The only hike we really did at Death Valley NP. It's about 2-3 miles RT with some incline and a…read morelarge stretch of uncovered trail so bring sunscreen and plenty of water! There are some challenging climbing pieces through slot canyons and some parts where you have to decide what is actually the trail. Then the end it kind of abruptly has a rock wall so there's no 'viewpoint' at the end but the rock marbling and mosaic rocks along the way are very cool to see. We saw a lot of groups here doing like discussion circles so seems like a popular spot to walk a little in and hang out.

Beautiful dry hiking trail. Reminds me of Zion Narrows without the water. Some bottleneck boulder…read morescrambling from time to time. Arrows made of rocks point the way. Stay on trail. One guy had to be rescued by helicopter in the last year. Very dry terrain. Bring extra water. Limited shade. I suggest using the restroom at Stovepipe Wells first. No cell service. Better go near wintertime. Can be cold, so layer up. Summer can reach over 120°F. We hiked almost 4 mi for about 2 hr.

I've a bit of the wanderlust running through me, and it's getting stronger with each day passing…read more To try and negate some of this growing restlessness, I thought perhaps reviewing one of my past adventures would help to calm the stormy seas inside of me before I go insane. I have a dirty past. Quite literally. I am one of very few chicks that dug dirt and rocks from a very tender age (mind the bad pun). And they continue to excite me even after a decade away from school. There's hardly anything more exciting than hiking to gods know where for some geologic/paleontologic mindjob. Was that TMI? Oops, my bad. But, please, don't go anywhere! Allow me to share one of my fondest geology trips with you. I loved my majour in college. What's not to love about a study that allows you to spend more than half of your collegiate time outdoors, rain or shine? I was never much one for classroom settings. Don't let the geeky exterior fool you. I'm the type to bring a laptop out into the wild unknown to play my video games. ^_- Whoever said you can't have it all? All that's missing is a wonderful companion to share it all with. My Spring Fieldtrip assignment was to map Rainbow Basin, outside of Barstow, California. I believe the area we had to map was about 3 square miles, up and down peaks and in and out of valleys. 9 glorious days did we spend out there. Rainbow Basin is a gorgeous stretch of land. If you haven't been there yet, promise me you will. If only for a day. The best part is during sunset in the main valley. There's a specific point in the valley where you crest a rise and just sit there, waiting for the magickal moment where the sun dips just low enough in the sky to light up the cliff face where there's a huge syncline composed of various oxidized layers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Basin.JPG). These layers, composed of various different minerals, oxidized over time to produce different shades of colours - red, purple, yellow, green, blue... The beauty is when the sun lights up these different layers to give you the most amazing display of coloured rock ever. Hence, the name of the basin itself. I'm thinking of a road trip back there this summer to view this phenomenom once more; only this time, I'll be bringing a camera to document my memories. Will you join me? Bring your sleeping bag, but forget the tent. We'll snuggle under the summer stars together.

Beautiful place. Love the colors and formations. Geology is wonderful. Enjoyed the scenic drives as…read morethe valley walls get closer and closer as your car wanders through the basin. The road Is nicely graded that goes through a wash. Very epic, scenic panoramic views. Highly recommend spring, fall or winter times to visit as it can get hot!! We went in February, Not too far of a drive from Barstow or on the dirt road. We also hiked among the Mojave desert vegetation and enjoyed the Joshua trees. Think we got a glimpse of the lakebed with Goldstone. Great picture taking opportunities!

Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: Mammoth Lakes…read moreLength: 13 total miles Elevation Gain: 1,700 feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Skill Level: An overall elevation gain of about 1,700 feet makes this a challenging hike. Duration: 7 to 8 hours, though 2 days is preferable. Season: Late June through mid-October. Trailhead Elevation: 8,300 feet Top Elevation: 9,300 feet Other Uses: Equestrians and leashed dogs are welcome. Bikes are not allowed in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. In a region of exceptionally stunning lakes, Shadow and Ediza are two of the loveliest. Both harbor views of the Ritter Range that are among the finest mountain landscapes in the Sierra Nevada. Rolling through green meadows, conifer forests, and rocky outcrops, the trail rises by gradual degrees up the valley of Shadow Creek in view of Volcanic Ridge, to the left (south). Some stretches have been finessed through rocky benches by the vigorous application of picks, shovels, and maybe a surgical stick or two of dynamite. The best of company, frolicsome Shadow Creek entertains us with music and assorted pretty little tricks, including a very clever cascade around an island of polished granite

Ah-May-Zing! I…read moreheard about Lake Ediza last year while on my way to Garnet via Shadow Creek. Fortunately I had a chance to trek up to Ediza this year. I was told that between the split off from the JMT to go towards Garnet and Lake Ediza there was a piece of Heaven on Earth. Truly the scenery was enlightening. Shadow creek was booming (even in this drought). Like all the high elevation lakes it's quite a trek to get there but the payoff is well worth the pain. When we arrived there wasn't too many good camping spots. We had to go around the lake towards the southwest section and camped a little off the trail. If we had just gone a bit further crossing a small creek to the "island" we would have found an even better spot by the beach area under the cover of some trees. My advice: Get there early and grab a good spot. As beautiful as Lake Ediza is it can get busy. Not Thousand Island Lakes busy, but busy nonetheless.

Wow!! Just got back from a two night backpacking trip. I stood at lake one and lake two and it…read moredidn't disappoint. This is my third time here and first time as an overnight. I got to explore, fish, swim, relax, and wake up to an amazing view. This hike is hard especially with a 35-40lb backpack. Plenty of tent site if you got a permit.

Stayed couple days in mid-May at the Upper Sage campground and did the hike to the first two lakes…read more Due to snow, it's where most people turned around. It was the perfect distance for a nice day hike, at about 10 miles. Nice reward of picturesque lakes at the end, and you turn around head back. I went down to touch the water, but some people went swimming in the ice cold water! This was a very popular trail and seemed like everyone brought their dogs. Out of maybe 20 parties with dogs, 1 actually had it on a leash. I would recommend starting this hike early so you can grab a parking spot at the trailhead and avoid the heat.

I live here in Bakersfield for almost two years the fishing sucks even way up here in the kern…read moreriver I fished all the way up from the bridge all the way down from the river no fish I used flies and everything else and nothing. but the scenery is beautiful and dangerous at the same time really rocky if you want to catch fish try the kings river and upper kings there's lots of life in that river and wild life everywhere all year round up there take the 99 hwy to the 180 hwy it's a drive but worth it

LOVED IT ! Awesome spot right on the Kern River on your way to johnsondale and the trail of 100…read moreGiants

I can't believe I've lived in California my entire life and never visited the Sequoias until now…read more It was such an amazing experience. The weather was perfect, and the trails were incredible. This place is absolutely stunning. I hope to come back someday. 1/11/25

I decided to go see the Trailer of 100 Giants. It had signs. There was a $12.00 fee. They had an…read morearea where you can drop in the envelope. There are signs with descriptions in regards to the trees. Part of the trail was closed. Overall, it was great to see the sequoias. There also is a gift shop nearby with souvenirs and some snacks.

Easy 5 minute detour just past the Chevron and we find a little town gem here! Basically they are…read morecaverns carved from miners in the 1920s and people lived there til the 70s. From Highway 127, there's an unpaved road that leads past the cemetery next to Chevron. After the Cemetery, there's a small spot to park. A lot of the homes are locked (Probably cause of vandals, anyways it seems like the locals are taking care of this place), though you can look in through the windows. Apparently some people took refuge here in cave #7 from Charles Manson after they found that that they were targeted next by him. Nice place for some creative photo ops, but definitely a place to check when passing through!

Gayle and I took a morning walk through Dublin Gulch (past the cemetery) and enjoyed the various…read moreminer-carved caverns that also provided home spaces well into the 70s and beyond. It's an easy stroll, and I found peering into these abodes to be fascinating.

Super fun hike went after the rainy season and it was incredibly beautiful wildflowers everywhere…read morenot too many people on the trail a few dogs a few bikers lots of rushing water down in the valley very beautiful

Nice trail. Be wary of the psycho dude that owns the large log cabin style home near the parking…read morearea.

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.

Incredible waterfalls that are continuously overflowing. A group of friends, my husband, our…read moredaughter and I went here for camping this past weekend and had an incredible time exploring this gorgeous area. Not only was it peaceful and serene, but it was 20 degrees cooler than down the mountain where we had set up. We enjoyed every minute of it and plan on making a camping trip in this area.