Our story
We go where the map runs out
Directions 2 Nowhere started as a personal journal and became something we couldn't keep to ourselves.
How it started
A wrong turn that changed everything
It started with a missed exit on I-17 and a dirt road that looked interesting. Three hours later, we were standing on a ridge we'd never heard of, watching the sun drop behind the Bradshaw Mountains, and we knew we were in trouble — the good kind.
That was 2019. We'd been hiking casually for years, but that accidental detour flipped something. We started going out every weekend. Then every chance we got. We started keeping notes — trail conditions, water sources, the stuff the apps never tell you.
What we do
Honest guides from people who actually went
Every trail guide on this site has been hiked by us. Not researched from a desk, not aggregated from other sources. We go, we take notes, we come back and write it down while our legs are still sore.
We cover the Southwest and Rocky Mountains because that's our backyard. Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico — the canyon country and high alpine terrain that keeps pulling us back. We're not trying to cover everything. We're trying to cover what we know well.
Our philosophy
Leave it better than you found it
We believe in going slow, going prepared, and leaving places exactly as you found them — or better. We pack out what we pack in. We stay on trail. We don't share GPS coordinates for places that can't handle the traffic.
We also believe in being honest about difficulty. If a trail is brutal, we'll say so. If the views don't justify the effort, we'll tell you that too. You deserve accurate information before you commit to a 20-mile day in the desert.
What we stand for
Go yourself
Every guide is personally hiked and verified. No secondhand information, no desk research.
Be honest
Difficulty ratings, trail conditions, and permit headaches — we tell you what it's actually like.
Leave no trace
We follow and advocate for LNT principles on every trip. The wilderness stays wild because we treat it that way.
Stay curious
The best trails are the ones you haven't found yet. We're always looking for the next wrong turn.
Get in touch
Trail tips, gear questions, hidden gems you think we should know about — we read everything.
Follow along
Send a trail tip
Know a trail we should cover? We want to hear about it.