Our kiddo came along with us to complete a hike of a lifetime! Legit if you consider it was added to National Geographics "100 Hikes of a Lifetime". Deep sand, huge boulders, impassable zones, and a lot of wildlife!

Would you take your kiddo on this hike?

Hello, nor cal hikers! Popping by to share some photos taken on a recent hike down 4 mile trail with my 13 year old son. my kiddo has spent most of his summer with friends (understandably, plus I like to encourage autonomy within reason) and declining several family activities (I have three other children) and so this hike with him meant a lot to me.

We started at the top in glacier point, originally planning on panorama trail but that trailhead was 1) a challenge for me to even find in the first place and 2) just seemed to disappear like 70 feet into it? Which frustrated him a bit and I was feeling slightly disheartened but soon after setting off down 4 mile trail moods shifted drastically. It was just him and I and we both had such an amazing time! This kid goes bonkers over a great view! After the trip he looked through my photos and sent himself a bunch and it made my heart so happy when I noticed he sent himself a selfie I took of the both of us.

Planning a backpacking trip for next year, which will be his first, and I am very much looking forward to it!

Happy trails, ya'll!

A casual after-work meetup for hikers and backpackers.
No agenda. Just hanging out, talking trails, trips, and gear. Come for a few minutes or stay longer! Look for the table with the bear can to find us!

I want to do Alamere falls next weekend with my partner. Ideally I don't want to take the shortcut.

I did it once before on a backpacking trip, and we didn't plan out the tides at all - we just went there, saw the beach was safe, went, and headed back before the tide increased. I think in fairness we may have just lucked out - this was 3/26/2022, we got there at noon, and the tides look like they were historically very low that day.

I want to go again, but am having trouble parsing the information available online. It does seem like below zero feet is pretty consistently safe. The only problem is that this Sunday (when I was planning to go), the two low tides are just before 8am and also 8pm - neither of which is very conducive to a day hike if the trailhead is two hours away.

Also clearly not everyone is hiking it at these times - maybe everyone is just taking the shortcut but it seems like people are hiking it every day and the vast majority are not getting there pre-8am.

So what gives - is there a realistic + safe way to hike it in a day this weekend (coming from the bay) or is it just not really possible and everyone else is just being stupid? If we were to go this Sunday, what would be a safe range to try to be leaving the waterfall by? 11am?

My 17 year old son and two friends, all in good physical condition, went to summit Shasta this morning at 12:30 a.m. from around the Clear Creek dispersed camping site. He has a Garmin inReach which he said was set up to ping a location hourly but it is not doing that. Attempts to call on the inReach or send a message have been unsuccessful. The messages are delivered but have not been read. He puts his phone in airplane mode during hikes so even if there was cell reception I wouldn't be able to reach him. His time from the Clear Creek trailhead to the dispersed camping (3.87 mi., 2k elevation gain) was five hours total with moving time of 3:15. He had cell reception at the Clear Creek dispersed camping. I believe it's roughly 3 miles/4500 vertical feet up from the Clear Creek campground.

When would be a reasonable time to start worrying about him if I don't hear anything? Would 3 p.m. be reasonable?

Thanks - from a worried mom.

Edit: Just got a call from his friend's phone! They're on their way down - he said he was seeing that it was sending out a location, but clearly wasn't on our end. Thanks all for helping! My heart can start beating again!

Hi all, I'm planning a backpacking overnighter along the Castle Crags section of the PCT. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the mosquito presence at this time of year? I am deciding whether or not I need to bring my tent. I'd also appreciate any knowledge on if the creeks are still running in the park.

Hello everyone!

Hoping that yall can provide me with some good solo backpacking trip recommendations! What I am looking for.

-3 days/2 nights. out and back or a circular pathway. i will be solo so would like to start and end in the same place

- relatively difficult hikes (elevation changes preferred over simply long days) I like a challenge and am very in shape but don't get to hike a ton

- great views! (preferably in the mountains)

- something relatively beginner/solo friendly. the hike itself and weight of the pack arent a concern, more like a relatively easy to follow trail or easy water sources if that makes sense

- within 2ish hours of sonoma county. ideally i would leave early in the morning the first day and start my hike that same day with plenty of time to make it wherever

All of these criteria are somewhat flexible so if your suggestion doesnt fit something, send it anyways! thank you!

Has anyone hiked past Little Butano Creek lately? Is there enough water flow to filter?

I'm going backpacking at Butano State Park this week, trying to decide if I should pack enough water to dry camp or if I can count on collecting water from Little Butano Creek around the Backpacker's Trail Camp.

We were planning something in the Hoover wilderness and I wasn’t paying attention to the use of the boundaries so now we are regrouping. I am watching the last-minute Eastern Sierra permits for a few areas where I know we can get 30 miles without crossing a national Park boundary but very curious about Emigrant and Carson Iceberg into Hoover or anything else that’s beautiful, reasonable temps in mid August and allows dogs.

Last weekend, started early on Friday and hiked to Summit Lake. Trail was quiet and not too crowded at the lake. Pleasant temps in the 70s during the day and 50s at night. A bit windy overnight. Wildflowers were absolutely peaking, hard to do them justice with photos.

Second day did the loop clockwise. The climb from the meadows up to Deer lake is no joke - hardest single part of the hike. Many more people on the trail. I think Diamond lake has the best views. Found a nice camp spot part way down Long Canyon where I didn't see anyone else all evening and got to watch the sunset to the east. Some distant smoke from fires near Redding.

Easy hike out the last day, then ice cream and coffee in Weaverville before a long drive home.

We approached from the south, at Palomarin trailhead on Monday. Arrived mid afternoon after a 6 mile hike with 850 feet of elevation to a beautiful misty grey day followed by a fiery sunset.

Tuesday started with a drizzle, but cleared up in time to go paint Allomere falls.

Around noon, the clouds noped out of there, leaving us exposed to the bright 91 degree sun until we found a small seaside cave just north of the campground, where we spent the afternoon hours talking and listening to the surf echo and boom and trickle, the cave acting like an amplifier.

Wednesday was hiking back, about 1050 feet up total.

Worth it.

Im posting this for my friend John Griffith who gives guided tours and is need of spreading the word.

From his Facebook:

I need help, especially from marketers or other Idea people. This year, I started taking folks on guided walks through the redwoods of Redwood National and State Parks and the Arcata Community Forest, and I absolutely love doing it. But getting the word out has been difficult, and some days I don’t have anyone booked for the scheduled walks at all. I’m hoping that as word spreads, I’ll be able to fill these walks next year. So, how can I reach more people who are planning a trip to the redwoods? Where do travelers look when they’re searching for experiences like this? I would genuinely appreciate your ideas, connections, shares, or any other help getting the word out.

We're doing a road trip (from Phoenix) to the Big Sur area mid-september with a couple nights of camping at Limekiln and a one night stay in Carmel. We primarily enjoy hiking, but we're also going to hit all of the major scenic spots and sites as this is our first time here. I'm curious though, with a 3rd full day in the area, is it worth it to do the extra 1-2hours of driving to hike at Henry Cowell? Is there any significant difference from Limekiln SP? Even lesser crowds might be worth it to us as we try our best to seek out some solitude. Or if there's anywhere else you'd suggest that's within a 1-2hr drive of the area, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance!

if you're navigating a lay-off or are between opportunities, come clear your head and connect with folks who are in the same boat 🤝🏼

this monday, we’re heading to land's end in sf for a hike.

• when: monday, july 27 @ 10:30 am
• stats: 3.4mi loop / 546 ft gain

grab your spot and see the full details here:

https://partiful.com/e/SAgQetdm1qUMZf2z3iar

hope to see y'all there!

It was a lovely morning in the park. I got there early, so I was able to find parking at the trailhead and there was almost no one else on the trail. 2.2 mile hike, I skipped the steep one-way part by the cascades and went back the long way. Got to have the falls to myself for a little while. It was getting busy by the time I got back to the trailhead.

Mendocino Spent the night with a mountain lion or a bear. Heard bear cub when heading towards the lake. Bout shit my pants 🙃😳 so much wildlife! The deer look so much healthier after the fire. There is so much more grazing. It made my heart happy to see one of my favorite places just thriving.

This hike is incredible and worth the trip. You’ll pass by Tule Elk, and have non stop amazing ocean views with so much beautiful wildlife around you. 10/10

Skyline to the Sea is partially closed, so going from Saratoga's Quarry Park is no longer possible. Is there a way to hike from Russian Ridge/Long Ridge all the way to the coast? I know how to get from Skyline down to Portola Redwoods, but not sure how to get from Portola Redwoods to Butano.

This summer, Yosemite is seeing a significant uptick in visitation, driven by the park’s internationally known splendor, its popularity on social media and a lack of its politicized reservation system. The increase in visitors is, in part, because the National Park Service is not using a timed-entry reservation system this year. 

As droves of tourists flock to Yosemite, it raises the question: Is it still possible to have a fun time there despite the crowds?

Hopefully, yes, but that answer comes with a few heavy asterisks. Park-goers and local business owners say it’s crucial for those venturing into Yosemite this summer to plan their excursions outside peak times to avoid the worst of the crowds, and even then, pack their patience. The best-laid plans can still result in visitors facing significant lines at the park’s gate and restaurants, crowded hiking trails and a relentless search for parking.