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California

Mono Basin National Scenic Area

May 1, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Mono Basin National Scenic Area

California

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

128,303 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5129903

Overview

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.

Related Sites

Inyo National Forest (California-Nevada)

Manzanar National Historic Site (California)

Devils Postpile National Monument (California)

Death Valley National Park (California-Nevada)

Nearest National Park

Yosemite

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?

California, Nevada

Inyo National Forest

April 24, 2024 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Inyo National Forest

California, Nevada

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

2,048,459 acres (1,948,726 federal/ 99,733 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo

Overview

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).

Wilderness Areas

Ansel Adams Wilderness (also in Sierra National Forest and Devils Postpile National Monument)

Boundary Peak Wilderness

Golden Trout Wilderness (also in Sequoia National Forest)

Hoover Wilderness (also in Toiyabe National Forest)

Inyo Mountains Wilderness

John Muir Wilderness (also in Sierra National Forest)

Owens River Headwaters Wilderness

South Sierra Wilderness (also in Sequoia National Forest)

White Mountains Wilderness

Related Sites

Humboldt National Forest (Nevada)

Yosemite National Park (California)

Manzanar National Historic Site (California)

Nearest National Park

Kings Canyon

Conifer Tree Species

Great Basin bristlecone pine, foxtail pine, Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, California red fir, white fir, incense-cedar

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, greenleaf manzanita, sagebrush

Explore More – What 1973 film starring Clint Eastwood was filmed in Inyo National Forest?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

Colorado

Gunnison National Forest

January 10, 2024 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Gunnison National Forest

Colorado

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region

1,766,941 acres (1,671,941 federal/ 95,000 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/gmug

Overview

Gunnison National Forest surrounds the town of Crested Butte, a prime destination for mountain bikers and winter sports enthusiasts. It also shares mountainous borders and four of its eight designated Wilderness areas with neighboring Rio Grande, San Isabel, Uncompahgre, and White River National Forests. It was originally called the Cochetopa Forest Reserve, created by President Teddy Roosevelt on June 13, 1905. It is now co-managed with the Grand Mesa and Uncompahgre National Forests.

Highlights

Silver Thread Scenic Byway, Slumgullion Slide, Mt. Emmons Iron Bog, Taylor Park Reservoir, San Luis Peak, Fossil Ridge Recreation Area, Gothic Research Natural Area, Judd Falls, Alpine Tunnel, Mineral Creek Trail

Must-Do Activity

Much of the area was mined in the past, so there are many miles of four-wheel-drive roads to explore over mountain passes like Tomichi, Hancock, Taylor, Tincup, and Pearl Pass. Near the Victorian-era town of Lake City, the famous Slumgullion Slide crosses Highway 149 where a massive earth flow created Lake San Cristobal about 700 years ago. Visible from a pullout at Windy Point, a secondary flow of sludgy montmorillonite continues to move trees downslope to this day.

Best Trail

Just past the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation site at Needle Rock, a gravel road enters Gunnison National Forest where two trailheads afford entrance into the West Elk Wilderness. Throughline Trail heads northeast toward 12,719-foot Mt. Gunnison, but it can be connected with the Lone Pine Trail at the 3.5-mile point to form a loop with Sink Creek Trail (a total of 13 miles roundtrip). We hiked a portion of Sink Creek Trail in late September when the aspen trees were changing colors and found a nice place for dispersed camping near the South Smith Fork Trailhead (high-clearance vehicle recommended).

Watchable Wildlife

There are presumably elk in the mountainous West Elk Wilderness, as well as mule deer and bighorn sheep (a herd overwinters near the junction of the East and Taylor Rivers). Mountain lions, black bears, and pine martens also inhabit Gunnison National Forest. On our hikes we came across a gopher snake and a dam built by a beaver. Watch the skies for raptors like golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and peregrine falcons.

Instagram-worthy Photo

A good gravel road east of Crawford leads into Gunnison National Forest past Needle Rock Outstanding Natural Area, run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The landmark is a 28-million-year-old volcanic plug which can be explored on a steep trail that does not completely circle it because of private land.

Peak Season

Summer and fall

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Several paved highways crisscross the National Forest, including a stretch of the Silver Thread Scenic Byway. Not every back road requires a high-clearance vehicle, as good graded roads go over Kebler Pass, Ohio Pass, and Cumberland Pass into the town of Pitkin. Popular four-wheel-drive routes include Pearl Pass Road, Old Monarch Pass Road, and Schofield Pass north into Crystal Canyon.

Camping

There are many nice campgrounds in Gunnison National Forest, including Slumgullion Campground at 11,200 feet, Lost Lake Campground next to a wildflower meadow, and Dorchester Campground on the road to 11,928-foot Taylor Pass (accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles). Dispersed camping is also allowed throughout the National Forest; we found a nice spot near the South Smith Fork Trailhead (high-clearance vehicle recommended).

Wilderness Areas

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area (also in San Isabel National Forest)

Fossil Ridge Wilderness

La Garita Wilderness (also in Rio Grande National Forest)

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness (also in White River and San Isabel National Forests)

Powderhorn Wilderness (also on BLM land)

Raggeds Wilderness (also in White River National Forest)

West Elk Wilderness

Uncompahgre Wilderness (also in Uncompahgre National Forest)

Related Sites

Arapaho National Forest (Colorado)

Colorado National Monument (Colorado)

Grand Mesa National Forest (Colorado)

Nearest National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Conifer Tree Species

Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, two-needle pinyon pine, Rocky Mountain juniper

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, quaking aspen, Utah serviceberry, red elderberry, sagebrush

Explore More – Who was John Gunnison, the Gunnison River’s namesake?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

Vermont

Green Mountain National Forest

December 20, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Green Mountain National Forest

Vermont

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

821,040 acres (399,151 federal/ 421,889 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/gmfl

Overview

The only National Forest in Vermont is divided into a north and south section, each with its own National Recreation Area. In the north, Moosalamoo National Recreation Area has the Voter Brook Overlook and trails to the Falls of Lana and Silver Lake, which has a popular backpacking campground. In the south, Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area includes a portion of the historic Long Trail where the Appalachian National Scenic Trail overlaps it. Vermont literally translates as Green Mountain from French, the name of the range that forms the state’s granite backbone. Winter recreation is a big deal here, with three alpine ski areas in the National Forest and seven designated cross-country ski areas, as well as 900 miles of trails for snowshoeing and some areas open specifically for snowmobiling. Green Mountain National Forest also co-manages Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York.

Highlights

Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, White Rocks National Recreation Area, Hapgood Pond Recreation Area, Texas Falls, Robert Frost Wayside, Voter Brook Overlook, Falls of Lana, Devil’s Den Cave, Lye Brook Falls, Moss Glen Falls, Mt. Ellen, Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, Long Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Texas Falls is not located in the right place on the Forest Service visitor app, but it is easy to get to right alongside paved Texas Falls Road off State Route 125. The falls formed at the end of the Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, when meltwater scoured the quartz-chlorite schist. A footbridge crosses the Hancock Branch over an interesting glacial pothole in the rock, and a nature trail continues uphill forming a 1.2-mile loop. We did not make it to Lye Brook Falls or Moss Glen Falls, but found the off-trail Falls of Lana worth the effort (see Moosalamoo National Recreation Area).

Best Trail

Green Mountain National Forest contains about half of the 272-mile Long Trail, which in 1931 became the first named long-distance hiking trail in the U.S. In Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area, the Long Trail is coincident with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) with several overnight shelters (some of which charge $5 per person, per night).

Watchable Wildlife

The National Forest contains 450 miles of streams, which is great for trout and salmon fishermen, especially since some wildlife management projects have been done to improve their habitat. Other work has been completed to support ruffed grouse, wild turkey, black bear, and Bicknell’s thrush. We were told by a local that there is a black bear named Jenny that hangs out around the White Rocks Day Use Area. Additional species of interest include moose, white-tailed deer, coyote, porcupine, and beaver.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Less than a mile up the Ice Beds Trail, a short climb reaches a viewpoint of the white rocks, a glacier-scoured cliff of Cheshire quartzite that is (part of) the namesake for Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area.

Peak Season

Fall

Fees

Ski areas at Mount Snow, Stratton Mountain, and Bromley Mountain have recreation fees. Along the Long Trail/AT, there is a camping fee of $5 per person, per night at Little Rock Pond, Peru Peak, Stratton Pond, and Griffith Lake.

Road Conditions

All the gravel roads we drove were in good shape during the spring, including the roads to Voter Brook Overlook and White Rocks Day Use Area.

Camping

One of the most developed parts of the National Forest is at 7-acre Hapgood Pond where there is a campground, swimming beach, and boat ramp. Moosalamoo Campground has 18 campsites located at the base of the Mt. Moosalamoo Trail, near Voter Brook Overlook. There are a couple dispersed campsites also on the road, but we had one of our worst nights camping here with college kids blasting music late and another group waking us up before sunrise. The backpacking campground at Silver Lake is nice, or you can stay at Branbury State Park on Lake Dunmore.

Wilderness Areas

Big Branch Wilderness

Breadloaf Wilderness

Bristol Cliffs Wilderness

George D. Aiken Wilderness

Glastenbury Wilderness

Joseph Battell Wilderness

Lye Brook Wilderness

Peru Peak Wilderness

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (New Hampshire)

White Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire-Maine)

Nearest National Park

Acadia

Conifer Tree Species

eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, red pine, red spruce, balsam fir

Flowering Tree Species

sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, white birch, paper birch, mountain ash

Explore More – Texas Falls is located on the Hancock Branch, which feeds the White River that converges with what major river?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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Vermont

White Rocks National Recreation Area

December 13, 2023 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area

Vermont

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

22,624 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gmfl/recarea/?recid=64987

Overview

White Rocks National Recreation Area is located in the southern portion of Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and was officially renamed Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area. It encompasses Big Branch Wilderness, Peru Peak Wilderness, Big Branch Observation Area, and its namesake White Rocks Picnic Area (see Must-Do Activity). A section of the Long Trail (which in 1931 became the first named long-distance hiking trail in America) passes through this area, where it coincides with the newer Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT). Other popular activities include biking, fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

Highlights

Big Branch Observation Area, White Rocks Day Use Area, Bully Brook, Ice Beds Trail, Keewaydin Trail, White Rocks Cliffs Trail, Greenwall Shelter, Long Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

A great place to access Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area is the White Rocks Day Use Area off State Route 140. Several trails start from the picnic area, including a short walk to a cascading waterfall on Bully Brook. Less than a mile up the Ice Beds Trail, a short climb reaches a viewpoint of the white rocks, a glacier-scoured cliff of Cheshire quartzite, which was used by Native Americans to make tools. Continue on this trail 0.9 miles one-way to the Ice Beds where ice melts deep in a scree slope throughout the summer. You probably will not see any ice, but it is deep in the rocky recesses and releases cool drafts of air. We were told by a local that there is a black bear named Jenny that hangs out around the trailhead.

Best Trail

In 0.4 miles from White Rocks Day Use Area, Keewaydin Trail connects with the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail (AT). By going south, the trail ascends 1,250 feet to a cutoff for the Greenwall Shelter and just past there watch for a stone cairn on the right side. From there a side trail descends 0.2 miles to an overlook above the White Rock Cliffs providing views of the Adirondack and Taconic Mountains (3.8 miles roundtrip).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Visible less than a mile up the Ice Beds Trail, the white rocks are a glacier-scoured cliff of Cheshire quartzite once used by Native Americans to make tools.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

State Route 140 is paved, but the access road to White Rocks Day Use Area is an unpaved road passable by RVs.

Camping

Overnight shelters on the Long Trail/AT at Greenwall and Minerva Hinchey are free, while camping at Little Rock Pond, Peru Peak, Stratton Pond, and Griffith Lake requires a $5 per person, per night fee. Drive-up campgrounds are located on Forest Road 10 at Big Branch and Black Branch near the Big Branch Wilderness.

Moosalamoo National Recreation Area (Vermont)

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (Vermont)