hiking Archives - Travel Destination Bucket List

Here’s What You Need for Your Next Hike

April 28, 2018 By Admin Leave a Comment

Hiking is a popular activity, with an estimated 34 million Americans hit the United States’ vast network of trails every year. While the country’s massive size affords outdoor enthusiasts plenty of excellent pathways to explore, you’re in for a rude awakening if you just think you can put on a pair of hiking shoes and go for a walk. Properly preparing for a hike is the only way to truly enjoy the experience.

Wear the Right Stuff

We have all heard the saying “clothes make the man.” Clothes also make the hiking experience. While hiking is a beautiful excursion, it is also exercise, and it can be a rigorous exercise at that. Prepare for this by donning a T-shirt that wicks away sweat and avoids cotton at all costs.

Since hiking is an outdoor activity that cuts through nature, you should also be prepared to wear clothing that protects you from various natural outdoor elements. Make sure you have sturdy hiking boots or shoes to give you a firm grip underfoot. Be sure to wear pants or shorts that can dry quickly in case you have to wade through water. Additionally, be sure to wear headgear like a sun hat to further protect you from the elements.

Things to Put in Your Backpack

Your backpack is your lifeline on a hike, but only if you have it packed with the stuff you need. Essential gear that you should have on hand include a map or map device, food, a first aid kit, safety items such as a light and a whistle, a multi-purpose tool, and sunscreen. These essentials should be compact enough for a day hike.

If you’re just planning on going on a one-day excursion, you should make sure the backpack itself is lightweight, and you should pack just what you need. However, if a multi-day hike is in your future, you need to be prepared to tote a more heavy-duty pack. You should also be ready to deal with a greater range of contingencies, such as drastic weather changes or extra emergency materials if (heaven forbid) things go really south.

Proper preparation for a hike involves gathering a lot of small-scale items.

Skipping any of them may hamper your ability to thoroughly enjoy your hike. Take the time to judiciously make sure all the proverbial “must bring” boxes are checked before you head out for your adventure. It’s a process you’ll never regret doing.

The Top Hiking Trails You Can Try in The United States

August 17, 2017 By Admin Leave a Comment

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If you like hiking and you enjoy activity vacations, then you will love the idea of hiking a trail in some of the most amazing scenery in the world. Whatever your skill level or how long you want to hike, there is a trail designed for you.

No matter where you are in the country, you can find challenging and easy-going trails not far from you. It is the beauty of traveling through North America, and in many places, there is more to do than just hiking.

Pacific Crest Trail

This trail spans an impressive 2,650 miles and winds its way from Mexico all the way to Canada. Because it is such a long trail, you will encounter many different climates from arid desert to glaciated valleys.

Of course, you don’t have to walk its entire length, however, once you start walking the trail, it will be difficult to think about stopping due to the ever-changing scenery.

Sunshine to Mt Assiniboine

One of the best trails in Canada, the Sunshine to Mt Assiniboine takes you through the Canadian Rockies. You will walk through beautiful alpine meadows covered in colorful flowers, and you can see a diverse wildlife population.

Along the way, you can catch a glimpse of Canadas mighty Matterhorn which reaches a height of 11,870 feet.

Cirque of the Towers

The Cirque of the Towers is a series of jagged rocks and spires found in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. It has some wonderful alpine terrain that campers will enjoy, and it also has high peaks and glacial lakes that hikers will love.

There is a 2-4-day looped trail that takes in some of the most beautiful features of these peaks, however, if you don’t want to camp out overnight, you can always stay at one of the lovely hotels such as the White Buffalo Club Hotel in Jackson Hole.

Angels Landing

The Angels Landing rock formations in Zion National Park, Utah rises to a height of 1,488 feet and has some of the most stunning scenery you could imagine. A 2.5-mile trail was cut into the rock back in 1926 and takes you all the way to the top of the Angels. From here, you can see the Canyon below and the amazing rock formations.

The trail will be a challenge, however, and certainly isn’t for those who are afraid of heights, as the last section has sheer drop-offs and steep banks.

Coppers Canyon Trail

The Copper Canyon Trail is a group of six canyons in the center of Mexico’s Tarahumara Mountains. The highly colored copper and green walls span an impressive 37,000-miles and are a hiker’s dream.

You can experience some of the cultures of Mexico while you are walking as you will meet communities of Raramuris or Tarahumara, who are the indigenous people of the area.

These are a few of the many trails that run all over North America. Not only will you have a challenging hike, but you will also see some amazing sights.

Don’t Miss These Hikes In Malta

January 4, 2017 By anthony Leave a Comment

There are so many great and famous hikes around the world that most would not even consider Malta when planning a vacation. However, this little archipelago is home to a wide range of beautiful treks and day trips, which offer both geographical and cultural wonders.

These four hikes are some of the best in Malta and are a great way for visitors to get a holistic experience of this beautiful country

Dingli Cliffs

The Dingle Cliffs are one of the most picteresque and popular trails in Malta. Their popularity not only relies on their natural beauty, but also on the rural nature of the surrounding countryside. The cliffs offer a large variety of options for all abilities. There are gentle slopes with a pleasant cafe at the end or much longer, full day, hike options that will provide challenge for more experienced hikers.

All of these routes can be found a short walk from Dingli town itself, which has frequent bus links from Rabat, Valletta and St Julians. As well as the hiking opportunities, there are also sites of prehistoric interest along the cliffs, which provide a fascinating short break. As well as these Bronze Age sites, the cliffs also include a small church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, at the highest point in all of Malta. As you can imagine, this church offers spectacular views to the surrounding areas.

Valletta City Walk

Although when thinking of hiking we automatically picture wide open spaces and isolation, Malta also offers a great capital city. These hiking tours not only create an opportunity to take in the amazing views on foot, they also include a huge amount of culture for those willing to take on the historic city of Valletta on foot.

One of the most popular of these tours is ‘Malta’s Medeival Capital’ tour. Starting in the Upper Barracca Gardens, it begins by showing you the opulence of the world’s deepest harbour and takes you through a tour of the city and of Malta’s fascinating history. If you fancy being more independent on your hike around Valletta, there are a large range of tours that you can download and complete on your own.

Using these virtual walks will not only give you a wider insight into the culture of the place but it will also give you the opportunity to see the capital of Malta as a local. You might come across a hidden cafe or a beautiful view you can’t imagine isn’t in the guide books, either way it will show you the beauitful city of Valletta as you never would have before.

Golden Bay to Bahrija

For hikers who are looking for a bit more challenge on their holiday to Malta, this 6 mile hike from Golden bay to Bahrija could be just the thing. Starting in the holidaymakers hotspot, this hike travels south along the coast path towards the small town of Bahrija. Due to the high altitude of this village, hiking is ideal, although a bit of a challenge.

The brisk north winds combined with the sunshine means offers a truly refreshing and scintiallating walk up to some spectacular views. The panorama from Bahrija allows the dedicated hiker to see around Northern Mata as well as the South West of Gozo. On really clear days Sicily can even be seen in the distance. Bahrija has two churches, one of which is still in use and dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There are celebrations held here on the 11^th November. They include adults giving gifts of dried fruit and mixed nuts to the children, ideal snack food after the trek up to the churches.

Comino Circuit

Comino is the smallest of Malta’s three main islands and this is much of its charm. Being only 3.5 square kilometers the island is mostly uninahabited, having only one hotel. The main draw for the area is the blue lagoon, which is very popular in summer for day trippers as it has excellent snorkelling and windsurfing opportunities.

Here, there is also the same historical signifance that surrounds all of Malta. This island was inhabited during the Roman period as well as being used as hunting ground by The Knights of Malta. For hikers this island is a paradise; it has no main roads or, aside from the hotel, private areas and hikers can essentially go where they please. This gives visitors the opportunity to take in and marvel at the atmosphere of the place which is only helped by the scent of wild thyme and herbs that the lack of cars or urban life allows to waft right across the island.

For such a small country, Malta is the hikers dream. It supports a range of difficulties and, perhaps what is so individual to this spectacular place, a incredibly ecclectic range of locations and backgrounds for your hikes. Whether you fancy a short morning walk ending in a goreous restaurant, something to break up the beach days or even an adventure on a new island that’s like nowhere you’ve ever been, Malta has it to offer in spades.

If you have been on one of these hikes or you’ve found your own individual hiking expreience in Malta then leave a comment below to let us know.

This is a guest post sponsored by The Radisson Malta and written by Steve Ewins; an Avid Traveller and Blogger who has visited more than 80 countries.

All Photos released under the creative commons license.