8 Day Hikes That Changed My Life!

No, these aren’t the cross-country treks that spawn memoirs. They're the kinds of hikes that make you feel like you've been transported to another realm. We're talking manageable day hikes offering everything from the exotic and unexpected to the breathtaking and even claustrophobic. What's more, two of them I did while sick and even one with a spinal cord injury. In spite of that (or maybe because of it?), they still made the list. Here they are: the eight doable day hikes that changed my life.

Škocjan Caves (Slovenia)

I have this recurring nightmare that I’m going to be trapped underground and crushed under a mountain of rock. So, why do I keep doing these types of tours? Because without fail, I walk away both awed and totally humbled. Škocjan is part of an underground river spanning 18 miles (!). After almost 2 miles and nearly 2 hours of marching up and down some 1,000 steps, you begin to appreciate the sheer scale of this incredible subterranean marvel. Just getting into the cavern is spooky—a slow walk down an interminable pedestrian shaft that descends down, down, down into the bowels of the Earth.

Let me just say, when you’re walking for half an hour through a cavern big enough to contain a city—over bridges peering down into the Reka River that still seems miles below—you can’t help but feel like you’re on another planet. Or under it.

Bahia Drake Public Trail (Costa Rica)

A very special hike—not just for the views, but because it quite literally saved my life. This 10-mile coastal out-and-back winds through jungle and along hidden (empty!) beaches, offering secluded ocean vistas and a few unexpected encounters. Few beachside hikes pack in this much: stunning scenery, wildlife, and—for me—a serious medical discovery.

At one point, we were stopped in our tracks by a capuchin monkey blockade. A dozen of them commandeered the trail, noshing mangoes and gossiping. Later, we paused for a siesta. I went bodysurfing in six-foot waves while my wife napped on the sand—until a sweet pit bull snuck up and licked her directly up the nose.

While she was getting friendly with the pup, a wave slammed me in the chest, and I felt painful electricity shoot through my fingertips like I was Zeus hurling bolts of lightning. My water shoes were yanked off and lost to the surf. Annnd I hiked the long trail back barefoot, buzzing with current. Incidentally, that jolt led to the discovery of dangerous spinal cord compression and the emergency surgery that followed. Suffice to say, this hike holds a very special place in my heart... and neck.   

The Devil’s Throat (Argentina/Brazil)

Technically, I’m referring to the entire Iguazu Falls experience, but what better way to designate the hike than by its most famously well-named branch? Just imagine the construction of miles of metal boardwalk that sits just a foot over a raging torrent of river, stretching right up to the edge (and sometimes over) hundreds of towering waterfalls. What a feat of engineering! We’re talking Niagara-sized cascades.

Much of this hike is stroll-worthy, but there’s no doubt it features its share of adrenaline-pumping spectacle. This place ranks high for utterly jaw-dropping 360-degree picture potential. It's also hard to put sheer scale to this experience. You're not showing up and staring over a viewing platform. You're walking miles of catwalks over white water and hundreds of waterfalls. People constantly debate about which side to check out: Brazil vs Argentina. I say, "Porque no los dos?"

 Salto do Prego Waterfall (Azores)

Give me a jungle hike on a rock in the middle of the ocean and it turns out I’m in utter paradise. Throw in a waterfall at the end of said hike and I’ll dream about the place til the end of my days, or at least so far. Located on the Azorean island of Sao Miguel, this hike begins at the edge of a lovely hamlet community. We shared the trail with more chickens than people. Some of the chickens are a little gatekeepery, but they mostly just want to hit you up for a snack. Don't let them give you too much grief.

Okay, not the most spectacular waterfall you’ve ever seen. But just being here kicks the whole secluded magic of the Azores into another gear. Bring your swimsuit to round out a genuine bucket list experience.

San Marcos to Santa Cruz la Laguna (Guatemala)

We're crouched at the midpoint of the Santa Cruz–San Marcos trail, a few hundred feet above the deepest Lake in Central America, catching our breath and gawping as the water below shifts from deep green to ocean blue. Beneath a sky thick with anvil-headed thunderclouds, I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched by the three giants always in view: Tolimán, San Pedro, and Atitlán.

These volcanoes stand sentinel over the Guatemalan Highlands and the caldera lake, where the culture of the Maya endures. This is categorized as an out-and-back hike, but it doesn’t have to be. The great thing about Lake Atitlán is hiking from one spot on the lake, dropping down to a public pier, and boating back.

This one’s not for the faint of heart, mostly due to the elevation gains and descents—I did it with the lingering effects of the flu… so, you can tell I loved it. Give yourself about 5-6 hours, plenty of sunblock, and water. It’s a once-in-a-life-timer.

Cocora Valley – Acaime (Colombia)

I've hiked Nankoweap on Grand Canyon's North Rim, and this is still the hardest hike I’ve done. I wasn’t even the one who had to carry the baby for 95% of our 7.7-mile loop. The morning after a vicious battle with self-inflicted food poisoning, I rallied, lumbered, gasped, and stared at my wife's heels, counting steps while she toted our 18-lb kettlebell-shaped six-month-old.

Now, to ease back from the hyperbole, this isn't really a super tough hike. It does start off in high altitude and gain considerably more elevation, capping out around 9200 feet, but the climbs aren't too bad if you're not fighting nausea and a bad stomach. Situated in and above the mystical valley that inspired the Disney movie El Encanto, with stick-like towering wax palms and endless green vistas, it’s easily one of the most breathtaking places on planet Earth. Honestly, it was sheer beauty that kept me putting one foot in front of the other. (Well, that, and not wanting to let my wife down.)

There are shorter routes, but the counterclockwise circuit up the valley and into the mountains to reach a hummingbird sanctuary and bubbling pots of hot chocolate con queso makes it well worth the longer excursion. This is also one of those rare hikes that somehow manages to get prettier with every step, all the way to the very end.

Crater Lake Rim Hike (Oregon)

When people say you don't know blue until you've been to exotic places like the Bahamas, Greece, French Polynesia, I say add Crater Lake to that list. And unlike those other gorgeous spots, the deepest lake in the United States keeps all its blue locked in almost untouched seclusion and whisper-quiet alpine serenity.

I'm hard-pressed not to oversell it, given that Oregon is far from the exotic for most people. But there is a great reason it's one of Earth's Natural Wonders. The hiking, whether to the summit of Mt. Scott for a bird's eye view, a circuit of Rim Trail and Discovery Point, or down the switchbacks to Cleetwood Cove and around Wizard Island, this is a world apart and sincerely life-altering.

Montaña de Oro Bluff Trail (California)

Easy and unforgettable, the trail along the granite bluffs is all about peace, reflection, and the awe-inspiring power of coastal geology. Not to mention the power of the Pacific!

Whether you're there during a whale migration, a spring super bloom, or in the middle of a rainstorm, Montaña de Oro is a place to revisit over and over. You simply cannot see all it has to offer, and with every change in season (well, California's version of seasons), the bluffs seem to transform.

Visit during a sunset—they are among the best in the world from here—and you'll instantly understand how Montaña de Oro got its name.

I have been here hundreds of times in my life and each time I visit, I spot something new. No square inch of rocky coastline (and secret beaches) is the same. The hike is only a couple miles long, but you'll want to spend the whole day exploring.

I can't speak highly enough of this tiny sampling of spots that sit very near my heart. Each one reflects a small triumph over stomach bug or personal adversity, a moment alone with nature, or surrounded by a few dozen other jaws-on-the-ground tourists. They just go to show, you don't have to high the Pacific Crest Trail to find out a little something about yourself. Then it again, if you've got the time, go for it.

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