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.
Nestled in the Inyo National Forest not far from the California-Nevada border and the Eastern Sierras grow the ancient bristlecone pines. In the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, these Pinus longaeva trees grow in the harsh conditions, along with limber pines. The Great Basin bristlecones have stood the test of time and are some of the oldest trees on the planet, with many thought to date over 4000 years old, surviving for millennia in conditions most other plants can't. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is accessible via U.S. 395 to CA-168, with some narrow and slightly scary parts.
When plans changed due to a brush fire, we were suggested a new hike. We explored Millard Canyon in the Angeles National Forest above Altadena, California. The trail was a short, fun adventure through a green canyon and lead to a lovely waterfall.
The Cranky Camper 