Category: Hikes

21 Jan 2022: Anza-Borrego Day-Trip

by JamesAnza-Borrego State Park / California / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing / State Parks / Trips
Route to Fonts Point & Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor’s Center

Although we have lived most of our lives in SoCal, we’ve never visited Anza-Borrego. It’s always been on our list of places to go but we’ve just never made it out there. Working as an oceanographer, with month-long cruises in Jan and April, kept me busy during the prime months to visit. Now that we are retired, it will become a regular destination when we are itching to get away during the winter months.
The park’s visitor center is 75mins away from Indio/Indian Waters RV Resort. There are some great hiking trails there but we opted to hunt down the metal sculptures that are a mile or so east in Borrego Springs. These are another group of local landmarks we have never visited.
Note: parking & hiking at the State Park Visitor Center (and two other popular parking areas in the park) requires paying a day-use fee but everywhere else is free and open. Dry RV camping in several areas is ‘no reservation first come first serve’.

Our Indio family, Jim & Susan, had posted beautiful photos of Fonts Point (see map) they took while off-roading in their new Jeep. The amazing panoramic views of the Badlands looked worth the slow 4-mile washboard road trek. Like their Jeep, our Tacoma TRD Offroad 4×4 is also very capable on roads like these. We made it a point to visit in late afternoon and wait till sunset. As the sun set, the wind really picked up and it got cold quickly. The drive home in the dark through a dust storm added to the adventure.
Directions to Fonts Point Trail Junction can be found using Google Maps. Note: this is the turn onto the 4mi dirt road leading to Fonts Point. There is a small sign but its easily missed. Navigating to Fonts Point using Apple Maps will take you to the wrong endpoint. To reach Fonts Point lookout, you drive 4mi south on a washboard dirt & soft sand road. It’s mostly wide and level with sections of soft sand, a 4-wheel drive is recommended but not necessary. We saw many 2-wheel drive vehicles parked at the lookout. Just avoid the soft sand.

29 Sept 2021 – Angel’s Landing

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing / Utah / Zion National Park

The 2nd most popular hike, or tied at #1 with the Narrows, is Angel’s Landing. A hard, out-n-back 4.4mi hike that changes elevations ~1600ft. The trail is one of the busiest and the main reason it’s so dangerous at the summit. A lot of people of various skill & physical ability on a narrow, vertical, cliff-sided ridge climbing in both directions. Hikers will step aside as groups take turn going up or down but there isn’t a large margin for error. Because there were so many people, the time to go 0.5mi from Scout Lookout to Angel’s Landing was an hour 20min. We decided Scout Lookout was an adequate end point. The weather was great for our hike but the climb will definitely challenge your stamina. The first 1.2mi of the hike are uphill but when you reach the West Rim Trail, it flattens into a shaded level trail. Then you hit Walter’s Wiggles, a set of 21 quick switchbacks that takes you vertically 200+ft in a really short time. Once past the switchbacks, it’s a gradual climb to Scout Lookout, ~5340ft at 1.8mi. You can continue to the summit 2.2mi further along but we stopped here.

Angel’s Landing Trail & Elevation Change

28 Sept 2021 – The Narrows

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing / Utah / Zion National Park

At the top of every Zion visitor’s list of places to hike is the Narrows. A river hike in the Virgin River through Zion Canyon. With its popularity, this can be a crowded ‘trail’ so we got an early start. But not as early as originally planned since morning temperatures were mid 50s. We layered our clothes so as the day warmed & we started hiking, we could be comfortable. We caught the Springdale shuttle at 8am and entered the park by walking over the bridge to the pedestrian entrance.
The Zion Canyon morning shuttle was already getting full, standing room only. So we waited for the next shuttle to get seats since the ride to the Temple of Sinawava takes awhile, making several stops along the way. Temple of Sinawava is the last shuttle stop & the Narrows trailhead. The 1mi Riverside Walk is a level, paved scenic path to get to the Narrows starting point. There are no restrooms beyond the shuttle stop so it is highly recommended to take the time here.
Since autumn conditions were underway & the river is cooling down, we rented gear from Zion Outfitters ($31/person). This includes a sturdy walking staff, neoprene socks, & water boots with great ankle support (highly recommended). Since you can warm up hiking, although cooled by river-wading, most people wear layers & shorts. I fortunately picked water repellent Eddie Bauer long pants and was surprised they shedded water so well. Carol had similar pants but they did not have the same water resistance.
The hike is amazing and we can see why its at the top of every hiker’s list. You crisscross the river through the canyon and enjoy the spectacular views of the river, canyon, and cliffs. The river depth ranged from ankle to waist-deep. We hiked ~2.5mi into the canyon, turning around near Wall Street. In hindsight, even though I felt I had experienced the Narrows, we should have continued further up. Our Narrows hike did end up totaling 8 miles. But take a break, rest, and go further is my recommendation.

27 Sept 2021 – Red Reef Trail

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / Hurricane/St. George / Sightseeing / State Parks / Utah

Since we didn’t hike yesterday and we weren’t leaving the KOA till noon (late checkout request okayed by KOA). We wanted to do a short hike to Red Reef Trail next to the campground. We checked it out yesterday evening, going through the underpass directly across from the KOA – it would be a great e-bike excursion.
Normally, the hike is along a creek to a waterfall but this late in the season. The creek bed was dry with scattered pools of water along the trail. Still, the hike is worthwhile and easy, with only 200ft elevation gain. You enter the trailhead near campsite #2 after parking in the day-use slots. There is no one at the ranger’s station so you pay $5 at a fee station.
A short, easy, scenic hike to end our stay in the St George/Hurricane area. The upper section of the trail above the waterfall narrows into a slot canyon. But you have to boulder up a side wall to reach the upper section. There isn’t a rope & steps like the lower section by the waterfall. Since Carol was waiting below, I didn’t venture further. Plus we needed to be back by 10:30am to be on the road by noon & head to Zion Canyon. There’s plenty more to see here but we are ready for Zion National Park & our main hikes – the Narrows & Angel’s Landing.

26 Sept 2021 – Sand Hollow State Park

by JamesDay Trips / E-Biking / Hikes / Hurricane/St. George / Sightseeing / State Parks / Utah

We had an easy day at Sand Hollow. We started a little later today, figuring it’d be cooler by the water – wrong! it was hot by noon. We brought our e-bikes, planing a ride around the lake. But unlike Quail Creek, Sand Hollow does not have a good bike trail – lots of OHV trails but nothing very good for bikes/e-bikes. This park is great if you want to spend time on the lake boating, kayaking, fishing or even scuba diving. But is really geared towards off-roading with lots of ATV & 4x OHV trails & rentals. We weren’t interested in off-roading or kayaking again so after a 4×4 drive around the lake. We spent our time exploring the rocky shoreline and watching cliff jumpers.
In hindsight, taking a drive to one of the other State Parks like Snow Canyon might have been a better plan. But is Sand Hollow is popular and worth a visit, just be geared to off-road or enjoy the water.

25 Sept 2021 – South Taylor Creek Trail

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / Hurricane/St. George / National Parks / Sightseeing / Utah / Zion National Park

After hiking Middle Taylor Creek Trail yesterday, we drove into Leeds for lunch and came back for the Kolob Canyon scenic drive. If you are tired of hiking or not a hiker, this is a great scenic drive with pullouts/parking lots with spectacular views.
Park volunteer John had described how to find the South Fork Taylor Creek Trail yesterday since it’s unmarked and not on the map. It’s not an easy trail to find but fortunately, we identified the trailhead after stopping to take photographs during one stop. This trail is not maintained, and it’s narrow and shrub covered in many places. The relatively few hikers that take this trail help keep it somewhat clear. The change is elevation starts right away, first dropping then climbing continuously till you hit the flat canyon floor ‘plateau’ 1mi in. The first mile is mostly unshaded on uneven ground, tracking along the hillside. But once you make it to the plateau, the trail levels out and follows along the smooth south cliff face. The trail ended for us in a slot canyon about 6ft wide. You can continue but it requires some agile bouldering over the large rocks blocking the canyon. I enjoyed this hike more than the Middle Taylor Creek Trail but Carol preferred yesterday’s hike because of the Double Alcove ‘reward’ at the end. This is a harder hike, with very few people – it made us nervous at first, wondering if we’d happen upon ‘wildlife’. From a photographic perspective, once the trail plateaued, the canyon offered a lot of scenery. That may be why I liked this hike more than yesterday’s, plus being able to touch the cliff wall. There were a few more hikers further in who got an earlier start than us. Plus rock climbers at a fascinating section of the cliff face where there were eroded sandstone ‘ladders’. I can see why this would be a popular rock climber destination. The trail ended in a boxed slot canyon, somewhat anti-climatic compared to the Double Alcove. But the hike against the cliff itself was pretty spectacular even when compared to Zion Canyon hikes.

24 Sept 2021 – Middle Taylor Creek Trail

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / Hurricane/St. George / National Parks / Sightseeing / Utah / Zion National Park

One of the best trails to hike in Zion’s Kolob Canyon is Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail. It’s a 5mi (total) out and back trail that’s 2 miles from the visitor center (1st parking lot on the left). It features a river/creek (depending on the season) and is rated as moderate. The trail is accessible year-round and most people hike 2.5mi to the Double Alcove. The beginning of the hike is open (unshaded) with a gradual increase in elevation and great views of the surrounding shear peaks. Further along the trail, you hike between the cliff faces shaded, following a dry river bed. It’s a fairly wide canyon so this is not slot canyon hiking. You do not get surrounded by rock faces like other hiking trails or have flash flooding concerns. Hiking 2.5mi in has a 590ft elevation gain, till you reach the Double Alcove. This is a great spot for photos and lunch. It was not crowded (~8 people) when we were there since we got an early start (when it was cooler). But as we were walking back around noon, there were more people on the trail heading in. Still, this area is significantly less crowded than the trails in Zion Canyon. We bumped into park volunteer John on the trail & he mentioned the lesser known South Fork Trail. He said it was an even better hike since you hike against the cliff and it narrows into a slot canyon. It’s shorter (3mi total) & more challenging, with 1070ft elevation gain on a less maintained trail. We’ll do that tomorrow.

Trail Map

Dry-camping at Joshua Tree

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Campgrounds / Camping / Day Trips / Hikes / Joshua Tree National Park / RVing / Sightseeing / Trips

Feb 23-24 2021: Our grandson Ronan wanted to go camping to celebrate his 5th birthday. His Mom & Dad booked a site at Indian Cove Campground for a tent & trailer, without hookups. There are fewer sites available at Indian Cove because their Covid-19 strategy is to closed every other site. There is an empty campsite separating the occupied sites. This made for a less crowded and much quieter camp-out.
This was our first campground without electricity or water but we knew our Geo Pro is well equipped for dry camping. Before leaving home, we added ~12gals to our fresh water tank since we were only there for one night & wanted to keep out tow weight manageable. This was plenty of water for our washing & flushing needs. We also brought a couple gallons of bottled water for drinking & cooking.
Since our Geo Pro has 190w of solar and two deep cycle 225ah 6v batteries, we had no issues using the interior or awning lights. We used our propane griddle to cook burgers for dinner, bacon & pancakes for breakfast. We’ve been debating about whether to keep the relatively heavy 17″ Suburban griddle or replace it with a propane bbq. Weight-wise there isn’t much gain and the grill does work really well if kinda a pain to clean. I guess a bbq grill could be a messy cleanup as well.

17 Feb 2021: Pismo Beach Area

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Central California / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing / State Parks

We had clear sunny windy weather most of our week in Ventura. Today was supposed to be a calmer day but everything is relative. We stopped at the Butterfly Grove where Monarch Butterflies are abundant Oct-Feb. This February, there were only several but the grove is free, easy to access so worth a visit. There is beach access, dunes, coastal trees, birds & trails we enjoyed. The section of campground adjacent the Butterfly Grove was closed due to recent flooding, perhaps from recent King Tides.
Later, we took the coastal drive up to Avila Beach, hoping to check out the lighthouse. Turns out the only way to see the lighthouse is by tour group so we stopped for lunch by the beach. Avila Beach has a similar ambiance to Catalina Island.
We ended the day by driving on the beach at sunset. We later learned there are petitions and the Sierra Club lobbying to stop the vehicles on the beach. There is only ~4 miles of driveable beach but I understand, as an oceanographer, the potential environmental impact.
We are heading south tomorrow and this is our last evening at Pismo Beach. We considered driving all the way home tomorrow but booked a single night in Carpenteria, about 110mi south.

16 Feb 2021: Day-trip to Morro Bay

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Central California / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing

Morro Bay is a great scenic destination to get out and stay socially-distanced. We had a beautiful clear windy day, thankful we were not towing. Morro Rock is the cornerstone of Morro Bay. There’s a wide beach & plenty of free parking, large enough for motorhomes. Just south of Morro Rock in Morro Bay, is a small wharf with several excellent seafood eateries & fish market. There is also a salt water taffy stand that has a wonderful selection of some of the best taffy we’ve ever had.


After lunch, we headed 5mi south to El Moro Elfin Forest in Los Osos. A mile of wooden boardwalks that take you through 90 acres of coastal dune scrub & pygmy oak forest.