Tag Archives: State Parks

Ghost Towns in California

The Old West
Historic Ghost Towns & Mining Camps
California & Nevada

Historic cities and towns are commonplace inside California, but very few towns are totally abandoned. By definition ‘ghost towns’ are population locations that have previously thrived (usually in mining), but they ultimately have been deserted.  Sometimes a few residents will stick around for the seclusion, but the place often appears empty. Finding an open business is a rarity.

generalstore
inside the old general store

North Bloomfield allows visitors inside the buildings to check out the furnishings, decor, fixtures and the interiors. As part of a ranger guided daily tour, you can explore these historic structures up close and personal.

ghost towns

towns in business

California mining ruins

almost abandoned

shackleaning

findingfall
Malakoff Diggins State Park

deserted mines & ghost towns

creosote

Garlock, California
(most of the buildings torn down by Knott’s Berry Farm, for decor at their amusement park)

Kongsberg, Hwy 4
(old mining camp, east of Ebbetts Pass)

Panamint City, CA
(old mining camp, above Panamint Valley)

Montgomery City, Hwy 6
(old mining site, 4×4 required. N of Bishop, CA)

Skidoo, Death Valley NP
(old mining ruins, near Wildrose Canyon)

Tucki Mine, Death Valley NP
(old mining camp, near Wildrose Canyon)

California ghost town

field deserts
North Mojave Desert
greenshack
Randsburg, California; circa 1999
skidoo
skidoo mine, DVNP

Gold Country California

califrepublic

old forts, train towns & railways

Carrizo Gorge Goat Trestle
Anza Borrego Desert, CA

Colfax Train Yards
Colfax, CA

Donner Pass, Sierra Nevada
Donner Lake
Truckee, CA

Fort Churchill State Park
Nevada

Laws Railroad Museum
Bishop, CA

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
Campo, CA

Railtown 1897 State Park
Jamestown, CA

Sierra Nevada Train Town
Portola, CA

Southern California Railway Museum
Perris, CA

train

woodsiding

Avoid the Crowds

How to Avoid Tourist Crowds when Traveling California

We are sure you’ll agree: Too much of life is spent sitting in traffic jams and waiting in line. Check out the traffic page. This page is created as a warning – CALIFORNIA IS CROWDED.

bus loads

“Hell is other people.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

Bus loads of senior citizens travel in luxury motor-coaches to casinos; Airport shuttles bring sightseers to local attractions on full day excursions; Mountain bikers head to the trailheads by way of a personal automobile, a sport utility or pickup truck; 4x4s caravan to their meeting spot, in route to the trail destination. People on their daily commute to and from work, school, play. California has loads of traffic, tourism and terrain, with a massive freeway system, plus some awesome state highways. Popular destinations tend to get crowded at certain times of the year.

California Road Trips & Peak Travel Seasons

California population may be ever growing, but they’re not building any more Yosemite Parks. The migratory path westward started w/ the historic gold rush – the trend has literally lasted over 200 years!

Make sure you plan your trip & book your lodging or campgrounds well in advance. In this west coast world of tourism, 3-6 months is not unheard of. The more popular the locale, the more people want that perfect weather month and the further in advance you should reserve. Remember a good portion of these mountains destinations are closed half the year for winter snow.

There’s nothing worse than planning a trip, only to fight traffic on your way outta town, stand in long lines & see way too many tourists running about. Enjoying nature shouldn’t have to include thousands of other people. Try these helpful tips for avoiding the crowds. Get more solitude & relaxation out of your vacation. Check our Fairs, Festivals, & Events list to know when certain towns & areas will be busiest.

california maps

With California population near 40 million people it’s a wonder we don’t kill each other faster. Slow down on the freeways and enjoy the back roads with Total Escape. Statistics show: One outta 8 Americans lives in California!

This staggering large population is ever growing and expanding. College students, retirees, world-travelers and young families flock here, bring relatives and friends to migrate west… ever since the gold mining boom of 1849.

Still we are cranking out babies and building more communities in California. Add a huge tourism industry that brings in millions of outta state folks for conventions & outdoor vacations.
4x4 roads

Although Cali is a huge regional paradise to explore, it is amazing that locals can find any secret refuge for weekends or week-long fishing trips. With vast deserts, mountains and countryside, half the golden state land could be easily considered public land, park, wildlife refuge or neighborhood open space preserve. Total Escape has this back roads thing covered. Getting you out in the boonies to relax, in nature, is exactly what this site is for.

more nature, less people

desert campgroundTry out new areas! If you’ve never heard of it, chances are most people haven’t either. Go ahead, explore a little. California is a really big state.

California’s Busy Season

Summer is definitely the tourist season in California. All the out-of-staters coming in to see the amazing Golden State: the recreation & the sights it has to offer. Summertime is the busiest time to visit the well-known areas such as:

National Parks
State Parks & Beaches
National Forests
Coastal Towns
Mountain Regions
Lakes in California

Best time to plan trips to avoid summer crowds is –

Before Memorial Day (last weekend in May)
After Labor Day (first weekend in Sept.)

Plan your trip to overnight in the National Forest lands adjacent to a National Park . You can still enjoy nature and scenic attractions without having to sleep with the masses in the expensive campgrounds, which take camping reservations a year in advance.

Plenty of secluded primitive camping & small campgrounds are available in the NFS. California State Parks are very abundant too, often less crowded during the week days and non holiday weekends.

Winter can be the busiest time to visit these areas:

snowdesert towns (with spa resorts)
mountain resorts (with skiing)

Off Seasons

Catalina Island
Off Season = November and April

Grand Canyon
Off season = November and April

North Rim Grand Cyn
Closes for winter. October – April

South Rim Grand Cyn
Open all year. Off season = November and March

Sierra Nevada Mountains
Off season = November – March

Sequoia NP – Open all year long
Kings Canyon NP – Open all year long

West side Sierra foothills
Hwy 168 – Shaver Lake
Hwy 108 – Sonora Pass
Hwy 4 – Ebbets Pass
Off season = November – March

Gold Country – Hwy 49
Off season = January – March

Eastern Sierra
US Hwy 395 – Mammoth
Off season = November – April

best time yosemite

Yosemite NP
Yosemite Valley – Open all year long. Parking limited.
Off season = November and March

Christmas in Yosemite Valley via Amtrak train is spectacular way to see the park in its full winter wonderland bliss.

High-country / Tuolumne Meadows
Hwy 120 – Tioga Pass
Closes in the winter months: November – May

traffictown

book a lodge

Better Book It – Below is a list of some super popular California destinations that have pretty limited accommodations. Tight quarters, limited capacity. Total Escape recommends you book early if you wanna spot at one of these prime places, especially in summer or winter months.

Big Bear Lake
Big Sur Coast
Cambria
Carmel
Catalina Island
Gold Country
Joshua Tree
Kings Canyon NP
La Jolla, San Diego
Lake Tahoe
Mammoth Lakes
Monterey
Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais
Palm Springs
Point Reyes
San Francisco
Sequoia NP
Yosemite Valley

rivercamps
Mokelumne River, Central Sierra

 

We all have things that annoy us. Campers Beware

Outdoor Organizations

free labor? why bother

trashpickup
Litter clean up, just for the fun of it. (Photo by Aaron Linsdau)

Volunteering, it feels good.

While you may think of us Escapers, as off-roading tree huggers or health-nut hippies, we go well beyond that. As travelers we are as diverse as the California terrain. We have one thing in common, we all love the earth. That’s why we’re here! Give back a part – of yourself – to helping keep these forest, parks & trails open, healthy & protected.

Volunteer firefighter, CPR class, trail maintenance, or just helping out at the local Grange.

Looking to find a place to volunteer outdoors?
Below is a list of outdoor related organizations, most local to California.

preservation

leavenotrace
Leave No Trace
lnt.org

California Wilderness Coalition
calwild.org

San Gorgonio Wilderness Association
sgwa.org

playgroundNFS

parks & forest programs

California State Park Volunteers
parks.ca.gov

High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
trailcrew.org

National Forests Volunteering
fs.fed.us/working-with-us/volunteers

National Forest Foundation
nationalforests.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities

NPS

National Parks Volunteer
nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm

Calif regional forests volunteering:NFS

Angeles Forest Volunteers
angelesvolunteers.org/av/

Angeles National Forest Volunteering
fs.usda.gov/main/angeles/workingtogether/volunteering

Eldorado Forest Volunteers
fs.usda.gov/main/eldorado/workingtogether/volunteering

Los Padres National Forest Volunteers
lpforest.org

Sequoia Forest Volunteers
fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/volunteering/

Sierra National Forest Volunteers
fs.usda.gov/main/sierra/workingtogether/volunteering

Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers
swv1.org

off road trails & land use

 

tread lightly
Tread Lightly
treadlightly.org

Americans for Responsible Recreational Access
arra-access.com

California Trail Users Coalition
ctuc.info/ctuc

BlueRibbon Coalition – Share Trails
sharetrails.org

California Off Road vehicle Association
corva.org

San Diego Off-Road Coalition
sdorc.org

for local trail crews, see also – California 4×4 Clubs

gearedup4work

humanitarian & volunteers

Comunidad – Baja Mexico
bajacomunidad.org

Flying Samaritans – Baja MX
flyingsamaritans.net

Habitat for Humanity
habitat.org

Volunteer Match
volunteermatch.org