Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to the Eastern Sierra Fall colors. This complete visitor guide will take you to my top 25 spots along highway 395 on where to see the California Fall colors. We'll take a road trip up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and discover places to go like North Lake, Bishop Creek, Sonora Pass, Mammoth Lakes, Tioga Pass, Conway Summit, and June Lake Loop.
Read MoreThe Twin Lakes area is a great spot to see California's Eastern Sierra Fall foliage. Comprised of two main lakes, Upper and Lower Twin Lakes, this area is often referred to as “California’s Alps” where the Sawtooth Ridge and Sierra Crest divide the Twin Lakes Basin from Yosemite National Park and the scenery is nothing short of stunning. Enjoy trout fishing, hiking and nature photography here.
Read MoreLocated inside Sequoia National Park directly off Generals Highway, Hazelwood Nature Loop is an easy, family friendly hike that comes in at under 1.5 miles with 50 feet in elevation change. The trail begins past a fallen sequoia tunnel log and it circles for just over half a mile with minimal elevation gain through one of the most lush yet intimate trails in the Giant Forest.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel blog before your visit to drive through Tunnel Log inside California's Sequoia National Park. Located in the Giant Forest surrounded by mature giant sequoia trees, tunnel log fell across the road nearly a century ago. National park visitors and tourists can come drive their vehicles through this fallen giant sequoia. This is a must stop spot inside the park.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to exploring Columns of the Giants along Sonora Pass Highway 108 in the Sierra Nevadas of CA. Hiking this family friendly trail is one of my top things to do on a road trip through Stanislaus National Forest. The short paved path takes you over the Middle Fork Stanislaus River to basalt rock formations formed by volcanic and glacial activity long ago.
Read MoreBookmark this Complete Guide to Yosemite Waterfalls for your next visit to Yosemite National Park. In this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide, you'll learn about all the major waterfalls found inside the park, along with details on hiking trails, viewpoints, and best times of year to visit. Take a virtual visit along the Mist Trail to Nevada & Vernal Falls, and to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.
Read MoreJoin me on the Flying Dawn Marie travel blog today as we explore the current flood conditions in Yosemite National Park. The Merced River is flooding the Yosemite Valley and almost touching the Swinging Bridge and Pohono Bridge. Waterfalls, such as Bridalveil Fall, Ribbon Fall, Horsetail Fall, the Cascades, and Yosemite Falls are roaring and can be enjoyed from many popular viewpoints.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting the tallest trees, the oldest trees, and the largest trees in the world. The giant sequoias, the coastal redwoods, and the ancient bristlecone pines are all found in California, and this week I'm sharing my favorite places to go and hiking trails to see these trees up close, most of which are in state and national parks, forests, and monuments.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Yosemite Valley during Firefall season. Learn what to do in Yosemite National Park on your visit, as well as see what parking, hiking, and setting up in the El Capitan Picnic Area looks like to witness the Horsetail Fall Firefall phenomenon. We'll also enjoy views from the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, Tunnel View, and Bridalveil Falls Trailhead.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking to Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park during Winter. This Yosemite Valley trail is a popular hike during snowy months. The pristine seasonal lake offers reflective views of Half Dome and many other granite formations in the Tenaya Canyon. This is an easy to moderate hike that is dog friendly and perfect for families near Curry Village.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the best trips in California to take in 2023. Listed out in this article are 6 top road trips to take during each season, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. We'll explore mountain adventures in Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic National Park, as well as beach destinations in Big Sur. We'll head to the desert to discover unique landscapes in Death Valley.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the Mist Trail to the Vernal Fall Footbridge in the snow. There are many things to do in Yosemite during Winter, and taking this trail near Curry Village is a favorite. Along the way we'll see iconic Yosemite highlights such as Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and the roaring rapids of the Merced River.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Tall Trees Grove Trail in Redwood National and State Parks. This moderate to strenuous redwoods hike requires a permit obtained in advanced by the National Park Service and Redwood Park Conservancy. Along this trail you'll see the tallest redwood tree in the park and the 3rd tallest tree in the world, and you can walk through a tunnel log.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Big Trees Trail along Generals Highway in the Giant Forest. This easy hike is one of my favorite things to do in Sequoia National Park, and it's close to the Giant Forest Museum, General Sherman Tree, Congress Trail, and Moro Rock. This loop trail is family friendly and great for all ages, providing close up views of giant sequoia trees.
Read MoreRead this Fall color travel guide to Rock Creek Lake in the Eastern Sierra mountains. Rock Creek Canyon is home to dozens alpine lakes and hiking trails, but today we'll be hiking the easy trail around Rock Creek Lake and enjoying the autumn colors as we stroll through groves of aspen trees. The Fall colors are peaking along Highway 395, so download the free photo guide to my top spots.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting 3 National Parks in 1 day! This one day itinerary is a great California road trip idea, taking us from Yosemite Valley to Kings Canyon, and then ending in Sequoia National Park. We'll explore spots like Lower Yosemite Falls, Big Stump Trail, Grant Grove, General Sherman, Moro Rock, Hanging Rock, Tunnel Log, and Tunnel Rock.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking to the General Sherman Tree located in Sequoia National Park in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains. Learn interesting facts about the General Sherman Tree, trail distance, and nearby trails, such as the Congress Trail, the Alta Trail, and the Circle Meadow Loop. Enjoy photography of the giant sequoia trees from overlooks and viewpoints.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking the Devastated Area Interpretive Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. Learn about the trail distance and the interpretive panels, such as the one with Loomis and his "Hot Rock" photograph. See pictures of Lassen Peak, large volcanic rocks, and the forest that is recovering from the Lassen Peak volcano eruption.
Read MoreWe're celebrating National Forest Week by exploring two easy hikes in Lassen National Forest in Northern California. The Subway Cave Lava Tubes and Spatter Cone Nature Trail are two of the most unique and easily accessible volcanic trails in California.
Read MoreToday we're hiking around Tenaya Lake, the largest lake in Yosemite National Park. This high altitude lake off Tioga Road offers stunning reflections of the surrounding granite peaks, and is open to swimming, kayaking, and picnicking.
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