Adventure Planning
It's a great big world out there and many times the biggest question is where to start. Thanks to the internet there is more information available then every before, however, the choices can quickly become overwhelming. If you're new to the outdoors then starting with local parks, reserves, or open spaces is a great way to build both your physical endurance and knowledge of the outdoors. These can quickly be found via a quick internet search, or by speaking to your local parks and recreation. With time you'll gain the requisite fitness, knowledge, and confidence to go further, climb higher, and embark on multi-day trips.
While the seasoned outdoorsmen may opt for more challenging terrain, the options to begin looking are very similar. National parks and monuments received their designations for a simple reason - they're awesome places that are worth exploring! They also tend to be well documented and can be easily researched online through the park's website, or via printed guidebooks that can be found in most large bookstores / Amazon. Once you've located your information source it comes down to a matter of pre-selecting the top spots in an area and then planning the best way to logically navigate to all of them. The intent here is not to plan every minute, stop, etc... but to compile an efficient high level plan for the trip. Make sure to plan very conservatively knowing that you'll come across many small unplanned stops that you'll want to have the flexibility and time to further explore. Even without these small stops, you're going to appreciate the easy going nature of trip by not feeling like you have to rush around.
If there's one downside to national parks and monuments it's the crowds. However, there are a couple ways to combat this potential problem. The first and easiest is to avoid visiting a park in its peak season. Take Zion National Park for example, its busiest season is the summer and early fall, however, by visiting in late fall or winter you'll feel like you practically have the place to yourself. If visiting in the offseason isn't an option, you can also miss much of the crowds by visiting the most popular spots early in the morning or closer to sunset. With this route you can choose to spend the peak hours exploring lesser known parts of the park where a couple miles of trail can do wonders to separate you from the crowds.
When you really want to escape the crowds or explore lesser known parts, then it's time to look into designated Wilderness Areas. These regions tend to have fewer rules and regulations and allow more freedom for exploration. Because trails are not usually formally maintained and cellular service can be anywhere from spotty to non-existent you'll want to make sure to obtain good maps before heading out. A hard copy is highly recommended as back-up, but digital copies can also be downloaded in advance to your phone or dedicated GPS device. While there are lots of great mobile apps out there for maps, my personal favorite is Gaia GPS. Their coverage is fantastic and the app is incredibly feature rich allowing you to create routes, save waypoints, and much more.
Disclaimer: I have zero affiliation with Gaia, I simply recommend it out of my own incredibly positive experience using their application.
While some points of interest in Wilderness Areas can be found online or in books, you should have no trouble finding your own spots to explore by reviewing topographical maps or virtually touring an area using Google Earth. These could be peaks to summit, remote lakes to take a plunge in, or other interesting features you come across. Once you've assembled your points of interest you can breakdown how to efficiently navigate them on foot or otherwise. Know that while it's likely you'll have to legal freedom to camp as you please, it's still recommended that you observe LNT principles to limit your impact. At this point the sky is literally the limit, so as long as you're being safe and enjoying things, then go wild ;)
- Zach