outdoors

Spokane, Washington Hiking: Big Rock

hiking, Pacific North West, Washington State

Growing up in the Pacific North West, good ole PNW, I was spoiled with serene mountainous beauty, clear lakes and endless exploring! 

One of my favorite go-to-hikes when I’m back home in Spokane, is Big Rock! It’s right off the Palouse Highway! It’s about 10-15 minutes down the Highway if you’re coming from the South Hill side. I don’t always put exact locations, but a quick Google or DuckDuckGo (non-censored search engine) search will give you the exact location.

There’s a decent sized parking lot! It has a little outhouse as well, always nice when you don’t have to take a nature poop or pee on a busy trail! 

I grew up going to Big Rock to ATV with my family, but that’s not allowed anymore! Luckily just the hiking alone is amazing too! 

It’s not a super long hike, but it’s definitely a booty burner! I usually have to take 3-4 water breaks on the way up. I always bring my 40oz Hydroflask on all of my hikes. I prefer ice water and it keeps my water cold for a solid 24 hours! Don’t know what I did without it before. 

Get the Hydroflask I have on Amazon

My friend and I brought her pups, I love dog-friendly trails! Just make sure to bring some doggy poo bags just incase! 

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

There a lot of rock climbing opportunities at Big Rock! Some require rope, I’ve watched some people climb some massive boulders! Pretty badass. I’ve only done some freehand climbing, where there’s minimal risk. I love climbing but I’m not experienced, I only challenge myself when I have an experienced climber guiding me!

I’ve never personally seen any wildlife on this trail, but you never know! It is the wilderness after all. Always be aware of your surroundings, for animals and humans. 

Stay safe and stay groovy! 

Stunning Scenic Lake In Southern Colorado: Smith Reservoir!

This is an awesome little road trip stop if you find yourself in southern Colorado! This reservoir is small but it’s so beautiful! I drove from Austin, Texas, cut over into New Mexico just before Amarillo and winded through some back highways until I got into souther CO! My grandpa taught me to always take…

Flaming Gorge Reservoir: Road Trip Stop On The Utah/ Wyoming Border

I’m always looking for new and beautiful places to explore around the United States! A lot of the time I will just zoom in on my apple maps on a green area or a body of water, and then research whatever names are posted in that area! That’s how I found the Flaming Gorge. I…

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Sand Dunes

Colorado is such a beautiful state! I’m so glad I took this route on my way up to Washington State! I weirdly had never been to Colorado, one of the only states I hadn’t been to yet (aside from the airport)! 🤯 seems like the first place I’d go lol. I also stopped at the…

The Mojave Desert: A South West Road Trip Essential Stop!

This was a quick stop for me on my drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles! I always try to see any many places as possible when I’m on road trips, even if I only have time to stop for a few hours. This place was nothing like I had never seen before! Growing up…

Ocean Jet Skiing in Destin, Florida: Destin Beach Trip Mini Guide

Destin and the entire Florid Panhandle have a ton of very underrated beaches! If you’re looking for white sand, and bright blue water, this is the spot! And it’s a pretty affordable vacation spot! I’ve been to the Panhandle a handful of time and it’s been a blast for all of them! Pro tip: it’s…

Tennessee Waterfall Hike: Burgress Falls State Park

I wasn’t sure how I was going to like living in Tennessee, after growing up in the beautiful Pacific North West, but I was pleasantly surprised! Tennessee is extremely lush and has hills and mountains. There a lot of waterfalls to visit! (Here’s another one of my favorite Tennessee Waterfalls). This hike is right off…

Middle Tennessee’s Best Hike, Waterfall, and Swimming Hole: Cummins Falls

I lived in Nashville, Tennessee for a couple years and this waterfall and swimming hole is by far my favorite place in the State.  Also… side note! If you’re going to Cummins Falls you should definitely spend some time in Nashville! I will be writing up a post on the best spots to go in…

Hiking Red Rock Canyon: Best Las Vegas Hikes- Calico Hills

I spent a couple months in the greater Las Vegas area! Between the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon National Park! All of which are beautiful in their own way! One of my favorite hikes and hot springs is close by as well! It goes along the emerald colored Colorado river. If you…

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Grand Teton National Park: Hiking Up To Delta Lake

Grand Teton National Park, hiking, Uncategorized, wyoming

Delta Lake Hike was one of the most stunning hikes I have ever done in my 26-years of life! The contrast of the bright blue water, green trees and white snow was unreal. I could have stayed up there for weeks and been happy!

Delta Lake, Grand Teton National Park

This was a very challenging hike but it’s doable for most able-bodied people still! I’l write about the hard parts later in the article.

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

What to Bring

I went in the start of July so this is the gear I recommend for mid-late summer and early fall!

  • Your beautiful body!
  • Good hiking shoes, I have some Columbia ones that are awesome!
  • A LOT of water. I bring a Hydroflask with ice AND a camel back on long hikes to be safe.
  • Snacks for the top. It’s a long and hard hike so you are going to appreciate a little energy boost. My friend and I brought the Jet Boil and a lasagna backpacking meal, it was great! Good carb/energy boost. If you haven’t tried a Jet Boil with backpacking meals, I highly recommend it!
Click here for the jet boil I own, this set comes with all the pieces!
  • Back Pack
  • Phone/ Camera
  • BEAR SPRAY (mandatory) and bear bells. We saw 3 bears on this hike! (I’ll talk about that later). Every single review on the All Trails app said they saw bears or some sort of wildlife. You can get them both in town but everything is more expensive by or in national parks so I would recommend buying from Amazon or your local REI before you go!
BEAR SPRAY on Amazon
  • Sweatshirt & Sweats. It can get cold at the top and when the sun goes down. Feels so good to put a dry and warm sweatshirt on after you exert all your energy on a long hike.
Back Packing Meal!

Location

“To reach Lupine Meadows Trailhead (from Jackson, WY) head north into the park on US191. Make a left at Moose Junction onto Teton Park Road. Stay north on Teton Park Road for just over 7 miles where you will then turn left onto Lupine Meadows Road, it is unpaved but relatively well maintained (my FWD sedan made it no problem). Follow Lupine Meadows Road to the end where you will a parking area and the Lupine Meadows trailhead to begin the hike.” (from www.theoutbound.com).

You can always ask a park ranger for help as well if you are having a hard time finding it! We made sure to get maps from the visitor center so we could see where we were at even when we didn’t have service!

Parking is limited, there’s multiple trails that start here. Get there early for guaranteed parking!

There’s also some amazing cliff jumping not too far from the Delta Lake trailhead.

The Adventure Up

The entire hike is beautiful!

This hike is a total of 9 miles up and out with 2,329 in elevation gain. It’s a doozy! A very beautiful doozy.

The first mile or so is fairly easy! Once you get past the first part, the ret of the hike is pretty much all-uphill with no breaks!

bear bells

Don’t be ashamed to take breaks! We took A LOT on this hike and we are both very experienced hikers. When you have a pack on with water, food, bear spray and other goodies, it makes the hike even harder!

The trail splits off into two different trails when you get closer to the top. It isn’t super obvious but you can see it. Delta Lake goes off onto a new trail to the right, while the original trail leads to some other alpine lake. We wanted to do all of them but ran out of time! Look it up on the All Trails app and you might be able to get more specifics on this turn off!

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

After the turn off you hike for a little ways and then you get a to a  massive boulder field. The boulders are easy to climb but it can get confusing on where to go. There are little rock sharons (those little balanced rock towers) throughout the boulder fields, follow those and you will find your way to the top!

You may be tempted to lay out your socks… but don’t do it unless you want it to be a marmot pillow.

As soon as you finish the boulder field you will make it to the lake! It is absolutely BREATHTAKING. You are below the big peak in the Tetons with a bright blue lake. The color of the lake was unlike anything I have ever seen.

Safety Tips

As mentioned before, you NEED to bring bear spray. Do not do any hikes in the Tetons without it. We saw three bears on our way down the hill, a mom and her two cubs. It was scary, but we stayed calm, played music and let the bears know we were there so we didn’t startle them. We each had bear spray and a knife and kept them in our hands until we knew we were completely safe.

Bear bells and bear spray can both help prevent a bear attack! The bells help create noise so that the bear can hear you coming and you won’t startle it.

Make sure to give yourself plenty of time! Give yourself two full hours of sunlight to get down, you don’t want to be in these mountains in the dark!

Stay safe and have fun!

Big Tree State Park, Northern California Road Trip

I was making the trip from Yosemite to Lake Tahoe, and of course decided to take the back roads! (Which also lead to another cool discovery and long dead end). I didn’t have a big plan, I was car camping and was stopping and going as I pleased! Luckily I saw the signs for Big…

Yosemite Valley, California Road Trip Stops

If you haven’t been to The Yosemite yet, add it to the bucket list! I give this place an 11/10 for beauty. It truly is one of the most breathtaking places you’ll go to! I drove in from Los Angeles Overnight. I want to say it was about a 4 ish hour drive! My cat,…

Southern California Road Trip Stop: The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is the largest lake in the state of California! This lake is very close to where they host Coachella! I made a pit stop here on my South West road trip, traveling from Arizona to Southern California. There isn’t a ton to do in the area, but it’s a super unique place…

Mount Rainier National Park: Driving to the Top, Photo Gallery

Mt. Rainier is one of Washington States most iconic peaks. You can see the mountain clearly from Seattle. I was fortunate to grow up in Washington. My brother and I decided to take a longer drive to our cousins wedding, and we drove through Mt. Rainier National Park. You can drive almost all the way…

North Cascades National Park, Washington State: Guide and Photo Gallery

North Cascades National Park is heaven on earth. It hugs the Canadian boarder, you’ll even get some “Welcome to Canada” texts if you happen to have service any point! It encompasses serene alpine lakes, endless mountain peaks and dense forest! Everywhere you drive or go is another breathtaking view! It never ends. For Forests floors are…

Grand Canyon National Park: That Time an Elk Hiked With Me

This was my first time ever going to The Grand Canyon, so you could say I was pretty stoked!  I got up early where I was staying, in Flagstaff, which is just a little over an hour from the park! I threw on my spandex and USA hat and hit the road! I knew I…

Oregon Water Fall Hike: Ramona Falls in Mt Hood National Forest

Ramona Falls in Oregon is a Hidden little gem found in Mt. Hood National Forrest! My friend from Texas found it on the AllTrails app and we went for it! This hike made you feel like you are walking through a tropical rainforest, it was insanely green and lush!  The Trail Head It’s not too…

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Get the Hydroflask I have on Amazon

Car Camping: An Affordable and Safe Way to Travel The Country Van Life Style

camping, Car Camping, nomad, Road Trip, Van Life

I get a lot of questions on how I life the “Van Life” without having an actual Van or RV. It’s taken a lot of trial and error to find the best ways to live like this, but I have found ways to make it cozy, comfortable and affordable!

I also love that car camping allows you to lock your “bed” while your sleep. My SUV has an alarm too so I always feel at ease when I’m asleep.

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

Mountain Car Camping with Sleeping bag in Summer 2018

Setting Up the Bed

We spend a lot of time sleeping… well were supposed to anyways… so having a comfortable and safe place to sleep when you’re living on the road is very important.

  1. Start but laying down all of the back seats in your SUV (or whichever vehicle you are using). If it doesn’t lay down completely flat, I would recommend taking the seats out completely and storing them somewhere safe (hey, mom and dad!)
  2. Place some sort of soft pad on the bottom. I bought a 2 inch pad, click here. If you are doing it short term, feel free to grab the one off your bed, just make sure it has a sheet (or maybe two, one for each side) so that it doesn’t get dirty!
  3. If the weather is cold, pack a sleeping bag, If it’s on the warmer side bring blankets so that your body can breath. If you are in the mountains I would recommend always having a sleeping bag, it gets cold at night! Right now I have a regular king sized blanket. I like to get them bigger than my car so that I can bunch them up on the side for extra cushion.
  4. Bring Pillows! I have four pillows, again to add some extra cushion and make it cozier!
  5. Set up battery or solar powered lights inside (I use this waterproof solar lantern). This was a game changer for me to help me relax in the evening after the sun goes down. Having lights in there makes it feel more like home and allows you to read, write and draw! … or to see your beautiful fur babies face!
  6. Face your trunk pointing towards the best view. I love relaxing with the back trunk wide open in bed while enjoying a beautiful view.
  7. Cover with a tarp and pack your things on top of it!

Setting Up Outdoors

My best friend and I do car camping together, we fit two in this Rav4 we rented (I didn’t have an SUV yet) comfortably.
  1. TARPS. I love tarps (outdoor rugs work too!). I set them up outside of every entrance of my car I’m going to use. This allows you to keep your shoes by your door without tracking a bunch of dirt into your car. I put one outside of the trunk and one outside of the back side doors (you can’t open the trunk from the inside so in the morning you have to go out of the side). Amazon basics has some nice and affordable tarps.
  1. Folding table. I have a folding table that lays flat in the back of my car on top of my bed. I usually set it up near the fire pit, since that’s where I prep most of my food. Put it where you are going to cook! Having a table makes a huge difference, you can find some affordable ones online and in store.
  2. If there isn’t any shade, I create some. A lot of people use an easy up, I don’t have one (yet), so I typically open my trunk and use bungee cords to hook a tarp to the top of it and then clip the other side of the tarp to a tree or another car near by! This creates shade just outside of your bed and makes a bigger shelter! I do this when it rains too to give me more dry space.

They also have those really cool tents that you can attach to the back of your open SUV trunk!

SUV Tent, so badass.

4. OPTIONAL. Set up your hammock on your campsite. I love relaxing and taking naps in my hammock, gives a cozy feel to your “home”.

Setting up the tent and unloading the car!

Efficient Packing

You obviously don’t have to pack the way I do, but I’ve learned a lot from others over the year on how to pack efficiently and in a very organized way.

If you aren’t interested in the “Van Life” and just want to go on a little camping trip, skip to step 2!

1. Become a MINIMALIST. This is one of the most challenging parts. We all learn to love and become attached to our belongings. You just need to pull the bandage and DO IT.

I got rid of almost everything, aside from a little bit of clothes and some kitchen and bathroom essentials.

I picked a few “cute” outfits to keep for when I meet up with friends or go out and got rid of the rest! It was hard but I knew I wanted to make the transition into this lifestyle so I did what I had to do.

I have one (shallow) clear tub of pants, one for t-shirts & tanks, one for long sleeve & athletic tops and then a deep large tub or warmer clothes (jacket, sweatshirts, gloves, snow pants).

2. I pack EVERYTHING in clear plastic tubs with lids. Click here for the ones I’m talking about! This is way cheaper than buying in person too. In person they are about $8 a piece. on amazon you can get 6 of the nice ones that have the lids that lock shut for about $30. I mean I put EVERYTHING in them. Underwear, food, shampoo, you name it! I got a lot of this from Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix; she does into a lot of detail as to why packing in clear tubs is important.

Clear tubs allow you to see exactly what’s inside without having to dig through it. They also store and stack nicely if you get uniform ones. I have found that the shallow, but large size are best for staying organized.

3. Pack your food in one, cooking supplies in another, clothing in one, bathroom supplies, etc.! Combine two different things if there’s room.

Setting up the car bed! (Shawn at the end)

How to Find Places to Camp

First, be sure to check my camping section, I’m working on adding more!

There are a ton of campsites all over the United States and Canada, and plenty of them are free! In fact, some of my all time favorite places to stay have been on free sites.

One of the best ways to find free land to camp on is by going onto the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) site and finding free public land. You can stay in these places for up to two weeks and then after your time is up you have to move at least 20 miles to the next BLM spot. These are always free, but they don’t have facilities (water and bathroom) so you need to go extra prepared!

Another great way to find BLM spots on your phone and other FREE spots is through the Boondocking app. It will show you all of the free spots around the United States and also gives you information for each spot.

Another great website/app I use is Ioverlander.com. This site/app will show you all places to camp, free and with ones that cost money. I like this one because it has filters. You can put if you want showers and other amenities.

Lastly, the park4night app is another great resource for finding all different types of places to stay. This one will also show you parking lots that allow you to crash overnight in your Car, SUV or Van. It also has BLM land and campgrounds and typically provides information on each location.

With the van life, if you just need a quick spot to pull over and sleep, Wal mart allows overnight travelers to stay overnight in their parking lot (most locations, double check before). This might sound sketchy, but it is actually one of the safest options. There are security cameras, security, and indoor bathroom.

Stay safe and have fun!

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

If you have anything to add or ask, please comment or email me! I’d love to chat and get more tips and answer your questions. (enter below)

Grand Teton National Park Adventure: Cliff Jumping at Phelps Lake

Uncategorized

It had always been on my bucket list to go to Grand Teton National Park and Jackson, Wyoming. I finally made that dream come true in the summer of 2019 during 4th of July week. My best friend and I decided the night before that we were going to go (that’s how we roll), we loaded up our car and hit the road as soon as we could!

Phelps Lake, Grand Tetons

We drove from Spokane, Washington to the Tetons, which is about a 9-hour drive. Luckily, it’s an extremely beautiful drive that is littered with different mountain ranges. You also have to drive through Yellowstone to get to the Tetons when you’re coming from the north side of the park.

Yellowstone is always beautiful! We didn’t stop…. Well not intentionally, but we had to stop for a few bison. If you have never seen a buffalo, I highly recommend going to Yellowstone, they are everywhere!

( I’ve had my back packing pack for a long time, so they don’t have the exact one anymore. I love it, it’s super supportive. Here’s the same Brand and similar style).

The Adventure to Phelps Lake:

FYI! Do not hike anywhere in the Tetons without bear spray and bear bells. I saw bears on every single hike there. I get the holster for the bear spray so that I can easily clip it to my backpack. Click here for the exact one I use!

Bear Spray on Amazon

Bear spray also works great for general self defense when you’re not in the woods! I keep a thing of it in my night stand. This stuff is powerful!

When you get into the park, make sure to stop and get all of the maps they have to offer, service is spotty and they are extremely helpful. Parking is limited so I would recommend getting there earlier in the day.

The hike to get to this cliff jumping spot is easy and beautiful! It was about 1.5 miles each way.

The hike in is extremely beautiful. You cross over a lot of streams that are crystal clear and loaded with fish! We stopped and rested on one of the bridges and watched the entire fish swim under us. Photos of that never do justice but just believe me when I say that it is amazing!

You’ll be able to tell when you’re getting close if there are other people out, you can usually hear people yelling and having fun while jumping off. If you follow the trail around the lake you can’t miss it.

The jump was SO FUN but sooooo cold! I would do it 100x again, but nothing will ever prepare you for the feeling of submerging into a mountain lake. It’s well worth it, just do it or you will regret it! My other friend was with me and she got scared and still regrets it to this day.

There’s plenty of other amazing things to do in the Tetons! I think my all time favorite adventure to do in the Tetons is hike up to the teal colored alpine lakes!

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

Life is too short to not make those leaps! Just make sure to be safe while you do them.

Make sure you take the same trail back as you did on the way in, we learned this the hard way…. We had to walk a couple miles down the road to get back to the right parking lot! We actually hitch hiked cause we were exhausted!

What to Bring

  • Bear spray!!! This is a must. I saw a bear on every single hike I went on in the Tetons. You can get a, affordable can off amazon, click here. Or at any sporting good store (REI, Cabellas, Etc). If you are in bear country, it won’t be hard to find. Most convenience stores will sell the.
  • Hiking shoes!! Click here for the ones I wear on most of my hikes
  • Water! Lots of it
  • Snacks (you never know what’s going to happen)
  • Swimsuit and towel
  • Sweatshirt if you are going to stay there all day. It gets cold fast in the mountains! Better to be safe and prepared.

How to get There

Driving in Grant Teton National Park
  • Go and get a map from the visitor center or a ranger station. Look for Phelps lake and it will tell you how to get to this hike!
  • Ask a ranger for directions! That’s the easiest way to find your way around National Parks, especially if you don’t have service.
  • Follow the Phelps lake trail. It leads you through the woods and next to rivers and eventually to the lake. Follow the trail around the lake and you’ll find the rock!

We came out on a different trailhead than we started accidentally. We ended up hitch hiking back to our original parking lot haha. We hopped into the bed of a truck of a family, so it felt very safe! Something to be mindful about. There are multiple trailheads for this hike!

Follow me on Instagram to see my in-the-moment adentures! @maggmountains

Hiking Mt Hood, Oregon: MnNeil Point Summit

This was hands-down one of the most breathtaking hikes I have ever done in my life! And I have done a lot of hiking in my days. My friend has hiked around America, Europe and South America and he said the same! Mount Hood is Located just outside of Portland Oregon. You can see it’s…

Maryland Hiking and Sunset Locations: Sugarloaf Mountain

Not gonna lie, when I moved from Washington State all the way over to the North East…. Baltimore to be more specific, I did not expect to find a ton of places to explore outdoors. I moved there for a job and was planning on working as much as possible and saving a ton of…

Spokane, Washington Hiking: Big Rock

Growing up in the Pacific North West, good ole PNW, I was spoiled with serene mountainous beauty, clear lakes and endless exploring!  One of my favorite go-to-hikes when I’m back home in Spokane, is Big Rock! It’s right off the Palouse Highway! It’s about 10-15 minutes down the Highway if you’re coming from the South…

Mingus Mountain, Arizona-Near Sedona: camping, hiking and local amenities!

I’m so thankful I accidentally found Mingus Mountain, Arizona. It wasn’t part of my plan. I headed over to California, and almost all nature was closed due to COVID-19. It was super stressful so I headed back to Arizona. It was hot at this point in the year so I needed to get up onto…

Sedona, Arizona: Camping, BLM Land and Hiking Guide

Arizona is an incredibly beautiful state. I appreciate it more and more each time I visit! This previous time… I stayed for 2 months. Ooops! I was there during the chaos of Covid-19, so it felt better for me to stay put for a while! Sedona is one of the most beautiful places you can…

How Toxins Negatively Impact the Body: A list of non-toxic products

A study done by environmental scientists found an average of 200+ chemicals in the umbilical cords of pregnant women after giving birth. That’s a lot of poison being pumped right into our babies! General hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, bleach, shampoos, and popular daily products are loaded with toxins that have harmful effects on your body!…

Grand Teton National Park: Hiking Up To Delta Lake

Delta Lake Hike was one of the most stunning hikes I have ever done in my 26-years of life! The contrast of the bright blue water, green trees and white snow was unreal. I could have stayed up there for weeks and been happy! This was a very challenging hike but it’s doable for most…

How to Train Your Cat: Leash Training, Car Rides, Hiking, Camping and More!

Traveling with my cat, Charles, has been so joyful! I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cats can be trained just like dogs, people just choose not to train them for some reason. To prove it, he’s a video of my kitty cat going pee outside! He digs a little toilet, plops on top of…

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Idaho Mountaintop Hot Spring: Hike up to Goldbug Hot Spring

hiking, Hot Springs, idaho, nomad, Van Life

Goldbug hot springs tops the cake for my favorite hots spring in the United States (at least thus far in my adventures). Adding an amazingly breath-taking view on top of a fully natural hot spring makes it stand out among the rest. Hopefully I will be able to make it back many more times while I’m still breathing on this beautiful planet.

Goldbug Hotsprings, Idaho

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains

I have gotten numerous messages from people about geotagging. I understand when people don’t want to share their locations to hidden gems, but that’s not my mentality. I love to share my spots and get more people off their phones and out enjoying the great outdoors. I won’t be directly geo-tagging on Instagram …. But I will gladly share on my website!

Location

Goldbug Hot Springs are located about 30 minutes south of Salmon, Idaho. Salmon is a cute tiny little mountain down in east-central Idaho off hwy 93. You can get there from multiple directions! I went in January and the mountain roads were still accessible, they have a lot of winter road gear up there. I would still recommend going with good tires and preferably four-wheel drive if you are going in the winter time. Summertime should be a breeze!

The address is: 34 Warm Springs Rd, Salmon, ID, 83467.

The parking lot is just about a quarter mile off hwy 93.

There are some other breathtaking Hot Springs in Northern Idaho that are stunning as well!

Local Attractions

I went to Bertram’s Salmon Valley Brewery in Salmon the night before I went on the hike. They had delicious beer! They had a good-sized menu as well with a variety of options.

The whole downtown strip was cute! I would recommend walking up and down it and chatting with the locals.

Gear to Bring

–Your Beautiful Body

-Swim suit

-Towel

-WATER (lots of it, those hot springs plus a hike will dehydrate you). I always bring my Hydroflask to hot springs. It keeps my water ice cold even when it’s down in the hot water with me!

Get the Hydroflask I have on Amazon

-Snacks. Climbing up a mountain and sitting in a hot spring can really deplete your energy. Before hiking back down I would recommend eating something, even if it’s small! It will help a lot with your energy when going down. I have found that hikes back after a hot springs seem way longer, your body gets super relaxed in those baths!

-Hiking shoes. I wear Keens, they have great grip and tread. They don’t have my exact ones on amazon but click here for ones that have shorter ankles length but the exact same show other than that!

-Micro Spikes. This hike can get slick in the winter. I hooked my micro spikes right onto my hiking boots! Helped so much.

Winter and Spring:

You don’t NEED spikes but they make the trek easier and quicker. The start of the hike is steep as well as the end right before you get to the springs for about ¾ of a mile. I had my Yak Tracks on and passed a lot of people who just had regular shoes or even hiking shoes on. The mud in the Spring makes it very slippery as well.

Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho

 I also brought my trekking poles, which are always a huge help on any hike regardless of snow or if its steep. I’ve found that using my trekking poles helps even out the strain from the hike over my entire body, rather than just my legs. We all want toned arms to go with our hiking legs, don’t we?!

Summer and Fall:

You just need the basics from my list above. Make sure you still having hiking shoes on, as there are some steep and rocky spots. Lots and lots of H2O!!! I was running low on water so I put some fresh snow in my Hydroflask, but if you don’t have fresh snow you won’t always have this luxury! Hydroflasks are great because they either keep things super cold or super hot! I love mine so much and use it every single day.

On the way up there are numerous waterfalls that are surrounded by greenery. You feel like you are on a tropical island, but really you are on a small mountain in Idaho. Take your time and sneak into the little waterfalls!

There are 8 different pools you can choose from, they get hotter the higher up you go.

You’ll know your are at the main hot springs when you cross a small wooden foot bridge… it’s super obvious.

Have fun and stay safe!

Follow me in Instagram for more of my in-the-moment adventures! @maggmountains