This is a review for the Kidder Creek in Etna, CA and not for the Mt Hermon location in the Santa…read moreCruz mountains. Important to note they're different locations about 5/6 hours apart from each other which is a common mistake. I had done a lot of research prior to our recent trip (just got back a week ago) but noticed there wasn't much information about Kidder Creek in Etna especially pretty much none/minimal info online about their accommodations so hope this review will be helpful to you with your prep/planning. We just visited the Etna location with my son's troop. Had a great experience with all the fun activities they offer (horseback riding, hiking, laser tag, archery, swimming, fishing, petting zoo, zip line). The staff and counselors are great with both kids and adults. They assign counselors to each group to help as a guide throughout your time there and to connect with the kids which we really appreciated and found them really helpful and knowledgable. We also had a wonderful time of worship over s'mores each night and had ice cream the last night. They also have a snack shop right by the pond area where you can buy coffee and treats. A great experience overall. They offer different accommodations depending on what your group is looking for. We stayed in the Timberline area which includes "tent-cabins" with our own fire ring for campfire time, bathrooms, cafeteria/eating area which was really convenient. It's at the top of the hill of Kidder Creek and we either drive our own cars or ride their stagecoach down the hill for all the activities. Refer to my pic for what the cabins look like. These cabins are rustic and minimal so it's good to be prepared and set proper expectations (see below). The bathrooms in our areas have three separate areas: boys, girls and one single combined bathroom that's "adult-only" that includes a toilet, sink and shower). The boys/girls bathrooms have a sink area (girls have two sinks), four toilets and four showers. Bathrooms are equipped with hand soap and paper towels. Some tips of things to bring to help make your accommodations more comfortable include: camp chairs, portable battery pack, portable power station, foldable camp table, sanitizing wipes, power strip (if you don't bring a power station), twin bed sheets, pillow, ear plugs, sleeping bags, flashlights, an electric lantern, bag for garbage, shower slippers, personal toiletries, clothesline (to hang wet towels and swimsuits) and a about 1.5 yard of rope/parachord string. We also brought out own camping toilet since we already have it which made things a lot easier for us:) With that said, these cabins are built with just wood panels, a metal sheet cover that sits on the roof without any insulation, a roll of tarp attached on the outside that serves as window curtains and has no access to electricity and light source (no ceiling/wall lights), so similar to a tent, you can hear everything outside so bring ear plugs to help you sleep. Their windows are basically just a cut out with an open space with no frame/screens so keeping the tarp down helps with privacy and keeps some of the bugs out (they can still crawl around it since the tarps just loosely hang on the outside of the window and doesn't have a frame to seal them out) but this can also make your room very stuffy and warm. I noticed the beds in my cabin was pretty dusty and had some stains on it (therefore the sanitizing wipes and bed sheet recommendation). We went during one of the hotter weeks so our room just got very warm and stuffy at night until it cooled off briefly during the wee hours. There's no electricity in these cabins so you won't be able to plug in a fan (unless you bring your own battery/generator which you would want to do anyway if you want to charge your electronics/medical devices). They have a couple of outlets in the bathrooms and the cafeteria you can use for charging purposes but note that you'll be competing for outlets with others who may want to do the same (so therefore the power strip/power station/battery pack recommendation). I've noticed they have other tent-cabins onsite that do have window screens so you can keep your windows open at night so consider asking for these when you book to have a little more comfort. Also the tent-cabin doors here are literally just a panel of wood with an outside door handle so you can pull the door open (but no inside door handle or lock mechanism) which means the door does not close for privacy nor does it lock for security. Our troop leader thankfully was a good problem-solver and tied a rope to the outside door handle where I was able to tie the other end to the inside bed frame to keep it shut (therefore the recommendation for a rope/parachord string).

This is the most amazing camp to send your kids. They are incredible people and they run a…read morewonderful and very reputable program for a lot of years now. You can't find anyone w anything negative to say about this place. Lucky to live close by.

The water is hypothermia inducingly cold, the walk is treacherous and the falls aren't that…read moreexciting. You can take the long route which requires a lot more walking near the train tracks or attempt the river crossing which could end with you swept miles downriver or drowned. At any moment they could let water out of the down to send a surge down the Sacramento River and send you off through rocks and rapids below the falls. The trains come through fast and around blind corners and the roar of the river masks the sound of the train. It is a dangerous hike and people have died there. I don't recommend it for day trippers or casual tourists. Advanced hiking skills required and extra attention to safety and strong swimmers only. Even in mid August the water is high and freezing and the river crossing is very slippery and dangerous. If you know what you are doing and manage the trek there and back you will have seen one of the areas smaller but pretty waterfalls. There is talk of building a trail with a pedestrian bridge to the falls so once that is done it will likely be overrun with day trippers. I recommend going now but be careful.

A must visit in Dunsmuir! Live the cascading waterfall so majestic , calm and mesmerizing ! It's…read moreour second time here and definitely be more visit in the future ! We had the whole waterfall to ourselves

I spent the past four nights here, and it was very quiet, dark, and peaceful…read more Quiet with the caveat that there was a TON of train noise. But if you like white noise, that might be a plus. This was the darkest campground I've ever camped at so far. The view of the stars was great. The cold was on another level. I wouldn't recommend tent camping unless you really know what you're doing. Theoretically, this campground has free showers, but they are closed for the season. I couldn't help but notice that the windows have been broken into and boarded back up. There was theoretically potable water, but it tasted a little funky. Most of the pumps were broken, which made it seem like maybe the rest are about to be determined to be broken soon. There was an electric outlet in the bathroom with a sign warning not to leave personal items. In site 25, which is reserved for PCT hikers, I found another sign warning that items are frequently stolen from the bathrooms, and to use the outlets hidden in the amphitheater instead. (There is also a Starbucks about fifteen minutes away in Shasta.) A trail behind site 25 leads to the PCT, but the trail was currently full of fallen trees and hazards. Another trail near Vista Point turned out to be a safer route to the PCT. A 2 mile trail leads from the campground to Vista Point, where you can either keep hiking, or take in the panoramic views of Mt. Shasta, Castle Crags, and the Gray Rocks. I chose site 38 to camp in, which was at the end of the line of sites that are currently open. The first two nights, I paid with the self serve envelope. The rest I purchased from the Ranger Station. Camping was only $25/night, half off with qualifying passes. So it only cost me $50 to stay here 4 nights. The spaces on the main road were huge, and very well spaced. There was a camp host on duty on site 20, and maintenance came through every day to clean the restrooms and empty the trash. I didn't see much wildlife except for a lot of birds. Wildflowers were just beginning to bloom on the trails. There isn't much to do near the campground, but I found this to be a great place to have some relative peace and quiet for a few days.

We opt to hike up to the Castle Dome. It's a gorgeous hike especially the snow cap view of…read moreMr.Shasta and the fall foilage! A must hike

Very well maintained trail along the perimeter of Lake Siskiyou. Decent amount of free parking near…read morethe trailhead/lakefront with bathrooms and trash cans. Tons of folks with boating equipment and stuff to hang out by the lake front and relax, fish, or have a picnic. The trail itself is a loop and you can turn around at any point. Not terribly strenuous and almost all flat - great for little ones/carrying a baby. There is a developed camp and a beach on the other side of the lake. If you're interested in a little bit more seclusion, there is plenty of space to spread out and relax, looking up at the base of Mt Shasha!

This spot was utterly incredibly! Came here with my family as it is my brothers birthday and we…read morethought a Mount Shasta trip would be a nice easy fun get away from the rigors of Los Angeles and the concrete jungle. We stopped by after eating around the area (recommend the smokehouse or bbq, stay away from the Mexican food at all costs!!) So we went to cable beach and got off and walked around and went to the lake to skip rocks and hang out as we unfortunately forgot our bathing suits. The view was so incredible, and perfect I couldn't even believe the how breathtaking it was at sunset . We skipped many rocks and even made it into a competition which I won, then I went off and found a great stump to take pictures on and unfortunately I slipped and fell on the rocks. Caution! Many rocks here so take water shoes or something with a thick bottom! Although it was pretty funny I'm still hurting haha. We saw boats on the lake and some people off to the side having a picnic and taking a dip in the lovely, warm water. All in all this was an incredible place to stop by and visit! I highly, highly, highly, HIGHLYYY recommend coming here!

Trinity is really beautiful area. I enjoyed the quiet and peaceful lush forest, cool looking rocky…read moreexposed area, and the gorgious very blue lakes. My backpaking information started at the trailhead in the Big Flat campground, hiked 8 miles to Caribou lake. On the way, you can see Lower Caribou lake, Snowslide Lake as well. Really beautifu. To backpack, need to get permit at a ranger station (Weaverville Ranger Station), permits are free. Campfire is not allowed. bear canister is required.

Beautiful area. Some great tent camping sites near Lake Trinity…read more Also plenty of amazing hikes, including section hikes of the PCT.

Mount Shasta is an incredibly beautiful mountain and volcano. If your driving between Seattle and…read moreLos Angeles you can't miss it from the highway. There are probably a couple different cities that you can enjoy Mount Shasta from but my favorite city is Weed. They have hotels and gift shops and is a cute little town with everything you need. There are two exits for Weed off the highway. One exit is the 'old town' part that is more cute and the other exit is the newer part. I think staying a night here is a perfect thing to do as the scenery is so pleasant. It really is a destination. So often to see natural beauty like this you have to sacrifice comforts of city living. Not with Mount Shasta - its a town that has it all and is just steps away from a little nature walk with an incredible backdrop. It is a real sight to see when you have this regular old Shell Gas station or even Grocery Outlet where the backdrop is the volcano. I don't think you can ever get tired of the harmony here of man made combined with nature.

Incredible volcano and mountain…read more Really recommend spending some time around the nature in this area, even if you won't be committing a summit climb. I went up this past weekend with the attempt to summit Shasta and had a really nice time. The town of Mt. Shasta has a few restaurants and some decent accomodations for sleeping (slept in Loge with our group which was great)... As for the hike, we went up and started at Bunny Flats and camped at Helen Lake for the night and then going for the summit via the Avalanche Gulch route. It was a beautiful and trying hike...definitely be familiar with the risks and have the proper skills to manage them if attempting. All in all; Mount Shasta is majestic and magical. Spend some time here!

Awesome hike from the upper parking lot to the base of Castle Crag Dome! The first part of the…read morehike is a tree covered dirt path with a steady incline. The last mile or so is switchback style over very rocky rough terrain. It is a gorgeous view of the canyon and up to Mt Shasta at the top!

Located in Castle Crags State Park, the Dome is one of the area's most prominent features…read more You can summit it via hiking, or there are numerous technical rock routes. Unfortunately for punters like me, the easiest line is 5.8, and the grades rise dramatically from there. Maybe some day when I'm stronger!

Parking was pretty empty and easy. Nice hike. Lots of lizards and rabbits to see. We went about 2…read moremiles in. Was a great exercise for my kid and I. Good clearly marked trails. Nice walking soil. Amazing sight of Mt. Shasta. Good clean air. We found a random geocache and signed it. See if you can find it!

Great outdoors! Beauty all around me. What a gift to breathe fresh air among all these trees.read more

Oh my goodness, what fond memories this delightful park brought back to me. My three children…read morespent so much time at Greenhorn Park when we lived in Yreka and when we visited it again lately....after over 20 years, it was even better than I remember. What a beautiful, wonderful place!! ( Psssst, please remember to clean up after yourselves and your pets).

Amazing experience hanging out with these local deer! Great local park to walk around, definitely…read moremy favorite out of the whole town!

Klamath is gigantic! It spans across Del Norte/Siskiyou County, California's northern most county…read morebordering Oregon. The forest spans from the I-5 to I-101. Yreka to Crescent City. The dense woods is truly magnificent with skyhigh trees, rivers, gorges and creeks. When traveling, keep in mind cell phone doesn't work in most parts. Verizon has best reception then T-mobile. Boost, Metro and any other won't work at all. Carry enough food and gas cause services are limited unless you are on the 101 or 5. Safe travelings. IG: cigarcpa