HIKES

It wasn’t so long ago that there were only a few companies making backpacking meals and the selections they offered were pretty limited. Now you can go to a backpacking specialty store and find a lot of options. Not long ago I was at REI with my daughters and they browsed up and down the [...]

If you love Winter weather, Sequoia is one of the  best places to visit. One of the greatest things about snowshoeing & winter camping is that you rarely have to worry about running into other people. I like to take advantage of this time to hike trails that might otherwise be pretty heavily traveled in [...]

If your planning a hiking trip to the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite NP here are some great highlight videos that the National Park Service has put together. They showcase and describe a few of the most popular hikes for different ability or exertion levels. They are a fantastic resource. Watch a 4½-minute video about easy [...]

The Sierra Nevada range has so many beautiful little gems hidden within it, it’s really hard to choose where to spend your time. Here is one trip that begins in the Sequoia National Forest and you hike into the Golden Trout Wilderness. This trip has a great variety of terrain and amazing views.  If you [...]

This park is truly a  hidden gem within the greater Los Angeles area. Monrovia Canyon Park  is a great place to enjoy a small slice of nature so grab the kids or dog and enjoy this relaxing and beautiful hike… just don’t expect to find much solitude. The park is located at 1201 North Canyon [...]

If you’re looking for a nice little work out in the Los Angeles area with a great payoff at the end, here’s a hike for you. The Trail Canyon Trail hike is about a 4 mile out and back trip. It is a fairly modest uphill hike  most of the way out with some short [...]

Point Lobos State Reserve is often referred to as “the crown jewel of California’s state park system”. It attracts over 300,000 visitors each year…and for good reason. The scenery is absolutely stunning. If your interested in outdoor photography, this is definitely a place for you. I didn’t have my DSLR camera with me, but I sure wish I had. With [...]

Do you want to experience Yosemite in the summer without the crowds? Here is a beautiful, moderately strenuous 14 mile overnighter that will allow you to experience several glacial lakes at various stages of their life cycle. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the South Eastern region of Yosemite National Park near [...]

Devils Postpile National Monument is one of those places that had been on my list of MUST sees for a while. The internet search results for images of the Postpile are spectacular and that’s what really got me to put it up near the top of my list. The 798 acre National Monument was mainly [...]

“The Oak Canyon Nature Center is a 58 acre natural park nestled in the Ananheim Hills. A year round stream meanders through the park. Consisting of three adjoining canyons, four miles of hiking trails traverse one of the few remaining areas of oak woodland and coastal sage scrub in the area. Native wildlife makes the [...]