Central California

Including Yosemite NP, Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
May 14th - June 17th, 2023

Exploring the Sierra Nevadas

We came here to visit the iconic Yosemite NP, Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP. We stayed in Fresno CA, which was equidistant between the three parks.

Yosemite certainly lives up to it’s hype, we loved driving through the valley and marvelling at Half Dome and El Cap. While here, we went on a hike that journeyed up the Mist Trail through Vernal and Nevada Falls up to Little Yosemite Valley. From there, Trevor summited half dome while Natalie relaxed by the Merced River.

We also loved wondering through the groves of giant sequoias trees in Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP. Unfortunately while we were here the majority of Kings Canyon NP was closed, so we’ll have to come back one day to explore the main canyon area.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular parks in the US. The Yosemite valley features massive walls and domes contrasted by a beautiful green forest on the valley floor. It's the birthplace of modern rock climbing and is still a major climbing mecca today. A highlight from our time in Yosemite is hiking the Mist Trail up to Little Yosemite Valley, where Trevor continued on to summit Half Dome.

Natalie hiking up the Mist Trail near Nevada Falls.
Natalie hiking up the Mist Trail near Nevada Falls.
Hiking up the Mist Trail near Nevada Falls.
Hiking up the Mist Trail near Nevada Falls. The spray from the waterfalls was intense!
Nevada Falls along the Mist Trail.
Nevada Falls along the Mist Trail.
Trevor's first view of Half Dome along the Half Dome Trail.
Trevor's first view of Half Dome along the Half Dome Trail.
Half Dome from a side view.
Nearing the Half Dome chains (you can see people heading up the chains near the base).
Views from the top of Half Dome.
Views from the top of Half Dome.
Views from the top of Half Dome.
Views from the top of Half Dome.
On top of Half Dome!
On top of Half Dome!
Trevor standing on the edge of Half Dome.
Standing on the edge of Half Dome.
The cables on Half Dome
The cables on Half Dome. At the time I went, the cables were "down" meaning that they aren't fixed onto poles, which means you need to tie into the cables for safety.
Views along the Mist Trail.
Views along the Mist Trail.
View of Liberty Cap along the Mist Trail.
View of Liberty Cap along the Mist Trail.
A view point of Vernal Falls from the John Muir Trail.
A view point of Vernal Falls from the John Muir Trail.
Hiking up the Mist Trail.
Hiking up the Mist Trail.
Natalie and Trevor in rain panchos.
They don't call it the Mist Trail for no reason.
Views along the Mist Trail.
Views along the Mist Trail.
Natalie relaxing at Little Yosemite Valley.
While Trevor went off to summit Half Dome, Natalie relaxed by the Merced River at Little Yosemite Valley.
Natalie's set up at Little Yosemite Valley.
Natalie's set up at Little Yosemite Valley.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Views from Clark Point on the John Muir Trail.
Natalie standing in front of Half dome.
We went to Mirror Lake on the floor of Yosemite Valley and marveled up at Half Dome.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite Valley.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite Valley.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite Valley.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite Valley.
Lower Yosemite Falls
Lower Yosemite Falls
Trevor in front of El Cap.
We went to the base of El Cap to look up and get a sense for the immense challenge of climbing El Cap.
Looking up at El Cap from the base.
Looking up at El Cap from the base.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park.
Natalie at Chilnualna Falls.
We went to the Wawona area of Yosemite and hiked to Lower Chilnualna Falls.
Natalie on the Swinging Bridge in Wawona.
The Swinging Bridge trail in the Wawona area of Yosemite.
Natalie on the Swinging Bridge in Wawona.
Natalie on the Swinging Bridge in Wawona.

Sequoia National Park

The main attraction in Sequoia National Park are the groves of ancient Giant Sequoia trees found all throughout the park. It's one of the truly whimsical places where you feel like a tiny rugrat in a sea of giant trees.

Looking up through a hollow trail along the Congress Trail.
Looking up through a hollow trail along the Congress Trail.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
The President grove along the Congress Trail.
There are various groves along the Congress Trail named after different sectors of the US government.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
Natalie in front of "The Senate" grove of trees along the Congress Trail.
"The Senate" grove of trees along the Congress Trail.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
Giant Sequoia trees along the Congress trail.
Walking the Crescent Meadow in Sequoia NP.
Walking the Crescent Meadow in Sequoia NP.
A bear in Crescent Meadow.
Look closely to see a bear in Crescent Meadow!
A bear on the Big Trees Trail.
We see another bear along the Big Trees Trail. We see 5 bears in total at Sequoia NP.
Views from the Moro Rock hike in Sequoia NP.
We went on a unique hike in Sequoia NP called Moro Rock that takes you up a bunch of staircases carved into a rock face to an awesome overlook.
Natalie ascending the staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
Ascending the staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The staircases to the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
The view from the top of Moro Rock.
Natalie in front of the General Sherman Tree.
Natalie in front of the General Sherman Tree.
The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia NP, the biggest tree in the world by volume.
A lady bug landed on Natalie and refused to leave.
A lady bug landed on Natalie and refused to leave.
The Tokopah Falls Trail.
We went on an awesome hike to Tokopah Falls in Sequoia NP. The river leading up the falls was beautiful.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Views along the Tokopah Falls trail.
Tokopah Falls, Sequoia National Park.
Tokopah Falls, Sequoia National Park.

Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park shares boundaries with Sequoia NP, so it also features amazing groves of Giant Sequoia trees. Unfortunately while we were here, large areas of the park were closed, so we were only able to visit the Grant Grove area of the park.

Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Giant Sequoia trees in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon NP.
Hollowed tree in Grant Grove.
There's a hollowed out fallen over Sequoia tree that you can walk through along the General Grant trail in Grant Grove.

Fresno

We stayed in Fresno for it's proximity to all the surrounding national parks. While we wouldn't say Fresno is a particularly interesting city worth visiting (sorry Fresno), we did do some fun things there. Our favorite attraction was the Forestiere Underground Gardens, which is a beautiful cave-like home that a man dug out of the ground and turned into a garden.

Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
The living space in the Forestiere Underground Gardens.
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Forestiere Underground Gardens
Trevor feeding giraffes at the Fresno Zoo.
Feeding giraffes at the Fresno Zoo.
Natalie and Trevor at the Fresno zoo.
The Fresno Zoo was actually a pretty great zoo.
Natalie and Trevor at the top of Pincushion Mountain in Millerton Lake State Recreation Area.
We hiked to the top of Pincushion Mountain in Millerton Lake State Recreation Area.

Lake Tahoe

We stopped for a couple days at Lake Tahoe on our way from Fresno back to Utah. Neither of us had been here before and we really enjoyed it!

Natalie in front of Lake Tahoe.
Was a bit cold at Lake Tahoe but we had a good time.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Eagle Lake at Lake Tahoe.
We hiked to Eagle Lake at Lake Tahoe.
Eagle Lake at Lake Tahoe.
Eagle Lake at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Eagle Falls at Lake Tahoe.
Eagle Falls at Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
Overlooking Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe.
The back patio of Alibi Ale Works.
We went to an awesome brewery in Lake Tahoe, Alibi Ale Works.
Cute mustache pretzel at Alibi Ale Works.
Cute mustache pretzel at Alibi Ale Works.

Great Basin National Park

Also on our way back to Utah from Fresno, we stopped at Great Basin National Park in Nevada. We went on a tour of the Lehman Caves, which is an amazing cave system..

A rare "shield" formation in the center of this picture.
A rare "shield" formation in the center of this picture.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Cave formations inside Lehman Caves at Great Basin NP.
Lake inside Lehman Caves.
Lake inside Lehman Caves.
We accidentally both wore white and look like matching ghosties.
We accidentally both wore white and look like matching ghosties.
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Glacier National Park

Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park.
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Santa Cruz, CA

A beach by Monterrey Bay.