Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir; undiscovered but stunning part of Yosemite!

Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir, looking east from trail on the north shore trail of the reservoir.

The trail along the north shore of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, looking back towards the dam.

The Hetch Hetchy Dam, started in 1919, completed in 1923 and further heightened in 1938, it now floods the valley and creates a reservoir that is 8 miles long, and up to 300 feet deep.

Hetch Hetchy Watershed at top, the much-more visited Yosemite Valley (to the south) at bottom of map.

The Hetch Hetchy Valley and free-flowing Tuolumne River, in the early 1900s, before the dam was approved.

A portion of the ferocious Rim Fire of a year ago, that burned vast swathes of forest in and around Yosemite Park; this view looking to the northeast, into the Tuolumne River drainage, with Hetch Hetchy in distance.

The old post office in Chinese Camp, part of a three block Gold Rush ghost town, right on Hwy. 120, on the way to Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valleys.

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the Tuolumne Valley are close cousins to the mighty Yosemite Valley, virtually undiscovered and almost equally stunning.  Hetch Hetchy is just 115 miles and a scenic day-tour from Stockton!

The Hetch Hetchy Valley was the scene of one of the most epic environmental battles 100 years ago, as John Muir, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups fought to keep this valley pristine and free of development.

Muir's exploration of both Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite, and writings in the influential Century Magazine, helped to get Yosemite National Park established in 1890. However, the much less-visited Hetch Hetchy Valley portion of the park remained in peril.

San Francisco had eyed the valley for extending its water supply since the 1890s and applied several times to the federal government for water rights but was denied. The huge San Francisco earthquake in 1906, when much of the city burned, underlined the city's need for more water and turned the political winds in the city’s favor.

In 1908, US Secretary of interior Garfield granted the city the rights to development of the Tuolumne River, provoking a multi-year environmental battle led by the Sierra Club and John Muir. Muir observed, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well damn for water tanks the peoples’ cathedrals and churches for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man".

In 1913, writing to Robert Johnson of Century Magazine, he pressed his argument, noting "The Hetch Hetchy Valley is a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite, not only in its sublime cliffs and waterfalls and it's peaceful river, but in the gardens, groves, meadows and campgrounds on its flowery park-like floor". He would continue to fight the city of San Francisco to his death in 1914.

Muir's writings are archived at the University of Pacific and can be read online at go.pacific.edu/specialcollections.

In 1913, the US Congress passed and President Wilson signed the Raker Act, which permitted the flooding of the valley. Muir died the following year, bitter to have lost the fight. Construction on the O’Shaughnessy Dam would begin in 1919 and end in 1923; it was further heightened in 1938 and now supplies water to almost 2.5 million San Franciscans.

What remains is a still stunning valley and pristine 8-mile long reservoir, nearly the equal of Yosemite Valley, and visitors have this part of the park almost unto themselves and can still appreciate the treasure that so stoked John Muir’s soul.

One can drive to the parking lot right beside the O'Shaughnessy Dam. Views from the dam are memorable, but hike a half-mile or several miles along the north side of the reservoir for the most indelible views.  Hetch Hetchy’s relatively low elevation makes for one of the central Sierra’s longest hiking seasons, but, check weather forecasts for winter trips.

Looking up the valley, on the right one sees the massive Kolana Rock, on the left, the Hetch Hetchy Dome. The view extends east, up the reservoir and through the Tuolumne Valley; serious hikers can continue even further east into the Tuolumne Meadows area. Hikers will find varied views both remarkable, and reminiscent of nearby Yosemite Valley.

Crossing the dam, our trail took us past the base of Tueeulala Falls, dry for lack of snowmelt, and to the base of Wapama Falls, surging mightily with early snow melt. It's about a 2 mile hike from the dam to Wapama Falls on an easy, well-maintained trail (note to self: return in April or May to admire these falls when more water is flowing!).

The discussion over water supplied to San Francisco, and ongoing battle over restoration of the valley by removing the dam, continues – but entering our fourth year of California drought, probably won't gain traction in the near-term. Until then, pack your binoculars and camera and set forth on a serious day tour, or longer!  If you are planning a longer trip to Yosemite in general, include a day to tour Hetch Hetchy!

One of the side benefits of such a trip is you pass through a couple of historic towns worth a stop. Chinese Camp is a true Gold Rush ghost town, right on Highway 120. Take the walk down the three block stretch of Main Street, with an old abandoned hotel, post office, merchant’s buildings, rooming house and homes slowly moldering away. Just up the hill on Main is the St. Francis Xavier Mission Church/cemetery, established in 1854.  You will find family plots and pioneer tombstones dating to the 1860s.

Groveland is closer to Hetch Hetchy, also on Hwy. 120, a quaint Gold Rush town catering to tourists with the historic Groveland Hotel, jail dating to 1854 and Groveland Pizza, on north edge of town, a fine family food stop.

Camp Mather and Mather Family Camp, just nine miles from Hetch Hetchy, offers a store, restaurant and variety of accommodations, from cabins to lodge, in a bucolic wooded setting. Vast stands of scorched forest along Evergreen Road, both before and after Camp Mather, offer mute testimony to the ferocious Rim Fire of a year ago.

How to get there: From Stockton, 115 miles, 2.75 hours. Take Highway 4 east to Copperopolis, turn right on O'Byrnes Ferry Road, take a left on highway 120/108 and follow Highway 120 past Chinese camp and Groveland. Then, left on Evergreen Road to the reservoir.  Leave early, particularly if you want time to see Chinese Camp and Groveland; and this portion of Yosemite closes at 5 PM.

What to take: Pack cold weather gear, binoculars, camera and snacks for the trip. Fishing rods and your CA fishing license!
For more information: Yosemite National Park, go to www.nps.gov/yose; call 209/372-0200 (then dial 3, then 5) or by mail: Public Information Office, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389 (the park does charge a day-use fee).
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://blogs.eSanJoaquin.com/Valley travel; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.
Happy travels in the West!

Spectacular western US destinations; update your "Bucket List" for 2015

Wildflowers frame a receding glacier near top of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park!

The "Phantom Ship" rises out of Crater Lake, one of two islands on the azure blue lake.

The Grand Canyon offers many hues in late afternoon, taken from Mather Point.

A herd of bison graze peacefully in front of the Grand Teton Range in late morning.

Susan and author Tim Viall await eruption of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Cleveland Indians warm-up before a game with the San Francisco Giants; Cactus League in Glendale, AZ.

We central Californians are blessed by close proximity to the American West’s incredible spaces, all within a several day drive or closer. With so many spectacular destinations at your back door and a New Year, take the time to update your bucket list of western destinations.  Two weeks ago, we offered insights into California’s incredible places (http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/valleytravel); here are some of our favorites in the west.

Of the USA’s 59 national parks, several in nearby states stand out: California leads the nation with nine parks, Alaska has eight, Utah, five, Colorado, four, Arizona and Washington, three each and Wyoming two parks.  With the exception of Alaska, all are within a two-day drive of central California.  Our short list of favorites in the west are the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake,  Yellowstone and Grand Teton and Glacier Park. 

I first visited the Grand Canyon with my family as a 15 year-old, and several times as an adult.  Each visit comes with the jaw-dropping, catch-your-breath amazement that accompanies the first look into that huge, colorful abyss, some 5,000 feet deep in the Arizona high desert. 

A year ago, my wife and I recently approached the park’s south rim at 5 PM to find the canyon bathed in stunning hues from the setting sun - incredible!  This is a landscape to inspire the multitudes; the Colorado River runs 277 miles through the park, up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep.

The majority of visitors enter the Grand Canyon at the south entrance. Tour the south rim, running for miles with unique vistas and history, including the Tusayan Ruins and Museum; noting the history of the native people that once made their life on the rim. Take a hike down the Bright Angel Trail used by mules to take people all the way to the canyon bottom – we hiked about a mile down the trail, then had approximately 700 vertical feet to climb out – definitely tougher than the trek down!

Near the top of our list is Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, just north of the California border and offering wonderous vistas. Start at the Crater Lake Lodge area on Rim Drive’s southside.  Walking to the crater’s nearby rim, that first view remains always inspirational.  Crater Lake, which filled a collapsed volcano’s caldera some 7,700 years ago, 5 miles across and 6 miles long, is the bluest blue you’ll ever see.

Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks are also must-dos.  Located in Montana and Wyoming, they offer a double shot of western beauty, sharing a common border.  Most visitors plan to spend several days in each park, to see Yellowstone’s scores of geysers and thermal basins and to share in the bison, elk, moose and stunning mountains that call both parks home.

A tour of Glacier National Park in north central Montana can be linked to a visit to Yellowstone, though the two parks are separated by almost 500 miles of monumental Montana scenery.  Glacier, home to most of the US’s surviving glaciers, is a gem of carved, rugged Rocky Mountains.  If you can add a few days, plan also to voyage north to Canada’s Lake Louise and Banff area, about 300 miles further north. 

For destinations “not quite a national park, but awe-inspiring none-the-less”, Mount St. Helens, WA, is a national monument and well worth the visit.  Just 50 miles northeast of Portland, a wonderful route shows the swath cut in 1980 when the mountain’s northside erupted with immense force.  Almost one cubic mile of the mountain’s northeast side exploded, reducing the once grand 9,677 foot peak to  8,365 feet, leaving a gaping, horseshoe crater. devastating an area about six miles wide and 20 miles in length and killing 57 people. Just 60 miles further north is Mt. Rainier National Park, so couple the two destinations into one. 

Mt. Rushmore National Monument, in South Dakota, though created by the hand of man, is also a destination for anyone’s bucket list and the surrounding Black Hills hold their own scenic rewards.

For cities with special urban delights, Seattle would rank at the top of our list.  With waterfront vistas almost everywhere, marvelous seafood dining, the old Pioneer Square area, the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, Seattle is an eminently walkable, bikeable and tour-worthy city.  Running a close second are Portland, OR, and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Each have similar attributes and their own special character to rank near Seattle.

Look for unique experiences that, coupled with great destinations in their own right, make for special memories.  Spring training baseball, late February to March, makes the Phoenix area an even more special place to visit.  Mix in a stop at the Grand Canyon, and you’ve added several noteworthy places to your expanding list. 

Fifteen major league teams make the Phoenix area their Cactus League headquarters.  Last March, we saw the Cleveland Indians beat the San Francisco Giants, and toured the parks of the Chicago Cubs, Oakland As and others. Or, couple a summer vacation with visits to football training camps for your favorite teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos!

When traveling, watch for unique “by accident finds” like the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River, just outside Yuma, AZ.  The dam and huge settling ponds allow sediment to settle before the irrigation water is pumped to the Imperial Valley, CA, one of the US’s largest agricultural regions.  Nearby is the eerie Salton Sea, a former barren valley well below sea level (similar to Death Valley).  It became an environmental disaster in the early 1900s when the flood-stricken Colorado River overflowed its banks, forming a landlocked sea now 35 miles long and 25 miles wide; floods in the 1970s created five ghost resorts surrounding the lake. 

Take the New Year's start to update your own Western USA bucket list – and, get exploring! No list can ever be complete, so polish up your own and share notable destinations that I have missed.  I’ll publish other reader favorites in my upcoming Record Valley Travel blogs!

What to take: fishing rods, good hiking shoes, binoculars and camera, maps and/or a GPS unit. 
Where to stay: The nice thing is that all these destinations have in-park lodges (many historic and memorable), fine campgrounds in beautiful settings and good-value motels nearby.  If you are a senior, get the America the Beautiful Pass, costing $10, getting you into most national parks free and saving you up to ½ off federal campgrounds! 
For more information on any of our National Parks, go to: http://www.nps.gov and pick your destination.  For insight into Seattle, go to www.visitseattle.org (or similar visitor sites for the other cities). For Phoenix and Cactus League baseball games, www.cactusleague.com.
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com; to contact me, tviall@msn.com. 
Happy travels in the West!

Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Montana in winter; scenic, cold and uncrowded!

From top down: Buffalo gather at Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin; -38 degrees in West Yellowstone on car's dashboard thermometer makes for challenges getting car started (yes, we do listen to Bob Dylan on a long drive!); huge stuffed Grizzly in the Stagecoach Inn's lobby in West Yellowstone; a snowcoach warms up in West Yellowstone, awaiting the temps to rise to -25 degrees before park service will allow access into Yellowstone; Izaac Walton Inn on south edge of Glacier National Park is an old Great Northern Railway hotel, open to guests; Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park is the "end of the road" for vehicles in the winter; Lake McDonald shines in winter splendor at -13 degrees; stately mountains provide majestic backdrop behind barn in west central Montana.

Last January,  we headed to Whitefish, Montana, to join a group of ski patrol friends to ski at Whitefish Mountain (formerly, Big Mountain), tour into Glacier National Park and make our way south to Yellowstone National Parks.  I suggest such a winter trip should be on the bucket list for any outdoor enthusiast!

Weather the trip is to ski, to see our national parks or to take in the majesty of the west in winter, this trip does not disappoint.  We drove, from central California, through Nevada, north into Idaho and up through western Montana.  Most of the scenery is spectacular, roads are good and a host of inexpensive motels line the stunning route!

We made Whitefish on a sunny, clear but -5 degree, which got our attention (little did we know that would be the warmest day in the next five!).  Some of our group boarded the Monday morning shuttle to Whitefish Mountain, while my spouse and I slept in, then grabbed our cross-country skis and did a few laps on the cross country ski track, right outside our cozy lodge.  

The next day, five of us toured into Glacier National Park, just 28 miles to the northeast.  Temperatures had reached 13 below zero, and keeping warm was high on everyone’s list. During the winter, most of the roads in Glacier Park are not plowed, and closed to vehicular traffic. 

From the western park entrance we were able to drive 11 miles into the Park on Going to the Sun Highway, ending at the boarded-up Lake McDonald Lodge.  Here, hardy snowshoers or cross country skiers can continue east along the closed road. 

The tour along the southern shore of Lake McDonald offers simply stunning views.  We stood on the shore of the lake, with a wind-chill down to about -25, and listened to the slapping of white caps breaking on the shore, framed by the rugged snow-capped mountains across the lake. 

We then headed east along the park’s southern border.  In the town of Essex is the delightful Izaac Walton Inn, a unique year-round resort that caters to skiers and snowshoers in the winter.  The old inn is a Great Northern Railway hotel with inviting rooms, and it is surrounded by renovated cabooses and a Great Northern locomotive, all turned into cozy accommodations, with numerous cross-country ski trails leading to incredible scenery!

After our several frigid days in the Glacier Park area, it was time to head south to West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park.  Hwy 93 takes one south along the western shore of Flathead Lake, with snowy peaks framing the lake at every vantage point.  We turned east on I-90, past Missoula to Bozeman, as my spouse checked the Weather Channel app on her iPhone, noting that West Yellowstone was forecast to reach -25 degrees by the next morning.  Between Bozeman and West Yellowstone, we detoured off the highway to take a look at Big Sky Ski Resort, big-time skiing just outside Yellowstone Park.  But, by now, temps were dropping toward -25; Brrrrrr! 

We reached West Yellowstone just before dark, and spent the night at the Stagecoach Inn.  In January, but for snowmobilers, not a lot is going on (only a handful of restaurants and motels are open), so we had pizza across from the Stagecoach, turned in fairly early and waited for the coming cold morning.

The next morning, a motel attendant noted the temperature had reached -40 degrees overnight.  Sure…he must be exaggerating!   Shortly, I went out into the sunny morning to start my car – it would barely crank – the dashboard display registered -38 degrees!  After running down my battery, I called AAA.  Awaiting their arrival, I returned to the car 15 minutes later to get my hot cup of coffee, only to discover it frozen solid!

More than an hour later, AAA was able to start my car.  We learned that the Park Service was halting all entrants into the park (via snow coach or snowmobile) until the day warmed up to -25 degrees! 

Yellowstone Park can be entered in winter via three entrances, but only by snow coach or snowmobile.  Choices are from West Yellowstone (the west entrance), Mammoth Hot Springs (north) or from Jackson Hole/Flagg Ranch (south). 

On an earlier trip, we spent three days at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, a quarter mile from Old Faithful Geyser.  It’s a four-star hotel, with 150 rooms and a cozy, full-service restaurant.  We chose the Frontier Cabin option, vintage cabins a block out back and less expensive than the nearby lodge.
We packed our cross-country skis, but used them only sparingly.  While several feet of snow was on the ground, plenty of walkers/snowshoers had packed the snow-covered miles of boardwalk so that we were able to hike the thermal basins and up to the Old Faithful overlook shod only in winter footgear.

During our stay we saw stunning Trumpeter Swans on the Firehole River and shaggy bison throughout the park, including a huge bull just 20 feet off the boardwalk on one of our walking tours (they come down to the geyser basins for warmth in winter). 

Old Faithful Geyser, only a short walk from our cabin, and the park’s many thermal features warmed our hearts during several brisk hikes – often, we would be the only observers when a geyser erupted!
We marveled at elk by the hundreds; in winter, they prefer to wander the park roads rather than wade through deep snow. 

The morning of our departure, a coyote followed us out the morning we left, seeking a handout; he’ll have to await our next visit! 

How to get there: From central CA, we headed east on Interstate 80, then north on Hwy 95 through western Idaho, then Hwy 12 over Lolo Pass, north on Hwy 93 through Missoula and past beautiful Flathead Lake to Whitefish.  Hwy 2 east from Whitefish will take you to Glacier National Park.
What to take: Binoculars and camera, of course, lots of winter clothing, and skis or showshoes if you are into that.  And, chains for your vehicle, even if you have a 4-wheel drive; jumper cables make sense if predictions of temps down to -20 or lower! 

Where to stay: In Whitefish, the Grouse Mountain Lodge (http://www.grousemountainlodge.com/) is a superior choice for cozy and classy accommodations in a lodge-like setting (Whitefish offers other good motel choices).  On the southern edge of Glacier Park, no more unique inns exist than the Izaac Walton Inn (http://www.izaakwaltoninn.com/).  In West Yellowstone, we have enjoyed the Stagecoach Inn (http://yellowstoneinn.com/; 406.646.7381) several times; in Yellowstone Park the Old Faithful Snow Lodge is the only winter choice (http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/). 

For more information on Glacier National Park, (406) 888-7800, http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/winter.htm.  For snowcoach service into the park, the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce can offer choices of private snowcoach providers, (406) 646.7701.  For Yellowstone’s North park entrance (Mammoth Hot Springs) and south park entrance (Flagg Ranch/Teton Park) lodging and snow coach service, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge stays, contact Zanterra, the Yellowstone concessionaire, www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com, (307) 344.7901.

For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com; to contact me, tviall@msn.com. 

Enjoy your travels in the West!

Pinnacles National Park, CA, a story of faults, volcanoes and eons of erosion!

Jutting up from the Gabilan Mountains south of Hollister, CA, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano – a volcano located 150 miles south, near Los Angeles! Pinnacles National Park lies on the San Andreas Fault, and is moving a few inches north each year, distancing itself from its mother volcano!

 

From top down, our campsite at Pinnacles Campground among ancient Oak trees; rocky canyon wall off the moderate Rim Trail; Bear Gulch Reservoir just above cave of same name; my spouse Susan at entrance to small cave in route to Bear Gulch Cave; and the stunning Machete Ridge, deeper into the High Peaks area.

It’s a landscape that features the effects of heat, water and wind constantly wearing away at an alien landscape, leaving rugged spines, deep canyons, eerie talus caves, verdant foliage, rushing streams and robust wildlife, from dear, wild turkeys and hogs, to the majestic California Condor with wingspans up to seven feet.

On a recent visit, we found light crowds and a very dry park scene (no campfires allowed in the one large campground, no smoking anywhere), but a lively and stunningly scenic place overall! We entered from CA Hwy 25, through the East Entrance, just 35 miles south of a very pleasant Hollister, CA (with a number of comfy motels, closest to the park). The park also has a West Entrance, from Hwy 146 out of Soledad, but no major visitor conveniences on this side (no road crosses this out-of-the-way national park).

We made our home for three days in the Pinnacles Campground, the parks only, but very nice, campground. Complete with store, visitor center, swimming pool (in season) and showers, if offers a wealth of trailer and tent sites, many with full electric hookups. And, a shuttle bus runs regularly, to take you to the two park main trailheads, about three miles away.

You cannot really get the flavor of Pinnacles without some hiking, so bring comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle. From the Bear Gulch Trailhead, a moderately strenuous one-mile hike takes you to the spooky Bear Gulch Cave (bring headlamps or flashlights) and Bear Gulch Reservoir; one can return on the Rim Trail for a change of scenery.  From this trailhead or from the Old Pinnacles Trailhead, one can venture further into the High Peaks area, for ventures to Balconies Cave and views of Machete Ridge and the Balconies Cliffs. This oddly sculpted landscape will leave you struggling for words to describe it!

This was our first trip; it made us hungry to return in the late spring and explore more of this stunning California wilderness. For more info on Pinnacles National Park, go to: www.nps.gov/pinn. And, plan a side trip to Mission San Antonio and to Big Sur (just south and west), while in this part of wild California! For other inspirational destinations in CA, see my blog http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com!

Kings Canyon National Park; deep canyons, majestic Sierra peaks!

Entering Sequoia National Park, you will see distant views of Kings Canyon and Sierra peaks nearing 14,000 feet (nearby Mt. Whitney, at 14,500 feet, is tallest in the lower 48 states, but a bit out of view).

Photos, from top, down: View at Road's End, with some of Sierra monoliths that are targets for technical climbers; quintet of Sequoias in the General Grant Grove stand guard near parking area; the General Grant Sequoia looms out of a forest of giants; rocky peaks of the Sierra rise from Kings Canyon; the Kings River, which (along with glaciers) scuplted the canyon; scenic view of the Canyon, cloaked in haze from nearby Sierra forest fires; our Scotty teardrop at a Kings Canyon overlook; the Roaring River Falls, just a few blocks hike off the main highway.

Kings Canyon National Park is a sister park to Sequoia; they share common borders and one entry fee gets you into both majestic parks. The entry into the park is through the western piece of the park, and soon you experience the General Grant Grove of Sequoias, amazing in the number of huge trees in a confined, walkable setting. Nearby Kings Canyon Visitor Center and Grant Grove Village offers sequoia and historic perspective; lodging and several campgrounds are available here.

Continuing towards the canyon, stunning Sierra views are offered at every turn. You traverse through Sequoia National Forest, past the scenic Hume Lake turnoff, privately owned Kings Canyon Lodge, a rustic hotel and Boyden Cave as one tours along the frothing South Fork Kings River.

Reentering Kings Canyon Park, stop at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center and Village for unique canyon insights. Take a break at Roaring River Falls viewpoint (short video of the Falls is above), where a short hike takes you to a picturesque waterfall in a granite canyon.

Continue on to Zumwalt Meadow and Roads End, where you will see a number of trailheads and climbers preparing to scale the walls of varied monoliths. Campers will find a host of scenic campgrounds in the Kings Canyon itself, and lodges offer plenty of indoor respites for the weary traveler. Neighbor Sequoia Park also offers additional campgrounds and lodging options; go to www.nps.gov/seki.

While driving, keep your eyes open for deer, skunks, coyotes and, occasionally, black bears! While visiting Kings Canyon, plan a day-trip or longer to Sequoia National Park, it’s neighbor to the southeast. The General Sherman Grove, the Tunnel Tree and other points of interest are not to be missed. For a great lunch or dining stop, try the Wuksachi Hotel, central to Sequoia, with a wonderful dining room and quaint bar.

Plan a weekend trip or longer to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks; you will forever want to return! For more unique California destinations, see my blog, www.LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Sequoia National Park; home of the giants and much more!

Several things impress as you approach this majestic park and its neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park, from Fresno, CA (we arrived on Hwy 198 at the Ash Mountain entrance).  They include the rapid and scenic rise from near sea level in the San Joaquin Valley to 7,000 feet in the Sierra, the frequent number of immense Sequoia groves throughout the two parks, and incredible views of the Sierra, particularly in the Kings Canyon!



Photos, from top down: The General Sherman Tree amazes scores of tourists while Park Ranger offers insights; our teardrop Scotty trailer in Lodgepole Campground; our trailer and Focus with Kings Canyon as a backdrop in distance; entrace to General Sherman Tree walkway; Susan with a mid-size Sequoia stump; and our Focus passing under the Tunnel Tree!

We were camping on a recent visit (towing a small Scotty teardrop trailer), and made for a reserved spot in a delightful Sequoia campground, Lodgepole Camp, complete with village/store and visitor center. Nearby is a marvelous hotel, The Wuksachi, complete with great restaurant and cute bar. Sequoia and its neighbor Kings Canyon offer a host of other campgrounds and lodging options; go to www.nps.gov/seki.

Once settled into our campsite, we began our tour of the park by driving a few miles to the General Sherman Tree grove, and hiking downhill to the grove of over-sized trees. First impressions count, a lot – one is amazed that around every turn is a monster Sequoia, measuring 12 to 35 feet in diameter and topping out at almost 300 feet.

One does not expect to be so awed by the General Sherman itself, but it is “that much larger” than its neighbors, measuring 40 feet in diameter, 275 feet in height, and, in total volume of wood, the largest tree in the world! It makes for big crowds, as the most known feature in the park.

Nearby, a side road takes you to Moro Rock, worth the short hike for great views, past the “Auto Tree” (where cars once drove up upon the huge downed trunk) and to Tunnel Log, where one can drive your car or truck through the hollowed-out trunk. It makes for great photos!  Another option, in summer, is the road to Crystal Cave, for you spelunkers! While driving, keep your eyes open for deer, skunks, coyotes and, occasionally, black bears!

The adjoining Kings Canyon National Park offers its own share of stunning revelations, though the parks size and scope of its features require a day or more to fully explore! Plan a long weekend trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; you will forever want to return for deeper exploration!  For more interesting California destinations, see my blog, www.LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.