We always love hiking here. It's easy to hike with kids, even though it can get a little rocky and…read morea little muddy. The cave is always beautiful, especially when the water is flowing. Today, there are still descent of people hiking, and we came around 12:30 Easy Hike!Gonna come back again soon. P. S please leave no trace

"stalagmites or stalactites???? " Who knows, but this place is cool…read more Location and parking: kind of out in the middle of nowhere and parking SUCK. Get there earlier or wake up at noon, have brunch, then make your way here and post up for a parking spot. LOL Trail: easy going and plenty of shade along the way. There was people of all ages, sizes, and shape; " Very Do-able". - Secret swim hole: a true gem. Natural, dripping cave filtering the run off from snows above. Water was super cold, but where else can you swim through a natural cave. "Gotta JUMP IN." Very refreshing. Short swim to opposite end of cave. "Safety 1st" - bring a life jacket or floaty. Read sign and follow rules, leave ROVER at home and pick up your TRASH. Adjudication: definitely worth a day trip to check out. "IT's COOL."

Great moderate hike. Many people bring their kids and babies. The final part is a bit steep to…read morereach the top, but it's doable. The view at the top is amazing and beautiful.

Great easy hike until the last push to the top which was pretty steep and essentially all rocks…read more Feel free to turn back or push past it to the top. Great views at the top. The last half did have a lot of poison oak though so beware. We probably won't be back just because of the poison oak anxiety tbh.

Very very short trail more like a stroll. Lots of mushrooms, very beautiful. Easy sorta confusing…read moreat the end thought it would longer and didn't realize it was trail in and out not round back. Went left after the bridge wonder if we were supposed to go right instead . Next time

Such a great hike that can be made easy or more difficult depending on which route you take and…read morewhat you are up for. Absolutely beautiful in the fall!

Everything about this walk, hike, views, sounds, was worth every moment of the visit. We had recent…read moreviewed this from someone else's Facebook post and decided it was part of our summer vibes. This was well worth it. FREE access, views, nature sounds, fishing. What more could you ask for. Pack your own snack or lunch even if you wanted too. You won't many benches to sit along the way, but hey, why not utilize one of the many massive tree trunks that were just cut up on the side of the trail. If you have any type of water shoes, bring those alongside your walking shoes. During our visit we did about a good 4 miles of trail visit. The road entering into the location is very narrow, and almost like a one vehicle a time passing.We would DEFINITELY see ourselves visiting here again. No IF, ANDs or BUTS about it.

Beautiful views and a super unique hike. The dam at the end was very cool too. It was very hot so…read morewe could even get very close and get splashed by the dam water, cooling us off. Pro tip, you can drive up to near the dam and do the trail backwards if you want to be able to see the dam without hiking as long. One caveat, you have to walk single file so it's a bit hard to have any big group conversations.

AVOID this small manmade dirty "lake"- esp if you're a POC outsider. The locals and staff were…read morepretty rude and not hospitable to "outsiders". The Locals next to us reported our 8' umbrella to staff. (Tattle). Staff demanded we take the umbrella down, due to not "standard" size. (Define "standard"?) Pretty humiliating and darn hot in 90+ temps. They really don't care that you paid $100 total or $10 pp admission for 10 people, and have no shade in the heat. Even if one friend has a heart condition fr. Heatstroke? We were just so miserable that we left after 1-2 hrs. Yes, Rules are rules. Except for the white kids using the OVERSIZED unicorn floatie. Double standards much? Also, No fishing that day. Lake did not stock fish we learned when we got there. So kids were unable to use their fishing poles, like the umbrella. Does the lake post fishing updates on their website? . Disappointing lake visit all around. not friendly to outsiders. imo. Maybe the 5 star reviews are from locals.

The beach is in fact a narrow strip of sand between the water and trees. This leaves you in…read moreuncomfortably close proximity to the unwelcoming and entrenched locals. If you are into renting lake houses, consider another lake.

Wow way way up there. It was August so the conditions were good albeit. a bit cold this early…read more Awesome views down the West and East sides of the Sierras and quite the steep windy road as well. Its easy to see why this is closed int he wionter as driving conditions would be brutal up here on a normal day let alone during. . storm. There appeared to be several trails but having blasted up there from sea level I did not try my luck

Fun experience ! We cut our first Christmas Tree down today . The kids loved it it was a bit…read morechallenging to find the perfect one. Definitely give yourself plenty of time . It took us 3 hrs to find our tree.

Very nice park. Very well maintained (old buildings, lots of items). Lots of things to see and to…read morelearn. Highly recommended. Many stores to visit and shop, bakery, restaurants, ice cream, museums and more. Air conditioned store rooms. Some rare book editions on sale in the bookstore! Free parking. Dog friendly.

I come here every year! I walk around and enjoy seeing the old, small town of Columbia that…read moresettlers founded. It is now recognized as Colombia State Historic Park. It has a one-room school house where students of different ages, once sat and listened together to their teacher's lectures, in harmony. I always visit the old cemetery where some members of The Donner family, who survived their perilous journey from Missouri to California during the gold rush, are buried. The old mercantile building and the Blacksmith stable where the horses were shoehorned and cared for, still stands. The countryside is beautiful. The hills and rivers are gorgeous. This is a great place for families and especially for children who should know our great history regarding brave settlers who traveled from far and wide, by horse and buggy (wagon trains of home crafted covered wagons). It is always such a nostalgic feeling going back in history for me. Enjoy this great town!

Another great day at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. I was first into park besides those there for…read morecamping. Clean restrooms, clean trails, impeccable grounds and views, ample parking for me but when I was done hiking the spaces were full. Hiked to the viewpoint then walked the numbered trees loop. Saw bear, dear and likely raccoon tracks. Plus saw proof that "yes" a bear does poop in the woods. Lots of woodpeckers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, jays and junco birds, The trees are so large, incredible sequoias. Many of the huge downed trees have been preserved, propped up and or fenced. I hiked about 4 miles. It was a great day.

I went there with my daughter and grandkids and enjoyed Beaver Creek and the Sequoia grove at the…read morenorth end 1.5 hiking loop. Unfortunately my granddaughter's were too tired and it was pretty hot to hike the Bradley trail to the south grove sequoia's. We ended up at the north grove which landmarks were numbered to 25 then back to the visitor center and it was amazing

I've hiked Yosemite my whole life, but the one thing I hadn't experienced was the Yosemite Valley…read morefire falls which occurs every year, if the conditions are just right. I never knew the best place to view them from so didn't try in previous years. We scheduled time with Gabe from Wild Yosemite and he took us to a spot to view the falls from that is kind of a secret spot where only a few serious photographers were located. My wife and I watched the fire falls and sipped wine from about 700 feet above the valley floor. It was amazing. Gabe at Wild Yosemite scouts out the best hikes, best viewing locations that only come with constant exploring of Yosemite. Gabe's knowledge of Yosemite, and his warm and caring personality make him stand out among guides.

Gabe helped make our trip absolutely unforgettable! From stunning hikes to engaging conversations…read moreGabe only exceeded expectations. His knowledge of the park is vast, he knows all the best views and the local intel. Got a question about a certain rock formation or tree? Gabe knows the answer. He makes sure to curate the trip based on your interest and ability, while providing the overall best experience the park can offer you. Absolutely will be returning to hike with Gabe again!

Beautiful trail just outside of Yosemite off of Highway 140 in El Portal. My husband and I hiked…read moreabout 2.5 miles of the trail mid June. The whole trail is 4.5 miles one way- about 9 miles round trip if you want to go all the way to Hite Cove. We wanted to go all the way to the end, however temperatures in the canyon rise fast during the summer and it was easily 100 degrees by noon. The trail follows up above the Merced River. There were a few times when you can get right down to the river. About 1.5-2 miles in, there is a section with rocks that looks like it is made for jumping in the river. The trail is entirely single track with some areas with steep drop offs. Make sure to pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and bug spray. There is very little shade and the trail is almost completely exposed. To find the trail, just look for the Red Bud Lodge and park right across the street. There is a sign that points just to the trailhead next to the lodge. I would recommend to come as early as possible if you are coming in the summertime.

Considering that everything else in El Portal is some pee stained remnant from the Sears catalog,…read morewe didn't have high hopes for the 'trail' that came recommended. It's not that encouraging as you drive up either. Seems very average and nondescript. As it was our first night in the greater Yosemite area, we definitely wanted to get out and so we went for it. In retrospect, I would say it was one of the nicer hikes we went on. You walk high above the Merced River on a narrow trail amongst wild flowers and with a beautiful view of the mountains. The power of the river and the beauty of the land impressed all of us. It and easy/intermediate hike. One drawback is that it's not a loop. So you can go as long as you want (to the end even) and come back. We went and hour and turned around. Recommend.