Walking the World’s Most Beautiful Trails

I’m Shawn, a lifelong trail explorer passionate about the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes. I grew up horseback riding along the trails of Griffith Park in my hometown of Los Angeles. My love for the outdoors led me to work in park management, conservation, environmental education, and geo-tourism.

Since I began traveling at 17, I’ve journeyed through places like Australia, Guatemala, Malaysia, and many incredible spots in between.

Along the way, I’ve witnessed both breathtaking natural landscapes and the deep-rooted systems threatening them. What started as a love for trails has grown into a deeper inquiry.

How do we reimagine our social structures to support ecological healing?

I’m now exploring how we can move upstream toward the deeper change we need, change that requires us to rethink the stories we tell, the systems we uphold, and the values we choose to live by.

Current questions I’m working on:

  • How can corporations be held truly accountable for environmental harm?

  • How do we ensure policymakers and leaders not only understand but act decisively to protect the air, water, soil, and natural beauty we all depend on?

  • How do we transform our economic system to center care, reciprocity, and limits?

The shift I'm exploring

From → To

Awareness campaigns → Systemic accountability

Individual action → Collective transformation

Nature as scenery → Nature as kin

Green capitalism → Post-growth economics

This site is part trail journal, part philosophical inquiry into what it means to live responsibly in a time of ecological crisis.

Woman wearing a sunhat and sunglasses holding a menu at an outdoor terrace with a scenic view.

🌍 Walked So Far: A List of My Completed Hikes

Each trail gave me a glimpse into a unique environment, its beauty and what it revealed about how humans interact with nature.

Rainforests & Tropical Ecosystems

Lush, vibrant, and teeming with life—these forests are Earth’s lungs and a cradle of biodiversity. Walking here deepened my respect for these delicate, vital ecosystems facing rapid change.

  • Danum Valley Rainforest, Borneo

  • Gunung Lesser National Park Rainforest, Sumatra

  • Costa Rica Rainforests

  • Dry Tortugas & Ancient Forests of the Everglades, Florida

  • Okavango Delta & Chobe safari walks, Botswana

  • Nyungwe Forest National Park, Cyamundongo, Rwanda

  • Amazon (upcoming)

  • Pantanal (upcoming)

  • Great Bear Rainforest (upcoming)

  • Reunion Island (upcoming)

Mountains & Alpine Regions

These high places test endurance and perspective—where geology and ecology intersect to create awe-inspiring landscapes shaped by time, wind, and ice.

  • Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

  • Mt. Whitney & John Muir Trail, California

  • Takayna / Tarkine and Overland Track, Tasmania

  • Tour du Mont Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland)

  • Maroon Bells, Colorado

  • Mt. Pico, Azores

  • Mt. Toubkal, Morocco

  • Mt. Meru, Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro

  • Dolomites, Italy (Tre Cime Lavaredo, Seceda, etc.)

  • Simien Mountains (upcoming)

  • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (upcoming)

Deserts & Arid Landscapes

Here, life thrives against the odds—harsh, vast, and silent. Walking these trails taught me about resilience, subtle beauty, and the importance of water in sustaining all life.

  • The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Vermillion Cliffs

  • Upper Antelope Slot Canyon & Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

  • Sedona, Arizona (all the trails)

  • Jordan Trail, Dana to Petra

  • Picos de Europa, Spain

  • Faroe Islands, Denmark

Coastal & Island Ecosystems

Where land meets sea, these landscapes embody constant change, shaped by tides, storms, and human history. Walking them connects me to rhythms larger than myself.

  • Kalalau Trail, Kauai

  • Lofoten Islands, Norway

  • Channel Islands National Park

  • Milford Track, New Zealand

  • Canary Islands (upcoming)

  • Japan’s Wayfarers Trail (Kumano Kodo & Yakushima) (upcoming)

  • Baffin Islands (upcoming)

Rivers, Lakes & Waterways

Flowing water shapes land and life alike. These journeys follow the paths of rivers and lakes, reminding me of the power and fragility of freshwater ecosystems.

  • Colorado River by dory through Grand Canyon

  • Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

  • Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

  • Iguazu Falls (upcoming)

  • Rogue River Wild & Scenic Trail, Oregon

  • Pingvellir, Gullfoss, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

Temperate & Mixed Forests

These forests blend seasons and stories—places where biodiversity thrives alongside human history. Walking here fosters a quiet appreciation for balance and renewal.

  • Laurel Forest & Levadas, Madeira Island

  • John Muir Trail, California

  • Backbone Trail, Santa Monica Mountains

  • Banff & Jasper, Canada

  • Plitvice, Croatia

  • Corsica, France GR20 Segments

  • Greece, Sifnos, Santorini, Athens

Upcoming Explorations

The journeys ahead will take me through diverse biomes, each offering new perspectives and lessons from the Earth.

  • Great Bear Rainforest

  • Simien Mountains

  • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

  • Canary Islands

  • Reunion Islands

  • Madagascar

  • Baffin Islands

  • Amazon

  • Pantanal

  • Iguazu Falls

  • Columbia

  • Japan’s Wayfarers Trail (Kumano Kodo & Yakushima)

Himilayas, Nepal

Mt. Toubkal, Morocco

Borneo rainforest

Botswana