Three Rivers, California

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...

14,505ft above sea level, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, and a book end of the famous John Muir Trail – Mt. Whitney is a gem that every Californian should experience. Permits You will need a permit in order to do this hike. This is the parks service’s way of keeping crowds to...

Standing at 14,497 feet, Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. It’s a long arduous trip to the summit that begins with securing coveted permits and ends after six thousand feet of elevation gain from the starting point at Whitney Portal. Since you typically get one shot to s...

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...

Though you might not be able to travel far from home right now, just planning a trip can boost your mood and give you something to look forward to. One thing the pandemic has taught me is a greater appreciation for local adventure. It reminds me that some of the most exciting and beautiful parts ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 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...