California National Parks

An Amazing 2 Days in Lassen Volcanic National Park

January 17, 2025 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

We had the most amazing 2 days in Lassen Volcanic National Park! This park, which is sadly overlooked in a state with Yosemite, Death Valley, Redwood, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and other beautiful spots, should be a destination on your road trip because it is so unique!

Unique meaning a mini-Yellowstone, Haleakala, or Mount Rainier. This park is home to both the world’s largest plug dome volcano (Lassen Peak) but also is home to all 4 types of volcanoes (plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano), which is rare in such close proximity. It is also home to a geothermal area named Bumpass Hell that feels like Yellowstone. You also have some higher elevation areas that felt like a high elevation mountain.

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Stunning 3 Days in Redwood National Park

March 23, 2024 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

We came for 3 Days in Redwood National Park for the trees, but stayed for the unexpected and special beauty of the ferns, the beaches, and the tidepools! Here is how we had a stunning 3 days in Redwood National Park!

This park, much like Olympic National Park, has a lot more to it than people typically would think. We came from the north on our way from Crater Lake National Park and a quick stop at the Oregon Caves National Monument. The beauty of the drive through the mountains and along the Smith River on Highway 199 was special before we came upon the exit for the Howland Hill Road near Hiouchi, CA in the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park.

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The Best 1 Day in the Mojave Preserve

May 31, 2020 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

The Mojave Preserve is a vastly under-appreciated gem of the National Park System in California. We visited on a trip that had us fly into Las Vegas before hitting the Mojave, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Death Valley National Parks. We had the best 1 day in the Mojave Preserve by doing some great hikes and appreciating the beauty of the park!

Tucked between I-15 and I-40 and touching the border with Nevada, this huge park (1.6 million acres and the third largest site in the contiguous US) encompasses abandoned mines, lava tubes, sand dunes, train depots, arguably more Joshua Trees than Joshua Tree National Park, mountains, and so much more that we were unable to do it all in a day! What we were able to do was enjoy some beauty and have a good visit as a family. And sweat… So, how do you have your best 1 day in the Mojave Preserve?

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7 Summer Hikes in Death Valley National Park

May 17, 2020 By Kim Nelson Leave a Comment

Our family’s picks for summer hikes in Death Valley

We use the term “hikes” very loosely in this post, as some of these are very short walks to an overlook or don’t really have a final destination per se, as you can go as far as you want (as in the Sand Dunes, for example). Also, while we rated the difficulty, some of these would not be moderate/difficult in normal temperatures. As with most things in Death Valley, they are made more difficult by the heat and desert conditions so be mindful of the conditions and forecasted temperatures in your planning!

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8 Quick Stops in Death Valley National Park

May 16, 2020 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

Our first trip to Death Valley was in mid-June 2018, so it was hot but not as hot as it gets further into the summer. This post contains quick stops in Death Valley National Park that would be appropriate on really hot days, if you’re just driving though, or on a day trip from Las Vegas.

I love Death Valley National Park. It’s on the very short list of my favorite parks because of its’ diversity, minerals (bringing vivid colors of rocks), and the mysteries of the desert for a guy who calls Minnesota home. Many see the desert as a hot, dry, windy, oppressive place that seems to be out to kill you. And they are right! What you can also see is a beautiful, unique, mysterious place that, when engaged safely, will be a stunning spot for your family to visit.

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Top 2 Best Family Hikes in Yosemite

January 12, 2020 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

Yosemite National Park is a great National Park for families as there are many beautiful sites to see that require little to no hiking as well as some amazingly beautiful longer hikes. During our visit to Yosemite we chose to do the popular Mist Trail hike and the less popular, but still beautiful, Wapama Falls hike in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite (in addition to many overlooks and short hikes). Following is more info about our picks for the top 2 best family hikes in Yosemite National Park.

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Best things to do in Yosemite with Kids

April 15, 2019 By Ross Nelson Leave a Comment

Our list of top quick things to do in Yosemite with kids. Note: We receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.

Yosemite is a special place. It is scenic on a scale to match mighty parks like Zion, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Glacier National Parks. It is busy to match the Grand Canyon and again, Zion. Our first reflections on Yosemite were not great – the busyness made it a hassle and that rarely makes for a fun day for our family as we prefer quieter, more peaceful parks. After later reflections, however, we did it well with a blend of short stops and a few longer hikes. There are plenty of quick things to do in Yosemite with kids and this list only covers a portion of them.

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Kings Canyon National Park with Kids

July 17, 2018 By Kim Nelson Leave a Comment

Our tips for visiting Kings Canyon National Park with kids.

We recently came back from our summer trip to some of California’s National Parks. After one day in Sequoia National Park, we decided to visit Kings Canyon the following day. While Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are managed as one park, they are quite different and we found we liked Kings Canyon best. Kings Canyon is so much less well known than Sequoia but it really does stand alone as the best kept secret in the area!Unfortunately for them, most visitors to Kings Canyon only visit the small part of the park that is home to the General Grant tree and the Grant Grove Village shopping area and Visitor Center and then call it a wrap. What a shame!

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Our Comprehensive, Non-Hikers Guide to Sequoia National Park

July 10, 2018 By Kim Nelson 3 Comments

Our top picks for a non-hikers guide to Sequoia National Park. Note: We receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.

Beyond hiking in Sequoia, we enjoyed a few other sights that are worth visiting while in Sequoia. These stops are perfect if you don’t have a lot of time in the park or are just driving through. Beyond these quick stops, we would also recommend visiting Crescent Meadow and General Sherman tree which were quick little hikes. You can read more about those hikes in this post. All of these stops were easy drives from our rental home in Three Rivers.

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5 Best Family Hikes in Sequoia National Park

July 10, 2018 By Kim Nelson Leave a Comment

The best family hikes in Sequoia National Park. Note: this post contains affiliate links. We receive a small commission if you purchase through a link at no additional cost to you.

We recently got back from our summer National Parks trip to California. We did this trip a bit differently than we normally would in that we flew to Las Vegas and rented a car rather than driving from our home in Minnesota. This presented a whole new set of packing challenges, but that is best saved for another post. On this trip we went to Mojave National Preserve, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierras, and Death Valley National Park (along with a pleasant, though unplanned, stop at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge).

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California National Parks

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