Read more about the article Kings Canyon National Park – California
Kings Canyon NP

Kings Canyon National Park – California

Kings Canyon and Sequoia are separate national parks, but share park administration. Basically, once you enter one park, you travel seamlessly in both parks without having to go through another entrance station. Although contiguous to each other, they are quite different. Because we entered at the Big Stump entrance, we explored Kings Canyon NP first.

At the Kings Canyon visitor center, we watched a film featuring both parks and learned surprising bits of both parks history. Established in 1890, Sequoia NP is the second national park in the US. Shortly after, the nearby Grant Grove area became General Grant National Park. In 1940, FDR established Kings Canyon NP and transferred General Grant NP (which was only 150 acres) to the much larger Kings Canyon NP. For this reason, Kings Canyon features two separate sections – Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. (more…)

Read more about the article Yosemite NP – Hiking the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls
Vernal Falls

Yosemite NP – Hiking the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls

I was ready to go on a hike in Yosemite and I chose the Mist Trail. But when Thing 2 found out the strenuous trail climbs 1,000 feet, she complained. The ranger at the visitor center recommended we take the moderate trail to the Vernal Falls footbridge. With an elevation of 400 feet, the 1.4-mile hike was a better option.

Last chance for drinking water

 

We took the shuttle to the Happy Isles stop. This is the same trail that hikers take to Nevada Falls and to hike Half Dome. The area was bustling with activity and people. Since it’s the last stop for restrooms and drinking water, we stood in a long line to fill up our water bottles.

Afterwards, we walked up to the Happy Isles Nature Center. Although small, families seemed to enjoy looking at exhibits while kids sat at tables doing art work. (more…)

Read more about the article Yosemite National Park Lodging

Yosemite National Park Lodging

Over 5 million people annually visit Yosemite National Park in California, and the National Park Service reports that 75% come between May and October. That’s a lot of people and traffic peaks during the summer months. To avoid wasting valuable time, plan to stay inside the park.

Mountains surround the Majestic Yosemite Hotel

The park offers three hotels and 13 campgrounds. For those wanting something in-between, Half Dome (formerly Curry) Village, Housekeeping Camp, Tuolumne Meadows and White Wolf Lodge offer an array of cabins and canvas tents.

Currently, Aramark runs all of the park’s lodging. Due to a trademark dispute with the previous concessionaire, Delaware North, Yosemite renamed several hotels and landmarks in 2016.  Since some of these names had been in place almost 100 years, it will take time to call them by the new names. (more…)

Read more about the article Yosemite Valley – Yosemite Falls, Tunnel View & Glacier Point
Tunnel View

Yosemite Valley – Yosemite Falls, Tunnel View & Glacier Point

Although Yosemite National Park encompasses over 1,100 square miles, most of the 5 million annual visitors spend their time at Yosemite Valley. It’s no wonder as the 7-mile stretch, which is only about a mile wide, has some of the more dramatic landmarks such as El Capitan, Half Dome and many waterfalls.

Upper Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Falls

Right outside our hotel, Yosemite Falls cascaded down the sheer granite cliffs to its rocky basin. At 2,400 feet, it is the largest waterfall in North America and consists of three sections: Upper Falls, the middle cascades and Lower Falls.

Lower Yosemite Falls

We hiked the 1-mile Lower Yosemite Falls loop. From afar, we could see Yosemite Falls in its entirety. However, once we got closer to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, we could no longer see the Upper Falls. As we watched snow-melted water plummet 300 feet to the boulders, it was hard to image that the same water already traveled over 1,200 feet – four times the drop we watched – from Yosemite Creek. (more…)