In our travel column, assistant editor Emma Veidt answers your hiking questions and shares travel hiking tips with the help of a rotating cast of experts.
On October 14, for just a couple minutes during the day in the western U.S., the sky will go dark. This isn’t a sign of the apocalypse: it’s just a solar eclipse. This phenomenon, generally, is when the sun, moon, and earth (in that order) line up precisely in a row, so the moon obscures the sun for people on Earth. October’s eclipse is an annular one, which happens when the moon is between the sun and the earth while orbiting at its farthest point from us. Because the moon is far and appears smaller in the sky, it only covers up 90 percent of the sun during an annular eclipse. So, the remaining 10 percent, the sun’s outer corona, creates a “ring of fire” that extends beyond the moon’s silhouette.
Sections of Oregon, Utah, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas are along this eclipse’s path of annularity. It passes over the Four Corners region, major cities, national parks, and even the archeo-astronomical site at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It’ll also pass over Mexico and several Central and South American countries.
Over 6,660,000 people live within the path of the annular solar eclipse in the U.S., which includes some of the best hiking spots in the country. For astronomically inclined hikers, that’s a perfect excuse for a destination eclipse-viewing/hiking trip. According to GreatAmericanEclipse.com, Texas will likely host the most out-of-towners, followed by Utah and Oregon. (I’m personally going to Bryce Canyon.) Because the eclipse will be in the morning, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore. Spend the day hiking, or better yet, see the eclipse straight from the trail itself.
Less than an hour drive from Eugene, you’ll find a half-mile trail that leads to Meditation Pool, a 95-degree hot spring. This trail also twists through old-growth Willamette National Forest trees, so this quick outing has plenty of natural scenery for all.
McKenzie River National Recreational Trail
Want to see some wildlife? This secluded nature area in the Willamette National Forest backcountry is home to black bear, moose, elk, coyotes, and eagles. Along this trail, you’ll pass through old-growth Douglas fir to get to several water features, including Clear Lake: an aptly named crystal-clear glacial lake.
Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Combination
This 3-mile loop is one of the most popular trails in Bryce Canyon. You get a taste of some of the best the park has to offer: You’ll pass famous park features such as Wall Street, Two Bridges, and the Instagram-famous Thor’s Hammer. This trail offers some of the most diverse scenery in the park on easy-to-moderate terrain, making it a great choice for hikers of all ages.
This is my absolute favorite hike in the park. In 8 miles, you hike along the canyon rim and descend into it to immerse yourself into a world of iconic hoodoo formations, such as the Chinese Wall (which shows hoodoos at different states of erosion), Sinking Ship, and the Tower Bridges.
Rio Santa Barbara Middle Fork Trail
If you’re looking to crush some mileage during eclipse weekend, this 15-mile riverside hike is perfect. Hike among aspen groves, craggy cliffs, and dense forests that break out to panoramic views of rocky ridges as you pass through the southern tip of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the state’s highest range.
Stewart Lake, one of the easier-access alpine lakes in the Pecos Wilderness, is a great place to hike for an eclipse viewing. Wind through conifer forests, aspen groves, and scrub oak and climb more than 2,000 feet on this 12-mile out-and-back in the Pecos Wilderness.
Wilderness and Wildlife Loop Trail, Brackenridge Park
In the city for the weekend? For this one, take a page out of our writer Erica Zazo’s book and visit an urban trail.
“Want to see a wilder side of San Antonio? Hike under a moss-covered canopy while keeping watch for roosting egrets on the 1.4-mile Wilderness and Wildlife Loop Trail. This kid-friendly micro trail in Brackenridge Park is home to the San Antonio Zoo, Japanese Tea Garden, and Sunken Garden Theatre—making it a great option for families with little ones to combine exploration and entertainment in one outing. A combination of mixed-use paved and gravel path follows alongside the north branch of the San Antonio River before looping back through stands of decades-old heritage oak and cypress trees. You’ll forget you’re a stone’s throw from the second-largest city in Texas while wandering the 349-acre expanse of urban nature here.”
Autumn is a popular time to visit the state park’s bigtooth maple-crowded hillsides and hike this family-friendly 4.8-mile loop dotted with swimming holes. At mile 3, make a wish, but save your pennies: A kiddie-pool sized pond, the “wishing well,” is a great resting point for your kiddos, but don’t throw any coins into its crystal-clear shallows. Leave No Trace principles still apply.
From 2023
