About Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is the southernmost unit of a whole complex of national parks, forests, and monuments that protect a number of Giant Sequoia groves.  While usually snowed in during the winter, summertime brings some of the best access to the big trees and great entry points into the High Sierra.  The park itself covers a wide variety of altitudes, from around 2000' to 10000' and above.  This makes most of the standard weather sites not terribly useful.  Your best bet is to check out the NOAA Weather Forecast directly.  "Foothills" roughly refers to the Foothills Visitor Center at the south entrance of the park, and Giant Forest to, well, the Giant Forest!  It's not uncommon to have a 10 to 20 degree temperature difference there, so keep checking up until you get there.

Getting There

The standard roads to get into Sequoia NP are the 180 from the north and the 192 from the south.  During the summer the roads are open through the park, so you can drive from the Kings Canyon NP entrance from the 180 in the north through to the Giant Forest.  If you have enough time, you can drive a beautiful loop between the two entrances using the 245.  This highway runs just outside the western boundary of the park and will take you from the foothills up through some beautiful small Sierra towns on a nice windy road with great views.  A couple nice taverns and restaurants are nestled in the towns, and I highly advise stopping to take in a bit of the atmosphere and some nice cold ones.

Day Hiking

If you only have a day or two, make sure to stop by the Giant Forest.  About 40 miles of trails loop through the Giant Forest area, making for a wonderful area to day hike.  If you haven't been there in the last five years, the parking area that used to be by the General Sherman tree has now been relocated about a half a mile north outside of the Giant Forest, so you'll be parking either by the Giant Forest Museum or in that further away parking area.  Not all of the maps in the park have been updated yet either, so watch out you don't think it exists.  There's a shuttle that makes stops at the museum, the General Sherman tree itself, and the upper parking area, so if you don't want to do a loop just hop on the bus and take a one way trail up or down.  While this makes getting to the General Sherman itself take a bit more planning, a gorgeous side-effect is that it really reduces the traffic noise in the Giant Forest.  Now you can hike through the forest loops like the Congress Trail and not hear the constant background drone of engines, car alarms, and the like...a very welcome change.  All of the trails I've done in the Giant Forest area are beautiful, but make sure you take some time off to see the big Sherman tree.
 

Stand of sequoias close to moro rock

Formations at Crystal Cave entrance

Camping and Weekend Backpacking

If you're thinking of car camping within the park itself, your best bet is to bet against it.  The drive in campgrounds within Sequoia NP itself will generally always be full during summertime, so unless you get there early or do a reservation you'll be out of luck.  The majority of the park has no roads going through it, however, so the best place to camp is to get out into the backcountry.  If you're looking for a place to spend the night, stop off and get a backcountry pass for the Pear Lake area.  This wonderful area is off of the Lakes Trail.  Park at Wolverton and then just put on your pack and hike on up.  You'll get some gorgeous views of some granite lined valleys and some stunning camping at the top with bear lockers provded.  To protect the lakes there's even a wood chip outhouse up there (but still bring your own paper).  For a couple hours in and out, Pear Lake and the lakes trail can give you just a taste of what the stunning backcountry in this park has to offer.

Campground view at Pear Lake

Originally posted 2008-08-09 05:00:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• San Francisco Cruises and More Await You in the City by the Bay Spending time in San Francisco, whether you live there or are just visiting this spectacular city, you will find that there are a number of things that you can do to enjoy your time. San Francisco cruises as well as the outdoor parks are wonderful for those who love to......
• Death Valley Spring Hiking Springtime in Death Valley can be one of the best times of year to visit this astounding place.  The weather will generally be mild, most of the winter storms will have passed, and you can experience the desert in bloom.  Death Valley blanketed by wildflowers is something everyone living in......
• San Mateo County Hike of the San Bruno Mountain State and County Park Location: This hike is located in San Mateo County in the San Bruno Mountain State and County Park. The Hike: This is an all access 1.2 mile loop hike that travels through coastal scrub. Distance: This trail is 1.2 miles in total from the beginning to end and back......
• Sequoia Lake, Grant Grove, Fresno County, California Sequoia Lake is located in Grant Grove, Fresno County, California Phone: (209) 226-2267 or (209) 335-2886 Is boating allowed? Motor boating is allowed at Sequoia Lake. Smaller boats are allowed for fishing or other boating sports on Sequoia Lake. Is there a boat ramp? There is a boat ramp present......
• Contra Costa County Hike of the Miller Knox Regional Shoreline Location: The lagoon area of the Miller Knox regional shoreline in Contra Costa County's East Bay Regional Park The Hike: A single mile loop through park land located near Point Richmond Distance: This is a 1 mile walk that makes a full loop Category and Difficulty: This is an......

• Fuel Stoves Cooking Supplies Camping & Hiking
• Resin Forest Animals & Birds Statues & Yard Art Garden Décor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• That Bloom All Summer Perennials Flower Seeds Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• New Balance Footware Clothing, Shoes & Accessories Camping & Hiking
• Frame Tents & Canopies Camping & Hiking

• Zephyr Cove Marina, Lake Tahoe Zephyr Cove Marina is located on the east side of Lake Tahoe Phone: 775.589.4908 Fuel Dock: Yes, regular gasoline and diesel are available here. Pumpout: The marina offers full pumpout services. Services Available: This is a full service marina, but please keep in mind that they tend to focus more......
• Lake Isabella, Lake Isabella, CA Lake Isabella is located in Lake Isabella, CA Phone: (760) 379-2806 Is boating allowed? Yes, boating is encouraged and there are numerous marinas (listed below) to serve you. Is there a boat launch? Yes, most of the marinas on the lake have boat ramps. Be advised that there may be......
• Barry Bond's Last Game as Giant Rarely do the stars align as they did last Wednesday.  Barry Bonds was playing his last game as a Giant, the weather was warm cloudless and clam in October, and there was no afternoon wind on the San Francisco Bay.  Needless to say I took my boat to McCovey Cove......
• South Beach Harbor Marnia South Beach Harbor is located in San Francisco, CA  It is adjacent to AT&T Park -- home of the SF Giants -- and McCovey Cove.  Pirr 40 at the Embarcadero. Phone: 415.495.4911 email: sb.harbor@sfgov.org    Website: http://www.southbeachharbor.com/ Berths: 700 Regular Berth Pricing 26? $202 30? $237 34? $289 38? $358 42?......
• Morning Cruise on the Bay This is going to sound very similar to yesterday, but today we went on a Day Cruise out of Coyote Point Marina at 9am. Launching the boat at the Coyote Point Boat Ramp is very easy... Everything is in great shape. (Use the center lane is the advice of the......

• Brazil South America Coins: World Coins & Paper Money
• Mexico Latin America Stamps
• US: South Dakota License Plates Automobilia Transportation Collectibles
• Argentina South America Coins: World Coins & Paper Money
• Mexico Shorts Boxing Exercise & Fitness

In this episode you will see a 500 pound Goliath Grouper landed that looks like a big bass. The Goliath eats a 5 pound Jack Crevalle. This is a 10 minute clip from the Chew On This Saltwater Fishing Show hosted by Captain Ben Chancey.

Originally posted 2008-11-16 23:45:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Fishing Report: February 19, 2010 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut A Saturday sturgeon trip at Berkeley/Emeryville with 11 people only produced one 50-pounder. There's at least one trip scheduled for this weekend. Pacifica has had good crabbing since it reopened on Tuesday. It had been closed because of an unpredictable high surf. Crabbers are doing......
• Fishing Report: October 8, 2010 Lakes and Saltwater Anderson: This has been a pretty decent location for anyone looking for strong bass fishing. Be sure to use a drop-shot if you want to get the best bites in the area. Berkeley: Definitely a strong area for those who are looking for a strong striped bass......
• How to Catch Yellow Fin Tuna If you eat tuna, then chances are you’ve already sampled this delicious variety of the popular fish. While blue fin tuna are also popular, yellow fin tuna are by far the most commonly caught variety and the one that is commonly used in commercial foods. While you may not have......
• New Melones Lake   New Melones Lake   New Melones Lake is located in: Sonora, CA Phone: (209) 536-9094 About the Lake: New Melones Lake is a stunning spectacle that stretches out over 12,000 surface acres and features more than 100 miles of shoreline. The dam and lake facilities were built by the......
• Fishing Report: June 5th, 2009 The fishing has been hit or miss this week, with some great scores and some less than ideal hauls. In Pacifica you will still find crab snares for sale through Coastside II Bait and Tackle, because a variety of crustaceans are still being reeled in up on the pier walkway,......

• Baitcasting Reels Freshwater Fishing Fishing
• Feathers Fly Tying Materials & Tools Fly Fishing Fishing
• Florida Bat & Butterfly Houses Bird & Wildlife Accessories Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
• Bass Guitar
• Plaques Florida Marlins Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles

Here are some pictures from the North West side of the Bay Bridge...

Here are some pictures from the South East side of the Bay Bridge (these are 2 of my all time favorite)...

Here are some pictures taken while the boat was in motion (fast) heading towards ATT Park...

Getting close now.  Picking up passengers in Marina by ATT Park.

In McCovey Cove during the game...

On the way out of the Marina (Moon of Marina) after the game...

Originally posted 2007-09-29 14:20:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• San Francisco Bay Fishing Charters There is a wide assortment of different fishing boats that are making daily trips to the San Francisco Bay fishing grounds. Many of them even provide gear rentals for those that need it. There are also a number of different private charters that are made available, especially during this season.......
• San Francisco County Hike of Crissy Field Location: This trail is located at Crissy Field in San Francisco County as part of the National Park Service. The Hike: This is an easy mile of 3.3 miles in distance that traces restored coastline and offers stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Distance:......
• Bay Conditions in the South San Francisco Bay The sailing conditions and the bay conditions in San Francisco are going to vary significantly based on the time of year, the time of day and even the exact location of where you are at. The windy season, for example, tends to begin by the mid spring and will generally......
• Places to Walk in San Francisco pt 2 Whether you are looking for an urban hike or a quiet walk in the woods, there are plenty of unique places to go walking or hiking in San Francisco that are sure to please you. Here are some of our favorite places to go walking in San Francisco. The Walk:......
• Places to Walk in San Francisco pt 1 Whether you are looking for an urban hike or a quiet walk in the woods, there are plenty of unique places to go walking or hiking in San Francisco that are sure to please you. Most of them are going to offer you beautiful and stunning views as this is......

• Movie & Video Game Weapons Knives, Swords & Blades Collectibles
• Game Books & Video Gym, Workout & Yoga Exercise & Fitness
• Bridge Sundials Garden Decor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
• Motion Lamps Lamps: Electric Lamps, Lighting Collectibles
• Turkey Game Calls Hunting

On Saturday I used freeze dried bait from Big 5 without success.

On Sunday I used frozen and live bait and caught several soupfin sharks.

I had a great time on the water.

One of the regulars at Coyote Point said he caught 6 strippers 1 fairly large.  I need to figure out what he is doing!!!

Originally posted 2008-11-12 10:40:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Enjoying San Francisco Outdoors pt 1 When you think about San Francisco and everything that it has to offer, some of the first images that leap into the mind are its museums, its restaurants and its nightclubs. Some of the most incredible things that San Francisco has to offer can actually be found in the beautiful......
• San Francisco Bay Area Fishing Guide -- Book Review I recently purchased and read the book San Francisco Bay Areas Fishing Guide by Ray Rychnovsky.  It is an excellent primer and refresher on fishing in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It covers everything open ocean, ocean reef, near shore, beach, the entire San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, the entrance......
• Bay Conditions in the South San Francisco Bay The sailing conditions and the bay conditions in San Francisco are going to vary significantly based on the time of year, the time of day and even the exact location of where you are at. The windy season, for example, tends to begin by the mid spring and will generally......
• Welcome to My San Francisco Bay Boating Blog In this blog I will chronicle my boating experience on San Francisco Bay, Sacramento Delta, California lakes, and more. I will include pictures and facility reviews from restaurants to boat ramps to bait shops. Unless otherwise stated, all pictures on this site are taken by be and all rights are......
• San Francisco Bay Halibut And Leopard Shark [pic] Captain Perry and the Sea Turtle is back with a picture of his deck hand (Larry Rivera) and an unnamed favorite customer.  The customer is an avid sportsman, knows how to catch fish, and loves to hunt waterfowl.  These fish were caught during the summer live bait drifting the Berkley flats.  — Join......

• Fly Tying Materials & Tools Fly Fishing Fishing
• Fishing Downrigger, Outrigger Gear Fishing
• Jerseys San Francisco Giants Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
• Spinnerbaits Baits & Lures Freshwater Fishing Fishing
• Bifocal Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing Clothing, Shoes & Accessories Fishing