The Stanislaus National Forest is a pretty place to recreate, boasting 898000 acres and many opportunities for camping, hiking, and exploring. We stayed in a national forest campground along the middle fork of the Tuolumne River not far from the Hetch Hetchy entrance station to Yosemite National Park, and about a 45 minute drive to Yosemite Valley.
After earning his BARK Ranger tag at Yosemite National Park, Owen goes camping at Hidden View Campground at Hensley Lake.
This post features just some of the adventure that can be had in California's expansive Inyo National Forest. From the oldest trees to the highest peaks, there is much to be explored, with many options for camping.
"It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter." - John Muir Yosemite Valley is the most visited area of the park, and for good reason. Powerful granite walls and evergreen dominate the valley landscape, with massive waterfalls cascading down imposing cliffs. Many of Yosemite's most famous landmarks are found in the Valley. Even the tunnels on Wawona Road leading in are iconic. In every direction, there is great beauty- and much exploration fun.
Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the US, first protected in 1864 by President Lincoln. The park sits in the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California and extends across four counties. Most of the park is considered wilderness, but its wild beauty attracts millions of visitors a year, consistently placing it in the top ten most visited national parks.
The Cranky Camper 