Tag Archives: range

Back Roads, Viewpoints

Bald Rock California

decimated
Decimated forest at Bald Rock: Trail Closed 2020-2021
bigbaldrocks
Bald Rock, North Sierra Nevada Mountains

Big Bald Rock

elevation: 3350′

2021: CLOSED due to wildfire damage

Bald Rock Trailhead, Berry Creek, CA
Located above Lake Oroville and near the Middle Fork of the Feather River, this well known trailhead is a 1 mile (short, steep & sweet) climb on top of granite rocks – to a wonderful view over the North Sacramento Valley. Dirt parking lot w/ bathroom in a forested setting.  Can get muddy during winter. Seasonal creek runs along first part of the hiking trail. Locals like to party here at night. Families hike during daylight and sunset hour.  Trailhead sign is well marked on paved Bald Rock Road, about 6 miles from the Oro Quincy Highway.

see more info for this hike

digger pines

Bald Rock Country
Bald Rock Country

 

footed
Footed Rock @ Bald Rock, Berry Creek, CA

The granite dome hike (above) is often confused with a neighboring trail to the south, called Bald Rock Dome, located at the granite gorge of the Middle Feather River. A much longer hike w/ a canyon view, switchbacks, and longer dirt road access…..hiker

Dome Trail Hike

approx. elevation: 3200′

2021: CLOSED due to wildfire damage

Another dome hike in the same area as above, but on the other side of the pavement; gravel parking lot, and trailhead via dirt road; a right turn off Bald Rock Road (when going north). Near the residential forest of Berry Creek, CA

see more details

Plumas National Forest, above Lake Oroville, CA

The official map for Lake Oroville SRA has a granite dome marked as Little Bald Rock @ 3334′ elev. The USDA Plumas National Forest map has both a Little Bald Rock and a Bald Rock Dome (3509′) located on this side of Bald Rock Road.

As you can see listed below, giant granite domes or mountain peaks or river canyons often have the generic name of ‘bald rock’ There are also a heck of a lotta Bald Mountains inside the golden state.

camptruck

also, in the vicinity –

campBald Rock Canyon is downstream from the big waterfall, Feather Falls, on the Middle Fork of the Feather River; This stretch of wilderness waterway is called Feather Falls Scenic Area which includes, Milsap Bar Campground; Maybe be accessible, by 4×4 and steep foot trail – from the opposite side of the river. Off Lumpkin Road, which is off Forbestown Road (@ 162 above Lake Oroville) 2021: CLOSED due to wildfire damage

Bald Rock Peak (elev 7166′) a mountain peak near Chilcoot Campground and Frenchman Lake, N of Hwy 70 in East Plumas National Forest

Bald Mountain (5780′) off the Skyway, next to Stirling City, CA
Fire Lookout CDF, weather cam & antenna site

canoe

Little Grass Valley Reservoir has two Balds

pinetreeOn the north side of the lake is Grass Valley Bald Mountain (5906′ elev) in between Black Rock Creek and the northern shore.

The La Porte Bald Mountain Peak (5906′ elev) is located in dense forest, in Plumas National Forest; In between LGVR and the town of La Porte, CA 4959′

Area accessible via a long and curvy La Porte Road, which closes in winter on the north end (East Quincy). This Plumas County area is popular w/ snowmobiling due to the amount of snow they receive.

snowmo

Bald Mountain Range, due north of Truckee and Stampede Reservoir. Near the CA / NV border. Babbitt Peak @ 8790′ is the tallest peak within this range. Historical Henness Pass Road passes through this area.

fish

Bald Mountain OHV Staging Area, on Rock Creek Trails
inside Eldorado National Forest 

dirtbikes

Bald Mountain Peak @ Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
(2279′ elev) located in between Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley.

M22 Mendocino Forest, eastside
Forest Route #M22 is on Valentine Ridge, east of South Yolla Bolly (elev 8092′) and near Bald Rock Mountain (7762′). Road M-22 is also known as Bald Rock Road.
Mendocino National Forest – Two trailheads up this way are Ides Cove and Horsepacker. M22 wraps around south to Ball Rock @ 6663′ elevation, near Rocky Cabin Campground. Cold Springs Guard Station, Ball Mountain 6557′ and Whitlock Campground are on this route. Much this region has been burnt in recent wildfires of 2020 #ElkhornFire

driftwood

similarly named – BALD

Mount Baldy, Ranch Cucamonga Wilderness
San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles, CA

Popular, local snow ski destination for “the southland”; south of Pasadena, near Rancho Cucamonga, in the San Gabriel Mountains.’

snowski

Bald Mountain Road, also known as Inyo Forest Road #01S05, near Indiana Summit and the Mono Craters. East of the Eastern Sierra & US 395; south of Mono Lake, California.

Bald Mountain Road, near Bummerville, California.
Gold Country Sierra Forests, East of Hwy 49 @ Jackson, CA

Bald Mountain Road, rural ranches & residential;
and Bald Mountain Nursery in Browns Valley, near Marysville, CA

 

Bald Hills Rd
Bald Hills Road, Redwoods NP

Bald Hills Road, Northern California

Well- traveled, graded dirt road connecting the Redwood National Park to the Klamath River @ Hwy 96. Primitive camping, but check on fire restrictions. Must have camp fire permit.  Active logging roads on National Forest land, so weekdays could be busy: watch for equipment and big trucks.

pinetree

Kennedy Meadows from Bald
Kennedy Meadows from Bald Mountain Fire Lookout

Bald Mountain @ Shermans Pass
Kern Plateau; 4×4 access to reach Fire Lookout Tower
Sherman’s Pass Road# 22S05, near Dome Land Wilderness
Sequoia National Forest

NFSlogo

Bald Mountain 4×4 Trail
Western Sierra NF, overlooking Shaver Lake, CA

bald mtn
Jeepers on granite @ Bald Mtn, above Shaver Lake, CA

4x4

Backpacking, Equestrian, Hiking, Rock Climbing, Trailheads, Wilderness

California Topo Maps

topo linesCalifornia Terrain

Topographical maps feature the terrain of a wilderness or hiking area, through colored shading & thin contour lines to represent elevations. Park boundaries, trail routes, trail heads & campgrounds are noted, as well as major landmarks like lakes, rivers, creeks, meadows, peaks, canyons, hot springs, waterfalls & all roads (dirt or paved).

Backpackers & hikers must rely on such maps for planning & trekking their journey. Hard copy, printed, waterproof maps are top choice, but topo maps now come in digital format for download as well. DanaMite has recently started including these digital map links within the Total Escape Map Shop – totalescape.net/shop/

Here in California we are lucky to have so much public land available to us for enjoyment. Numerous map vendors make maps for nearly all of the regions across California.

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QUADS: 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps, available from the USGS, can be found online w/ Avenza Maps (often for free) and also, direct from the government site https://www.usgs.gov/products/maps/topo-maps

A while back, the NFS offered handy books of these sought-after topo maps. They were compiled into booklet form called an ATLAS, with sturdy covers & a spiral bound. Overall size is close to 9″x12″ & they are much easier to handle than the individual paper maps. Look for Forest Topo Atlases

List of topo maps available for California:

wilderness maps CA kings canyon
conradkid
Hiking the High Sierra @ 12,000 feet above sea level
California Lodge, Groves, Sightseeing

Sequoia Cabins

Sierra Cabins near Sequoia Groves

Sequoia trees naturally grow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, on the west side of the range. Several parks & forests make up what is known as “the Sequoias” – in the Southern Sierra, Sequoia National Forest; Giant Sequoia National Monument; Mountain Home State Forest; Central Sierra is home to Sequoia National Park & neighboring Kings Canyon NP; Sierra National Forest & Yosemite NP. Yep, all those areas have Sequoia groves!

See all the Sequoia & Redwood Groves in California!

California Cabin Rentals near to Sequoia groves –

Sequoia cabin rentals

TOPO MAPS of California Redwoods –

  • Sequoia Maps by NatGeo
  • Yosemite NP Maps
  • NorCal Redwoods Map

    • If you are searching for tallest species, the Coastal Redwoods located on the shores of Northern California, then you can find them over here – NorCal Redwoods

    4x4 Camps OHV, 4x4 Routes, Back Roads, Backpacking, California Deserts, Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Off Road, Off-Road Trail, Picnic Areas, Trailheads, Viewpoints, Washes

    Horse Canyon

    Horse Canyon Mojave

    Horse Canyon California

    Southern Sierra / Mojave Road SC 65

    Mojave Desert meets the Sierra Nevada Mountains
    North Highway 14

    North of Mojave, CA
    North of Red Rock State Park
    North of Jawbone Canyon

    South of south of US Hwy 395, south of jct Hwy 178

    backroads BLM camping desert roads hiking PCT mountain bike jeep roads primitive camp

    elevation: 3000′-7000′

    Horse Canyon is a dirt road up a high desert canyon, with joshua trees and wash outs. 7000′ elevation pinyon pine ridges above w/ PCT.

    Most would say the see a whole-lotta-nothingness out here in these deserts…. when they zoom by at 70 mph on the blacktop highway.

    at Total Escape, we beg to differ.

    Solo Driver SUV

    Intersection on Hwy 14 @ SC 65, dirt route will travel west into the mountains. Initial desert road follows Little Dixie Wash, but veers north up to Horse Canyon and the higher forested ridges.

    Horse Cyn is a scenic, desert, dirt road that becomes a rugged 4×4 trail the higher it climbs in the canyon. The route traverses a ridge line and dead ends at the old cabin; No through route, no loop. The PCT continues on to the Walker Pass @ the 178.

    The lower Horse Canyon is area quite accessible by standard truck or SUV. High clearance is recommended out on these kinda roads. Vegetation is quite sparse at first, but improves with the miles traveled. Wildflowers can be awesome, usually April-June. Picnic spots everywhere; primitive camping sites can be found out here, off the main dirt road. Please reuse existing camp sites when possible.

    wheelin pals

    Passenger cars may attempt this, but should watch for unexpected deep dips and rocks, washed out in the road. (No tow service in the middle of nowhere). Road conditions do change with the seasons out in the boonies. Cell phone reception could be spotty back in the deepest of canyons.

    PCT
    PCT trail access: Pacific Crest Trail follows this ridge road for miles. They call this range the SCODIE Mountains; Old cabin at the end of the road.

    cabin mcivers

    Sage Canyon and Cow Heaven Canyon are both to the north, along with Freeman Canyon (CA SR 178). Bird Spring and Dove Spring Canyons are both to the south, along with the most popular regions of Red Rock State Park and the Jawbone OHV area.

    nearby towns:

    INYOKERN, CA
    LAKE ISABELLA, CA
    MOJAVE, CA
    RANDSBURG, CA
    RIDGECREST, CA

    joshuacanyons

    Campsites, Lakes & Reservoirs

    Campground Lakes

    RV California / Campground Lakes / Camping Lake

    RV lake Camping

    Wanna vacation near a lake this season? So does everyone else in California.

    “Mountains” & “lakes” are the top camping destinations sought by most web surfers. Be prepared to search for your ultimate lake side camp. Summertime is prime time at all water sources, so make your reservations, or better yet – find a secluded lake all to yourself. (4×4 may be required).

    boating marina camping RV Camp boating

    Lakes area recreation & camping sites in California

    granite domes


    Sierra Nevada Lakes

    Wilderness

    Sespe Wilderness

    Sespe Wilderness & Hiking Trails

    Los Padres National Forest
    Campgrounds & Trailheads

    Sespe Wilderness is located in the mountains W of Interstate 5, North of Los Angeles. The chaparral region lies in between Lockwood Valley and the Santa Clara River Valley (Hwy 126). Higher elevation Mount Pinos lies to north side of Sespe and Ojai Valley to the south. The infamous 4×4 Miller Jeep Trail is located on the north side near Alamo Mountain, which is also accessible via Hungry Valley.

    The 2006 Day Fire burnt a good portion of the Sespe Wilderness, so you can expect to see some black and toasted areas. Sespe Creek is also referred to as Sespe River. and certain waterways may dry up during drier months. Piru Creek, Alder Creek, Aqua Blanca Creek, Tarr Creek, Mutau Creek, Snowy Creek are several worthy of note. Expect heat and high temperature in the summer & fall month, and possible campfire restrictions during extreme wildfire season.

    219,700 acres
    6 areas of hiking trails

    Los Padres National Forest
    Lockwood Ranger Station
    661-245-3731

    Sespe Trail Map
    Sespe Trails, Tom Harrison Topographic Map

    Sespe hiking trailheads located at –

    Highway 126 – Fillmore, CA
    Sespe Condor Sanctuary – Dough Flat Trailhead

    Highway 150 – Ojai, CA
    Sisar Canyon Day Hike / Road #4N15

    Highway 33 – Ojai, CA
    Rose Valley Road #6N31, Rose Valley Falls, Day Hike
    Piedras Blanca Trailhead for the National Recreation Trail
    Pine Mountain Rd # – Reyes Peak Trailhead

    Lockwood Valley Road – Frazier Park, CA
    Reyes Creek, Camp Shiedeck – Pine Mountain Trailhead
    Half Moon Mutau Flat Trailhead, Sespe Hot Springs

    Interstate 5 Tejon Pass @ Hungry Valley
    Hard Luck Trailhead

     

    rd7N03

    Los Padres Campgrounds near Sespe Wilderness

    • Frazier Park Camping
    • Ojai Campgrounds
    • Twin Pines Campground, Road # 18N01
      Alamo Mountain via Hungry Valley OHV
    • Lockwood Creek Campground
    • Half Moon Campground, Lockwood #7N03
    • Thorn Meadows Campground, Lockwood #7N03
    • Dome Springs Campground, Lockwood #8N40
    • Reyes Creek Campground, Lockwood Valley Rd
    • Pine Mountain Road @ Reyes Peak (dispersed)
    • Nettle Springs Campground, Cuyama Hwy 33
    • Ozena Campground (closed)letswalk
    • Tinta Campground, Hwy 33
    • Rancho Nuevo Camp, Hwy 33
    • Rose Valley Campground, Hwy 33
    • Wheeler Gorge Campground, Hwy 33

     

    nearby parks & lakes –

    nearby towns –

    Backpackers at Sespe Hot Springs