2025 Apr 29: Chilnualna Falls Trailhead, Yosemite National Park (5 of 5)…read more Description: Chilnualna Falls is a series of waterfalls totaling 690 feet (210 m), located on Chilnualna Creek in the southern section of Yosemite National Park. Chilnualna Falls consists of five tiers ranging from 30 to 300 feet (9-91 m) in height. The first tier is 90-120 feet (27-36 m) high. The second is a 30-foot (9 m) high cascade. The third and largest is 300 feet (91 m) high. The fourth is 60 feet (18 m) high. The final tier is a 180-210 foot (54-64 m) high cascade. The trailhead elevation is approximately 4,000 feet (1,200 m), and the trail reaches the main portion of the waterfall at 6,200 feet (1,900 m). The trailhead to the falls is in the northeastern portion of Wawona, at the end of the paved portion of Chilnualna Falls Road. *public info Chilnualna Falls 5 large cascades slide through and over large granite formations above the Wawona basin - water here is fullest in spring and early summer. This strenuous trail allows for you to view the Chilnualna Falls cascades in many locations along the hike and also rewards you with expansive views overlooking Wawona Dome during your uphill climb. It is a strenuous hike, but well worth it - for its views of the falls and Wawona Dome. Directions: From the South Entrance, drive towards the roundabout - continue at 12 o'clock. Take Wawona Road. Drive Past Wawona Hotel. You'll soon come to a bridge. After the bridge - turn right onto Chilnualna Falls Road. Keep driving past houses, school, library & market. There is parking right before you reach the Chilnualna sign. A public toilet is further down the road from the parking area. Hiking Distance: 9.65-miles round trip (CalTopo mileage) I think the links online show 'where the crows fly', so the distance is shorter, plus they may not include the multiple switchbacks. Length-of-Time: 5 to 6 hours if you're not stopping to rest or enjoy the views Elevation Gain: 2,400 ft (732 m) Difficulty: Challenging. This is not for the faint-of-heart. Because of the steep mountainside - there are many switchbacks. You definitely cannot climb straight up the mountain. The paths can be as narrow as one-foot wide on the rugged terrain. A misstep could see someone tumbling down the mountain into the waterfall. Along your hike, you'll go past several sections - man-made steps (some steep and narrow), through the forest, over several streams, and switchbacks (some steep and slippery). Highlights: Stunning waterfalls, beautiful scenery, and peaceful sections. The sounds of the first waterfall can be heard even before you reach the sign to the trail. As you hike up the mountain, some of the waterfalls may sound muffled - but don't give up. The waterfalls are your reward - the sounds of the waterfalls nudge you on. The views are exhilarating. The highlights also include the trees that stood majestic over hundreds of years, and the wonderful smoky cedar scent of Yosemite. Tips: 1) Start early. Preferably before 6:30 am. 2) Wear layered clothing so you can peel off a layer or two on your way up. 3) Bring plenty of water. Dehydration sets in pretty quickly. 4) Pack emergency items just in case. 5) Pack a light lunch. 6) Wear hiking shoes, not walking shoes. Yes, they're different. I wish I could share the sounds and sights of the rushing waterfall with you, but trust me when I say you need to make this hike up Chilnualna Falls - at least once in your life. It's been worth every pain in my muscles to do it at least once a year. Cheers!

This review is for Chilnualna Falls Trail which was a ~7.7 miles round trip that took ~6 hours to…read morecomplete in the snow. Chilnualna Falls Trail was located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park; away from the busy Yosemite Valley. Lower Chilnualna Fall was a short ~0.2 miles and gets crowded at this particular spot. For the most part, the trail was a steady incline on dirt and rock with snow at higher elevations. In addition, there were a few downed trees over the trail. Overall, stunning views throughout this hike! There was a ~3 minute walk from the parking to the trailhead. Restrooms available at the parking area. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/jACscCHBcOg

Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park: May 8 (5 of 5)…read more Elevation: 2,400 ft Pedestrian Trails: 7 miles This park is maintained by volunteers. There is no fee to enter through the gate, but donations are welcome. There is a small donation box at the parking area. There are several picnic benches, plus single benches along the paths. Walk through the paths of wildflowers and various native and non-native plant species that thrive in the park's open areas. Short and tall grass sway in the breeze. Listen to the birds sing their happy tune. If you feel like it, bring a book and sit on the benches along the paths, or just relax and enjoy the quiet serenity.

If I could give a zero star I would. the equestrian trails are not taken care of of. There is a…read moretrail completely not maintained and the other is not accessible towards the end and take you to the a cliff. There is a lot of holes and just not safe for horses.

First, there is no cell phone reception so print directions…read more Second, you do need an SUV. This is not a joke. There is about two miles of serious dirt road with very uneven surfaces. Third, it is lovely and quiet (even in the summer on a weekend) and the trees are so majestic.

The road to get there is pretty rough. We should've taken my boyfriend's Subaru Outback which is a…read more4 wheel drive but took my Passat ( a sedan ) and we were pretty nervous about going up on this dirt road with lots of potholes and a stream crossing but we made it. I highly recommend driving either a pickup truck or SUV four wheel drive just to be on the safe side. But as a reminder, the road is very narrow, barely one car fits. I'd be nervous if there were cars coming from the other side but luckily we had no on coming traffic today. The stream and the waterfalls at Big Ed trail is really beautiful and just the whole area is peaceful and smells like pine trees and relaxing. There are several trails you can take like Chimney Tree Trail , Bull Buck Trail , etc... there's a campground by the stream also. Bull Buck tree is impressive, it's 2,700 years old and it's huge !!!! It's only a short 1/4 mile hike from the campground so it's worth seeing. Unfortunately after the 2017 fire in the area , the shadow of the giants trail is closed.

A nice, short hike for those who want to have something to do before or after checking into the…read morehotel for your Yosemite trip. The trail is uphill for about 20-25 minutes at a moderate pace, before going downhill slightly. There you will find "Glass Rock" where there is a lot of natural rock seating for you to enjoy the lake view. If you time it right, you can enjoy the sunset here, but make sure to bring a headlamp to assist with the return trip since it will be pretty dark by then. The hike uphill is grueling enough to make you squirm a little bit, but rewarding with a great view and seating. This area is really remote, with only a few road-side parking spots. To spot the "trailhead" look for the trail right next to the cut up logs. The trail is in average condition. Hopefully people can take better care of it by carrying out their own trash and adhere to "no trace" exploring. It seems someone also built a fire pit here too (not sure if that is legal).

Very clean campground! So close to the lake!! The space can be limited though however it is a…read morebeautiful view

The family and I have been coming here since I was just a little kid…read moreLots of places for picnics, including larger areas with tables The larger areas with tables you do have to rent to utilize Otherwise $10 to park for the day, and the beaches are all yours As a reminder, all beach areas surrounding Bass Lake are for public use There was incorrect information regarding renting picnic areas and Beach Access Rentals as well There is no such thing as renting out any part of any beach area surrounding Bass Lake Beautiful vantage points here There are areas buoyed off for swimming ONLY which is great for you and the kids You are allowed to anchor your boat offshore as long as it is not in the swimming area as the sheriff will come by and ticket the boat All in all I love this place and we'll keep coming here

Jackson Road/Tenaya Loop Trail, Madera County: 2026 June 17 (5 of 5)…read more Being one with nature after a long week of tackling rocks and pebbles. What a difference! This is one of my favourite trails located behind Tenaya at Yosemite in Fish Camp. Instead of our regular path, we veered off to the left onto a narrow dirt path. It takes you downhill on the path that's mostly shaded. It's a perfect way to immerse with nature. Along the way, delicate, low-growing miniature flowers of white, yellow, pink and purple peered out among shrubs. The leaves appear vibrant green against the dirt brown narrow path and tall brown tree trunks. The smell of the forest invites you to breath deep. The multi-layered aroma is a blend of pine, green foliage, and the refreshing smell of Yosemite. This was a piece of heaven away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Heaven!

The issue I had with Sierra Marina was with their kayak rentals. The service and the price wasn't…read morethe problem. The issue was with the kayak itself. It was well past its prime. One of the backrest clip loops was broken (kayaing without a working backrest is horrible), and the deck hatch was so old that water leaked right into the hold causing flooding. It also appears that this Marina knows about the kayak flooding because they drilled a custom drain hole in the back of the kayak for flooding drainange. These issues weren't realized until I was already on the water. Obviously basic expectations of a kayak rental weren't met. The previous day we rented from Shaver Lake Watersports and they had all new kayaks. So new that they still had the brochures attached to the kayaks. Perhaps that's why SLW cost $10 more an hour to rent.. I guess you get what you pay for. As others have said, it's teens working here on a summer job. Nothing wrong with that of course but they're not really trained to look for issues with a boat (or kayak in my case) before sending someone out in the lake. They also don't have knowledge of Shaver Lake's boating laws. The kid that launched me said that everyone was required to wear a life vest. After looking it up, the law states 12 and under must wear a life preserver. I took it off when out of Marina sight. Tip - if you're staying on the lake as a "day use" and are thinking about renting a kayak, make sure it's for half-a-day or full-day rental. It's like a 30-40 minute paddle to the beach areas around parking lot 3..

Giving a one, because we were able to rent the pontoon, but it was in terrible condition. The seat…read morecushions were not fastened to the hinges and several of us fell off of the seat as the cushion tipped over. Lawsuit in the making! Also they did not provide an anchor with the boat so it was difficult to fish in coves as we kept drifting. And they told us that they will charge 20.00 if a life vest gets wet. What the what?!

Came here with a large group and stayed in the motel. It's got a rustic, classic summer camp…read morevibe--nothing fancy. The kitchen was well-equipped with pots, pans, dishes, utensils, etc. The outdoor bbq has seen better days, but we were still able to use it without all the coals falling through. There's a playground, basketball and volleyball court, as well as a game room that the kids and teens got to enjoy. Beautiful location, right on the lake and within 45 minutes to the south entrance of Yosemite National Park. We had a great time and would come back again.

You can't beat the price for the motel. Large kitchen and…read moreliving areas were wonderful for our dozen people. Pots and pans were supplied. The rooms reminded me of 1940's Forestry cabins - termites in the walls, sloping floors, spiderwebs & spiders in the corners inside and out. Bed was bowed in the middle, mattresses have seen better days. You need to bring your own bedding or sleeping bags. Despite the negatives, we had a fantastic family reunion there! Not sure I would stay here again though.