Making your summer plans for backpacking and day hiking in California? I urge you to go earlier rather than later.
Why? Two main reasons…
Hike the High California Mountains Early — Before the Summer Wildfires Hit
Faery Falls: Fantastic Waterfall on Ney Springs Creek Near Mount Shasta
Faery Falls on Ney Springs Creek is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire Mount Shasta area. The fifty-foot waterfall is relatively easy to reach, and the route also travels through the ruins of intriguing Ney Springs Resort. This article … [Continue reading]
Exploring Hidden Falls Regional Park Hiking Trails: Sierra Foothill Beauty
Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn contains an extensive network of hiking trails that run near the year-round streams Coon Creek and Deadman Creek, and also along steep hillsides dotted with oaks and pines and open hillsides filled with spring … [Continue reading]
Urban Trails Sacramento: My New Book Is Out!
My new all-color guidebook Urban Trails Sacramento is now widely available throughout Northern California! The book has the 35 best trails for hikers, walkers, and runners within an hour drive of downtown Sacramento.Go here for details of all the … [Continue reading]
Surviving a Bear Attack in Northern California’s Trinity Alps
If you hike long enough in the Trinity Alps or anywhere else in the mountains of Northern California, you’ll see a black bear. In my several dozen backpacking trips and day hikes in the Trinity Alps, I’ve probably seen a black bear about a third of … [Continue reading]
2021 Free Entrance Days at Northern California National Parks and Monuments
There are six free-entrance days in 2021 for national parks and national monuments in Northern California. Hike your favorite trails, picnic, explore, and enjoy nature with your friends and family.2021 Free Entrance Days to Northern California … [Continue reading]
Give the Gift of Hiking and Camping Books This Year!
Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy?Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks, or my … [Continue reading]
Ah-Pah Interpretive Trail: Easy Hike and Beautiful Redwoods
The Ah-Pah Interpretive Trail is an easy redwoods hike near the north end of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Most people drive right by it, usually because they're headed to the more popular hikes located farther south along Newton B. Drury Scenic … [Continue reading]
Hiking the PCT to Cement Bluff above Bluff Lake
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to Cement Bluff above Bluff Lake is an attractive outing in its own right, with gorgeous views of Mount Eddy, Mount Shasta, and the Trinity Alps. This post provides trailhead directions, a map, and a detailed trail … [Continue reading]
Etna Summit: PCT Access and Gateway to the Russian Wilderness
Etna Summit sits astride the Pacific Crest Trail and has stunning views of the Russian Wilderness and the Klamath Mountains surrounding the North Fork Salmon River, all part of Klamath National Forest. Easily reached by paved Sawyers Bar Road from … [Continue reading]
Redwood National and State Parks: Key Facts and Statistics
Truly a world treasure, Redwood National and State Parks includes Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This post presents amazing facts and statistics … [Continue reading]
Brokeoff Mountain Trail: Better than Lassen Peak!
Need to pick between climbing Brokeoff Mountain or climbing Lassen Peak? Both are great hikes, but here are five reasons why I'd rather hike the Brokeoff Mountain Trail than the Lassen Peak Trail.I Prefer Climbing Brokeoff Mountain Rather than … [Continue reading]
Exploring Ridge Lakes and Sulphur Works in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Hiking the steep trail to the Ridge Lakes and beyond will win you some of the most spectacular scenery in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and also a surprising amount of solitude. The lakes are only 1.1 miles from the trailhead at the Sulphur Works … [Continue reading]
My New Book on Dispersed Camping and Boondocking Now Available!
Do you love camping in solitude out in the beauty of nature? Then check out my latest book Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America's Public Lands.For now, it's only for sale on Amazon, as both a 156-page paperback and as a … [Continue reading]
Want Solitude When Hiking? Follow These Six Tips…
Want solitude in the wilderness, whether day hiking or backpacking? Sure, many trails are often crowded, but you can find lots of space to roam away from the crowds by following these six tips. … [Continue reading]
Exploring Intriguing Balcony and Boulevard Caves in Lava Beds National Monument
Balcony Cave and Boulevard Cave are easy to hike to and are top highlights of Lava Beds National Monument. A short and level trail leaves from Lava Beds National Monument Road and quickly leads to both caves.Along the route you'll have open … [Continue reading]
Hike Beautiful Burstarse Falls via the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking to beautiful Burstarse Falls in Castle Crags Wilderness via the Pacific Crest Trail is an annual ritual for many North State hikers. Most come in spring, when warmer days melt the winter snow off the high granite peaks of Castle Crags, sending … [Continue reading]
Hikers Not Social Distancing During the Coronavirus Pandemic: My Unsettling Experience
I hiked the Lower Table Rock Trail in Southern Oregon on Friday, March 20. Sadly, most hikers were NOT doing the social distancing necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Note: by Friday, March 20, 2020, all Americans should have known … [Continue reading]
Hike/Walk Locally During the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Do It Wisely
Californians, Americans, everyone: hiking and walking locally during the coronavirus pandemic is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health, as long as you do it locally and wisely. This post discusses why you should still … [Continue reading]
Walking Redding’s Turtle Bay Trails: Arboretum Loop from Sundial Bridge
Redding's spectacular Turtle Bay offers walkers a wide variety of options: strolling the Sundial Bridge, exploring the McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and hiking the Arboretum Loop Trail and the Sacramento River Trail. … [Continue reading]
Climbing Mount Shasta Via Old Ski Bowl, Green Butte, and Avalanche Gulch: My Story
The sweaty story of the first time I climbed Mount Shasta, not the usual way from Bunny Flat, but via the Old Ski Bowl and Green Butte.I Wrote This Shasta Summit Article for Outdoor Adventure This is an article I wrote in 1998 for the magazine … [Continue reading]
