Posts tagged hiking
North Lake Fall Camping Adventure in the High Sierra

Seeing the Fall colors at North Lake is bucket list experience. This week we're camping at the North Lake Campground in the High Sierra, with quick & easy access to several hiking trails as well as capturing epic & iconic photography of North Lake during peak Fall season. This is my top spot to camp in the Eastern Sierra near Bishop, CA, surrounded by quaking aspen trees & the autumn foliage.

Read More
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Visitor's Guide - Yosemite National Park

Wondering where to see giant trees in California? One of the best spots to hike among some of the largest, oldest & tallest trees in the world is at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park near Wawona & Oakhurst. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to learn about the rich history, top hiking trails, and info to plan your next Yosemite adventure vacation & road trip.

Read More
Fossils to Falls Road Trip & Contest - WIN a Yosemite Adventure Vacation!

Looking for the ultimate family fun road trip to Yosemite National Park? Play the Fossils to Falls scavenger hunt and collect all 10 trading cards, starting at the Fossil Discovery Center in California's Central Valley, taking you thru Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Bass Lake & more Madera County gems, ending in the Yosemite Valley...and then enter to win a great Yosemite Adventure Vacation Prize Package!

Read More
Arts & Culture, California, Food, Forest, Hiking, Mountains, Museums, National Parks, YosemiteDawn Mariefossils to falls, fossils to falls road trip, fossils to falls contest, yosemite, yosemite adventure, yosemite adventure contest, yosemite adventure vacation, yosemite adventure vacation prize, yosemite vacation, yosemite prize, yosemite contest, yosemite vacation contest, win a yosemite vacation, how to win a vacation, how to win a yosemite vacation, visit yosemite, visit yosemite madera county, madera, madera county, what to do in madera county, things to do in madera county, places to go in madera county, fossils, fossil museum, chowchilla, fossil discovery center, road trip, road trip ideas, california road trip, central california road trip, central california, highway 41, highway 99, where to see fossils, central valley, sierra nevadas, sierra nevada mountains, sierra national forest, national forest, national park, national park road trip, yosemite national park, highway 41 road trip, madera county road trip, oakhurst, what to do in oakhurst, what to do in madera, what to do in yosemite, what to do in yosemite valley, discover yosemite tours, discover yosemite, yosemite tour, yosemite private tour, yosemite group tour, scavenger hunt, yosemite scavenger hunt, oakhurst visitor center, bass lake, coarsegold, coarsegold historic village, coarsegold historic museum, trading cards, collectable cards, yosemite cards, tunnel view, yosemite valley, sentinel dome, yosemite history, coarsegold history, oakhurst history, history, oakhurst dining, oakhurst hotels, best hotels in oakhurst, best hotels, best hotels near yosemite, best dining near yosemite, oakhurst things to do, oakhurst restaurants, oakhurst food, yosemite hotels, inelle hotel, inelle, yosemite axe throwing, family fun, family, family friendly, family friendly activity, yosemite family friendly, kid friendly, kid friendly activity, hiking, trails, way of the mono trail, bass lake hiking, ca road trip, ca road trip ideas, california, california road trip ideas, weekend trip, weekend trip ideas, road trip adventure, visit california, waterfalls, yosemite falls, yosemite waterfalls, lower yosemite falls, half dome, el capitan, itinerary, yosemite itinerary, road trip itinerary, multiday itinerary, weekend itinerary, north fork, mono indians, native american art, native american, coarsegold historical society, wild fig, wild fig kitchen, millers landing, millers landing resort, yosemite gourmet picnics, bass lake boat rentals, bass lake pontoon boat, madera wine trail, madera wine, visit madera, san joaquin valley, san joaquin winery, san joaquin wine co, winery, california wineries, wine tasting, best wine tasting, california wine tasting, central california wine tasting, madera wine tasting, best wines in california, yosemite gateway art center, yosemite artwork, artwork, art, yosemtie artwork, yosemite photography, travel guide, visitors guide, adventure travel, travel, travel yosemite, yosemitethisyear.com, yosemite.com, travelyosemite.com, marriott hotels, marriott, oakhurst art, yosemite gallery, mountain vacation, mountain road tripComment
Perfect Day at Bass Lake - Adventure, Fun & Food!

This week we're taking a day trip to Bass Lake in Madera County & the Sierra National Forest just south of Yosemite National Park. We're renting a pontoon boat from Millers Landing Resort and having a picnic on the water while looking for wildlife on the Bass Lake shores. Read this complete travel guide to learn about the best hiking trails around the lake, as well as the best places to eat.

Read More
Top 10 Yosemite Spots to Avoid Crowds

Today I'm sharing the best spots to escape the crowds when Yosemite National Park gets too crowded. This top vacation destination in California can get very busy, especially in Summer, but there are so many places to go and things to do to enjoy Yosemite in solitude. Check out this travel guide for my top 10 Yosemite spots to avoid crowds, which includes great hiking trails and waterfall views.

Read More
Yosemite 2024 Spring Update: Waterfalls, Wildlife & Wildflowers

I spent the last week in Yosemite National Park checkout out what the waterfalls and flooding is looking like now. Check out the current conditions of Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, the Merced River, and the Spring wildflowers blooming in the park and where to find them. Read this Spring travel guide to plan your upcoming Yosemite road trip to see its raging waterfalls & abundant wildlife.

Read More
Spring Wildflowers at Red Rock Canyon State Park

Looking for the top places to see Spring wildflowers in California? Check out this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to see current conditions of Red Rock Canyon State Park along Highway 14 north of Mojave. This desert superbloom makes a great SoCal road trip from Los Angeles. This underrated park also provides camping at the Ricardo Campground, which is perfect for stargazing & astrophophotography.

Read More
Top 10 Photo Spots in Yosemite National Park

Today I'm partnering with Visit Yosemite Madera County to share the Top 10 Photo Spots in Yosemite National Park. This photography travel guide shares the best viewpoints and most Instagrammable viewpoints in the park, including Taft Point, Yosemite Valley Swinging Bridge, Olmsted Point, Tunnel View, Sentinel Dome & Glacier Point. Explore stunning scenes with Half Dome, El Capitan & waterfalls.

Read More
Exploring the Waterfalls of Lewis Creek Trail - Oakhurst, CA

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Lewis Creek Trail in Sierra National Forest. Located in Oakhurst, California south of Yosemite National Park, this hike takes you to two great waterfalls, Red Rock Falls and Corlieu Falls. This is one of the top things to do when staying at Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp, CA. This is the perfect add on to any Yosemite road trip along Highway 41.

Read More
Sunset Hike to Molera Beach in Big Sur

Beach access is hard to find in Big Sur, but today we're taking the Creamery Meadow Trail in Andrew Molera State Park to a secluded beach for a king tide. Molera Beach is one of the best beaches in Big Sur, especially during sunset and low tide in the off season when the it's not busy. This California state park is found south of Monterey near the Big Sur Lodge, Nepenthe, and Pfeiffer Beach.

Read More
Valley View Overlook Trail in Saguaro National Park West

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the Valley View Overlook Trail in Saguaro National Park. Located along Bajada Loop Drive near the Red Hills Visitor Center and the Signal Hill Petroglyphs, this hike is one of the top things to do in Saguaro West (Tucson Mountain District). Walk among giant saguaros, see abundant wildlife, and enjoy panoramic vista views of the Sonoran Desert.

Read More
Trona Pinnacles - An Otherworldly Stop Near Death Valley

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Trona Pinnacles located near Ridgecrest, CA in the Searles Valley. This is a perfect stop when taking a road trip from Los Angeles to Death Valley National Park. This BLM land is filled with unique rock formations that have been used as a filming location for many TV shows, commercials & movies, and currently there are wildflowers blooming.

Read More
Yosemite Day Trip from Los Angeles to See Firefall

This week we're taking a long day trip from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park to see Firefall, the natural phenomenon also known as the Horsetail Fall Event. This travel guide covers a one day itinerary with recommendations on driving directions, points of interest, where to park, and how to access one of my top spots to view Firefall from across the Yosemite Valley along Four Mile Trail.

Read More
Massai Point Panoramic Views - Chiricahua National Monument

Could Chiricahua be our next National Park? Chiricahua National Monument is a great road trip idea when visiting Bisbee or Tucson in Southern Arizona, and Massai Point provides the best views inside the park. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for all you need to know before you visit this Wonderland of Rocks, including hiking trail details and the rich history of this region.

Read More
Discovery Trail - Family Friendly Hike in Joshua Tree National Park

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Discovery Trail, THE most family friendly trail in Joshua Tree National Park. Located across the road from Skull Rock, one of the top things to do in Joshua Tree, this easy hike takes visitors through slot canyons and towering rock formations, with opportunities to learn and see all kinds of wildlife and plants, including cholla cactus.

Read More
Navigating Mosaic Canyon - Death Valley Slot Canyons

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Mosaic Canyon Trail inside Death Valley National Park. Along this moderate hike we find narrow slot canyons & unique rock formations, making this one of the top things to do in Death Valley. This is one of the best hikes on any road trip to Death Valley because the 2 mile gravel road leading here means it's a lesser visited area in the park.

Read More
12 Epic Yosemite Hikes, One for Each Month of 2024

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about the best hikes in Yosemite National Park. Today I'm providing the hiking details about 12 great Yosemite trails, one for every month of 2024. Yosemite is awesome all year, so join me in exploring what to do in Yosemite, like Firefall, Mirror Lake, Hetch Hetchy, MIst Trail to Vernal & Nevada Falls, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and Inspiration Point.

Read More
Echo Canyon Grottoes & Hoodoos - Chiricahua National Monument

Today we're exploring the hoodoos & grottoes along Echo Canyon Trail in Chiricahua National Monument. Chiricahua makes for a great stop along a Southern Arizona road trip, and is one of my top things to do when traveling to Bisbee, AZ. The grotto formations along this hike are spectacular and remind me of slot canyons found in other national parks. Read this travel guide for more info!

Read More
Cactus Forest Drive Top 10 Stops - Saguaro National Park East

Today we're driving the one-way Cactus Forest Drive loop and stopping at 10 of my favorite overlooks and hiking trails in Saguaro National Park East (Rincon Mountain District). Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to learn about trail distance, hours of operation, and one of the best sunset spots in Tucson. This drive is one of my top things to do in Southern Arizona along your AZ road trip.

Read More
Exploring the Hall of Horrors - Joshua Tree Slot Canyons

Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to exploring the Hall of Horrors slot canyons in Joshua Tree National Park. This is a Joshua Tree top spot along your Southern California road trip through this desert park. Hiking this trail takes you around large rock formations, through a Joshua tree forest, and scrambling into narrow slot canyons, making for a perfect vacation adventure.

Read More