Wildcat Peak, Tilden Regional Park, May 2021 Of the 73 parks in the East Bay Regional Park District, Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park is certainly one of the best-known and most-visited. Sure, part of that is convenience and close proximity to the bustling hubs of Berkeley and Oakland. But the real draw of this scenic …
Wildcat Gorge Trail, Tilden Regional Park, April 2020 Note: This is part two of a three-post effort to chronicle short day hikes in the East Bay’s Tilden Regional Park. The focus of this post is on the central part of the park, namely the sections located roughly between the Tilden Nature Area to the north …
May Lake, Yosemite National Park, August 2023 Requiring only a 1.2-mile hike to reach, May Lake is one of the most-accessible subalpine lakes along Tioga Road in California’s Yosemite National Park. This makes the lake, set in a basin below imposing Mount Hoffmann (10,850’), one of the most popular day hikes in the area (although …
Mono Lake State Natural Reserve, August 2023 Set in a volcanic basin just east of the Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake is a favorite stop for migratory birds and for humans flocking to or from Yosemite National Park. After the lake was partly drained by the city of Los Angeles in the early 20th century, it …
Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, August 2023 Rising prominently above California’s Mammoth Lakes area, the Ritter Range boasts a clutch of spectacular peaks and majestic alpine lakes best reached on a multi-day backpacking adventure. The largest of the lakes is Thousand Island Lake, set in a basin below iconic Banner Peak …
Big Pine Lakes, John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, August 2023 The simple names—First Lake, Second Lake, etc.—belie the picturesque setting of Big Pine Lakes, nestled in a majestic valley across the High Sierra Crest from Kings Canyon National Park. Once a relatively well-kept local secret, the Internet and social media have turned the lakes …
Lower Lamarck Lake, John Muir Wilderness, August 2023 Named for a famous early 19th-century French biologist and naturalist, Lamarck Lakes are set below dramatic granite facades in the eastern Sierra Nevada and accessed by way of a steep and challenging trail in the vicinity of Aspendell and Bishop, California. The relentless climb ends at two …
Continue reading Lamarck Lakes & Grass Lake Loop (John Muir Wilderness, CA)
Lower Granite Lake, Yosemite National Park, August 2023 The out-and-back hike to Gaylor Lakes is a popular hike in the eastern reaches of Yosemite National Park; this is a pleasant, 2-hour trek with terrific views across Tioga Pass to Mount Dana and access to two trout-filled lakes below the Sierra Crest. It is nearby Granite …
Continue reading Gaylor Lakes, Great Sierra Mine, & Granite Lakes (Yosemite National Park, CA)
Winnemucca Lake, Mokelumne Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest, July 2023 Situated in the underappreciated section of the Sierra Nevada between bustling Lake Tahoe to the north and Yosemite to the south, the Round Top – Winnemucca Lake Loop is one of the more easily-accessible half-day hikes in the Mokelumne Wilderness. The two glimmering alpine lakes sit …
Continue reading Round Top – Winnemucca Lake Loop (Mokelumne Wilderness, CA)
Five Lakes Trail, Tahoe National Forest, July 2023 The cluster of subalpine tarns known as Five Lakes, nestled in a mostly wooded saddle northwest of bustling Lake Tahoe, are mediocre by area standards; they lack the dramatic granite backdrops or aquamarine hues that characterize some lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada. But on the short Five …
Continue reading Five Lakes Trail (Granite Chief Wilderness, CA)
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