California

Disclaimer: Foothills Park requires proof of residence in Palo Alto or being accompanied by a resident of the city. Learn more here.Foothills Park is 2.7 miles west of 280 after exiting Page Mill. After exiting you take a short scenic drive up the hill and come to the park entrance on your right...

To get to the trail, park at the Millard Campground Trailhead parking lot, where you'll find plenty of parking. Follow the trail that leads away from the lot and past the Millard Campground. If necessary, you'll find bathrooms at the campground. Follow signs for Millard Falls as the trail veers r...

You can get to the Evolution Basin a variety of ways, but the easiest is through the Florence Lake Trailhead. Here, you can choose to either take the Florence Lake Ferry across the lake, or save $25 and hike the extra 4 miles around the lake. Personally, I would choose the ferry. About five mile...

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is located in Orick, CA about 50 miles North of Eureka, Ca and 25 miles South of Crescent City, CA. Take the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway exit off of Highway 101. Along this road there is a prairie where wild Roosevelt Elk can be spotted. They are wild so keep y...

Located deep within the Santa Cruz Mountains, Butano State Park boasts a large redwood canyon with many miles of hiking trails as well as campsites. This state park is one of the quietest and least visited parks on the peninsula making a perfect place to escape the hustle of the Bay Area Butano S...

The backbone trail was a vision that started in the 1980’s. It is a trail that stretches 65 Miles starting in Will Rodgers State Historic Park and ending at Thornhill Broome Beach. It has many entrance and exit points but it is anchored in the middle by the Coral Canyon Trail Head. The full trail...

The trail immediately begins to climb out of the campground on a well-graded incline. The next mile contains some climbing leading to a set of switchbacks. A long strenuous climb ensues until the 3200' elevation is reached. The trail then makes an easy southward traverse to the basin before resum...

Located right on Highway 101, the Damnation Creek Trail is one of the best trails in Redwood National and State Parks. What makes this trail so special is that the hiker gets to experience nearly all of the various ecosystems within the park in only a few short miles. The trail descends from an a...

Your adventure will start at the Brand Library parking lot. Walk behind the library towards the gated day use area and you will find the start of the trail on your right, Las Flores MTWY. The first half-mile rises over 500 feet to a plateau, equipped with benches, a park map and views of Griffit...

Located a short distance from US 395 near Mammoth/Yosemite Airport, Shepherd Hot Spring provides a great opportunity to relax while taking in spectacular views of the Eastern Sierras and surrounding area. After a hard day on the slopes or long day on the trail this hot spring provides a comforta...

Let’s just start this off by saying,  PREPARE FOR THE HEAT. Death Valley has the highest recorded temperature on earth at over 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you are planning to visit in the summer…be ready.  Luckily,  Artist’s Palette is not far from the parking the area and the saving grace of Ai...

It is said that "only the devil could play golf on such rough links." Just off Badwater Road you will find an immense field of eroded rock salt that bore small jagged spires in the Earth. What was once Lake Manly is now a surreal sight - one that makes you wonder what planet you are on. Devil's G...

Although this trip specifically describes how to get to Garnet Lake, there are several other pristine alpine lakes (Shadow Lake and Thousand Islands Lake) along this looped trail, only a few short miles away from each other, that are just as worthy if you have the time. A minimum of 3 days/2 nigh...

The Young Lakes trail starts from the Lembert Dome parking area and then winds up around 6 miles into the high country past alpine meadows and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Lower and Middle Young Lakes are beautiful, but you're going to want to push on to Upper Young Lake, where y...

Desolation Wilderness is just west of Lake Tahoe, a part of Eldorado National Forest. It's a very popular backpacking destination as the PCT and Tahoe Rim Trail both run through the area. There are what seems to be endless amounts of mountain lakes, creeks, and rivers that run through this area w...

Start at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead. You will need to arrive before 7:30AM or take the Shuttle from Mammoth Mountain. Start out by heading north on the John Muir Trail. You will pass Shadow Lake; walk around the south side of the lake for mountain views. Then, follow the trail up Shadow Creek u...