Activities: Hiking, Photography

Info:
Location: Death Valley National Park
State: California
Length: 15 Miles
Difficulty: Difficult
Elevation: 11,000 feet
Trail type: Up and Back

Description: This all-day, 14-mile round-trip climbs 2,916 ft/889 m to the highest point in Death Valley. As you would expect, the views from the 11,049 ft summit are fabulous. Incredibly as you climb above the floor of Death Valley you will be awestruck by the cool temperatures, lowering about fifty degrees below those in the valley below you. The wildflowers and lush, nearly alpine meadows will amaze and delight you as you continue upward and in some places in mid summer you will be Hiking through snow. This is not a walk for the faint hearted, and do be certain that you check the trail conditions as in some cases you will need an ice axe to negotiate the trail. From the trailhead at Mahogany Flat Camp ground, at an elevation of 8133 feet, the strenuous 14-mile round-trip day hike to the top of the 11,049-foot desert mountain called Telescope Peak is a struggle that is absolutely worth the time and energy it will take to help you to arrive at your destination. Located in the Panamint Range, it is the highest point in the Death Valley National Park. The trail is often covered with snow until June and if traversed at that time many hikers have laboured through knee-deep snow over the last mile to reach the summit. Splashed with patches of white evening primrose, yellow flowering prickly pear and pink phlox scattered among lupine and desert paintbrush, if the trail or the altitude don’t take your breath away the scenery most certainly will. From the summit of Telescope Peak, there is a 360º view of the surrounding basins and mountains, badlands and salt flats. Death Valley lies below you, to the east, a vast panorama. The Sierra Nevada Mountains lay on the distant horizon to the northwest, beyond the Inyo Mountains. While the trail may be a bit of a struggle, achieving the peak will be that much sweeter.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Angeles National Forest
Length: Round Trip: 1.5 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 250 feet
Best Season: Summer, Fall
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Moderate

Description: These are two short, separate hikes to adjacent peaks. Both are short walks up an open ridge line to the top. There is no regular trail to either peak, but the climb is short and not difficult. Mt. Mooney is at the edge of Charlton Flat. It has a rounded, partly forested top with views over Charlton Flat and part of the San Gabriel mountain range. There is a fine, open pine forest over gently rolling terrain from the top northward. Devil’s Peak is about a mile S. E. of Mt. Mooney. It is a high point overlooking Devil’s Canyon and the rugged area around Twin Peaks, with views of many peaks and canyons of the San Gabriels. On the way up the ridge from a dirt road, you will pass through a small forest of Coulter Pines. While Coulters are rather small as pine trees go, their cones are spectacular the largest of all pine cones. They are not a rare tree, but their range is limited. Enjoy this walk through one of the best concentrations of these interesting trees.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Mount Diablo State Park
Length: Round Trip: 9.9 miles
Trail type: Loop
Elevation Change: 3000 feet
Best Season: Year-Round
Difficulty: More Difficult
Usage: Heavy

Description: Mount Olympia is one of the park’s prime destinations, a rugged outcrop with fantastic views of dizzying canyons, particularly with the mists of winter. The Middle Trail to Mount Olympia is a nature lover’s delight and the climb toward Prospectors Gap and descent from North Peak is challenging. Follow Donner Canyon Road to Middle Trail, which takes you to Prospectors Gap Road. Turn left and climb steeply to Prospectors Gap, here follow the North Peak Road and Trail to Mt. Olympia. Complete the loop alone Olympia Road and Trail (avoid private property) and return to the previously traversed Donner Canyon Road along the Cardinet Oaks Road, finally retracing your steps to the trailhead.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Length: Round Trip: 2.8 miles
Trail type: Loop
Best Season: Spring to Fall
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Heavy

Description: This is a scenic hike along the lower McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake and provides good access for fishing and sightseeing. The trail circles what was once a mountain and offers an interesting opportunity to see how exposure to the sun affects the different sides. The south facing slopes are noticeably hotter and dryer and covered with manzanita and knobcone pines which are heat tolerant The north side of the mountain is decidedly cooler and the vegetation changes to pines and oaks and finally to thick groves of Douglas Fir.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Angeles National Forest
Length: Round Trip: 6.1 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 1250 feet
Best Season: Summer, Fall
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Moderate

Description: Mt. Islip (pronounced eye-slip) affords spectacular views over the San Gabriel Valley to the south and clear to the ocean, if the air is clear. For a good view of the valley areas, a smog-free day is best. The reason for the good view in all Directions is that the summit is not only high (8250 feet elevation), but is a fairly sharp peak. There used to be a Forest Service fire lookout tower on the top. Remains of a small cabin used by the lookout for living quarters may be seen just below the top. One of the earliest two-way radios used by the Forest Service was located at this lookout for fire reporting during the 1930's. Forty years ago, there were many more lookouts on various peaks of the Angeles National Forest, but the increase in smog decreased visibility so much that their effectiveness was greatly reduced and they were closed.