HIKING, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Camping, and Gear Reviews

I'm Michele. Overland Girl is where I write about hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and camping — the trips I take and the gear I use on them. Trail notes, travel guides, and long-term gear reviews, written from time outside.

Guides

Everything I've covered in one place, organized by state.

Panoramic view of Arches National Park with the Delicate Arch formation, sandstone landscape, and distant snow-capped mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

Utah Travel Guide

A landscape of green forests, rocky mountains, and a partly cloudy blue sky.

Colorado Travel Guide (Coming Soon)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE
OVERLAND GIRL DISPATCH

New guides, trail notes, and gear reviews — nothing you won't actually use.

Latest

Travel
The History of Ouray, Colorado: From the Ute People to a Mining Town
The History of Ouray, Colorado: From the Ute People to a Mining Town

A remote Ute homeland became a booming mining town in the San Juan Mountains — and that history still shapes the Ouray you see today.

Read more →
Why Are the San Juan Mountains So Colorful?
Why Are the San Juan Mountains So Colorful?

I kept noticing the reds, oranges and yellows around Red Mountain Pass and wanted to know why the San Juan Mountains are so colorful. The answer goes back to the volcanic history that shaped these mountains.

Read more →
Why I Love the San Juan Mountains in Colorado
Why I Love the San Juan Mountains in Colorado

The more time I spend hiking, biking and driving through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, the more I want to understand what makes them so rugged, colorful and wild.

Read more →

Explore by Activity

Hiking, biking, skiing, camping — pick your trail.

View from a mountain bike rider's perspective on a trail through a lush green valley surrounded by mountains, with yellow wildflowers along the trail on a sunny day with some clouds.
A wooden sign indicating the Colorado Trail with arrows pointing left and right, located in a scenic mountainous area with green trees and mountains in the background.
A pair of turquoise Cross Black Crows skis with red arrows and logo, crossed and standing upright in the snow on a winterly forested slope.
A forest clearing with tall pine trees, a picnic table, and a trash can. A metal fire ring is on the ground, and there is a brown utility box with a sign on it near the left side.

OG Travel

A large rugged mountain with reddish-brown rock formations and sparse green vegetation, under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds.

Come Along

These trip logs are how I keep track of the places I go and the things I've learned along the way. I don't take it too seriously — just documenting what I find as I go.

Browse travel
Browse travel
The image shows a large natural stone arch formation in a desert landscape with mountains in the background. Two people are walking near the base of the arch, casting shadows on the sandy ground. The sky is partly cloudy with some snow-covered mountain peaks visible in the distance.

Utah Travel

Large red sandstone rock formations against a blue sky, with one rock arching back over another.

Why Delicate Arch Lived Up to the Hype

Read The Story
Petroglyphs carved into a dark rock surface featuring various geometric shapes, stick figures, and abstract symbols.

Newspaper Rock: Why It’s Worth Stopping

Read The Story
Large orange rock formations in a desert landscape with a clear blue sky.

Devil’s Garden in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument

Read The Story

Watch

Videos from the trail, the bike, and the slopes — filmed on location.

More on YouTube