well off the beathen path

While it may be a bit hot to visit here during summer, I thought I would let everyone know about this awesome "stretch break" along US Hwy 395 , where the Mojave meets the Sierra Nevada. When you are on your way northbound toward Bishop, entering the lava corridor of the Eastern Sierra, look for a red cinder cone volcano on the right side of the highway. This easy to miss turn off is after Little Lake (which is the remains of a burnt hotel) & before Coso Junction. If you are driving over 55 mph, you may actually miss it. To find Fossil Falls (which is not a waterfall anymore) -- turn right off Highway 395, on to a well marked gravel road called CINDER ROAD. High clearance vehicle is not required. Follow road to the right w/ signs approx. 1 mile & you will be at a small primitive BLM campground & trailhead parking lot. Surrounded by a field of black lava chunks, the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west and Death Valley Park to the east. New picnic tables &

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

Most people moved to California for the great weather, the awesome scenery & the forward thinking culture. Or maybe you just relocated here for a job, a career or college. Either way, you are here now & all the plans you had to travel have slipped by the wayside. Computers have now taken over your daily entertainment, your life and society. NOT! No matter what your excuse is the need to be outside enveloped in nature and to explore new trails is still buried deep within you. You crave the sunshine, the fresh air, the real true connection w/ the earth. Caves & caverns of Gold Country, the High Sierra peaks, the wineries to tour.. it's all still out there. Not all the forests have burned - yet. California  A to Z In case you don't already know the back roads of California like you really wanted to, DanaMite has compiled the awesome California small town list , an ever growing compilation of all small towns & some not-so-small cities. It's the perfect

Mojave Desert / Mohave Camping Mojave, one of the largest deserts in the USA. Named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans, it contains a number of ghost towns, the old railroad depots, and nearly 2000 plants species. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major routes - Interstate 15, Interstate 40, US Highway 395 & US Highway 95. READ MORE Right in the middle of the Mojave Desert is the National Preserve. The largest joshua tree forest in the state of Cali. Summer temps can easily reach the triple digits, so camping and hiking is most favored in autumn, winter or spring months. There are many primitive style (free) camp spots inside the park and surrounding the park, and there are also a few developed campgrounds as well. Goffs schoolhouse to the east has outdoor showers. Hole in the Wall Campground Mid Hills Campground Black Canyon Corral & Group Camp Hundreds if not thousands of dirt roads network the Mojave desert This desert park is an ideal spot for "i

General Store at Kennedy Meadows, on the Kern Plateau, California There are 2 different places in the Sierra Nevada mountains called Kennedy Meadows. This one photographed above is on the Kern Plateau, located in the Southern Sierra in between Dome Land Wilderness & Golden Trout Wilderness . The infamous Pacific Crest Trail (the PCT) passes through this region. Sequoia National Forest spans most of the land to the south and west of Kennedy Meadows. Inyo National Forest sits directly to the east. Monache Meadow s and Olancha Peak are to the north side kennedy meadows on the kern plateau -  High elevation Sherman's Pass Road leads uphill from the west, where the steep turn off, next to the Kern River is often gated. Way north of Kernville, CA . Shermans Pass Rd is a paved back road that closes annually for snow, so call the local ranger for up to date weather & road conditions. Access to Kennedy Meadows from the east side, Inyo County Road # J41 off of Easte

The Sierra Nevada mountains range in elevation from 2000' - 14,494' above sea level. From rolling foothills with creek, oaks & wildflowers to tower granite peaks, alpine lakes & high country meadows of the Eastern Sierra. Imus Geographics makes a nice overview map of the Sierra Nevada mountains and this one is a hot seller on Total Escape! Over at the Total Escape map store we have an epic selection of Sierra Maps - see all Sierra Nevada Maps Eastern Sierra Map Gold Country Maps Lassen Maps Mammoth Maps Mt Whitney Maps Sequoia Maps Tahoe Maps Yosemite Maps Northern Sierra Forest Map Set Central Sierra Forest Map Set Easterm Sierra Forest Map Set Southern Sierra Forest Map Set California Sierra Wilderness Maps PCT - Pacific Crest Trail Maps  

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

Boating Powell: The Couples Choice No need for a big houseboat? Try a power boat rental instead. Cheryl and Jay rented a 21 foot power boat. This was MUCH less expensive than a houseboat rental, and a much faster way to get around the lake. It allowed them to motor deep into some of the slot canyons & find private coves for overnight stays. Obviously, they gave up a lot of the luxury of the house boats, but this power boat had a cabin that slept 2 comfortably, and it was nearly ideal for their needs. Jay brought his inflatable kayak, which worked great to get deeper into the narrowing canyons. From there, they could continued on foot, and had to wade or swim through some passages. It was a great experience! Lake Powell is located in the desert near the Grand Canyon. In the Summer shaded coves may produce relief from 100 degree days. The water temp ranged from about 80 to 86 degrees. Spring & Fall are very comfortable. Powerboat rentals start at $350 per day and

Lotsa mid-western transplants typing in Google "Southern California Lakes". Well campers, I hate to break it to ya, but California has mostly reservoirs. Man-made lakes & river dams to supply our cities & crops with valuable water. The few more natural lakes in Southern California - Henshaw , Hemet , Cuyamaca nearly dry up in late summer. California is a dry state, the whole west for that matter. Face it, inland San Diego is almost a desert. It's right next to Baja & Anza Borrego Desert . If you wanna see clear mountain water, with trees, maybe pine forest views & hear bluebirds... with big rivers flowing & decent fishing, then you are gonna need to drive. When the crowds at Big Bear & Arrowhead annoy you, then the plan B is obvious. Drive further. Drive north, about half way up the Golden State Freeway I #5. About 6 hours from the busy hub of SoCal. For recreation lakes, alpine lakes, real lakes in California. The Sierra Nevada mountains

NorCal Lakes & Reservoirs Our northern California lakes region designates recreation reservoirs and lakes north of San Francisco, Sacramento and Truckee (Interstate 80 Donner Pass) California Lakes near Interstate 5 Lake Oroville Black Butte Lake Stoney Gorge Reservoir East Park Reservoir Shasta Lake Whiskeytown Reservoir Castle Lake @ Castle Crags SP Siskiyou Lake Lake Shastina West of Interstate 5 Lake Berryessa Hennessey Lake Indian Valley Reservoir Clear Lake Lake Mendocino Lake Pillsbury Ruth Lake Lewiston Lake Trinity Lake East of Interstate 5 Lake Almanor Mountain Meadows Reservoir Butt Valley Reservoir Antelope Reservoir Lake Davis @ Portola Eagle Lake @ Susanville Lake Britton @ Burney Falls Juniper Lake @ Lassen NP Iron Gate Reservoir @ Oregon border Copco Lake @ Oregon border Tule Lake Big Sage Reservoir West Valley Reservoir Northern Sierra Lakes Lake Tahoe Donner Lake Boca Reservoir Prosser Reservoir Stamp

There are millions of people in California searching for that perfect weekend in the mountains. That secluded stream side camp with no one else around. Dense forest with mountain peaks, bluebirds, fresh air, total nature everywhere and maybe a view. Free firewood around every corner. No fees, no camp host and no camp fire restrictions. These awesome secret outdoor places do indeed exists, but they are not located in SoCal within an hours drive from your home. Nor are they located in the nearest State Park Campground. These rare finds are on the back roads of California, usually in the Sierra Nevada mountains or further north - in the vast spans known as Northern Cal. First off, you will need to drive (more than 3 hours) to reach these awesome wilderness retreats. Pack days ahead of time to make sure you are truly prepared and ready for serious back roads camping. Plan an early day departure from the city, so you can be at camp relaxing by sundown. Your goal that day is to