national park

National parks that we have visited.

Joshua Tree National Park: Wonderland Ranch & Wall Street Mill

On another visit to Joshua Tree National Park, we hiked to Wonderland Ranch and Wall Street Mill.

An interactive map of our route, going in the north entrance for a change, then to Wall Street Mill, and a picnic dinner on Keys Ranch Road, and finally back out the main west entrance:

An interactive map of the hike; zoom in to see more details:

North entrance sign:

Entrance sign

Wall Street Mill Trail:

Wall Street Mill Trail

Wall Street Mill Trail

Wonderland Ranch ruins:

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Wonderland Ranch ruins

Windmill:

Windmill

“Here is where Worth Bagly bit the dust at the hands of W.F. Keys, May 11 1943″:

Bit the dust

Truck ruins:

Truck ruins

Wall Street Mill ruins:

Wall Street Mill ruins

Wall Street Mill ruins

Wall Street Mill ruins

Wall Street Mill ruins

Truck ruins

Wall Street Mill info

Wall Street Mill ruins

After the hike, we had a picnic dinner along Keys Ranch Road:

Picnic dinner

Rocks

Sunset:

Sunset

Joshua Tree National Park: Geology Tour Road

One of our favorite National Parks is Joshua Tree in California.

We visited the park on several evenings, starting with Geology Tour Road.

An interactive map of our route, heading in the south entrance (which doesn’t have an entrance station or lines of cars, but on the other hand has about an hour of not very exciting scenery):

Entrance sign:

Entrance sign

Interesting rocks:

Interesting rocks

Geology Tour Road is a dirt road (in our opinion, some of the best parts of the park are down dirt roads):

Geology Tour Road

Geology Tour Road

Geology Tour Road

We stopped at Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k (pronounced “paach kurv-er-hurk”), put out our chairs, and had a picnic dinner:

David

Fascinating rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

An old dam:

Dam

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Heading back up the road, some Joshua trees:

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Sunset:

David

Sunset

More rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Supermoon over Joshua trees:

Supermoon

Sequoia National Park: southern side

We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Foothills Visitor Center, the Tunnel Rock, the Giant Forest Museum, Moro Rock, and Tunnel Log.

An interactive map of our route:

Sequoia National Park historic sign:

Sequoia National Park historic sign

Kaweah River:

Kaweah River

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Tunnel Rock:

Tunnel Rock

A very twisty route:

Twisty route

Interesting rocks:

Interesting rock

Interesting rocks

Big trees:

Big trees

Giant Forest Museum:

Giant Forest Museum

Giant Forest Museum

Auto Log:

Auto Log

Auto Log

Moro Rock:

Moro Rock

Moro Rock

Trees and hills:

Trees and hills

Trees and hills

Trees and hills

Driving through Tunnel Log:

Tunnel Log

Our truck under Tunnel Log:

Tunnel Log

Tall trees:

Tall trees

Tall trees

Sequoia National Park: northern side

We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Lodgepole Visitor Center and Grill, and the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. And saw a couple of bears in a tree.

An interactive map of our route:

Relief map in the visitor center:

Relief map

Visitor center

General Sherman Tree trail, a half mile (each way) path from the parking lot to the tree, through the Giant Forest sequoia grove:

Sherman Tree trail

Footprint of Sherman Tree:

Footprint of Sherman Tree

Path and steps:

Path and steps

General Sherman tree, the largest tree in the world by volume:

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

General Sherman tree

Other big trees:

Another tree

Another tree

Another tree

Tree cross section:

Tree cross section

On the way back up the path, we saw a couple of black bears in a tree (not very close, fortunately):

Bears in tree

Bears in tree

Bears in tree

Kings Canyon National Park

We visited Kings Canyon National Park in California, including the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, General Grant Tree, and a scenic drive through the canyon.

An interactive map of our route:

Relief map of the canyon:

Relief map of canyon

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Gift store:

Gift store

Sequoias:

Sequoias

Sequoias

Sequoias

Sequoias

The General Grant tree, the third largest tree in the world by volume:

General Grant tree

General Grant tree

General Grant tree

General Grant tree

General Grant tree

General Grant tree

Gamlin Cabin:

Gamlin Cabin

Kings Canyon National Park is split in two parts, separated by Sequoia National Forest, which has some rather nice scenery:

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Back into Kings Canyon National Park:

Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park

And on the return trip, back into Sequoia National Forest:

Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

A small waterfall (at this time of year):

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest