All Sections
- Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
- Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- California Coast
- Carrizo Plain National Monument
- Death Valley National Park
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Hoover Wilderness
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Inyo National Forest
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Redwood National Park
- San Francisco
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark
- Yosemite National Park
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
A Ramble Through the Alabama Hills
Last November, while I was visiting Death Valley National Park, I decided to take a trip over the mountains to…
Alabama Hills Ramble – Again!
Quite a while ago, I posted about rambling through the rocks in the Alabama Hills of southern California. I discovered…
Photographing Sunrise at the Alabama Hills
One of the great things about camping in the Alabama Hills is that you can get up early and see…
The Alabama Hills’ Mobius Arch Loop
On our last trip to California, we mostly stuck to famous parks. But one of our few excursions outside of…
Trip Overview: Death Valley and Beyond
I returned a few weeks ago from a fantastic trip to the American southwest! We hiked over 100 miles (despite…
Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark
Day-Use Volcano: Amboy Crater
The Amboy Crater in southern California is, according to the park service, not a unique feature. It’s simply a cinder…
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
100-Palm Tree Oasis – The Palm Bowl
In a previous post, I told about the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. However,…
5 Best Hikes in Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park always has fond memories for me. From swimming in a palm tree oases to exploring a…
An Oasis in the Middle of the Desert – Borrego Palm Canyon
Have you ever wanted to experience an oasis? To come along through the heat of the desert and to suddenly…
I think I saw this view in a movie…! – Wind Caves
Recently, a friend saw a picture of an awesomely desolate (and pretty) desert up on my computer screen. She was…
Maidenhair Falls in a Desert Canyon
Have you ever dreamed of walking through a desert canyon, discovering a stream, and then palm groves, and finally ending…
Truckhaven Rocks: Views, Scrambles, and Geology!
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has many things that most places don’t, but Truckhaven Rocks sticks out in my mind. Why? …
California Coast
Early Morning at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove
I’ve visited the Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwood National Park twice – once on my first visit to the…
High Bluff Overlook in Redwood National Park
While we’re on the topic of things hiding in the clouds and mist (last week I talked about hiking to…
Hiking Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument
If there is a more beautiful place on the California coast than Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument, I can’t imagine what…
Point Reyes – Lighthouse Trail and Chimney Rock
It’s been said that Point Reyes is the second foggiest place in North America – the foggiest being somewhere in…
Rustic Trail North from Glass Beach – Beautiful!
If you want a rustic, realistic coastal trail experience near Fort Bragg (or want a more natural, realistic walk from…
Solitude at Manchester Beach State Park
Manchester State Park, just north of Point Arena along the California Coast, is so deserted that it’s nearly been shut…
The “Hard” Trail from Glass Beach
Two sections of trail currently strike off from Glass Beach in the town of Fort Bragg, California. After you’ve seen…
Visiting Redwood’s WWII-era Klamath River Radar Station
Back in 1999, on my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, we stopped in Redwood National Park. In general, I…
Visiting Sea Glass at Glass Beach
A couple years ago, I saw a picture of beautiful sea glass with the ocean behind. The caption explained that…
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Farm Equipment from the Carrizo Plain
A few weeks ago, I posted about how you could stand on the San Andreas Earthquake Fault Line in Carrizo…
Walk Across a Real Earthquake Fault Line at Carrizo Plain!
Carrizo Plain National Monument is fairly new as national monuments go. The park was established in 2001 from land in…
Death Valley National Park
A Beautiful Evening at the Ibex Dunes!
On my first visit to Saratoga Springs in southern Death Valley National Park back in 2008, we saw the Ibex…
Adventuring up 20 Mule Team Canyon
A few weeks ago, I talked about exploring around 20 Mule Team Scenic Drive in Death Valley National Park. Well,…
An Off-trail Hike up Coffin Peak
There’s nothing quite like climbing Coffin Peak in the Black Mountains of Death Valley to see the Funeral Mountains. That’s…
Best Day Hikes in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley is a land of extremes – incredibly dry desert, mountains, bristlecone forests, cacti, sand dunes, wildflowers, canyons, old…
Death Valley Oasis at Darwin Falls!
A perennial waterfall? In Death Valley? You’ve got to be kidding! But really – blazing hot summer, parched autumn, or…
Death Valley Road Trip Hiking Itineraries!
Death Valley is a spectacular area to spend a few days in the desert! The park is big enough to…
Death Valley Views from Wildrose Peak!
There are a few great things about climbing Wildrose Peak in Death Valley National Park: 1) You get a great…
Death Valley’s Hole in the Rock Spring
On our way down into the valley from Daylight Peak last fall, I stopped at the Corkscrew Peak Viewpoint to…
Drive or Hike Hole in the Wall Road
If you’re looking for a non-traditional hike (or a nice, non-technical 4×4 ride) in the main part of Death Valley…
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
How to Visit the Golden Gate for Less
For several years I’ve wanted to go to San Francisco, just so we could walk across the great Golden Gate…
Hoover Wilderness
20 Lakes Basin Loop from Saddlebag Lake
The 20 Lakes Basin Loop above Saddlebag Lake just outside of Yosemite National Park along the Tioga Road is a…
Hiking the Virginia Lakes to K19 Viewpoint
The Virginia Lakes! They are beautiful, especially early in the season when they are surrounded by snow. But at any…
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Hiking the Virginia Lakes to K19 Viewpoint
The Virginia Lakes! They are beautiful, especially early in the season when they are surrounded by snow. But at any…
Inyo National Forest
20 Lakes Basin Loop from Saddlebag Lake
The 20 Lakes Basin Loop above Saddlebag Lake just outside of Yosemite National Park along the Tioga Road is a…
Lakes & Peaks: Duck Pass
If you can do one trail near Mammoth Lakes, CA, Duck Pass certainly should rank high on your list of…
Mono Pass: Totally Beautiful!
There are two Mono Passes in California, and they happen to be only about 40 miles apart. I’m sure the…
Spectacular Sierra Views from Piute Pass
Piute Pass was one of my favorite trails in the High Sierra. (A few of the other contenders were Saddlebag…
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Climbing the Cinder Cone in Lassen
There are certain trails in certain parks that you return to, whenever you happen to be in the area. Such…
Walk into a Volcano at the Lassen Cinder Cone!
Today I’d like to talk about one of my favorite attractions at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Admittedly, it’s not very…
Lava Beds National Monument
Exploring the Big Crack in Lava Beds
How about a little bit of adventuring? It’s awesome to follow trails, but every once in a while, it’s also…
Lava Beds Cave Loop – Explore!
Who would be crazy enough to visit the lowlands of Northern California in the middle of July? Someone who really…
Spatter Cone Fascination at the Fleener Chimneys
Where to go if you want a picnic supper in Lava Beds National Monument? While there are a few picnic…
The Best Hikes & Caves in Lava Beds National Monument!
When I visit Lava Beds National Monument, it’s so that I can spend a day of exploring caves. These are…
Walk Through Lava Caves at Lava Beds
For a class I took, the students were told that they’d just met a space alien who told us that…
Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument
Hiking Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument
If there is a more beautiful place on the California coast than Point Arena-Stornetta National Monument, I can’t imagine what…
Point Arena Lighthouse Overlook
I’ll admit it, I didn’t pay to see the Point Arena Lighthouse. I’m sure it cool, but I didn’t feel…
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes – Lighthouse Trail and Chimney Rock
It’s been said that Point Reyes is the second foggiest place in North America – the foggiest being somewhere in…
Redwood National Park
Early Morning at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove
I’ve visited the Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwood National Park twice – once on my first visit to the…
Exploring Fern Canyon
In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, there is a very famous trail known as Fern Canyon. It’s so popular, in…
High Bluff Overlook in Redwood National Park
While we’re on the topic of things hiding in the clouds and mist (last week I talked about hiking to…
Visiting Redwood’s WWII-era Klamath River Radar Station
Back in 1999, on my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, we stopped in Redwood National Park. In general, I…
San Francisco
How to Visit the Golden Gate for Less
For several years I’ve wanted to go to San Francisco, just so we could walk across the great Golden Gate…
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Beautiful Swimming Hole at Lake Siskiyou
I’m sitting here at my computer desk, and on the wall is one of those analog calendars; the kind with…
Brewer Creek Trail to Butte 9000
I’m convinced that most of Mt. Shasta’s trails aren’t trails at all, but rather routes that more or less might…
Early Morning at the Mt. Shasta Horse Camp
The Horse Camp on Mt. Shasta is quite the destination. The views are very nice, but beyond the fact that…
Finishing the Butte 9000 Loop High on Mt. Shasta
Last week, we talked about taking the Brewer Creek Trail, then continuing up a social trail to Butte 9000 high…
High on the side of Mt. Shasta: Green Butte
I love top-of-the-world feelings. When you’re high up above everything else around you, it gives you a feeling of being…
Spectacular Hidden Valley on Mt. Shasta
There may be no other trail in the US quite like the one to Hidden Valley, high on the side…
Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark
Trona Pinnacles: Spires Galore!
West of Death Valley National Park and east of the town of Ridgecrest, the Trona Pinnacles National Landmark is a…
Yosemite National Park
A Shorter Path to Sentinel Dome
Sentinel Dome is one of my favorite places in Yosemite to view Yosemite Falls. You’re above the falls, but across…
Best Easiest-To-Get-To View in Yosemite
Many people will tell you that the very best view of Yosemite Valley is from Tunnel View. Others claim it’s…
Best View in Yosemite: Artist Point
I’ve always though of two things when I hear the word “Yosemite”: lots of crowds, and waterfalls. However, in my…
Climbing Pothole Dome – Easy Yosemite Hike
If you’re looking for a short little hike in Yosemite with terrific views – and a slight sense of adventure…
Early Season Hiking to Clouds Rest – and Yosemite’s Best
Turn left at the stream that looks like a trail. Then, turn right at the trail that looks like a…
Hiking Artist Point via the Old Carriage Road
I hiked Artist Point about 7 years ago. The view was spectacular, like nothing else in the world, and so…
Hiking the Virginia Lakes to K19 Viewpoint
The Virginia Lakes! They are beautiful, especially early in the season when they are surrounded by snow. But at any…
Indian Rock: Day Hiking Yosemite’s Only Arch
On our recent visit to Yosemite, there were a few “must do” hikes on my list along the Tioga Road,…
Spectacular Views from North Dome
Last week I posted about hiking to Indian Rock, which happens to be Yosemite National Park’s “only” arch. Not so…