California Treks > Central
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park
Moro Rock Trail
Sequoia National Park
California
May 29th, 2022
Moro Rock Trail is an up-hill paved walkway located at the center of Sequoia National Park. The trail is short - just 1/2 mile out-and-back - but can be strenuous. You will climb 350 steps along the back of the rock to reach the summit! When you arrive at the top you are 6,725 feet above sea level! We visited on Memorial Day weekend and it was crowded, but was a relatively moderate climb overall (wasn't as hard as we thought it would be). With all the people going up and down, there is plenty of opportunity to rest and catch your breath!
Depending on the crowds (and how long you can stick around on top), the hike can take between 17 to 35 minutes to complete.
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Boyden Cavern
Kings Canyon National Park
California
May 28th, 2022
Boyden Cavern is located in Kings Canyon near Giant Sequoia National Monument. You will find it beneath the massive 2,000 foot high marble walls of Kings Gates. You can purchase tickets for a guided tour of the Cavern, and once inside you will find stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, pendants, shields, a cave bear formation, and a Christmas Tree formation! The 50-minute tour into the cave is suitable for all age groups, and be sure to take the "Adventure Return" through the creek that flows through it (bring a change of shoes).
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Mist Falls Hike
Kings Canyon National Park
California
May 27th, 2022
The Mist Falls Hike in Kings Canyon National Park is not to be missed, and it lives up to its name at the end - and endless stream of mist coming from the waterfall! We hiked 10.2 miles roundtrip from End of Road to the falls! The shower at the end was amazingly refreshing, and the views of Glacier-carved granite mountains is spectacular! Along the way we met a cute young bear cub, but since we didn't see mama anywhere we decided to high tail it out of the area! We also met a baby rattlesnake, a plethora of squirrels and many lizards doing pushups on rocks in the sun!
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Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains
Mono Lake
South Tufa Reserve
NEW! July 18th, 2023
Mono Lake is a majestic lake that covers over 60 square miles. It is believed to be more than 1 million years old, and is considered to be one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet which means that salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams over time. Freshwater evaporates from the lake each year and leaves the salts and minerals behind which makes the lake 2 1/2 times as salty as the Pacific Ocean and very alkaline. The Tufa Preserve protects the lakes inhabitants and the spectacular "tufa towers" that were formed when freshwater springs and alkaline lake water interacted leaving behind calcium-carbonate structures.
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Yosemite National Park and Surrounding Areas
Yosemite Valley
and the Merced River!
August 16th, 2020
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Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome and Taft Point!
August 15th, 2020
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Hiking Yosemite Valley, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point & Glacier Point
Vernal Falls and
Yosemite Valley Hike
February 14th, 2016
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Winter hike to Vernal Falls, with stops in Yosemite Valley and Happy Isles!
Carlon Falls
Stanislaus National Forest
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Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Mountains
Felton Covered Bridge
NEW! August 13th, 2023
The Felton Covered Bridge was built from 1892 to 1893 over the San Lorenzo River in the small town of Felton in the the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is one of eleven covered bridges in California and stands thirty-five feet high and is 80 feet long. It the tallest covered bridge in the United States. It was recognized as California Historical Landmark #583 in July of 1969. It stood as the only entry to Felton for 45 years. In 1937 it was retired from active service and became a pedestrian bridge in a local park. After suffering damage in the winter storms of 1982, it was restored to its original elegance in 1987 using native materials and local talent.
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