Category Archives: California

Lost Coast Trail – Wheeler Camp to Little Jackass (Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, CA)

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Even as the northern half of the 53-mile Lost Coast Trail has become one of the hottest destinations for California backpacking, the stunning southern half—in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park—is much less visited. This is in part due to the difficulty … Continue reading →

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Lost Coast Trail – Needle Rock to Wheeler Camp (Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, CA)

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Traversing one of the few stretches of the California coast without a paved road, the Lost Coast Trail has become an enormously popular backpacking destination known for its striking cliffs, black sand beaches, redwood groves, and frequent wildlife sightings (seals, … Continue reading →

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Chilnualna Falls Trail (Yosemite National Park, CA)

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Yosemite National Park is the land of towering waterfalls—although seeing them often comes with a price: contending with throngs of other visitors for the best look at the majestic drops. Yet this is not the case everywhere: lesser-known waterfalls such … Continue reading →

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Lower Mariposa Grove Loop (Yosemite National Park, CA)

Posted on May 28, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Though not the tallest, nor the widest, giant sequoias—found only in California’s Sierra Nevada—are the largest trees by volume in the world. The largest of three sequoia stands in Yosemite, Mariposa Grove is a top destination for visitors to California’s … Continue reading →

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Washburn Trail (Yosemite National Park, CA)

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

There are many spectacular hiking trails in California’s Yosemite National Park—but the Washburn Trail is not necessarily one of them. Although the two-mile walk through a coniferous forest with some modest views is nice, the purpose of this trail is … Continue reading →

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Balconies Cliffs – Balconies Cave Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Talus caves—formed when crashing boulders fall into chasms, flooding the canyon with darkness—are an intriguing feature of central California’s Pinnacles National Park, which boasts two such pseudo-karst caverns. The most popular of the two is Bear Gulch Cave, most easily … Continue reading →

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Juniper Canyon Trail to High Peaks Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

So jagged, sharp, and forbidding are the towering spires of central California’s Pinnacles National Park that there is no road able to bisect it, leaving visitors to drive up to the base of the breccia wonderland—and then hike the rest. … Continue reading →

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Ridge – Panorama – Bluffs Trail Loop (Andrew Molera State Park, CA)

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Traversing a scrubby escarpment above the Pacific Ocean, the Ridge – Panorama – Bluffs Trail is a pleasant 8-mile jaunt in the Big Sur area and one of the best hikes in Andrew Molera State Park. Don’t be fooled by … Continue reading →

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Pfeiffer Falls Trail (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, CA)

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

More than 12 years after suffering significant damage in the 2008 Basin Complex Fire, the Pfeiffer Falls Trail in California’s Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopened for the first time in June 2021. The new and improved route—with its fresh … Continue reading →

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Point Lobos Loop (Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA)

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

On area maps, at least in comparison to the much larger Monterey Peninsula to the north, Point Lobos appears as little more than a minor jut – a triangular peninsula between Carmel Bay and the rest of the central California … Continue reading →

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