Stout Grove in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park is easily one of my favorite redwood groves in the state. It is a short half mile to walk through the grove, and during the walk, you will see one of the largest collections of coastal redwoods in Redwoods National Park with some of the most massive […]
State Parks
Crystal Cove State Park: El Moro Loop Trail
Crystal Cove State Park is a beautiful area in Laguna Beach that includes 3 miles of coastline and dozens of miles of hiking trails. I set out to explore the most popular trail, El Moro Loop Trail, which included hiking through a nice canyon and going along a ridge that overlooked the ocean. It was […]
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Blankets of Orange Poppys
Much like the amazing fall season, California shows its colors in the spring with its wildflowers. I was able to see some during my time in the Mojave last month, but nothing like what was in Antelope Valley this April. If you hear that there is a super bloom (which only happens every couple of […]
Angel Island State Park: Hiking the Perimeter Trail
Angel Island State Park is located only 30 minutes via boat from the Fisherman’s Wharf area of San Francisco. Yet, many people who live and visit the San Francisco area have never been. I went for the first time in late 2018, and it was an incredible island with tons of hiking trails and history […]
Sand Harbor State Park: One of the Best Spots for Sunset in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is full of fantastic state parks, but Sand Harbor on the east side of the lake is probably my favorite of all of them for sunset. While this park is technically in Nevada, it’s looking at California the whole time, so I figured it worked for this site. There are a few small […]