The view from the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park to the east is vastly expansive.
The High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park is fun but is also physically exerting in places. There is also the possibility you will see California Condors perched or in flight.
A hiker enters a cave on the Moses Springs Trail to Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park.
The hike to Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park starts off on the High Peaks Trail as you hike under oak trees and ascend to the Moses Spring Trail junction.
As the trail ascends, you start to hike amongst rock formations that take you to the caves on the Moses Spring Trail. If you are not comfortable with caves, there is a bypass trail that will also take you to Bear Gulch Reservoir on up past the Moses Spring Trail junction that leads to the Rim Trail, but the caves are worth exploring. Continue reading “Hiking Moses Spring Trail to Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park”
While the grasses and some of the undergrowth along the trails in the Meadow Trail/Mt. Wittenberg Trail area at Point Reyes National Seashore are green, many of the trees are burned out from a 2020 fire that swept through the area.
Meadow Trail at Point Reyes National Seashore up to Sky Trail is a tough climb, but sometimes the rewards are great if you like wildlife. Both times I hiked the trail I was treated to seeing Black Tail Deer once in a meadow and once running in the forest.
Mount Rainier in its magnificence from the trail to First Burroughs Mountain.
Parts of the hike to First Burroughs Mountain from the Sunrise Visitor Center are fairy-tale spectacular where you see vibrant wildflowers, green meadows surrounded by thick forested trees, and stunning views of Mount Rainier.
The hike to Carter Falls is a climb for sure, but it offers a nice view of the falls, and then on up a little further, there’s Madcap Falls is just ahead.
The Green Lake Trail at Mount Rainier National Park is a hike through an old-growth rainforest.
Hiking the Carbon River Trail in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier is pretty easy-going. You will hike next to old-growth Douglas-fir trees while hiking through a densely green rainforest.
The ancestry of the ferns in Fern Canyon at Prairie Redwoods State Park can be traced back 325 million years.
Fern Canyon on the Northern California Coast is a very green must do hike. The 50-foot high walls are covered with ferns that include lady fern, wood fern, five-finger fern, deer fern, leather leaf fern, and sword fern, and their lineage can be traced back 325 million years. Fern Canyon is beautiful, and as well as the James Irvin Trail.
The Painted Dunes in Lassen Volcanic National Park from the top of Cinder Cone.
The views from Cinder Cone over the Painted Dunes at Lassen Volcanic National Park offer an incredibly “artistic” view of the landscape. But if you want to see this incredible view, you will have to work for it.
The view from top of Mt. Lassen looks out over Lassen Volcanic National Park and beyond.
The trail up to Lassen Peak is loaded with switchbacks and is nothing but a climb, but the trail itself is very nicely maintained and views get better and better the higher you go. Once you reach the top, you should feel a real sense of accomplishment.
Sky Trail is a beautiful hike meanders along greenery and under pine trees.
Sky Trail at Point Reyes National Seashore is an awesome hike, and at the right time of the year when the wildflowers are in bloom, it’s a feast for the eyes. For the most part, the hike is not too difficult and is actually relaxing as you hike under the pine forests next to ferns and greenery.
Sandy Kelham Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore is backed by a cliff wall along its expanse.
Bear Valley Trail is probably the most popular trail at Point Reyes National Seashore, and I’ve hiked it countless times. This family-friendly trail is wide and follows the Bear Valley Creek under lush canopy almost all the way where it intersects with the Coast Trail.
Horseshoe Lake is peacefully serene in the morning. Stop and take it in.
Horseshoe Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park offers an awesome view, and is what makes this hike worth it. I got to experience the lake early in the morning before I saw any other hikers. It was beautiful, and even though I consider the entire hike the destination, just looking at Horseshoe Lake is a destination. Continue reading “Hiking Juniper Lake to Horseshoe Lake”