Great location right off the 395 to stop and stretch legs and use the park! We definitely want to…read morecome back here and camp on the lake and make a trip out of it. The park has been recently updated and they also have bathrooms.

BUGS! But SPECTACULAR view! Campground was clean, very big rig friendly, pet friendly, right off…read morethe 395. The playground looked really super nice and new. Got up before daybreak to fish caught absolutely nothing which was probably a good thing because lake is very dirty. Visited in the month of August. Checkout time was 10am....which is really early and odd. Honestly, if it wasn't for 10 million small bugs it would've been perfect for dry camping. $14/nt

Great scenery. It gets Cold and Windy in Winter time. I've…read moreheard it's the same in summer time, too. Definitely recommend.

The Alabama Hills area serves as a steady transition from Lone Pine civilization to Whitney…read morewilderness. + Quiet, peaceful scenic area. Pleasant nature ambience. - Minimal shade, water, and restrooms. Dry climate. - Barely anyone around to ask for help or directions. . Tip: I recommend stopping by Nightmare Rock and Mobius Loop trail to see the photogenic Mobius Arch circumscribing Mt Whitney next time you're cruising through Alabama Hills. . Fun fact: many old western movies were filmed among these hills, including Django Unchained.

Lone Pine Lake is as far as you can hike via the Mt Whitney trail WITHOUT a permit…read more The hike is short. 5 miles roundtrip. Out and back. There isn't to much of an elevation gain. You cross across some rivers by stepping on big logs. And, there are nice views of waterfalls along the way, as well as the lake itself. It is a very fun and easy hike.

I think people are so consumed with summiting Mt. Whitney that they forget there's a beautiful lake…read morejust a short distance from the main trail. It's only 2.5 miles from the trailhead, but because of the high altitude it took us longer than we expected. The lake is at 10, 050 ft. and it is absolutely gorgeous! It was also very tranquil and had we not been pressed for time, we would've liked to sit on one of the tree trunks to just relax and enjoy the scenery more. The lake is also the only place you can hike to without a permit. Don't be stupid and think you can go beyond the lake without a permit! If you get caught by the wilderness police, i.e. Park Ranger, you'll be fined $5000 and a 6 month imprisonment!!

First time for us four at Sequoia NP and we loved our experience in Crystal Cave. The staff overall…read moreloved what they do and you can tell. Right from the get go the staff welcomes your group and is telling you instructions to take care of yourself, your group and the caves/park. They greet you with enthusiasm and you learn so much. Please arrive on time! For parking there's quite a bit of spaces. There's restroom nearby so you can go before heading out. You can bring your backpack onto the trail but can't bring it inside the cave. So you can either bring it and leave it on the floor outside the cave or in your car. The trail can be a little challenging for some but very doable. Can be a little challenging for some children and some older adults. This also includes for the caves.The staff are there to watch for your safety but they do warn you about your surroundings. The cave is very cool to explore but there will be some tight spaces you will navigate through. So I don't recommend bringing a stroller and make sure your kids are able to walk and stay near. They will definitely enjoy the cool nature stuff inside! There's a gift shop stand near the entrance of the trail. You can buy nice souvenirs, snacks, and support! Overall we loved our tour and we would comeback again for this. Thank you to all the staff of Crystal Cave for all that you do and taking care of this natural beauty.

We made reservations to see the crystal cave and arrived early. They were able to move up our time…read morewhich was really nice since there's not much to do around there. Once it was time to hike down they made some general announcements and we met the guide at entrance of the cave. It was nice to have someone tell us the history of the cave and guide us through. The 20 minute hike down and up wasn't too bad and was completely doable for my 6 year old son. Overall, it was a unique experience and I'm glad we made the stop during our Sequoia trip!

Wow!! Just got back from a two night backpacking trip. I stood at lake one and lake two and it…read moredidn't disappoint. This is my third time here and first time as an overnight. I got to explore, fish, swim, relax, and wake up to an amazing view. This hike is hard especially with a 35-40lb backpack. Plenty of tent site if you got a permit.

Stayed couple days in mid-May at the Upper Sage campground and did the hike to the first two lakes…read more Due to snow, it's where most people turned around. It was the perfect distance for a nice day hike, at about 10 miles. Nice reward of picturesque lakes at the end, and you turn around head back. I went down to touch the water, but some people went swimming in the ice cold water! This was a very popular trail and seemed like everyone brought their dogs. Out of maybe 20 parties with dogs, 1 actually had it on a leash. I would recommend starting this hike early so you can grab a parking spot at the trailhead and avoid the heat.

I came out here on a field trip with a class I'm taking this summer. It's 95 degrees, windy and…read morearid. Even as a visitor, I find these conditions to be uncomfortable, so I could not imagine being forced to live out here in subhuman conditions for an indefinite period of time. However, that is what over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese Nationals living in the USA were forced to do during WWII - and 10,000 men, women, children and babies were forced to do just that at Manzanar. The Visitors Center is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday - so we were not able to see it, but we were able to eat our lunches in the Mess Hall. I also explored the barracks, and saw the rest of this historic site by bus and on foot. Don't miss seeing Merritt Park, the Children's Village area, and the Issei Obelisk. This site is a powerful reminder that History repeats itself, and visiting Manzanar is an extremely moving and meaningful experience for everyone. Peace.

I have driven past the turnoff for Manzanar over a dozen times. I have known about it since I was…read morein middle school but never went. My sister and I have been taking my nephew to significant sites of WW11 over the years starting with Pearl Harbor and Auschwitz. Being part Japanese, we felt this was an important stop. The grounds are very well maintained. The educational aspect of it is great. The rangers have taken great care to show an accurate representation of what "camp" life was like. The recreated rooms, shacks and monuments have been meticulously built. The rangers were great about sharing knowledge. The book store has some great books that are not available on Amazon. The parking is a breeze. The entrance is free. When entrance is free to somewhere like this I like to support by donating or buying items that help support the cause. I bought my nephew and I each a book and a couple other little things. I also really like that they participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for not just my nephew but myself to learn too. It was a great family activity. I highly recommend visiting. It can be a little emotionally draining but it is an important part of American History that we cannot forget.

Grab a sandwich and a soda, and break up your drive to or from Mammoth. The park is clean, has…read morepublic restrooms, a little pond and tables to picnic on.

Excellent spot to take a break, let my dogs out and walk the beautiful grounds. Lots of grass,…read morebeautiful trees and plants, stream with two bridges. Plus on the west end of park there is a one mile trail. Just a pleasant spot.

Drove by so many times never got there, I didn't know this place exists,…read moreBeautiful, check it out, easy access and lots of parking.

Majestic falls accessible to all. If you're in Lone Pine, just take Whitney Portal Road 'til it…read moreends in a campsite (which is also the trailhead if you plan to hike Mount Whitney) and there's the waterfall to the right. We parked in one of the many available spots and were able to just walk up along the waterfall to get a closer look. It was really beautiful, surrounded by tall evergreens. Just needed a bear fishing, off to the side, to complete the National Geographic cover. Seemed like the trees along the water had cement to resemble bark, which I noticed while trying to steady myself standing on one of the boulders taking pictures. I've seen pictures of the falls frozen over in the winter, so hopefully I can make it up here again before the close off the road near the end of the year.

+ Pleasant trail. Fascinating views of volcanic igneous rocks. They are black, and have various…read moresmooth, round, and porous shapes. . 3/4mi took 1/2hr. + Opportunity to get some scrambling in around the little canyon of vesicular basalt. . Note: the rocks may be smooth or slippery on the feet, yet they're easy to grip by hand. - No shade. + Free, plenty parking. -- Only 1 restroom by the trailhead. Not well maintained. Outta tp. Trash can full. Stinky. - No hand sanitizer or sink. Didn't see any fossils falling, despite the name. v_v loljk

A beautiful and historical place to see and walk. If you're luck you'll see obsidian, but cannot…read moretake out. Leave as is. Highly recommended.

Marvelous experience! Truly deserving of its title Tallest Peak in the Contiguous US. We went the…read morelonger 45-mi route from Cottonwood Pass, which took us 3 days 2 nights. Camped 1st night in the forest by a creek, 2nd night by Guitar Lake. Lots of privacy throughout this ordeal. Each day we passed about 10 ppl each. Heard cows mooing. Saw pikas, marmots, chipmunks, and fighter jets. Mesmerizing night sky completely blanketed with stars. Tough altitude experience. Lightheadedness and windedness from AMS will kick your butt. Better train beforehand by hiking shorter mountains such as San Gorgonio (11.5k', tallest peak in SoCal). Many people camp at least one night somewhere along the trail to help acclimate/acclimatize to the lower air density overnight. Turns out the hut at the summit (14.5k') will protect you from lightning. You will definitely need a water filter. Don't wanna lug 5 L of water for 20+ miles. Refill your bottles at creeks and lakes.

We were very lucky to snag a couple of last minute permits. Drove 4 hours and started hiking at 1…read moream. Summit the mountain around 8 am and enjoyed our time at the top. The views are amazing and the 99 switchbacks seem like eternity. We got back to the parking lot at 6pm and drove home. Weather was great at about 40 degrees. An unforgettable adventure. Please come and create your own.