2025 Jun 3: Wawona Point (5 of 5)…read more Elevation Range: 5,093' - 6,805' (source: trail site) Estimated Time: 4 hours Round Trip: 8.04 (from where we parked: return) Difficulty: Moderate Our Hike Route: Back way to the Perimeter Trail towards Mariposa Grove, and up to Wawona Point To appreciate beauty, one must always accept some ugliness. Though The Sierra National Forest opens up its beauty to us, there are things we noticed that may have been scarred by either humans or from forest fires. The start of our trail was level and easy. The trail, in all its glory, boasts of its natural state: mountainous, rocky, uneven, and some elevation changes. We started early, but not early enough to make the 8-hour hike up and down. The lovely morning sun that offered us warmth, comfort and energy began to beat down on our backs as the sun's rays turned hot. Most of the trails were exposed and open, except for a few shady spots. (Note: Dress in layers, and bring plenty of water and a light snack.) Along the way, we had the pleasure of seeing a deer family enjoy the food that nature spread out for them, and gray squirrels hopping from one rock to another. Even the majestic trees that graced the forest floor that was burnt inside-out presented themselves in a beautiful light. The birds were our guides: singing and chirping as we hiked. The sad moment was seeing graffiti on tree trunks and rocks, and trash that humans left behind. We didn't bring a big bag this time, so we could not pick up all the trash that we noticed on the ground. The incredible moment was when we noticed volunteers cutting, shaping and clearing the shrubs along the way. We stopped to thank everyone of them. Miguel, one of the volunteers allowed me to take a snapshot of him. Four hours later, on the way down, the volunteers were still hard at work. Our appreciation for them went up tenfold. We were also surprised and grateful that the toilets were clean. Wawona Meadow greeted us with a panoramic viewpoint of Yosemite National Park. The stunning views of Wawona Meadow and Wawona Dome was a sight to behold on this clear sunny day. I think this is a hike worth doing.

They have a "Free Lifetime Pass" card for military members with service-connected disabilities…read more Others with disabilities may receive this great benefit as well. The card provides free access to all National Parks and 50% off for parking, boat launching and camping too! Just bring in I.D. and appropriate documentation. For questions, I highly recommend calling in advance. Ask for Jamie, who is one of the ladies at the front desk. She is quite helpful and kind. Overall, the office has lots of great info for National parks and great activities like skiing, hiking, camping, fishing and all things wilderness. They also have a plethora of maps, booklets, handouts, guides and related information. I was even tempted to buy their "Smoky the Bear" stuffed animal. I remember his slogan from my childhood, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."

This rest stop is so stinkin cool!! The sign in the middle helps you figure out the next trails you…read moreshould take and was super helpful on a long bike ride! With a water station, porta-potty, benches, and plenty of shade, I recommend stopping by!!

Where : this place is tricky to find but it's behind the Clovis fire department Station 3 at the…read morecorner of Minewawa and Villa but, Villa ( if you are going from south ) it turns to Minewawa so instead of keep going , if you see the fire department, turn right immediately and the parking lot will be on your right. It's easy to miss since it's a very small parking lot ( enough for 5 - 6 cars). There's a potter potty there and a picnic table and some signage. You can park your car here and take the Dry Creek Trail to Cottonwood Park which is only 1/2 mile , or go a little further and hit Dry Creek Park and the Clovis Botanical Garden or , all the way to the other trailhead which is the metal horse statue (Sunnyside and Shepherd). There are mile markers along the trail so you know how far you walked from the trailhead. Nicely paved trail good for strollers too. Good walking and running trail.

Sunday afternoon with the grandkids called for a walk out on a trail. We love the many trails right…read morein our backyard and feel blessed to have them available. We decided to drive to the public parking lot close to the Clovis Rodeo grounds and park, take out the stroller and the toddler bike, and get moving. We picked up a few large pine cones to take home for fall crafting and took a few pictures near the beautiful tall pine trees.

This is a very pleasant trail to take a jog or walk or perhaps take a bike ride. The trail runs…read moreright beside one of the main roads in downtown, Clovis. Along the way, you will see various memorials and statues about events in the town. Look out for the cowboy as well as the memorial statues near the veterans District office. I had an opportunity to talk to a nice lady who coordinates this trail. She explained that they watch it very carefully to make sure it's safe and they try to make sure the trash is all removed. The day that I was here the trail seem to be in fine condition. It turns out the trail goes right behind the Comfort Suites, which is where I stayed today. You just walk out the back door of the hotel and you are on the trail! It's easy to see what is so special about Clovis. This is a really nice place to visit and probably an even better place to live!

February 25, 2020 Tuesday…read more Dry creek trailhead is at the southwest corner of Shepherd and Sunnyside. There's a parking lot ( free ) that can fit about 50 cars , clean restrooms , a windmill and a metal horse statue. Cross the street heading east and you'll find a trail. It's along a canal that's home to Canada Goose, ducks , mallards , coots , etc. I saw at least a dozen Canada Goose gracefully floating , ducking their heads under, chasing each other , taking naps under the warm sunlight. When I first got to the trail, I heard loud screeching sounds that sounded like eagles or owls. I had seen an owl here before but when I looked up with my binoculars , there was this huge beautiful Red-tailed hawk . He was screeching so loud and when I looked up at the sky , there was another red-tailed. I think he was trying to mate her. Ahhhh those raptor were so gorgeous. They were too far and couldn't get good pics but filmed their calling sounds. There was a construction going on after about half a mile and there was so much noise and dust , plus most likely there won't be any critters with all that's going on , so I turned around. The trail takes you all the way to the water basin where you can spot the migratory birds . There's huge mansions along the trail , pretty flowers and blossoms , you might spot an own or two or hawks along the way. From the parking lot , if you head south , there's another section of the trail and this one takes you all the way to the Dry Creek Park and there's a botanical gardens next to the park ( Clovis Botanical Gardens ) free admission. I like both sections of the trail . If you wanna see lots of birds go East from the parking lot.

Very nice walk. Mostly shaded. Benches along the way. Feels like being out in nature until you get…read moreto the main roads. Alot of interesting things to see. Start of trail has restrooms, tables, bike racks, and plenty of parking.

An excellent place to volunteer!…read more This is a review of Coexist with Wildlife Day, which was awesome: a bio blitz, some volunteer work and tacos from a food truck with a band. Also free Otter Pops!

I really enjoyed visiting the River Pky. We gathered for a meeting and for some attendees, it was…read moretheir first visit and the atmosphere was amazing for all. I have been back just to enjoy the grounds. So pretty!

Great experience as usual! Even with lower than idea water flow, still had a good time.read more

THE ABSOLUTE WORST RAFTING COMPANY IN THE STATE of California! Super UNSAFE in a multitude of ways…read more Staff is awful. There is bad stuff going on after hours between the leadership on site and the staff members in keeping pecking order and favorites which bleeds into the actual running of things day & day out. Food isn't kept at proper temperatures & stored properly. The road trip up and down in the bus is just unbelievably allowed to be used despite its requiring people to get all on one side of the bus to keep the bus from tilting in a bad way to get to the need places. I lost my ACL due to being rushed to hurry while disbarking with the many seasons with this company bus driver who lives in his van year around at the ski company up in Mammoth and at this lame place. The couple who managed this location the woman is dark energy big time. Like really yucky fake while piercing looking at people like she has a bug she is killing and power tripping to the max. The worst experience I have ever had in my life was my five days with this staff at their Miramonte, CA location on the Kings River. Be Warned!!!

Pani was our guide for our visit to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in June of 2025. It was…read moreour first visit to the area, and we wanted a guide to help us experience the parks in the most fun and educational way, so we could get the most out of our time. Pani was incredibly communicative and was flexible with us when we decided to split our visit across two days instead of just one. Pani was easy to talk with, knowledgeable about the parks, and passionate about the history and ecology. We learned so much on our adventure, and Pani was always willing to take pics for us everywhere we went. Thank you Pani for making our vacation so special and memorable!

An awesome family tour of Sequoia National Park enriched with an excellent tour guide, Pani of…read moremountain trekking adventures! We all learned so much about the history and geology of this vast Park. Having a knowledgeable tour guide really eliminates any stress of searching for features you want to see! Our party of 10 agreed we had the best park trip ever with Pani guiding us through the exceptional features of Sequoia national park. We are spoiled now and highly recommend mountain trekking adventures for anyone going to the Sequoia national Park or Kings Canyon national parks.

Raptor walk trail along the south side of the King's River is amazing! You'll see egrets, herons,…read moreducks, turkeys and many more. Nice benches to sit on and relax at the riverside.

If you're visiting Sequoia, book the Big Trees Telescope Tour with Scott. It was one of the…read morehighlights of our trip. Scott is a former park ranger, and his knowledge is incredible. He shared fascinating stories and facts about the park (including black bears!), and you can tell he genuinely loves what he does. He's kind, patient, and made the whole experience feel personal and special. The telescope tour was amazing -- seeing the planets under Sequoia's dark skies was unforgettable. He explained everything in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. His company may be new, but it won't stay a hidden gem for long. Highly recommend.

I had the pleasure of two private tours with Scott, one focused on hiking in the Sequoias and one…read morefocused on his astronomy tours. Both experiences far exceeded what I thought we were going to experience! On the hike, Scott was so knowledgeable about the park, its history, the trees, and the unique facts + areas that most don't know about. We also booked a photography session with him that was the PERFECT way to capture our time there! We'll be framing a few of the shots for our home. We also had the astronomy tour at night, where Scott walked us through the different constellations in the sky and the varying origin stories for them - from Greek, to Roman, to Viking. It was so mind-blowing to really stare at the stars and learn their stories. Thank you, Scott, for such a great first experience out in Sequoia National Park!! We can't wait to come back.