Independence, California

Day 1: We arrived at the Lone Pine Visitors Center at the intersection of HWY 395 and HWY 136 just south of Lone Pine, CA. We issued ourselves our overnight permits to climb Mt. Whitney and picked up our Wag Bags. You can self issue yourself the free permit Nov. 2 through Apr 30. Climbing during ...

The Tuttle Creek Ashram is an abandoned stone building, "church" or place of enlightenment tucked away in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Sitting at an elevation around 8000 feet, construction on the beautiful building was first started in 1928. The building took 20 years of hard manual labor to fi...

Day one: After checking in with the park ranger and getting your required permits you will start your hike along a 1.8 mile stretch along the south fork of the Kings River. At this point, people typically go clockwise toward Paradise Valley but you can also go counterclockwise along Bubbs Creek. ...

The trailhead starts at Roads' End (the end of Hwy 180). Take the Bubbs Creek/Kanawyer Loop Trail and hike east. For the first three miles the trail is relatively flat through an open pine forest. Make sure to look up as there are some great views of the valley. The granite walls on both sides of...

The Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring River Falls Trail is a 4.1 mile hike in Kings Canyon National Park. You feel remote, even with a road nearby. The minimal elevation change makes this a scenic hike for all skill levels. Bring bug spray and wear long sleeve hiking clothing in August, as the bugs are ...

Mt. Langley sits four hours north of Los Angeles and is one of the easier 14ers to bag in California. Mt. Whitney absorbs most of the foot traffic, so enjoy the relative quiet and seclusion.The trailhead starts at Horseshoe Meadows/Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Campgrounds and meanders for 7.5 miles...

From Big Pine, you'll turn onto Crocker St. to head towards the mountains. Once you are about 11 miles down the road you will see a sign and a turnoff on the right for trailhead parking. That is where you are going to want to park if you are staying overnight but you can continue to where the roa...

The North Fork of Big Pine Creek is often cited as having the most unbelievable scenery reachable in a single day. And it's hard to disagree. The Big Pine Creek North Fork trail is just minutes outside of Big Pine off the 395. If going in the winter, access to the trailhead can be closed off, so...

The North Fork Big Pine Creek Trail offers some of the best high alpine scenery in the Sierras. As the peaks of the Palisades pierce the sky with its craggy span of summits you will find it is as picturesque and dramatic as any in California. Nestled beneath these giant peaks are the glacier scou...

You'll want an early start to this hike so consider camping in the park the night before. If you enter the park via CA-180 and follow it for a ways (passing Kings Canyon Visitor Center, Kings Canyon Lodge, and eventually the Cedar Grove Visitor Center) you'll come up to two campsites on the left-...

This hike starts from the Lodgepole area of Sequoia National Park. Parking is easy at the easternmost end of the paved road prior to entering the campground. From the south side, the trail starts off by crossing the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River to the north side. It then loosely follows the r...

It’s been called the crown jewel of the Sierra Nevada, the highlight of the entire 211-mile John Muir Trail. Whatever superlatives are used to describe it, Evolution Basin is undoubtedly one of the most incredible landscapes you’ll ever explore. There is a small catch, though: There is no easy ...

To get to the hike drive twenty miles west from the town of Bishop, California up Hwy 168 to South Lake. There are two parking lots  but make sure to get there early because later in the day it's harder to get a spot.  The trail starts from South Lake at an an elevation of 9,750 feet. Initially ...

The Treasure Lakes Trail is dog and kid friendly, just make sure all parties can handle the elevation gain. The scenery throughout the entire hike is amazing, and early in the summer, the creeks roar. The lake is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day. The trail is best used in the summer an...

Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a lake located near Bishop, California.

Directions The trailhead for Long Lake starts by South Lake outside Bishop, CA. You'll want to take Line Street, which is the 168, West out of Bishop. Approximately 14 miles up, you'll want to merge left towards South Lake. This junction is well-signed if you keep an eye out for it. Head th...