well off the beathen path

If you are searching for an alpine lake near a National Park to visit - that is driving distance from Southern California, the dual region of Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Park are easy access. These 2 popular parks are located in the southern most sections of the Sierra Nevada. Hume Lake is located in between both of these parks & offers a variety of camping options - cabins, campgrounds, primitive camping, backpacking and horse packs. Giant Sequoia groves are to the south via Highway 198, which leads down the hill to Mineral King Road & the riverside village of Three Rivers. Big Meadows Road #14S11 is a prime choice for folks who want to camp away from the National Parks, but still be within driving distance. The further back on this narrow road you drive, the better it gets. The wilderness boundary is 12 miles back, becoming dirt roads forking off in many directions. Great horse camping near a big meadow too. Buck Rock Fire Lookout is worth a hike up with s...

Sequoia Camping @ Frazier Mill Mountain Home State Forest On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, at the base of the Western Divide (California SR 190) this campground is within Mountain Home State Forest . The unheard-of park is worth a weekend jaunt, located south of the big park, Sequoia National Park and north of Giant Sequoia National Monument & Sequoia National Forest . Frasier Mill Camp is positioned on fern-lined Bear Creek; a good size campground on a historic lumber mill site. Accessible to numerous Sequoia groves, Balch Park fishing pond, wilderness trailheads. A fork of the Tule River flows through this section of Sequoia National Forest land & there are meadows all over. Bring your mountain bike to easily explore all the dirt roads. East of Springville, CA - Sequoia Camping - 46 camp sites on creek @ 6000' elevation fee, vault toilet, piped water, hiking trailheads, creek first come, first served camping Max Camper Leng...

Mineral King Campground, Sequoia NP Sequoia National Park: Cold Springs Campground in Mineral King Area A large developed camp ground with bear lockers, a raging creek, some walk in sites, & access to the Sierra Nevada high country trails. This is the last real campground in the main valley, everything beyond this spot is pure alpine highcountry. 9000'-13,000' peaks - in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Car camp, tent camping or bring a backpack and climb to pristine lakes and into the real Wilderness. Cold Springs Campground, California on the East Fork of the Kaweah River, closest campground to the hiker trailheads @ Mineral King Valley. Mineral King Road open May-October (usually, depending on snow) Atop the mighty canyon sits mountain passes, peaks and lakes above 10,000' elevation. A rocky alpine valley of wonder and water, granite, dark skies and a good night sleep. Black bears and hikers are everywhere, anytime. This sweet spot river campgrou...

Camping is great here nearly year round, but campfires restrictions are often tight in dry summer months and into late fall. The Kern River draws visitors from Southern California, as well as Central Cal. It is the southern most big river of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Located near a few big Sequoia trees, the Kern River winds thru Golden Trout Wilderness & Sequoia National Forest, dumping into Lake Isabella before heading west to the flatlands of Bako. The smaller & lesser known south fork of the Kern River is located way up top at Monache; Granite peaks, joshua trees, sage meadows & wilderness near Olancha Peak, on the very border of the North Mojave desert. Plenty cool stuff to see and do around the Lower Kern Canyon: Alta Sierra Domelands Wilderness Fairview CA Golden Trout Wilderness Kennedy Meadows Kernville CA Lake Isabella Pondersosa Remington Hot Springs Road's End Sequoia National Forest Wofford Heights CA Upper Kern is often thought ...

California is the most epic place to live for those who love the outdoors and camp often. Terrain can be extreme like the vast deserts and higher elevation mountains. Moderate elevation forest, mountains and rural regions, such as river canyons in the gold country and Northern California. Mild and mellow landscape w/ developed campgrounds along the coast and near the urban centers. The weather is always decent somewhere in the golden state. Deserts are prime areas for wintertime camping, off-roading, old mines and ghost towns, as well as early Spring wildflowers. Wine country camping , farm-stays and recreation reservoirs are abundant all around the Central Valley and areas north of San Francisco. Coastal and beach camping is the most popular and sought-after destinations, so make your reservations if you want a guarantee spot. City camping is primarily offered by State Parks, county parks, regional parks and private RV resorts. California mountains are the place to be in the...

  We grabbed some snacks & beverages at a Bakersfield mini-mart & headed due east on Hwy 178. Into a wall of granite, a raging river filled with Sierra Nevada snow melt, the sounds of rushing water filled the air. We turned on to a dark narrow road without any guard rails. Oaks trees hung overhead, dark skies & huge cows in the middle of the road. After passing it once, we found the dirt parking area around 10:20 pm & started our hike down to the hot springs w/ flashlights. Down to the Kern River we scrambled thru muddy grasses & bushes. Candle light, river rock tubs & steaming mineral baths await. No one around, we had the whole place to ourselves..... until 1am. There are numerous natural hot springs located on the Kern River canyon, most of them on the Lower Kern in between Lake Isabella & the Bako citrus orchards. Many are closed off to the public - private property.  Lower Kern Canyon on Highway 178 is the way to Kernville California ...

Update for Sequoia Forest, 2012 Southern Sierra areas include - Sequoia National Forest, Kern River Canyon, Kernville, Tehachapi, Kennedy Meadows, Golden Trout, Domeland, Western Divide, Giant Sequoia National Monument. Further north, there is a small chunk of National Forest land smack dab in between Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, some of the best, free Sequoia car camping anywhere . new: USDA National Forest waterproof map, updated and printed in late 2011 . The Wilderness areas of the Southern Sierra Nevada, known as SEQUOIA, has renamed their ranger districts too. Kern river & Sequoia ranger offices What was once Greenhorn Ranger District is now called Kern River Ranger District - one office in Kernville and one office on Lake Isabella .  Sequoia Hot Springs Ranger District in California Hot Springs is gone and a new Western Divide Ranger District is located in Springville, CA . Giant Sequoia...

  If you are searching for maps on the mighty Sequoia region of California, we may be able to help here at Total Escape. First, decide what park or forest. There are up more than 6 'agencies' managing our Giant Sequoia Trees in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. See the list below w/ maps. Big, Old, Huge, Tall Trees : overview page for the Redwoods on the California North Coast, the Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the oldest trees, the Ancient Bristlecone Pines over on the east side. Sierra Nevada SEQUOIA GROVES can be found in: Sequoia National Forest Sequoia National Park Kings Canyon National Park Yosemite National Park Mountain Home State Forest Calaveras Big Trees State Park Giant Sequoia National Monument SEQUOIA MAPS below: printed on polypropylene plastic, waterproof maps, tear-resistant, recyclable Sequoia National Forest Map USDA Sequoia National Park Map (NatGeo) Sequoia / Kings Canyon Map (Tom Harrison) Sierra National Forest M...