Trail Running Shoes Sacramento CA

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.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Death Valley National Park
Length: One-Way: 1 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 655 feet
Elevation Change: 165 feet
Best Season: October to May
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Moderate

Description: The Desolation Canyon Trail is an enjoyable and highly scenic canyon hike for anyone but it is especially appreciated by those without a four-wheel-drive vehicle because access is just off the paved highway on short, smooth dirt road. Despite its proximity to both the Badwater Road and Artist’s Drive, the narrow canyon provides a deep feeling of intimacy and solitude. The trail is an easy walk up a narrow canyon into some colorful, muddy badlands. The north wall of the canyon is a high, colorful mountain with stark erosion canyons coming straight down the face. The south side of the canyon is lower, eroded pastel-colored mud hills. The trail ends at a dry waterfall or alternately on a promontory overlooking the waterfall. This trail follows the stream bed; there is no trail. Hikers will be heading southeast as they head to the source of the stream. After Hiking for a short period, there are several sharp bends in the canyon. Among them is a 10 foot waterfall that is fairly easy to climb, it looks big on the way down. Just past two more small waterfalls the canyon splits, follow the right fork to continue along Desolation Canyon. A little further the canyon splits again. The left fork continues for a short ways to the foot of a 30 foot waterfall that blocks the canyon. The right fork leads up steep, sandy gullies to the promontory overlooking the waterfall. From this point, there are great views to the north up Death Valley, southwest to Telescope Peak and the brown salt flats and south to the Artists Drive area. The views from the promontory are nice but the last steep section is far more difficult then the rest of the hike. To return to your car, retrace your footprints to the trailhead. You can investigate some of the interesting side canyons as a short diversion. From the mouth of the canyon, you can’t see the parking area, but head toward the large red boulders, which are near where the trail climbs out of the wash. This is a good hike during the cool winter months. The entire out-and-back trip provides a superb opportunity to observe the dynamics of badlands erosion which is everywhere.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Mount Diablo State Park
Length: 4.6 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 1670 feet
Best Season: Year-Round
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Heavy

Description: The hike to Mount Olympia is a trip for those who enjoy an unlimited sky above and views into distant depths below. The one-track path to Prospector’s Gap is a show place for wildflowers in the spring. Mount Olympia itself is like a little throne high above the encircling landscape, where you can sit and observe the puny world below you and beyond, the great plains of the Central Valley. In wintertime, the mists rolling up from the depths of Donner Canyon put on a great show of landscape hide-and-seek.

Activities: Hiking

Info:
State: California
Location: Yosemite National Park
Length: One-Way: 13 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 7200 feet
Maximum Elevation: 9000 feet
Elevation Change: 1800 feet
Best Season: June to October
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Moderate

Description: The Buena Vista Trail begins at the Glacier Point Parking Area and leads southward to Buena Vista Peak. This trail leads through the Illilouette Creek drainage to its headwaters in the Yosemite National Park backcountry. It can be used in conjunction with several other trails to create a long loop hike or extensive backcountry trek. Begin the trail from the Panorama/Pohono Trailhead at the southeastern end of the Glacier Point Parking Area. The route descends from the trailhead using switchbacks and leading southward. Within the first mile and a half the trail forks. The left side of this fork leads to Illilouette Fall, following the Panorama Trail. Follow the right side of the fork, which leads along the western bank of the creek. This stretch of trail provides sweeping views of the upper Merced River Valley to the left. Past the Panorama Trail, the Buena Vista Trail continues southeastward paralleling Illilouette Creek. The next mile is a slow descent of 200 feet. Beyond that the trail levels, crosses an Illilouette Creek tributary and begins to slowly ascend. Three and a half miles from the trailhead Buena Vista Trail intersects the Mono Meadow Trail. You’ll find several stream-side campsites if you follow the Mono Meadow Trail eastward a short distance from this intersection. Continuing in a southeasterly direction the trail climbs steadily reaching a stream crossing within one and a half miles. Beyond this stream crossing the trail reaches an elevation of 7,000 feet and remains relatively level for the next mile and a half. Within this level stretch the trail crosses a meadow and two small streams. Once beyond the meadow Buena Vista Trail turns slightly westward skirting the eastern flank of a ridge. The trail curves around this ridge while paralleling the Buena Vista Creek to hikers left. Within a mile of turning toward the west, the trail begins a mile-long climb. Reaching 8,000 feet the trail levels and crosses a small stream. Buena Vista Peak lies directly ahead on this leg of the trail. The route continues to climb toward the northwestern flanks of Buena Vista Peak. It crosses another small stream after descending slightly from a ridge line. Shortly thereafter the trail crosses Buena Vista Creek then closely follows it for slightly less than a mile. Crossing the stream for the last time the trail switchbacks to 9,000 feet and a trail junction. From this junction walk eastward to Buena Vista Lake and Royal Arch Lake. The trail to the right leads to Chilnualna Lakes and into the Chilnualna Creek drainage. These routes eventually meet to form a loop around the back of Buena Vista Peak.

Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking

Info:
State: California
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Length: One-Way: 35 miles
Trail type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 2120 feet
Maximum Elevation: 4000 feet
Elevation Change: 2880 feet
Best Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Light

Description: The California Riding and Hiking Trail accessible to hikers and horseback riders stretches for 35 miles between Black Rock Canyon Campground, in the west and the north entrance, in the east. The trail is in the western portion of Joshua Tree National Park. There are several access points for this trail throughout the park, they include: Covington Flats, Keys View and Squaw Tank Roads; Ryan Campground, Belle Campground; and the north entrance of the park. Two to three days are required to hike the entire Length of the trail but shorter hikes of 4, 6.7 and 11 miles are possible by starting at one of these other points. The trail will give you a feeling for the higher elevations of Joshua Tree.