Kalaupapa for me was a place of immense contrast. Incredibly beautiful, with its pristine sandy beaches and towering sea cliffs, it was hard to imagine the grim history it hosted and the struggle of those that had lived here.

A lush basin lay before us, the great Mo’alu falls plummeting 250 feet down the center before turning into a river which divided the valley floor. A skinny flume of smoke rose from one of the few shacks that were scattered amongst taro fields. We could see two beaches divided by the rocky outcrops of the river.

“The sole criteria is to walk with the senses, with hands that feel, ears that hear, and eyes that see.” -Robert Browne. The Appalachian Trail: History, Humanity, and Ecology, 1980. The Appalachian Trail (or AT as it is commonly referred to) is legendary among hikers. It extends between Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin [...]

The Abel Tasman National Park is located on the north-eastern tip of the South island in New Zealand. It extends from the small township of Marahau to Golden Bay. It offers over 54 kilometers of golden sands, such clear water you’d swear you were in the tropics, and a coastline that is fringed with magnificent marble and granite rock formations.

Below is an interview Trails of Freedom conducted with Matt Perkins, discussing the details of his journey, including where he went wrong, what he did right, and his advice for other hikers.

The Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa) is Connecticut’s only native cactus, complete with the fleshy green pads and generous jacket of spines that we’ve come to associate almost exclusively with the arid regions of the Southwestern US, Mexico and Central and South America.

Celebrate the 4th of July with these photo submissions from the “trails” of our nation’s capitol!

I felt a strange but powerful connection to that place, like there was an unspoken mutual respect between us. We had been tested to our extreme and we had passed the test. The hills seemed to arch their backs and stretch their shoulders lifting their peaks to meet my gaze. I silently thanked the whole stretch of coast. When Leigh Anne turned to me her eyes were moist. She too was farewelling the place that was our home for a time.