Miramonte, California

Kings Canyon National Park is often forgotten in the shadow of its more famous neighbor to the north, Yosemite National Park, but Gavin Heffernan shows us in his epic timelapse video that this place is a force to be reckoned with. Heffernan covered 1,353 square miles searching for the ideal vanta...

While less famous than its neighbor Yosemite, Sequoia National Park should not be overlooked. Jointly administered with Kings Canyon National Park since World War II, Sequoia stretches more than 630 square miles and features remote wilderness, pristine lakes and the largest tree in the world. Whi...

The Giant Sequoias and the views of King's Canyon. These are both a must-see if you're in California for any period of time! We drove down Friday night. It's about a five hour drive from us. We got in at 10:30pm or so and managed to snag the last site in the campground we were at. It was COLD, so...

The temptation to open with a John Muir quote is very strong.I'll resist.I hadn't spent much time in the Sequoias or Kings Canyon as a kid, most of my time was on the other side of the mountains. But when August/September rolls around I get an unbearable itch to get upwards. Somewhere I can get a...

We Have Landed on Mars Unsettling. That is the one word I often use to describe the Devil's Punchbowl. It's a landscape that seems like it shouldn't be where it is, reminiscent of extra-terrestrial terrain, and paradoxically both in the desert and in the mountains. Oh, and it's named Devil's Pun...

The winter California has needed for so long finally arrived this year. You can practically feel mother nature's sigh of relief as the rain and snow continue to pummel the state. Besides revitalizing California's snowpack, rivers, and lakes, the seemingly never-ending precipitation also results i...

Did you know that California is home to over 14 million acres of wilderness. You read that correctly. Over 14 million! Even the most driven explorer with all the time in the world couldn’t hike every trail in California in a single lifetime. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. If you’re able to ...

California’s highway 395, running from the Mojave desert to desolate Modoc County, is a hell of a road. As far as north-south highways go, the 395 is often forgotten. Everybody takes the photogenic Highway 1, or the painful-but-fast Interstate 5. But the 395 is a real state gem, offering 557 mile...

The John Muir Trail is 211 miles starting from Yosemite Valley and ending on the summit of Mt. Whitney traveling through the Sierra. There are many ways to hike this trail whether south bound, north bound, section hiking, entering or exiting on different points, your daily distance or what else ...

The Lost Coast is a 53-mile route along Northern California’s rugged coast, untouched by Highway 1. A 5 hour drive from San Francisco, the Lost Coast offers solitude, wildlife, and the sounds of ocean waves.  For 3 days we meandered along the coast, feeling the ocean breeze against our packs and ...

California is a big state, in fact, it is the third largest in the country. Most people associate California with movie stars, avocados, and tech. But for an adventurer, it is so much more. Head to the eastern side of the state and you will run into California’s crowning glory: the Sierra Nevada....

I remember my first backpacking trip in California like it was yesterday. I was working at a summer camp on Fallen Leaf Lake and my day-off crew decided to head up to Aloha Lake to spend the night at the “Waterfall Camp.” We made our way past several smaller alpine lakes, scrambled across giant g...

First things first, you need an epic road tripping rig, especially for bombing sand dunes and the unmaintained forest roads of Big Sur. We went with the awesome 4x4 Jeep from Pacific Overlander, complete with a rooftop tent. It was a beast! Day 1, Ventura: Kayaking Santa Cruz Island No visit to t...

Growing up with my mother in Portland, Oregon and my father working in Long Beach, California I had driven up and down the I-5 many times. I never really stopped to see things in between until now. On March 31, I decided to check out Castle Crags State Park. It was wonderful. I hiked the Crags T...

When it comes to natural beauty, accessibility, and ecological diversity, California may take the cake as the ultimate adventure destination. You'll find some of the most rugged mountains on the continent, pristine beaches, old-growth redwood forests, endless sand dunes, impossibly tall granite w...

It's winter, but here in Southern California you can still go camping without a winter coat. My girlfriend and I had a plan to go to Joshua Tree to celebrate the winter solstice. With the trip getting closer I looked at the weather in Joshua Tree and saw heavy winds forecasted for the times we pl...