Update. Original posted Aug. 2012 Point Reyes National Seashore is a birder’s paradise with more than 45% of North American avian species living in the park. It’s also home to 38 threatened and endangered plant and animal species. In the park — and on this hike — you’ll find crashing ocean cliffs, grassy meadows, evergreen-covered …
The High Sierras, especially in the more remote backcountry of Yosemite National Park and Inyo National Forest, are without a doubt my favorite outdoor destination. With peaks and passes above 10,000 feet, the granite rocky terrain of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range meets the sky with oft-snow-covered peaks and pristine alpine lakes. It is also …
If you happen to be in Las Vegas and need a break from the bright lights and late nights, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a great destination to re-ground yourself. The park is 17 miles from the Strip, but feels a million miles away. The geologically significant area of the Mojave Desert features …
Joshua Tree National Park gets its name from the Dr. Seuss-like Joshua trees that can be seen through much of the park’s higher elevations, but that’s not all there is to see in this massive 790,636-acre park (Perspective: that’s larger than the state of Rhode Island). On this hike near the southern park entrance, you …
The High Sierra Camps in Yosemite National Park are a much-sought after way to see the park’s mountainous backcountry without the trouble of carrying all your food and gear. An annual lottery is in place for tent cabin accommodations, dinner, breakfast and an optional packed lunch each day for the 7-camp circuit. If you aren’t …
A year ago I was training for an epic adventure: Backpacking the northernmost approximately 60 miles of the John Muir Trail. It was a 6-day backpack with epic elevation gain (we climbed from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows in a mere 2 days, not to mention hiking over Donahue Pass). And it was an experience …
This quintessential hike on the northwestern shore of the city of San Francisco (Lands End) offers one of my favorite views of the Golden Gate Bridge, a meditation labyrinth on Lands End Point, a rocky beach break, Seacliff mansion gazing, a museum, the ruins of a once majestic bathhouse, the ominous roar of the ocean …
The stretch of the Coastal Trail from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach is one of my all-time favorites in the Bay Area with postcard perfect views of the Pacific shore that are truly breathtaking, especially on clear days (though foggy days have their own eerie appeal). The hike is made even better with a swing …
Muir Woods National Monument is a major tourist destination in the Bay Area with good reason. The majestic redwood trees are a wonder of Mother Nature as the only old-growth coastal redwood forest remaining in the Bay Area. The gurgling Redwood Creek runs through a forest that is lush and green with ferns, banana slugs and …
Last weekend was a “buddy hike” in the Marin Headlands. For those who have been following the blog for awhile, you’ve heard that phrase before. Basically every weekend we have a team hike (each one getting progressively more difficult and longer) to train for the big hike in September, but interspersed are occasional buddy hikes …
