National Parks - State Parks - Forest Trails - Middle of Nowheres

Outdoors

This page is dedicated to the parks and wild places I've explored. Every trail feels like a memory you can still walk back into.

Great Sand Dunes National Park • Alamosa, Colorado (follow the trail)
The Great Sand Dunes Sign
My husband climbing the dunes
The dunes in their majestic beauty
Heart made from dune rocks

Type: National Park/Preserve

Weather: Sunny, windy

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: Two hours

Difficulty: Moderate

The Experience

I visited the Great Sand Dunes in April of 2021 with my husband and my mom. The visit was actually part of a larger trip to Colorado for my mom's birthday, which is one of my fondest memories! We spent a lot of time at the gift shop as it was amazing! I have a poster hanging up in my bathroom from the park and a baseball cap from the park that I wear all the time (and admittedly stole from my mom, sorry mom!). The rangers there were very kind and informative.

The sand dunes themselves were gorgeous! I don't think I could have imagined how tall they were and the pictures don't do it justice at all. The sand was also so hard to walk on! The more we walked the more it seemed like we sunk into the shifting sands. My poor mom wasn't able to make it far unfortunately, and that combined with the fast, cold wind made it to where we didn't get to stay as long as we wanted. Despite this we still had fun! We wrote things in the sand with our feet (like boobs and a dick courtesy of my lovely husband lol) and got lots of sand everywhere when we rolled down the dunes.

If I was to go back, I'd definitely try our duneboarding! Apparently people take snowboards and glide down the dunes, which sounds amazing! The hardest part would for sure be getting up those giant, shifting dunes.

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

Stumbling upon a heart made out of various dune rocks in the sands.

Notes for Next Time

Bring your boots with high lips so the sand doesn't get in them when you're walking. Make sure I and everyone I bring have the stamina to climb the dunes. Bring enough money to spend in the gift shop.

Overall Rating:★★★★☆

Would I Return? Hopefully in the future!

Pedernales Falls State Park • Johnson City, Texas (follow the trail)

Pedernales Falls State Park

Johnson City, Texas • Visited: Visited multiple times over different seasons

Stone riverbed
Water crossings
Stone riverbed
Stone riverbed
Stone riverbed
Stone riverbed
Stone riverbed

Type: State Park

Weather: Usually sunny

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: Hours and hours

Difficulty: Easy

The Experience

Pedernales State Park was not that far from where I used to live and as a result I went there fairly often. It's a beautiful park nestles in the hills of the Texas Hill Country to the west of Austin. It is notable for its titular falls, a section of the Blanco River where it flows of 300 million year old limestone rocks. With these millions of years of erosion, the rocks have deep channels carving throughout them. As long as there is no flash flood or potential for one, you can freely walk and hop across the limestone, seeing the river coursing through the mini canyons.

Beyond the limestone section, the park has much to offer. There are numerous trails throughout the park that are great to hike, including some near the river. Further down from the limestone section of the river are places to swim and fish, though the river doesn't get too deep. Despite this, the waters are a nice and cool respite from the Texas heat. Me and my husband enjoyed trying to fish on the banks (especially because you don't need a license to fish in Texas State Parks!) though we never had much luck at all.

While the chance of me returning is very low now that I live all the way across the country, I'll always have fond memories of hiking, swimming, and fishing in this beautiful park :)

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

Blanco State Park • Blanco, Texas (follow the trail)

Blanco State Park

Blanco, Texas • Visited: Multiple times over multiple seasons

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about the trip here. What I saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

Ouachita National Forest • Hot Springs, Arkansas (follow the trail)

Ouachita National Forest

Hot Springs, Arkansas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about the trip here. What I saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

25 Mile Creek State Park • Chelan, Washington (follow the trail)

25 Mile Creek State Park

Chelan, Washington • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things I'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Davy Crockett National Forestk Name] • Kennard, Texas (follow the trail)

Davy Crockett National Forest

Kennard, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Fort Boggy State Park • Centerville, Texas (follow the trail)

Fort Boggy State Park

Centerville, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Choke Canyon State Park • Calliham, Texas (follow the trail)

Choke Canyon State Park

Calliham, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Lost Maples State Natural Area • Vanderpool, Texas (follow the trail)

Lost Maples State Natural Area

Vanderpool, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Olympic National Park • Port Angeles, Washington (follow the trail)

Olympic National Park

Port Angeles, Washington • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Goose Island State Park • Rockport, Texas (follow the trail)

Goose Island State Park

Rockport, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Garner State Park • Concan, Texas (follow the trail)

Garner State Park

Concan, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Ray Roberts Lake State Park • Pilot Point, Texas (follow the trail)

Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Pilot Point, Texas • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

Lake Chelan State Park • Chelan, Washington (follow the trail)

Lake Chelan State Park

Chelan, Washington • Visited: [Date or Season]

[Park Name]

Type: [National Park / State Park / etc.]

Weather: [Sunny / Foggy / Rainy / etc.]

Trail(s): [Trail names]

Time Spent: [Hours / Days]

Difficulty: [Easy / Moderate / Hard]

The Experience

[Write about your trip here. What you saw, how it felt, anything memorable.]

Highlights

  • [Highlight one]
  • [Highlight two]
  • [Highlight three]

Challenges

[Difficulties, weather, navigation, unexpected moments]

Favorite Moment

[A specific memory that stood out]

Notes for Next Time

[Things you'd do differently, things to bring, trails to try]

Overall Rating: [★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★]

Would I Return? [Yes / No / Already planning it]

[Optional atmospheric note… something small and reflective]

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Survival Skills & Learning

Survival isn't about being fearless. It's about being prepared.

I'm slowly building a collection of outdoor skills that I hope will make me more confident, self-sufficient, and useful when I'm out in the woods. Some of these are things I've practiced myself, while others are skills I'm still working toward.

This page is part personal notebook, part learning resource. Everything here is based on things I'm learning, practicing, or hoping to learn.

Skill Status: ✔ Practiced ◑ Currently Learning ○ Future Goal

Skills I've Practiced

These are skills I've spent time practicing and learning the fundamentals of. There's always more to learn, though!

Fire Starting ✔ Practiced

Fire is one of those skills that looks incredibly simple until you actually have to start one yourself.

I've been practicing different methods of getting a fire going, including using commercial fire starters and natural tinder. The goal isn't simply to make a flame, but to understand the entire process:

Tinder → Kindling → Fuel → Sustained Fire

Tinder

Tinder is the first step of starting a fire and is as important as it is varied.

Growing up in the Texas Hill Country, my go-to tinder was the bark of the cedar trees that were abundant. Peeling off a dry strip, preferably from a dead branch or tree, and then working it over again and again until the fibers started to break down was a easy and fool-proof method to get a small ball of tinder. A more universal trick involved simply a decent sized twig and a pencil sharpener. Running the twig through the sharpener can quickly give you a pile of tinder that works surprisingly well!

Like I said, there is no bounds to what can become your tinder. Laundry lint, wood shavings (in wax if you want to prepare beforehand and make it easy to carry), vaseline on cotton balls, pine needles, pinecones, cattail fluff (with dry grass or something similar as it burns fast), or hell even Doritos all work as tinder. The key part is that is dry and will catch fire quickly.

Kindling

Kindling is the next step of the fire building process. Before you jump into stacking logs you need to work on your kindling. This will be built with twigs or split wood (very thin, no more than a pencil!) and there are numerous ways to arrange it. Classics include the teepee, log cabin, or lean-to.

The teepee shape is based on the shelter used by the Great Plains tribes. This involves arranging your kindling in a cone shape around your tinder, allowing for the great airflow that is necessary for making fire.

The log cabin is, you guessed it, shaped like those classic log cabins. It is created by arranging two pieces of kindling parallel to each other, then laying two more on top of that in the opposite direction, until you have built a box shape. With the tinder in the center, you should create a room of kindling that can lead to a good bed of coals when your fire has burned out.

The lean-to option involves laying your tinder leaning against a solid structure, preferably a piece of firewood. With the kindling leaning on this larger piece and the tinder underneath, it can make it easier to catch a larger piece of wood on fire as it is already part of the structure.

I recommend trying out the different techniques here and researching, as there are many other options that you might find work better! You can also try different materials for your kindling, but as always the most important part is that it is dry and flammable.

Next Challenge

Learn more primitive methods such as ferrocerium rods, friction fire, and natural tinder collection.

Navigation ✔ Practiced

Getting lost is considerably less fun when you're the one who has to find the way home.

I'm learning to navigate using a combination of maps, compass, landmarks, and terrain awareness rather than relying entirely on a phone or GPS.

Things I'm Learning

  • Reading topographic maps
  • Understanding contour lines
  • Using a compass
  • Taking and following bearings
  • Identifying landmarks
  • Estimating distance
  • Understanding terrain
  • Keeping track of my position
Field Note: A GPS is an incredibly useful tool, but knowing how to navigate without one is an important backup.

Goal: Become comfortable enough with map and compass navigation that a dead phone doesn't immediately turn into an emergency.

Shelter Building ✔ Practiced

A shelter doesn't have to look like a survival-TV masterpiece.

Its primary job is much simpler:

Keep Warm → Stay Dry → Stay Protected

I've been learning the basic principles behind shelter construction, including choosing an appropriate location, creating a stable structure, and using materials efficiently.

Things I'm Learning

  • Choosing a safe shelter location
  • Using natural features for protection
  • Creating a basic frame
  • Insulating from the ground
  • Managing rain and runoff
  • Understanding wind direction
  • Avoiding hazards such as dead trees and unstable slopes
Field Note: A shelter can be technically impressive and still be terrible if it's built in the wrong place.

Location comes before construction.
Water Purification ✔ Practiced

Finding water and making water safe to drink are two very different problems.

I'm learning about different methods of treating water in the outdoors, including filtration, boiling, and chemical treatment.

Things I'm Learning

  • Identifying potential water sources
  • Understanding the difference between filtration and purification
  • Boiling water correctly
  • Using portable filters
  • Using chemical treatment
  • Avoiding contaminated sources
  • Storing treated water safely
⚠ Important: Clear water isn't necessarily safe water. Water can look perfectly clean while still containing microorganisms that can make you sick.

Skills I Want to Learn

These are skills that I haven't fully tackled yet, but would love to learn as I become more experienced outdoors.

Foraging ○ Future Goal

Foraging is probably one of the skills I'm most interested in learning, but it's also one where confidence can be dangerous.

I want to learn how to identify edible plants and fungi accurately rather than simply memorizing a list of things that are supposedly edible.

I'd Like to Learn

  • Plant identification
  • Mushroom identification
  • Edible vs. poisonous lookalikes
  • Seasonal availability
  • Sustainable harvesting
  • Which parts of a plant are edible
  • Preparing wild foods
  • Local Pacific Northwest species
⚠ Rule: When in doubt, leave it alone. I'd rather come home empty-handed than confuse dinner with something that belongs in an emergency room.
Advanced First Aid ○ Future Goal

Knowing how to handle a scraped knee is useful. Knowing what to do when you're several miles from the nearest road is considerably more useful.

I'd like to eventually learn wilderness-oriented first aid, particularly how to stabilize someone when professional medical help isn't immediately available.

I'd Like to Learn

  • Treating serious bleeding
  • Splinting injuries
  • Sprains and fractures
  • Burns
  • Hypothermia
  • Heat illness
  • Dehydration
  • Allergic reactions
  • Shock
  • Basic wound management
  • Recognizing when an injury requires evacuation

Goal: Become the person who can stay calm and do something useful while help is on the way.

Primitive Tools ○ Future Goal

Primitive technology isn't just about making cool-looking survival gadgets. It's about understanding how people solved problems before modern equipment existed.

I'd Like to Learn

  • Knapping stone tools
  • Making cordage from natural fibers
  • Creating primitive cutting tools
  • Making simple historical tools and techniques
  • Working with bone and wood
  • Natural adhesives
  • Primitive fire-making
  • Basic woodworking
Why I'm Interested: Modern outdoor gear is incredible, but learning primitive techniques gives you a different understanding of the environment.
"What equipment did I bring?"
↓
"What can the environment provide?"

Field Notes

Little things I've learned along the way.

Wet conditions change everything.

A skill that works beautifully on a dry summer afternoon may become considerably harder after several hours of rain.

Navigation starts before you get lost.

Knowing where you are becomes much easier when you've been paying attention to where you've been.

Fire is a process, not a trick.

The impressive part isn't producing a flame. It's understanding how to turn that tiny flame into a sustainable fire.

Water is only useful if it's safe.

Finding a stream doesn't automatically solve your water problem.

The environment is part of the skill.

Knowing what grows, lives, flows, freezes, burns, and changes around you is just as important as knowing how to use your gear.

Pacific Northwest Fieldcraft

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, I want to focus more of my learning on understanding the environment around me.

The goal isn't to conquer the wilderness.

It's to understand it well enough to move through it responsibly, take care of myself, and leave as little impact behind as possible.

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Field Gear Checklist

Visited Parks Tracker

A growing map of everywhere I've explored so far.

US Map