{"id":20682,"date":"2017-09-27T10:44:31","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T17:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=20682"},"modified":"2020-04-27T18:20:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T01:20:05","slug":"5-historic-hikes-to-celebrate-public-lands-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/5-historic-hikes-to-celebrate-public-lands-day","title":{"rendered":"5 Historic Hikes to Celebrate Public Lands Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether hiking in the shadow of Devils Tower or following a stretch of one of the world\u2019s longest footpaths, the best way to celebrate is by recreating on public lands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a tough couple of years for America\u2019s public lands. In 2016, a band of armed militants took over<\/a> a wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon to protest the federal government\u2019s right to manage land. This summer, <\/span>Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended shrinking a handful of national monuments<\/a><\/span>. And all that\u2019s to say nothing of the wildfires<\/a> currently decimating large swaths of forestland throughout the West.<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0<\/span>National Public Lands Day<\/span><\/a> on Saturday, September 30, is a time to remember why these wild places matter to public land owners\u2014which is to say, all U.S. citizens.\u00a0Here are five hikes to help you celebrate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wyoming: Grand Prismatic Spring<\/b><\/h2>\n

4 miles\u00a0<\/em>through the country’s first-ever national park<\/em><\/p>\n

Located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park’s famous geysers inspired the U.S. Congress to declare it the country\u2019s first national park on March 1, 1872.\u00a0<\/span>Since then, millions of visitors from around the globe have stood next to Yellowstone\u2019s soaring geysers and colorful hot springs, snapped photos of the park\u2019s grizzly bear and bison populations, and camped under its wide-open, starry night sky.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Grand Prismatic | Photo: Tupulak, Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

You could spend weeks in Yellowstone without seeing everything, but a hike to Grand Prismatic Spring should sit atop every visitor\u2019s bucket list. With a diameter of 371 feet, the hot spring pool at Grand Prismatic is Yellowstone\u2019s largest (and among the largest in the world). It hosts a kaleidoscope of color that begs to be photographed; the rich sapphire and emerald hues at its core come from dissolved minerals, while sulphur deposits and extremophiles give its edges a green, yellow and fiery orange halo.<\/p>\n

While you can reach the spring pool via a half-mile boardwalk on the geyser’s north side, get a broader, more sweeping view by adding a few miles: Start at the nearby Fairy Falls Trailhead and pass countless\u00a0lodgepole pines and 197-foot-tall Fairy Falls as you cover the 4-mile trail before arriving at Grand Prismatic Spring.<\/p>\n

West Virginia: Loudoun Heights<\/b><\/h2>\n

A glimpse of history on one of the world’s longest trails<\/em><\/p>\n

The Appalachian Trail is a testament to determination, tenacity and America\u2019s love for wild spaces. One of the world\u2019s longest footpaths, the AT covers roughly 2,200 miles and spans 14 states along the Appalachian mountain range. If you\u2019re not up for a months-long odyssey, we\u2019d recommend a day hike on the AT to appreciate the magnitude of the trek and the natural beauty along the way through Virginia’s Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.<\/p>\n

Sitting at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry is best known as the site of abolitionist John Brown\u2019s effort to spur an uprising in 1859. Today, the historic park is home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy\u2019s headquarters, in addition to more than 20 miles of hiking trails.<\/p>\n

The 6.2-mile Loudoun Heights hike offers a secluded glimpse of the important region. You\u2019ll follow the AT\u2019s iconic white blazes before veering off onto other interconnected trails\u00a0that showcase the area\u2019s Virginian hardwood forests, unimpeded mountain views, colorful fall foliage and panoramic vistas of Harpers Ferry.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Utah: Willis Creek<\/b><\/h2>\n

Hike through a slot canyon in the first ever BLM monument<\/em><\/p>\n

More than 20 years ago, President Clinton established the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument<\/a> in southern Utah, the first such monument designated for management under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Today, the largest national monument in the United States welcomes visitors from around the world to explore its 1.9-million acres of rugged rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Willis Creek slot canyon | Photo: Anna Irene, Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

One step into the unusually accessible, six-foot-wide canyon along <\/span>Willis Creek<\/span><\/a>, and you\u2019ll see why leaders worked so hard to protect this fascinating piece of land. Towering walls hide the sun, and the perfectly-curved rocks appear almost painted-on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Officially, Willis Creek is a 3.4-mile out-and-back, with roughly 200 feet of elevation change. (You\u2019re descending into the canyon, so save some energy for the ascent on your way out.) <\/span>That said, you can enjoy as much or as little of the canyon as you\u2019d like; a short waterfall greets you on the way in, and the rest of the trail follows the Willis Creek bed the whole way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friendly reminder:<\/span><\/i> Check with a ranger at the visitor center in nearby Cannonville to inquire about flash flood possibilities before descending into Willis Creek.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wyoming: Red Beds and Tower Trails<\/b><\/h2>\n

An iconic rock formation in America’s first national monument<\/em><\/p>\n

Even if you don\u2019t know it by name, you might recognize Devils Tower National Monument<\/a> from Steven Spielberg\u2019s Close Encounters of the Third Kind<\/em>. The monolithic rock formation, covered in hundreds of parallel cracks, rises from the prairies of northeastern Wyoming and is among the country\u2019s most recognizable landmarks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Devils Tower isn\u2019t just famous for its cameo in big-budget sci-fi movies, though. President Roosevelt established the imposing rock as the United States\u2019 first national monument on September 24, 1906.\u00a0<\/span>Today, it’s most popular with rock climbers, but Devils Tower also hosts a few hikes that showcase its grandeur and natural beauty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friendly reminder: <\/span><\/i>Devils Tower is a sacred site for local\u00a0<\/span>Native Americans (in fact, <\/span>some advocate for the name to be changed<\/span><\/a>), so take care not to disturb any artifacts you may find. <\/span><\/p>\n

Red Beds Trail<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Red Beds Trail certainly offers up-close views of Devils Tower, but it introduces hikers to the region\u2019s \u00a0fascinating geography and ecology, as well. The 3-mile hike delivers views of the Black Hills, the Belle Fourche River (and its floodplain), Ponderosa pine forests and the stark, cinnamon-hued red badlands.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bonus Hike: Tower Trail<\/b><\/h3>\n

Want a closer look at the Tower? Head to the 1.3-mile <\/span>Tower Trail<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The mostly-flat, mostly-paved loop circles the entire rock formation, offering unbeatable views nearly every step of the way. You\u2019ll pass massive boulder fields and through some Ponderosa pine forestland, but the tower is the star of this jaunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

North Carolina: Baxter Creek Trail<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sweeping vistas of the country’s most popular national park<\/em><\/p>\n

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee border, received 10.7 million visitors in 2015\u2014almost <\/span>double<\/span><\/i> that of the second-most popular national park. (Grand Canyon National Park saw 5.5 million visitors.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Baxter Creek Trail | Photo: Miguel Vieira, Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn\u2019t need our help attracting visitors, but we\u2019d be remiss for not pointing you toward the 6.6-mile <\/span>Baxter Creek Trail<\/span><\/a>, which offers a surprising mix of springtime wildflowers, vivid fall colors, rich wildlife and one of the most sweeping views within the park.\u00a0<\/span>Gaining more than 4,000 feet, the trail makes you work for that natural wonder. You\u2019ll start climbing right away, passing through a thick, wooded area before reaching the Mount Sterling Ridge.<\/span><\/p>\n

After six difficult miles, arrive at a historic fire tower built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. At this viewpoint, you\u2019re 5,842 feet above sea level; climb another 60 feet to the top of the fire tower for unimpeded panoramic views of the Smoky Mountains. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether hiking in the shadow of Devils Tower or following a stretch of one of the world\u2019s longest footpaths, the best way to celebrate is by recreating on public lands. It\u2019s been a tough couple of years for America\u2019s public lands. In 2016, a band of armed militants took over a wildlife refuge in southeastern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":20709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[707,727,656],"internal-tag":[1678],"class_list":["post-20682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-hiking","tag-latest-posts","tag-public-lands","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hiking"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/5-historic-hikes-to-celebrate-public-lands-day","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"5 Historic Hikes to Celebrate Public Lands Day","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/5-historic-hikes-to-celebrate-public-lands-day","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/5-historic-hikes-to-celebrate-public-lands-day"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/09\/devils-tower.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/09\/devils-tower.jpg?fit=2048%2C987"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["hiking","latest posts","public lands"],"dateCreated":"2017-09-27T17:44:31Z","datePublished":"2017-09-27T17:44:31Z","dateModified":"2020-04-28T01:20:05Z"},"rendered":"