The Mount Shasta Trail Association is sponsoring a big event up in my neck of the woods, which includes many pretty sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California: the premier screening of a new National Geographic Channel film on the Pacific Crest Trail at College of the Siskiyous on May 19. Here are […]
Hiking the Lost Coast
Hiking the remote Lost Coast of Northern California is on the bucket list of many serious hikers. It takes knowledge and preparation, because there are significant dangers and obstacles. Hiking the Lost Coast Rick McCharles of the BestHike.com blog just wrote about his recent exploration of the Lost Coast of far northern California: A quick […]
No National Parks Admission Fee April 17-25
No fees = free admission to all national parks from Saturday, April 17 through Sunday, April 25. Such a deal! Here’s what the National Park Service says about the no-fee period: America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this year with several fee-free days at more than 100 national parks that […]
Winter Wings Festival at Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex February 12-14
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex straddles the Oregon-California border and hosts some of the most spectacular bird displays on the planet, especially in winter when many migratory species make the area their home. Winter Wings Festival The Winter Wings Festival is your ticket to explore this beautiful country and learn all about the […]
New Permit System for Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome Hike
Beginning this May you’ll need a permit if you want to climb Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Here’s all the details from a Yosemite National Park Half Dome press release: Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in Yosemite National Park. The iconic granite monolith, at 8,842 […]
California State Parks Get Drilled by Governor’s Proposed Budget
I just wrote about the 2010 initiative to help California State Parks and what you can do to help. Yesterday Governer Scharzenegger released his proposed state budget, and once again it’s obvious that California State Parks are not a high priority for him. Here’s what the California State Parks Foundation says: California State Parks Foundation […]
Helping California State Parks: November 2010 Ballot Initiative
I’m a strong supporter of California State Parks, and I’m a member of the California State Parks Foundation, the group that works hard to keep parks open and affordable. The California State Parks Foundation is the driving force behind a group that has qualified an important proposition for the 2010 ballot, and it’s one I […]
Yosemite National Park’s Tioga Road and Glacier Point Roads Closed For Winter
Well, winter’s officially here in my books. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park are closed for the winter: The Tioga and Glacier Point Roads in Yosemite are closed for the season. These roads close each fall and remain closed throughout the winter months until weather conditions permit reopening in the spring […]
Free Entrance to National Parks on Veterans’ Day this Wednesday
National Parks and most federally managed lands are letting everyone in for free on Wednesday, November 11. Here’s the press release from Lassen Volcanic National Park: To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that areas managed by the department will not charge entrance fees on Wednesday, November 11, […]
California Coastal Clean-Up Day: Help Keep Your Favorite California Hiking Beaches Trash-Free
California Coastal Clean-Up Day is this Saturday, September 19. If you’re like me, you love hiking on beaches and coastal trails. When I lived in Crescent City, I walked Pebble Beach twice every day. (My golden retrievers insisted on it.) Here’s what sponsor California Coastal Commission says: California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer […]
Guided Hike on the New Papoose Trail at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
I’ve written recently about hiking opportunities at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area/Whiskeytown Lake. Now you have several chances to take a guided hike on the new Papoose Trail at Whiskeytown. Here’s the relevant information from the official press release: The park is providing visitors with the opportunity to join a ranger for a guided hike on […]
Hiking in Chico and at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area over Labor Day Weekend
My partner Stephanie and I just returned from a fantastic trip to Anderson for my mom’s 75th birthday party, and then on to Chico for two days or exploring Bidwell Park trails, the Chico State University campus, and the downtown area. Yesterday we celebrated Steph’s birthday with a gourmet lunch on the patio at Rivers […]
Beach Walking at Bandon, Oregon
I’ll be spending the next few days in Bandon, Oregon at an internal martial arts workshop. All the classes take place on the beach and are taught by many talented instructors, including my tai chi teacher Gene Burnett of Ashland, Oregon and Joel Hartshorne and Andy Dale of the Xin Qi Shen dojo in Seattle, […]
August Hike of the Month — Lake Aloha, Lake of the Woods, and Ropi Lake in Desolation Wilderness
Desolation Wilderness ranks as one of my absolute favorite places on Earth. Jagged granite peaks, lush meadows, expansive alpine lakes — it’s my favorite scenery. The Hike of the Month explores Desolation Wilderness via a hike to Lake Aloha, Lake of the Woods, and Ropi Lake. I actually first hiked to Lake Aloha as a […]
Rockfall Death Closes Lassen Peak Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Very sad news about a hiking tragedy in Lassen Volcanic National Park’s Lassen Peak Trail: a rockfall killed a young boy. A take-home message for all of us: watch out when you are around slopes. They can be life-threatening. Read more here about rockfalls and avalanches. My heartfelt condolences for the family. Details of the […]
Hikers vs. Marijuana Growers near Northern California Trails
Hikers on Northern California trails need to be aware of the potential danger they face from people illegally growing marijuana on public lands, usually national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Marijuana is legal to grow and use in California and several other states, but there are still a large number of illegal […]
Take a Guided Hike on the Whiskeytown Falls Trail
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is a Redding area treasure. It has lots of trails, lots of creeks, and some crashing waterfalls, with Whiskeytown Falls by far the most spectacular. If you like guided hikes, than you are in luck: a ranger will be leading groups to Whiskeytown Falls on Friday, July 24 and Friday, July […]
I Won a Blogging Award, Kinda
The travel website www.tripbase.com recently handed out awards for the best blogs in a variety of categories. The Northern California Hiking Trails blog was a finalist in the walking/backpacking category. Now, there’s definitely some very good blogs here, and I’m grateful to be in their company. However, there’s some very good blogs that didn’t even […]
Free Entrance to National Parks Next Weekend, July 18-19, 2009
The feds are letting us into national parks for free July 18-19, and, mark your calendars, the weekend of August 15-16 also. There are lots of trails for hikers in nearly all of these parks, so take advantage of your government’s largesse and do some hiking in some gorgeous country. Merced River/Vernal Falls in Yosemite […]
Trinity Alps Hiking Trails Update
Note: Get the weekly updates on Trinity Alps trail conditions from the Forest Service. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest recently released an update on trail conditions for the Trinity Alps. Overall the outlook is quite good for summer backpacking in the Trinities, assuming we don’t have another nasty fire season. However, the report is still incomplete, […]
River Exchange Fundraiser: Support the Upper Sacramento River Watershed and Trails
The River Exchange is one of my favorite organizations in Siskiyou County. They do a lot of work to protect the watersheds of the Upper Sacramento River and also the McCloud River (including the stretch with the trail to Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls, and they actively build and maintain hiking trails (most recently the […]
Help Save California State Parks — And Their Hiking Trails
I just received an e-mail from the California State Parks Foundation. Please read and donate if you can. (I just sent some dough.) Greetings, Here we go again! Even after we fought off last year’s proposal to close 48 state parks, the Governor is again taking aim at the state parks’ budget and proposing […]
Goin’ Hikin’ this Weekend
And I hope you are too. My sweetheart Stephanie and I, plus my really-getting-older golden retriever Molly (nearly 13!) are headed into the Trinity Divide mountains just west of Mount Shasta in a couple of hours. We’ll likely do the Sisson-Callahan Trail and perhaps also the Pacific Crest Trail toward Seven Lakes Basin. This afternoon […]
I’ll Be at the Authors’ Night Event at Sisson Museum in Mount Shasta
Doin’ little publicity for 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California and 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions this week. What: Authors Night at Sisson Museum in Mount Shasta. We’ll all give short talks and then sign/sell our books. Who: John Soares (that be me) Robin Kohn (author of the […]
May Hike of the Month: Whitney Butte/Lava Beds National Monument
Lava Beds National Monument is a relatively unknown gem nestled in Northern California. It’s chief claim to fame are the dozens of lava-tube caves that snake below it — and occasionally surface. It also boasts expansive views over much of the northeast corner of the state, including Mount Shasta. Download the Whitney Butte/Lava Beds National […]
