you, so it's extremely quiet and away from everything. Just a nice place to go relax.
Winters bayou in Sam Houston National Forest. It's a little trail that is away from all of the big camping grounds. The trail is a five mile out and back that goes through several different environments. My two favorite things about it are the lack of people and a beautiful bridge over the bayou a couple of miles in. It's a great place for the dogs to cool off and take a break.
I am a huge fan of the multiple Jefferson Park hikes in Oregon's Willamette National Forest. It's a great area for day hikes, backpacking, and meeting folks on the PCT. The only drag is the number of mosquitoes one can encounter during certain parts of the year due to the array of lakes.
I absolutely love Crystal Cove State Park. It's right by the beach, and the views coming down the end of Moro Ridge are stunning. On this map it's the red and the yellow loops. Best part is you can relax and have a picnic on the beach after you hike!