The Wanderer's Guide

09/04/2026

🎉 Facebook recognized me for starting engaging conversations and producing inspiring content among my audience and peers!

08/22/2026

Here's some good news about Bears Ears National Monument: the area most people actually come to visit is still fully protected.

Even though the monument was cut by roughly 91% this year — Shash Jáa, the southern unit covering Cedar Mesa, is almost completely unchanged. That matters, because Cedar Mesa has always been the real core of Bears Ears.

The internet's been full of dramatic claims about the area being opened up for large-scale development.

What those claims don't mention is a 2017 Utah Geological Survey study that found the original Bears Ears monument held very little energy potential — no coal, no wind, all oil/gas wells plugged and abandoned since 1992, and only minimal uranium/potash potential with no active development. 

So any future development is hypothetical, and will depend more on commodity prices than legal status. There simply is no "land rush" of bulldozers at the moment, and I don't expect one any time in the near future.

If you want a personalized vacation plan for Southeast Utah - including trails, dispersed campsites, dining options, permits, route timing, and details a map alone can't tell you — the link is in my bio.

📍 Cedar Mesa, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

08/21/2026

Grand Staircase-Escalante just got a lot smaller — down more than 90%, from 1.87 million acres to about 180,000.

Calf Creek Falls and the Escalante River corridor are still inside the monument. Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Devil's Garden, both off Hole-in-the-Rock Road, are now outside the boundary — though "outside the monument" doesn't mean unprotected. Much of this land is still covered by BLM management rules, Wilderness Study Area status, or federal cultural site protections.

The new boundaries take effect September 11, 2026, and legal challenges are already expected — so this is a story still in motion, not a settled map.

Two ways I can help you plan around it:

🗺️ Southeast Utah e-book — GPS coordinates for every site, trailhead, and slot canyon covered, so you're navigating with exact locations instead of guessing at a changing map.

✈️ Personalized itineraries — if you want the whole trip built around what's actually accessible right now, day by day, based on 40+ years in this exact terrain.

Linked in bio.

📍 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

08/09/2026

https://thewanderers.guide/blogs/news/are-you-a-traveler-or-a-tourist

There's a difference between visiting a place and exploring it, and that's the difference between a tourist and a traveler. The tourist arrives with a curated list. The traveler arrives with questions. The tourist has already seen the photographs, watched the videos, and saved the Instagram posts. T...

08/04/2026

Most visitors to Zion and Bryce miss this completely. For those who manage to stumble across it, this is an extraordinary collection of ancient petroglyphs. But to the Hopi, it is something far more personal.

Hopi tradition tells of a long migration after their ancestors emerged into the present world. As different clans journeyed across the continent, they left markers in stone to record where they had been, the paths they followed, and the lessons they learned. These weren't simply works of art—they were messages, history, and memory.

The symbols are said to represent instructions for those who would one day travel the same routes. Every carving had a purpose, even if its exact meaning has faded from memory.

That's the remarkable thing about places like this. Archaeologists can study the stone, estimate its age, and compare its symbols. But the Hopi bring something equally important: an unbroken oral tradition that gives many of these places a living cultural context.

If you want to find incredible places like this, get the exact GPS coordinates using The Wanderer's Guide to Southwest Utah.

08/01/2026

The Pocket Fire is 100% contained. The fire closure area shrinks starting tomorrow, July 31, at 6 a.m., but these sites remain closed for safety:

Banjo Bill Picnic Site
Bear Sign Trail #59
Bootlegger Picnic Site
Call of the Canyon
David Miller Trail #164
Dry Creek Trail #52
Encinoso Picnic Site
Grasshopper Point Picnic Site
Halfway Picnic Site
HS Canyon Trail #50
Manzanita Campground
Oak Creek (West Fork confluence south to forest boundary, 100 ft each bank)
Secret Canyon Trail #121
West Fork Trail #108 (full West Fork drainage from FR 231, 100 ft each side)

Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service - Coconino National Forest

07/31/2026

Western North Carolina is where the mountains seem to stretch forever. ⛰️

From the endless overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the misty forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this corner of the Appalachians is packed with waterfalls, rugged peaks, winding rivers, and some of the best hiking in the eastern United States. Add in the incredible state parks, and you have enough adventure to fill a lifetime.

This reel features just a few of the places that make Western North Carolina unforgettable. Whether you're chasing sunrise from a mountain summit, standing beneath a roaring waterfall, or simply enjoying a scenic drive, these mountains have a way of calling you back.

Have you explored Western North Carolina? What's your favorite spot?

📍Follow The Wanderer's Guide for more epic hiking destinations, hidden gems, and unforgettable adventures across America's most beautiful landscapes.

ExploreNC MountainLife AppalachianMountains Hiking Waterfalls ScenicDrive StateParks NationalParks AdventureTravel OutdoorPhotography NatureLovers RoadTrip ExploreMore GetOutside TheWanderersGuide

07/28/2026

If wilderness is a place where people don't belong, a place where they get lost and have to be rescued, then why do so many people seek it out? Imagine feeling so at home on the Earth - so thoroughly competent at living here - that there is no wilderness.

07/25/2026

The Best Caves in Sedona 🏜️

Think you've seen the best of Sedona? Look again. Hidden among the towering red cliffs are incredible caves that range from famous landmarks to secluded treasures waiting to be explored.

This reel features 12 of Sedona's most spectacular caves, including Subway Cave, Keyhole Cave, Kachina Tree Cave, Shaman's Cave, Birthing Cave, and more. Each offers a unique adventure, breathtaking views, and unforgettable photo opportunities.

Want to visit them yourself? The Wanderer's Guide to Hiking Sedona includes detailed trail descriptions, GPS tracks, maps, and insider tips to help you find these amazing destinations safely and confidently.

Which cave would you explore first?

06/20/2026