Herngt ‘Aki,’ which means ‘Rattlesnake House,’ is an expansive 341 acres of hilly grassland goodness in Live Oak Canyon between Redlands and Calimesa in the East Valley of San Bernardino County.

The only water-based park administered by Maricopa County is also its most popular – at Lake Pleasant Regional Park northwest of Phoenix, you can fish, water ski, even scuba dive in addition to hiking, camping, and stargazing in the park’s almost 25,000 acres!

The SIpsey on the Bankhead National Forest in northwest Alabama is a land of superlatives: it is the oldest, largest, and most popular of the state’s three designated wilderness areas. Also known as the ‘Land of 1,000 Waterfalls,’ this beautiful site is home to an incredible variety of flora & fauna, and offers an outstanding array of outdoor recreation opportunities.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park, in the southwest corner of the Phoenix metropolitan area, offers an amazing variety of activities. You can go on a guided horseback adventure, play a round of golf, fish the Gila River, escape into the backcountry, and more in the park’s almost 20,000 acres.

Tucked between the its namesake creek and the hills of south Redlands, the 200-acre San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary offers open space and trails for humans and reliable water for local and migratory wildlife.

Tucked away in the Oakland hills, the 290-acre Leona Canyon Open Space Regional Preserve offers a peaceful haven featuring a spring-fed creek and riparian area that is popular with locals and dog-walkers.

Michelle ‘SuperClassy’ Markel plans to walk 56+ miles in three days to benefit Redlands Conservancy and Support Public Lands.

COMMENT by DECEMBER 30!

If you’re going to #OptOutside on Friday, why not go all in and commit to #BuyNothingDay