The road to the Butler Peak Fire Lookout (north of Big Bear Lake) reopened to the public in July 2016 after being closed for 9 years. Sitting at 8,535 feet atop a tangle of rocks, the lookout offers a commanding 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. Fire Lookout Host volunteers James and Mark gave us a great overview of its history and function. Check with the Big Bear Discovery Center to make sure it’s open before you go.
Links: Fire Lookout Host Program
About 18 miles from the start of Titus Canyon Road in Death Valley National Park you will find the Klare Spring petroglyph area. Although there has been some vandalism, several original images still persist.
Links: NPS previous related post
A couple of weeks ago we hiked Annie’s Canyon Trail and passed by this beautiful osprey hanging out in a dead tree (which my SE Lagoon Conservancy volunteer friend told me was called a “snag”). Interestingly, other names for osprey include fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk.
Hole in the Wall is a small gap in a natural wall of rock some four hundred feet high. It is located 3.7 miles up a sandy wash/road that takes off of Highway 190 close to Zabriskie Point and Twenty Mule Team Canyon.
The Converse Basin Grove in Sequoia National Forest was extensively logged in the late 1800’s and many of the stumps are still intact. The oldest sequoia stump in this area is just over 3,200 years old!
Links: Sequoia National Forest
Twenty Mule Team Canyon is an unpaved 2.7 mile, one-way loop drive in Death Valley National Park located off Highway 190 just east of Furnace Creek. This badlands area is quite spectacular in color and texture.
Links: NPS previous related post
This pic looks back down the roadway leading up to the top of Palomar Mountain. Camping is available at Doane Valley and Cedar Grove campgrounds in Palomar Mountain State Park and at the Palomar Observatory campground. Some of the great hiking trails on the mountain boast views of the Pacific Ocean.
The Salton Sea was formed between 1905 and 1907 when the Colorado River broke through irrigation system diversion canals in Imperial County. It currently hosts over 400 bird species each year and serves as a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway. The lake surface is 234 feet below sea level and its deepest point is only 5 feet higher than the lowest point in Death Valley. It sits directly on the San Andreas Fault.
The Inn at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park was built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company of Twenty Mule Team fame and opened in 1927. It remains a luxurious oasis in the middle of an inhospitable desert. Included on the grounds is a large palm grove that invites one to stroll its paths and enjoy the shade!
Set at 4,400 feet of elevation, Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park offers 124 campsites with outstanding views!
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