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Sierra Nevada Region, California (View Photos):
Some people consider the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California to be an outdoors paradise without rival in the continental United States. That is certainly saying something given the enviable galaxy of world-class parks found throughout the country.
The land currently set aside by Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks as well as adjacent public lands helped inspire the early environmental movement and continues to serve as a conservation flashpoint to the present day. These awe-inspiring places that help restore the soul and replenish the spirit have also inspired generations of landscape artists and photographers, most notably the great Ansel Adams.
The Sierra Nevada region and the wilderness it safeguards, is a unique treasure that contains a rich diversity of plant and animal life. This majestic landscape of endless, jagged mountains, primeval forests (including groves of the world's largest tree, the Sequoia), powerful waterfalls, and sparkling blue lakes attracts visitors from all over the planet.
This web site explores a number of the more popular parklands in the Sierra Nevada like Yosemite, Sequoia, and Mount Whitney, but there are many others to discover. It is important to treat this special place with care so that it may be passed on to future generations untarnished by our enjoyment of it.
Recommended Day Hikes:
Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point - Yosemite National Park
Round Trip Length: 9.6 miles
Trailhead location: Four Mile Trailhead which is just west of the Swinging Bridge picnic area
Level of Difficulty: Strenuous
Attractions: Excellent views of Yosemite Valley which climaxes with a panoramic vista from Glacier Point. From
Glacier Point, approximately one quarter of the park is visible. This viewpoint provides perhaps the parks' best
overall view of Yosemite Valley
Valley Floor Loop - Yosemite National Park
Round Trip Length: 6.5 miles
Trailhead location: Lower Yosemite Fall shuttle bus stop
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Quiet and easy stroll that allows the hiker to experience Yosemite Valley at a slower pace. The trail
roughly paralells the Merced River. Beautiful riparian environment amidst the soaring granite walls of Yosemite Valley
Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail (not to be confused with the 11-mile one-way Mount Whitney Trail that
goes to the top of Mount Whitney) - Inyo National Forest
Round Trip Length: 4.65 miles one-way
Trailhead location: Lone Pine Campground, off Whitney Portal Road
Level of Difficulty: Strenuous
Attractions: Beautiful views of Mount Whitney to the west and the Alabama Hills, Owens Valley, and the White
Mountains to the East
Congress Trail - Sequoia National Park
Round Trip Length: 2.0 miles
Trailhead location: By the General Sherman Tree in the Giant Forest
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Although the name of the trail is awful, the scenery isn't. This easy footpath explores some monumental
Sequoia trees in the Giant Forest section of the park
Recommended Points of Interest:
Giant Forest and Grant Grove (Sequoia National Park); the Alabama Hills (near Lone Pine and Mount Whitney); Panoramic
Point (Sequoia National Park; Panoramic Point is reached by driving 2.5 miles east of the Visitor Center); Tunnel View
Overlook (Yosemite National Park); Tioga Road (Yosemite National Park); Mariposa Grove of Sequoias (Yosemite National Park)
Helpful travel tips and observations
Backcountry hiking in Yosemite and Sequoia parks is best undertaken in July and August when the weather is moderate and
pleasant. If your plans involve merely day-hiking and driving the park roads, your best bet is to visit in September
and October when the huge crowds have dissipated. The road to Glacier Point in Yosemite is usually closed by November
due to snows and doesn't re-open until June or July
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Photos: Page 1 > Page 2 > Page 3 > Page 4
Half Dome from the Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
View from Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Yosemite Valley from the Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Tunnel View Overlook, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Half Dome from the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Sentinel Rock, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
Merced River with Half Dome in the background, Yosemite National Park, (November 2004)
