Game Plan for These Outdoor Adventures

Whether it's booking wilderness permits, finding first-come, first-served options, or just setting a date for a trip, it's good to have a game plan for some top outdoor adventures. Here are several favorites to plan for this summer.

Week: 05.04.2022
Regions: Northern & Southern CA

High Sierra Lake Hop

Backpacking Lake Adventure in Emigrant Wilderness North of Yosemite

Camping at Chewing Gum Lake Emigrant Wilderness
Backpacking Emigrant Wilderness
Camping at Y Meadow Lake Emigrant Wilderness
hammock at Chewing Gum Lake Emigrant Wilderness
Situated just north of Yosemite is a High Sierra wonderland that gets a fraction of the crowds and is a fantastic destination for backpacking. The Emigrant Wilderness is 113,000 acres of granite ridges, wildflower-strewn meadows, and cobalt lakes.
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Great Is an Understatement!

Hiking and Exploring Nevada's Great Basin National Park

Hiker enroute to Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker at the summit of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker on a trail at Great Basin National Park Nevada
Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marbled limestone caves.
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Duck, Duck, Goose!

Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin, Sierra Nevada

Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin
Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.
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Wild for Wildcat

Backpacking and Camping at Wildcat Camp in Point Reyes

Group of friends at the beach at sunset near Wildcat Camp in Point Reyes National Seashore
Backpackers overlooking the bluff and down to the Pacific ocean at Point Reyes National Seashore near Wildcat Camp
Two people sit around a campfire located at the beach near Wildcat Camp in Point Reyes National Seashore
Backpacker hiking on the Coast Trail surrounded by yellow wildflowers in Point Reyes National Seashore
With seven sites strewn along a coastal bluff adjacent to the beach, Wildcat Camp is one of Northern California’s premier camping destinations in Point Reyes National Seashore. And there's one first-come, first-served spot...
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High Five!

Hike to the Cottonwood Lakes in the John Muir Wilderness

Hike to the Cottonwood Lakes in the John Muir Wilderness
Hike to Cottonwood Lakes in the John Muir Wilderness
Hit the High Sierra for a day hike or get a permit to spend the night at one of the Cottonwood Lakes, five sublime oases set in the John Muir Wilderness.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

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  2. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

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  3. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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  4. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    Buck Wild!

    Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.

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  1. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

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  2. Keough's Hot Springs

    Soaking Up History

    When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.

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  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

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  4. Grover Hot Springs

    State Park Soaker

    Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.

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