We are excited about our 4 library presentations over the next month as we kick off the summer travel season!
This weekend, we are first giving a presentation on our 6 P’s of outdoor travel planning at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It will be held in the Sunflower Room (3rd floor) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
It is session one of a three-part series called Outdoor Adventure & Trail Ready! Additional sessions will be held June 1 and June 15 covering backpacking essentials and an intro to dendrology at the historic High Plains Arboretum.
We are also presenting our 6 P’s of travel planning at a Carnegie library (built in 1918) in Lusk, Wyoming at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5. Check out the Niobrara County Library website for more information.
We will have all four of our guidebooks for sale before and after the talk and would be happy to sign them for you.
Established in 1984, this portion of Inyo National Forest is a geological wonderland that was once part of the former Mono National Forest. Along the edge of this ancient salt lake are ten-foot-tall tufa towers exposed after water levels dropped beginning in 1941 when river water was diverted to Los Angeles. Tufa is limestone that precipitated when the alkaline lake water combined with calcium from underground springs. Paoha Island in the center of Mono Lake is also a nesting area for snowy plovers and California gulls, giving its salty waters even more of a Pacific Ocean impression. This entire region is volcanically active as evidenced by isolated hot springs, cinder cones that erupted as recently as 350 years ago, and the forest devastation caused by a 1989 release of carbon dioxide from Horseshoe Lake. It is also rich in minerals, showcased by the mines at Bodie State Historic Park, a ghost town conserved in “arrested decay.”
Highlights
Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center, film, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Panum Crater, Mono Craters, Bodie State Historic Park, South Tufa Trail
Must-Do Activity
Open May through October, the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center is located on Highway 395, just east of Tioga Pass (the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park). It features interactive displays on geology and human history, the 20-minute film Of Ice and Fire: A Portrait of the Mono Basin, photo exhibits, and a bookstore. Situated atop a hill on the lake’s western shore, it offers an overlook of Mono Lake, Paoha Island, and the Mono Craters.
Best Trail
On the lake’s south side is the fascinating Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, established in 1981. A short trail leads from the unpaved parking area to the shoreline. Just to the west, the 0.7-mile Plug Trail enters the cone of Panum Crater, a 650-year-old plugged dome volcano.
Instagram-worthy Photo
The fragile tufa formations are a great resting place for violet-green swallows and other migratory birds that come to feed on the lake’s abundant brine shrimp and alkali flies.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
$3 per person at South Tufa Trail or America the Beautiful pass; $8 per person to enter Bodie State Historic Park
Road Conditions
There are well-graded dirt roads to Panum Crater, South Tufa, and Bodie State Historic Park. However, the routes on the north and east sides of Mono Lake are loose sand that require a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Camping
There are campgrounds at June Lake and along Highway 120 to Tioga Pass, but that road is closed in the winter. Dispersed camping is allowed in Inyo National Forest, but be careful on the sandy roads around Mono Lake.
Tufa formations and Sierra NevadaTufa formations in Mono LakeMono CratersMono LakeViolet-green swallowPaoha IslandBarn near Lee Vining
Explore More – Most of the 27 Mono Craters are phreatic volcanoes that have been plugged or over-topped by rhyolite domes and lava flows; what does “phreatic” mean?
Inyo National Forest was established by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1907 to accommodate the Los Angeles Aqueduct, so it is mostly sagebrush slopes without much dense forest cover. We added it to our Top 10 Movies Filmed in National Forests after reading its history as a filming location. Inyo National Forest offers the shortest route to Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. at 14,495 feet in elevation. Its proximity to Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level) in Death Valley National Park makes its rise all the more impressive. You will need a permit to summit, since this popular peak lies within Sequoia National Park. One added benefit is you will learn all about how to use a “W.A.G. bag.” In addition to accessing the eastern Sierra Nevada (see Best Trail), Inyo National Forest also offers a portal to the beautiful White Mountains along the California-Nevada border (see Must-Do Activity) and 800,000 acres of designated Wilderness.
Highlights
Mono Basin National Scenic Area (see our blog post), Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway, Tioga Pass, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Convict Lake, Hot Creek Geologic Site, Mammoth Lakes, Minaret Summit Vista, Crystal Lake, Mt. Whitney Trail, Minaret Falls, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
In the White Mountains, a paved road leads to the U.S. Forest Service visitor center at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, where a 4.5-mile loop trail through the Methuselah Grove passes one live Great Basin bristlecone pine tree recorded at over 5,000 years of age. That ranks it as the oldest living single-stem tree on the planet based on annual tree-ring measurements. You can continue to drive above 11,000 feet in elevation along a narrow gravel road famous for puncturing tires (so bring a spare). The route offers awesome views of the Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney, then takes you to the Patriarch Grove, a wonderful park of gnarled Great Basin bristlecone pine trees surrounded by snow throughout the summer.
Best Trail
Onion Valley Road west of Independence dead ends at the trailhead for Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. The trail is a series of endless switchbacks that lead past beautifully twisted foxtail pines and unbelievably blue lakes up to the 11,823-foot pass at the boundary with Kings Canyon National Park. The view from the pass is worth the effort, even if you do not proceed to enter the National Park, for which you need a permit to camp overnight. John Muir called these mountains “the range of light,” and from up here you will surely see why.
Watchable Wildlife
Inyo National Forest is on the rain-shadow side of the Sierra Nevada, so it generally receives less precipitation throughout the year than the western slopes, especially at lower elevations. In the conifer forests of the mountains look for mule deer, black bears, weasels, martens, mountain lions, and bobcats. California quail, mountain quail, sooty grouse, and wild turkeys are common game birds. Watch the skies for raptors like bald eagles, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Sun-streaked and wind-blasted branches of bristlecone pine trees twist in backbreaking curls, stretching up towards the deep blue skies above 10,000 feet elevation.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
There are no day use fees to our knowledge.
Road Conditions
The road is paved to the trailhead for the 4.5-mile loop through the Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The unpaved road beyond is famous for puncturing tires (so take it slow and bring a spare) and retains snow late into the summer. A shuttle ticket or camping permit is required to drive into the National Forest west of the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes to access Devils Postpile National Monument.
Camping
Grandview Campground near the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest lives up to its name. There is a campground at Whitney Portal Trailhead and two on Onion Valley Road on the way to the trailhead for Kearsarge Pass (plus some epic dispersed campsites).
Huron National Forest occupies a strip of land in eastern Michigan that follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River to near its confluence with Lake Huron. The National Forest was established in 1909 after logging in the area went into decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee National Forest, which is on the western side of the state. Two years later, the first Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held when 46 teams entered, but only 15 teams finished the 120-mile-long race. Held annually the last weekend of July, thousands of spectators watch the event, but if you are not there then at least stop by the Canoer’s Memorial. In the winter, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are popular activities in Huron National Forest.
Highlights
River Road Scenic Byway, Lumberman’s Monument, Canoer’s Memorial, Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Cooke Dam Pond, Tuttle Marsh, Bull Gap ORV Trail, Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, Highbanks Trail, Eagle Run Cross-Country Ski and Hiking Trail
Must-Do Activity
The 22-mile-long River Road Scenic Byway follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River with 18 stops at memorials, overlooks, dams, ponds, trailheads, and campgrounds. The National Forest’s most developed area surrounds the Lumberman’s Monument, a 14-foot bronze statue dedicated in 1932. The site also has a museum, gift shop, interactive visitor activities, hiking trails, and a campground. Three other popular stops along the River Road Scenic Byway are the Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Kiwanis Monument, and Foote Pond Overlook where visitors might spot a bald eagle.
Best Trail
A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area in the northern part of Huron National Forest. We started at the west entrance, just 1.8 sandy miles off paved Aspen Alley Road, and hiked a half-mile to Carp Lake, which had a large beaver hut in its center. There are many loop options in this forest that is being managed for old-growth conditions, which makes it ideal for cross-country skiing.
Watchable Wildlife
Huron National Forest manages its jack pine forests to provide summer nesting habitat for the formerly-endangered Kirtland’s warbler. After being placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act when its population fell to 167 nesting pairs in 1974, it was delisted in 2019 after rebounding to 2,300 pairs. Since dense, young stands of jack pine are unsuitable habitat, Kirtland’s warblers need old-growth forests, which are extremely susceptible to crown fires. Other species prefer old-growth forests, too, like pileated woodpeckers, saw-whet owls, and pine martens. We saw one of the rare Kirtland’s warblers at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, in addition to spotting a trumpeter swan, hairy woodpecker, raven, black squirrel, porcupine, and white-tailed deer. The Au Sable River offers trout fishing for people and bald eagles.
Instagram-worthy Photo
We stopped at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook and were able to photograph a Kirtland’s warbler.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, or you can use the America the Beautiful pass. Access to the Lumberman’s Monument is free.
Road Conditions
The unpaved roads are very sandy, but they were mostly flat without deep sand and easily drivable with a passenger vehicle in the summer.
Camping
There were signs prohibiting camping at the Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area trailhead and Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, and the dense forest offered no dispersed camping options that we noticed. A developed campground is available at the Lumberman’s Monument, as well as at Algona Dam Pond, Loud Dam Pond, Cooke Dam Pond, and Foote Dam Pond.
red maple, sugar maple, American elm, black ash, quaking aspen, paper birch, northern red oak, pin cherry, shadbush
Explore More – When the first 120-mile-long Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held in 1947, who were the two paddlers that won with a time of 21 hours and 40 minutes?
Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods
Surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale is 45 miles long and nearer to Canada’s shores than it is to the rest of the United States. Long ferry boat rides with short layovers make this a difficult National Park to see on a daytrip, so the average stay for visitors is 3.5 days. The main access points are the ferry docks at Windigo in the west and Rock Harbor (which has a lodge) in the east.
Rock Harbor, Suzy’s Cave, Scoville Point, Windigo, Minong Ridge Trail, Greenstone Ridge Trail
Must-Do Activity
Hiking is the main activity at Rock Harbor and popular destinations include Scoville Point (5 miles roundtrip), 1,080-foot tall Mount Franklin (4 miles), and a water-carved arch called Suzy’s Cave (4 miles). From June to early-September, boat tours leave from the the marina to visit Rock Harbor Lighthouse, Edisen Fishery, Raspberry Island, Hidden Lake Trailhead, and Passage Island Lighthouse. Kayak and canoe rentals are also available at Rock Harbor Marina.
Best Trail
Since 99% of the park is designated Wilderness, backpacking is the best way to experience Isle Royale (but come prepared for biting insects). There are 34 backcountry campsites spread across the 165 miles of trail, but not right along the 42-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail that follows the island’s backbone west to east.
Instagram-worthy Photo
There are four lighthouses surrounding Isle Royale and two of them are visited by boat tours. We circumnavigated the entire island on a ferry boat and our favorite was the red-brick Isle Royale Lighthouse on Menagerie Island.
Peak Season
Summer
Hours
Despite the fact that it is closer to Minnesota (Central Time Zone), Isle Royale is part of Michigan and therefore in the Eastern Time Zone.
$7 per person, per day or America the Beautiful pass
Road Conditions
There are no roads on Isle Royale, which is only accessible by boat and floatplane. Ferries run in the summer months from Grand Portage, Minnesota and Copper Harbor and Houghton, Michigan.
Camping
There are nine screened-in shelters and eleven tent sites right at Rock Harbor, but camping there is limited to one night only to accommodate backpackers. Washington Harbor Campground is located at Windigo and allows up to a three-night stay, but the other 34 campsites require a backpacking permit (available at Rock Harbor, Windigo, and aboard the ferry boats from Michigan). Advanced reservations are only accepted for groups of more than six people, so plans must be flexible since there are limits to the number of campers per site.
Explore More – After depleting mines on the Keweenaw Peninsula, companies were eyeing Isle Royale’s deposits of what metal when it first gained federal protection in 1931?
This design we created to celebrate Isle Royale National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Pressand Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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