Fresno Flats, Oakhurst: 2025 Dec 20 (5 of 5) Community…read moreHoliday Fair & Market In the little town of Oakhurst, where people are few but hearts are big, I noticed the folks here try and support each other in the little things they do. Today, a community holiday fair was held at Fresno Flats. I joined the lucky folks and did a walk-about. Holiday music fills the air on this gorgeous morning, while animals made their debut. I made friends with a couple of goats - actually, it was mama and her kid. As her kid nuzzled up to visitors and chewed on some treats, mama stood guard. I even managed to pet the kid and persuade it to eat out of my hand. Present were two food trucks. Chef Yuji and his lovely wife, Veronique are known to everyone in this little town. Their food truck emblazoned with Matsumoto Samurai's Kitchen parked in its usual spot, offering several Japanese delights to choose from. Their sushi is always fresh and delicious. The chefs take pride in what they serve. Of course, I couldn't walk away without getting my favourite. Poki Bowl: fresh tuna and salmon over sushi rice and two sides. I stopped by a stall manned by Stacy (she gave me permission to take her photo and post it on social media). Stacy said she makes all the natural products herself: soaps, candles, lip gloss, etc. The items looked clean and well packaged. I think they're perfect as stocking stuffers, or just a sweet gift to someone special. It looks like everyone there was having a lovely time: children dressed up and playing in the park, while adults chatted under the tent. There were folks in period costumes handing out candy canes, even Santa was on hand to 'ho-ho-ho' his way. Overall, this is a lovely place to spend a few hours.

What a fun place! Many relocated structure are on this property. Look for their monthly craft…read morefair/open houses. The museum is now open. Learn about mountain living in days of yore

We were staying in Oakhurst with some friends over the weekend. After spending a long day in…read moreYosemite Valley the previous day, I wanted to do some more hiking and found this trail less than 10 minutes away. I started at the trailhead near Corlieu Falls, went north towards Red Rock Falls. It was a beautiful hike with some varied terrain going slightly uphill for parts of it. The fall foliage was beautiful, and it was nice to hear the running water all along the way. There is occasional highway noise since this runs parallel to the main road, but I didn't mind it. Went at 730a and didn't see another person for about two hours. Red Rock Falls was peaceful and beautiful. I crossed the stream a bit clumsily and ended up with wet feet, but it was worth it for the photos. I made my way back. Corlieu Falls had a good amount of debris around it, including part of a bridge. Round trip was less than 4 miles, and I got back in time for brunch.

A nice and easy walk but make sure to bring water and sunscreen because it gets HOT and there are a…read morelot of areas on this trail that are not shaded so you're just getting beat down by the hot sun. Unfortunately, we had two small kids with us in tow so we didn't make it too far on the trail but I hear there are some nice waterfalls as a visual treat if you finish the trail. The trail itself had some slopes and elevations but nothing too crazy. There isn't a lot of parking available in the designated lot - we were lucky to grab a spot as someone was leaving right when we pulled up, otherwise I don't know where one would park to easily get to the trail head.

This was a GREAT hike on our way to Yosemite. It's about a 6 mile hike, not that steap but there's…read morestill quite a grade to go up. We brought our foldable lounge chairs and some snacks to relax half way, but the end in order to get to the falls you literally gotta climb so that was the biggest challenge. It was worth it though! Once you're there you just don't want to leave at all. Once again, highly recommended! You could pretty much take photos for days!

Corlieu Falls, Sierra National Forest: 2025 Feb 17 (4 of 5)…read more Named after Charles Clifford Corlieu, an early pioneer of the region, the falls here are a prominent feature along Lewis Creek Trail. The walk took 3.8 miles. Though the hike is relatively short, the steep incline towards the ridge is not for the faint-hearted. Why 4 and not 5? There was graffiti along the rails which was a distraction for visitors. These are writing on a public surface without permission, and is considered vandalism and an eyesore. Accessible via Highway 41

We made it to Angel Falls! This place was easy to hike to…read moregood for kids too. The water is freezing and super clear. It was a hot day so we didn't mind taking a dip. The rocks are very slippery so please be careful. We had a chance to take a dip and dry off too. when in bass lake you need to make it to angel falls.

Great hike! This hike is relatively easy, almost 4 miles (3.8 according to my AppleWatch), it is an…read moreout-and-back trail. There are sooooo many great places to stop along the way and enjoy the water, one spot was the perfect little lagoon with a rope swing. It was slightly busy; hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners but everyone is very friendly and makes way for others. There is a bit of incline right when you start the trail but just hang in there because it is so worth it! Would absolutely do this again! NOTE: There is a small parking area just up the street from the trail head; it cost $10 and they only accept cash.

Miami Mountain Road: 4 Feb 2022…read more Location: Off Highway 41 Parking: Depending on how far you want to hike. You can either park at the entrance to Miami Mountain Road or drive further in. Description: The dirt road turns into partially paved road Distance: 4.78 Miles (you can go longer but we stopped due to sleek ice on the trail) Difficulty: Easy at the starting point but turned to moderate on our return trip History (taken from Sierra News): In the 1800's, old stage coaches used that trail as a short cut to Raymond. It was said that two men died and was buried on one plot across from each other. The two men - John Ruffin O'Neal and John Eldridge LaTouche were neighbours. Ruff ONeal: O'Neal's leg was pinned underneath a tree - it was pinned in such a way that he could not free himself. He was buried him where he was found. John LaTouche: LaTouche had a cabin near O'Neal. Loggers told him to leave his house where they were chopping down the trees. He owned the land and wouldn't leave. The loggers cut a huge tree which fell through the cabin and killed him. There was a large tree trunk that lay facing the gravesite - it may be possible that's the tree that struck LaTouche. We may never know. We first hiked Miami Mountain Road a month ago - after a heavy snowfall. The scenery around us was magnificent - white powder all around us. This could be a great place to snowshoe. Today, the place looked totally different from a month ago. The snow had melted - though splotches of snow can still be found. If you go around this time of the year, be aware of sleek ice. There are several trails - but we kept our hike to the left (6S14). About a mile from where we parked our car, to our right is the gravesite where the two men were buried. We continued down the trail but noticed signs posted to deter visitors. Braving ourselves, we continued a little further where several houses were situated on either side of the trail. The surrounding areas looked like something out of a horror movie - trees with roots struggling to entrap and pull you in... Perhaps John Ruffin O'Neal and John Eldridge LaTouche are continually stacking their claim on this land.

Yosemite Rivers is a small grocer as well as bait & tackle shop on the road to Bass Lake not far…read morefrom the western entrance to Yosemite National Park. We stopped in as our boys wanted to do a little fishing on our way out of the park. Our oldest son had a fishing pole and tackle box (a gift from his grand-dad) but was unable to set it up properly. We stopped in to buy some bait and see if we could get a little help with his pole. The owners were wonderful! They completely set it up for him while explaining everything as they went along. They gave him advice on what fish were in the lake, what bait to use and where (and where not) to fish. We felt bad only buying the bait and a few snacks, as they were so very nice to us. I highly recommend anyone passing through the area, stop in and give this worthy local shop some business. (My only regret is taking so long to post this review.)

Haven't been here since in a very long time! My family and I decided to bring it back and make it a…read morefamily tradition once again. It felt great coming back and camping for days. Living in the city can be crazy most of the time so packing up and driving to Yosemite is always a stress reliever but enjoying the beauty of nature and forgetting about the busy life is awesome! This place is beautiful and perfect for everyone!

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!

I cannot say enough about David and the two days he spent with us in the park. It was our first…read moretrip to Yosemite and David planned two great days that really gave us a feel for the incredible natural beauty that surrounds you in the Valley. While you can only see so much in two days, his skillful guiding made the most of that time covering the multiple waterfalls in the valley, the Sequoia Grove, Hatch Hatchy and many others. He is a self taught naturalist and gave us just the right mix of park history and insights into the floral and fauna. He also balanced our hiking so it was challenging enough to keep me interested but not to difficult that Thelma could not enjoy it as well. He was also terrific about assisting her through some of the more difficult and rocky sections so she was never uncomfortable. His planning was simply impeccable and more than worth every penny as we could never have enjoyed as much as we did on our own. There is just no substitute for having a professional guide a Dave was as professional as it gets. Simply cannot thank him enough and more highly recommend him to anyone who wants an extraordinary experience.

Perfect location for an impromptu photoshoot/nature time! The parking lot is located at the end of…read morea semi sketchy "share the road" road but is definitely worth the drive. There are a variety of trees here, large and small and there are several trails that you can enjoy. I really wouldn't consider this a hiking location but its great for taking a walk and pictures. NOTE: - the bathrooms here are sick... and also bring your own toilet paper (BYOTP). - No entrance/parking fee!

I wish I'd visited without snow. This is not a great snowy hike…read more My 15-year-old and I visited during snow season. Parked on the corner of 6S47Y and 6S90. Nice walk along the fire roads, but a bit long for the reward. By the time we reached the Shadow of the Giants National Recreational Trail the kid was bored. The recreational trail is hard to following with deep snow, and there's no real indication as to what you're going to see, except for tall trees of course. There's an outhouse bathroom a the beginning of the scenic loop, and I think I saw a picnic table. This would have been a lot more fun if we'd been able to drive to the scenic loop.

The family and I have been coming here since I was just a little kid…read moreLots of places for picnics, including larger areas with tables The larger areas with tables you do have to rent to utilize Otherwise $10 to park for the day, and the beaches are all yours As a reminder, all beach areas surrounding Bass Lake are for public use There was incorrect information regarding renting picnic areas and Beach Access Rentals as well There is no such thing as renting out any part of any beach area surrounding Bass Lake Beautiful vantage points here There are areas buoyed off for swimming ONLY which is great for you and the kids You are allowed to anchor your boat offshore as long as it is not in the swimming area as the sheriff will come by and ticket the boat All in all I love this place and we'll keep coming here

First, there is no cell phone reception so print directions…read more Second, you do need an SUV. This is not a joke. There is about two miles of serious dirt road with very uneven surfaces. Third, it is lovely and quiet (even in the summer on a weekend) and the trees are so majestic.

The road to get there is pretty rough. We should've taken my boyfriend's Subaru Outback which is a…read more4 wheel drive but took my Passat ( a sedan ) and we were pretty nervous about going up on this dirt road with lots of potholes and a stream crossing but we made it. I highly recommend driving either a pickup truck or SUV four wheel drive just to be on the safe side. But as a reminder, the road is very narrow, barely one car fits. I'd be nervous if there were cars coming from the other side but luckily we had no on coming traffic today. The stream and the waterfalls at Big Ed trail is really beautiful and just the whole area is peaceful and smells like pine trees and relaxing. There are several trails you can take like Chimney Tree Trail , Bull Buck Trail , etc... there's a campground by the stream also. Bull Buck tree is impressive, it's 2,700 years old and it's huge !!!! It's only a short 1/4 mile hike from the campground so it's worth seeing. Unfortunately after the 2017 fire in the area , the shadow of the giants trail is closed.