Anna Ruby Falls Trail: The Most Popular Hike Near Helen, Georgia
While Helen may be home to under 700 people, it still is one of the most popular destinations in Georgia state, thanks to its adorable Bavarian architecture and stunning mountain views. While Helen itself is adorable, there’s lots of natural beauty to be explored outside of town, like the popular Anna Ruby Falls, a set of twin waterfalls cascading down a rocky cliffside. If you want to see this beautiful slice of Northern Georgia for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the Anna Ruby Falls Trail, the most popular hike near Helen.
Dukes Creek Falls Trail: The Most Underrated Waterfall near Helen, Georgia
Northern Georgia is bursting with natural beauty, from the seemingly endless layers of the Blue Ridge Mountains to countless waterfalls, careening down rocky cliffsides. Dukes Creeks Falls is one of these stunning cascades, with multiple creeks converging into a series of gorgeous waterfalls. So if you want to see one of the most stunning waterfalls in Northern Georgia for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the Dukes Creek Falls Trail.
Humantay Lake Hike: The Most Beautiful Day Hike Near Cusco
The Andes Mountains of Peru are known for their epic peaks, massive glaciers, and technicolor alpine lakes. The Humanity Lake hike, located about three and a half hours from the colonial city of Cusco, packs all of those features—and a LOT more—in one incredible day hike. But there’s actually lots of different ways that you can see and experience this trail. So here’s everything you need to know about the Humantay Lake hike, one of the most beautiful day hikes near Cusco.
Rainbow Mountain Hike: Everything You Need to Know
Rainbow Mountain (also called the “Mountain of Seven Colors” or “Vinicunca” in the native Quechua language), located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, truly lives up to its name, with colorful striations streaked across its slopes. Due to its otherworldly appearance, the Rainbow Mountain hike has quickly become one of the most popular day trips from the bustling colonial city of Cusco. But, due to its remote location, extremely high elevation, and the INSANE crowds that swarm the mountaintop, actually being able to enjoy your visit here isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Here’s everything you need to know about the Rainbow Mountain hike, from how to be safe on the trail to how to beat the massive crowds.
Laguna 69 Hike: Everything You Need to Know
Peru is known for its incredible hiking trails, but some areas, like the famed Andes Mountains around the city of Cusco, get all of the attention. But this is a HUGE oversight—the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, tucked away in northern Peru, boasts massive glaciers, more than 400 alpine lakes, and some of the tallest mountains in all of Peru. The Laguna 69 trail manages to combine ALL of those features (and SO much more natural beauty!) into one jawdropping day hike. So if you want to experience some of the best that the Andes Mountains have to offer, here’s everything you need to know about the Laguna 69 hike.
How Much the Inca Trail Cost Us (Every Penny We Spent!)
The Inca Trail, located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, is one of the most epic adventures that you can have in South America. This iconic trek takes you past dozens of ancient Inca ruins and some of the most breathtaking vistas of the Andes Mountains and culminates at Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. However, hiking the trail doesn’t come cheap—in fact, it’s the most expensive trek that my husband, Justin, and I have ever completed. If you’re wanting to plan this incredible trek for yourself, here’s exactly how much the Inca Trail cost us, from the hike itself to some of the smaller items we would have never thought about.
Packing List for the Inca Trail (The ULTIMATE Guide)
The Inca Trail may be the most iconic multi-day trek in all of South America, leading from the heart of the Sacred Valley of Peru to Machu Picchu, one of the best preserved cities of the Incan empire. It’s also a little bit unusual for a backpacking trip—most of your food, gear, and even some of your personal belongings are carried by porters along the trail. So what should you pack for this bucket list trail—and what can you leave at home? My husband, Justin, and I have done a TON of multi-day backpacking trips and recently applied all of that knowledge to packing for and tackling the Inca Trail. So, here's everything you need to include on your packing list for the Inca Trail to have the best time on this epic hike.
Inca Trail: The ULTIMATE Hiking Guide
The Inca Trail is arguably the most iconic trail in all of South America. This trek, typically hiked over the course of four days, follows along the ancient steps of the Inca people in the Sacred Valley of Peru all the way to the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, one of the best preserved ruin sites on the planet and one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Along the way, you’ll pass dozens of Inca ruins sites—most of which only a handful of tourists get to see a day—and some of the most spectacular views of the Andes Mountains. To hike this iconic trek, though, you need to do a bit of leg work—both before and once you hit the trail! Here’s everything you need to know about hiking the Inca Trail.
7 Best Hikes in Patagonia
Patagonia is known for its rugged mountains, technicolor lakes, and world-class hiking trails. Honestly, there’s so many incredible hikes here, it can be a bit overwhelming to try and pick which places to explore in your limited time here. My husband, Justin, and I recently spent two months exploring Patagonia and getting as many kilometers under our hiking boots as we possibly could. And, after all our adventures, we put together this list of 7 of the best hikes in Patagonia, so you can experience the best of what this special corner of the planet has to offer.
Colca Canyon Packing List: Everything You Need to Bring
The Colca Canyon is one of the best treks in Peru, taking you into one of the deepest canyons of the world and past hot springs, oasis towns, and some of the oldest pre-Incan ruins on the planet. This trek is pretty unique, allowing you to traverse stunning landscapes by day and, by night, sleeping in comfy hotel beds. So what exactly do you need to bring along for a trek like this? After hiking this trail myself, I’ve put together the perfect Colca Canyon packing list with everything you need to have an incredible time on the trail.