Smaller falls near cedar grove visitor center, limited parking space, short and unpaved walk to the…read morefalls. You can get closer to the falls and even soak in the water, just be careful as there are rocks around them

On Memorial weekend, we took a trip from the Bay to Red Rock Canyon State Park and on the way back…read moreto stop by Tunnel Log of Sequoia State Park but it was too busy, the road was practically blocked with visitors, so we went to Grizzly Falls Picnic Area instead to view the magnificent nature falls. The winding road took us there was quite beautiful, rock formation on the side of the road, the roaring rivers on the side are quite wonderful to look at. The park ranger at the gate was so helpful and pleasant, made our long trip less tiring but exciting. The cost to visit all the beautiful parks in California was so inexpensive and the parks are really well kept, the restrooms are quite clean. The roads are smooth. We were lazy to put gas from Mojave and we're still had some gas left on top of the falls, but there aren't any gas stations for 50 miles. Luckily, it was downhills on the way down, we had enough gas to get to the gas station. Make sure you have enough gas or electricity on EV if you go to the Grizzly Falls Picnic Area. Anyhow, it was worth it to drive all these miles and winding roads to see the beauties of California.

One Effn winding road (180) to get to Zumwalt Meadow and it's not only winding ( if you get car…read moresick , this road might be tough ) the road is on the edge of the cliff most of the time. Why is it worth the drive ? Cuz it's simply beautiful and way less crowded than Yosemite. Depends on the time of the year we have this place all to ourselves. Even though 180 is winding, the views of the mountains and the Kings River from this part of the road is spectacular. Just a few more miles further from Zumwalt , you'll find the trailhead to the Mist Falls Trail ( not to be mistaken from Mist Trail in Yosemite).

There is a trail along the river all the way to Muir Road at the Road's End. It's an easy to medium…read morehike. We passed by bridges, giant rocks and a beautiful meadow. The meadow itself is magnificent with grass field and hills. Half of the trail was not shaded, so be prepared to get some radiation shields (SPF, hats and sunglasses)

Parking at Crescent Meadow Picnic Area, started at Crescent Meadow Trail, walk around the meadow,…read morethen headed to Chimney Tree (burned tree, hollow inside) and continue hike to Tharp's Log (fallen giant log as a cabin). The cabin was chained up, you can't get into it, we just took photo at the entrance of the cabin.

I felt like I was inside a Windows Screensaver! Absolutely mesmerizing. Pictures don't do it…read morejustice. Lots of trails and different walkways to take. We went early in the morning and caught a momma bear with her two cubs. We found a tree that was hallow on the inside and it quickly became my boys favorite part of the trail. As for me, the meadow was the best part, magnificent. We also saw deer. Highly recommend to get there early if you're hoping to catch any wildlife.

This was a great spot to watch the sunset! I didn't think we were going to make it on time or if…read morethere was going to be a sunset with the overcast weather we had been having. Our hostess who organized the volunteer event suggested we go to Sunset Rock to watch the sunset. I was hesitant to go after a long day of pulling invasive weeds in the sun and having hip issues. I was told it was only a mile. So I thought it was the area we cleaned up the other day and thought it was an easy walk. Well it turned out it was not the viewing rock I thought it was. Although I was very tired and a little bit in pain and still adjusting to the elevation, the hike was worth it! The sunset that day was stunning with different patterns of sunset colors. I messaged the hostess the other night and she said she plans to do it on our next volunteer project next month in August. I told her I was looking forward to it. The hike to the rock is a beautiful walk, with plenty of native plants to admire. I would rate it an easy to medium. Bring a head lamp or some type of lighting if hiking for the sunset. There are areas with a slight incline looks easy enough but if you haven't adjusted to the elevation it can be difficult. Well worth the hike, and swinging at mosquitos. Bring bug spray. The boulder is huge, bring a picnic, and remember to pack your trash out. There is no fencing so watch your step and any little ones, this is a serious fall. The views are breath taking, and at the golden hour we turned around and the lighting on the mountains and trees were an extra treat! Don't forget to look all around you.

This was a perfect short and sweet hike, on a very well marked trail in the Winter…read more Most of the trails were completely snowed in so we had a tough time snow shoeing in the area. We stopped off to ask a Ranger at the museum in front of the Sentinel tree, for some options since we'd rented snow shoes and really wanted to find some trails instead of wander around following bear tracks in the snow (which is fun too, but I wanted to see some actual trails). This was one he suggested as it was literally right across the road. It was a very easy and enjoyable hike. We were completely alone, most of our time in the park while attempting to find trails which made the experience different than high trafficked trails in national parks during Spring, Summer and Fall. We had this place to ourselves and it was incredible and a tad bit odd at times. I wondered where everyone was. We were to Sunset Rock in no time. I'd like to say out and back in around an hour or less and that was trekking through tons of snow and stopping at the rock for a bit once there. Once to the rock, which had visible patches showing through we took in the views. This was a very serene and peaceful trail in February. It wasn't strenuous at all so I'd definitely recommend it for all athletic abilities and ages. Will be nice to see it again in the Summer, sans the snow.

Not going to lie, this hike unexpectedly really beat me up. I intended to do the entire loop but…read morewas just so exhausted/overwhelmed when I woke up that I ended up turning back, although I took a different way back. I only made it to Lake 3 but to be fair, it started heavily pouring with intermittent thunder and lightning. The elevation gain destroyed me with my 20+ pound backpack, but I eventually made it to Lake 3 where I joined 2 other girls who basically adopted my clueless self. It is beautiful but perhaps would have been better without the cloudy skies. Overall, I would do this trip again but with more training!!

The Cottonwood Lakes are a series of 5 lakes in the high Eastern Sierra Nevada at about 11,000'…read moreelevation where you can catch California golden trout. This is a great place to camp out if you are looking for a place to acclimate before doing a high altitude hike such as Whitney. For convenience, you can just camp out at the trailhead which is at 10,000'. It takes about an hour to get from the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead to the Whitney Portal. I arrived here on July 3rd in the afternoon and spent one night and the following day fishing and hiking the area as a warmup to Whitney, which I was hiking on July 5th. Ultimately, I did not have any altitude sickness issues beyond a very mild headache which I could treat with ibuprofen. From the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead, the Cottonwood Lakes are about 5.5 miles away, so 11 miles roundtrip. Cottonwood Lake #3 is the largest of the five, and I ended up catching all my trout here. However, I didn't spend much time, if any, at the other lakes due to time constraints. I caught 4 trout in about an hour and a half. It's a very beautiful area, with large open meadows and lots of wildlife. I saw a deer and a pair of coyote while hiking to the lakes. There are also hordes of mosquitos so be sure to bring powerful mosquito repellant. Cottonwood Lakes can also be the midpoint in a hike to Mt. Langley, but that's another review.

Very unique experience and a nice change from the usual touristy-ness of Sequoia National Park…read more The hike is around 11 miles with views of The Great Western Divide that follows the trail. The trail itself is flat most of the way except for the short climb at the end. Because the camp provides the tent, bedding, and food, you won't need to carry those items in your backpack. Upon arrival of the camp, you will be greeted by the friendly staff, hot showers, and working toilet! The view from camp is spectacular! Breakfasts and dinners are cooked from scratch by the staff and is served family style. It's not the camping style food you would think but rather a nice home cooked meal that is delicious! My boyfriend and I were only able to book one night, but it would have been preferred to stay to so that we have a day to relax and explore. We will definitely come back in the future. It's a nice way to experience nature yet still have the comfortable amenities we have at home.

Getting to this camp site is not for the weak minded. It's a long and hard trek up but very…read morerewarding with views, creeks, and even lots of green shaded parts of the trail. Mosquitos are extremely bad in the summer so if these little suckers like your blood type, be warned that nothing else besides deer will work here. Leave the citronella and lemon eucalyptus spray at home. Built in the 1930's, when the High Sierra Trail was chartered, it has always been a place where outdoor enthusiasts can take a load off. This again is for hikers, backpackers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Meaning that the accommodations here are just a step up from camping and a luxury this high up the mountain. Something to be grateful for, so leave expectations back at crescent meadow and enjoy the simplicity yet great effort to keep this camp going. The kids that work the site are usually college students who are very cool and really enjoy their summer gig. Enjoy chatting with and getting to know them. They will sell snacks to anyone such as candy bars, chips, brownies, coffee and refreshments to passersby, and yes backpackers, they sell ice cold BEER which you can stay and enjoy as long as you'd like. The gourmet meals are reserved for those who are staying in a tent there. If you do not have reservations, and their overflow tent is free, you can rent it for $275 per night and you can stay as long as you can afford to. The cool happy kids will cook you delicious meals as long as you are living with them. This camp is one of the highlights of this trail.

We camped at outpost and trail camp for it to be more scenic overall it was very fun. And it's not…read morea steep trail overall at all. The normal Mount Whitney trail is 22 miles round trip 6000 feet of gain and the mountaineers is the same gain but in 8 miles

Marvelous experience! Truly deserving of its title Tallest Peak in the Contiguous US. We went the…read morelonger 45-mi route from Cottonwood Pass, which took us 3 days 2 nights. Camped 1st night in the forest by a creek, 2nd night by Guitar Lake. Lots of privacy throughout this ordeal. Each day we passed about 10 ppl each. Heard cows mooing. Saw pikas, marmots, chipmunks, and fighter jets. Mesmerizing night sky completely blanketed with stars. Tough altitude experience. Lightheadedness and windedness from AMS will kick your butt. Better train beforehand by hiking shorter mountains such as San Gorgonio (11.5k', tallest peak in SoCal). Many people camp at least one night somewhere along the trail to help acclimate/acclimatize to the lower air density overnight. Turns out the hut at the summit (14.5k') will protect you from lightning. You will definitely need a water filter. Don't wanna lug 5 L of water for 20+ miles. Refill your bottles at creeks and lakes.

Drove by so many times never got there, I didn't know this place exists,…read moreBeautiful, check it out, easy access and lots of parking.

Majestic falls accessible to all. If you're in Lone Pine, just take Whitney Portal Road 'til it…read moreends in a campsite (which is also the trailhead if you plan to hike Mount Whitney) and there's the waterfall to the right. We parked in one of the many available spots and were able to just walk up along the waterfall to get a closer look. It was really beautiful, surrounded by tall evergreens. Just needed a bear fishing, off to the side, to complete the National Geographic cover. Seemed like the trees along the water had cement to resemble bark, which I noticed while trying to steady myself standing on one of the boulders taking pictures. I've seen pictures of the falls frozen over in the winter, so hopefully I can make it up here again before the close off the road near the end of the year.