This is a must stop if this is the first time traveling through the Owens Valley. Many informative…read moredisplays inside and a cool cross section of the pipes used for the aqueduct. Little gift shop inside and rangers here to answer questions. I usually stop here to use the bathroom but they were out of service two weeks ago. Fortunately, there are plenty of places in town down the street to use the bathroom.

The Eastern Sierra Visitor's Center is a great place to gather information before stopping at…read moreWhitney Portal, Alabama Hills, Big Pine, and Death Valley National Park. They carry detailed maps and souvenirs for purchase, and there are rangers on site who are available to answer any questions that you may have in regards to trails and weather conditions. I stopped here before attempting to hike from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine Lake. The rangers let me know that there would be too much snow and that a snow storm was brewing in Whitney Portal and that they didn't advise anyone to hike there at that time. They encouraged me to explore the Alabama Hills instead which I happily ended up doing. I was very grateful that stopped there first because it would have been scary to get stuck in the snow and/or snow storm up in Whitney Portal. You can also acquire Mount Whitney and hiking permits here. There are restrooms on site but they weren't open at the time that I was there, so they had portable restrooms right outside. There's a few small exhibits that you can check out as well if you have time. The rangers were very helpful and I will definitely stop by again during a different time of the year before heading to Whitney Portal.

If you're looking to camp and you don't want to drive too far from Los Angeles, Red Rock Canyon…read moreState Park is a great option. They have several campgrounds which is first and first serve. There's also several hiking spots in the area, which are less than a mile. There's also a visitor center, which has a lot of information about the park and clean bathroom. Great spot for photos!

+ Interesting hiking spot. There isn't one defined trail at Ricardo Campground. Rather, it's more…read morelike a network of paths. Please come and create your own adventure. + The highlight of this hiking area is the badlands that resemble Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Lotta ridges and cliffs formed by millennia of erosion. . 2 restrooms by the trailhead. First hiking parking lot restrooms I've seen without roofs. Has its own pros and cons: + The stench doesn't condense in one room. - But no weather protection. + Easier to communicate for help in case of emergency. - Less privacy. Also, - Hot, dry climate. - No shade. + Nice that there are restrooms throughout the grounds, - but the water fountains aren't working. -- Have to pay $6 digitally to park there. Can't we just slip $6 in physical bills somewhere and call it a day? Better yet, make it $2 or free altogether? lol

Don't just make a Barstow stop on the way to Vegas to go to the restroom or to get fast food; check…read moreout the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center... 4 stars!!!! Learn all about the satellite ground station located in Fort Irwin, CA that tracks and communicates with interplanetary space missions at this visitor center. Located in the second floor of the historic Harvey House at the Barstow Amtrak Train Station, the visitor center offers interactive exhibits to learn how the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tracks and communicates with interplanetary spacecrafts. Not just kids, but also adults can find this center a worthwhile stop in Barstow. As a bonus, you can also learn about the historic Harvey House as well as visit the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum, all during the same stop.

Wow I didn't think much of this place until I got home to read the brochures and went online…read more Goldstone is one of three complexes around the world known as the Deep Space Network (DSN) that provides the ability to communicate with spacecraft! This is on the top floor of the Amtrak train station in Barstow, Ca. There work is within the two-way robotic spacecraft communication and radio astronomy. The Goldstone Deep Space Network Visitor's Center is OPEN Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm with no cost to visit and no reservations required. They are closed on Federal Holidays. Historic Harvey House (Casa Del Desierto) 681 North First Avenue, Barstow, CA 92311 The main Harvey House entrance faces South toward the Railroad Tracks and this is located on the second floor. This is a road that is not traveled by much traffic.

I was out here in early February to run the Death Valley Marathon. I stopped in here to purchase a…read morepark pass for one private vehicle for $30, good for 1 week. I opted to buy it through the kiosk that was located near the entrance. I went inside to check things out. With the park pass, I was given a map of Death Valley. In the lobby, they had a cool 3D map with buttons to light up the location of each area. They also had souvenirs and snacks for purchase. Off to the right was a small yet quite informative museum. Outside and off to the left were restrooms. Everyone working here was very nice, friendly, and helpful!

Nice little visiting center for Death Valley national park. Clean restrooms, some small food…read moreoptions, gift shop, information desk, plenty of parking and the people working were very friendly.

This place truly exceeded my expectations. It is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The Mojave has…read morelots of places that fit that description. So when I made the drive to the visitor center I was blown away by the nice, friendly, informative setup. There is a large parking area right next to the 24/7 operating borax strip mine. It has a really nice visitor center with museum style exhibits, photos, historical information, and a theater which shows an educational film. There are friendly, knowledgeable volunteers and a nice little gift shop with lots of free pamphlets too. The top of the visitor center is a large observation deck from which you can view the huge operation. Nice photo ops here. Not a short drive but really glad I came.

This was a fun little place to stop. Our kids really enjoyed it too. Worth a visit if you're in the…read morearea.

Probably the BEST Visitor Center we have visited, not the biggest, but Fran made it the best. She…read morewas super friendly and informative. She gave us an overview of the area in great detail and really gave us some great ideas. Fran made us want to see it all. We are excited about our visit and we really appreciate the info that Fran provided. Plenty of brochures to supplement what Fran spoke about. Definitely stop in when visiting this great town.

This was a great visitor center with very kind and knowledgeable workers. We learned a lot and…read morewere given extra guidance about the area. We really appreciated the help we received. Thank you very much!!

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Sequoia National Park was one of the absolute highlights. The drive into the park is spectacular. Climbing from the valley into the Sierra Nevada, the scenery changes with every curve of the road until suddenly you find yourself surrounded by forests of giant sequoias. It is an unforgettable entrance and sets the stage for everything that follows. We stayed between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and dedicated five full days to exploring both. It was the perfect amount of time because every day brought new trails, new views, and another reason to stop in amazement. Of course, we visited the famous groves, including General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth by volume. Even though these areas are popular, we purposely visited before schools were out for the summer and avoided weekends, so the crowds were very manageable. Even so, my favorite hikes were the quieter ones, where there were fewer people and it felt like I had the forest almost to myself. There is something deeply humbling about standing among these giants. Some of these trees have been alive for more than 2,000 years. They were already ancient long before our country even existed. I found myself slowing down, placing my hand on their massive trunks, sitting quietly, and simply absorbing the peace of the forest. Whether or not trees have energy is up to each person to decide, but I certainly left feeling calmer, smaller, and full of wonder. Beyond the giant sequoias, the park offers spectacular granite cliffs, rushing rivers, alpine meadows, waterfalls, and an incredible variety of wildlife. Every trail seemed to reveal something different, making each hike feel like its own adventure. Sequoia National Park is more than just a place to check off a list. It is a place to slow down, look up, breathe deeply, and remember just how extraordinary nature can be. If you have the time, don't rush through it. Spend several days exploring both Sequoia and neighboring Kings Canyon. The giant trees may be the stars of the park, but the entire landscape is magnificent. This is one of those parks that stays with you long after you leave.

A day of driving down Highway 180. Found scenic turnouts, a beautiful river, Boyden Cavern, lovely…read moreplants, scenic views and of course giant sequoia trees! Boyden Cavern has a super steep walkway entrance. So for those of you with any physical issues it could be a huge problem. (We didn't go inside this trip) The view of the river from this area is lovely. They also have a gift shop with various treasures and bathroom stalls near the parking lot. This part of the road is only open part of the year. From late April to mid November depending on the snow fall level. Definitely bring your own water, snacks and a bag lunch. Can't beat the view!

Nice little pit stop if you need any information and there is also a small gift shop in there.read more

Although small, I found Foothills Visitors Center to be a good initial pitstop before driving…read moredeeper into the Sequoias. There was plenty of parking near the entrance but it fills up quickly after 10AM. There was a small patch of greenery out front along with trash cans and bathrooms. There was free wifi provided. There was a small exhibit indoors sharing some of the wildlife and history of the Sequoias. There was also a section dedicated to significant female figures involved with the national park in light of Women's History Month. There were a few souvenirs for sale, most of them being similar to those found at the Giant Forest Museum. There was also a stamp station for those collecting them for their passports. Good starting station to urinate and wash up before the long drive.

This spot is really beautiful in the summer, the prairie flowers were in bloom and the place…read morepacked. They charge 10 dollars for parking, but give one a map to go through the whole trail! The trail consisted of giant redwood trees and beautiful torn down roots! Also have a gift store so worth the try! I loved the scenery and the cool map that they gave us! My husband and I can go smoothly through the whole park. Took lots and lots of pictures and kept the map as a souvenir!

It is a paved trail, technically a hike trail but mentally and physically not. Cool little trail…read morefor city people to learn about the sequoias and history of the trees. Please stay on the trail and pick up all your trash