Anyone visiting a new park or hiking area will no doubt stumble upon reviews of that locale’s most popular short hikes early in their research. These hikes typically promise big views in exchange for minimal to moderate effort, but they are likely to guarantee big crowds.
My tendency is to want to avoid these areas in my planning, and I spend a good amount of time looking for other hikes that are a bit more off the beaten path. While I don’t think my strategy is a bad one in general, especially if one of the goals of a hike is to get away from crowds, I have to admit I’ve been proven wrong often enough to rethink this as a primary strategy.
Two out-and-back hikes that I initially planned to avoid but ended up taking, after recommendations from others? Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, and Hidden Lake Overlook, in Glacier National Park.
Continue reading “Short, popular hikes: Worth it?”