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| General Sherman's Tree at Sequoia National Park. |
Mojave Trails National Monument
Possibly one of the coolest hikes you can take in Southern California is this trek into the cinder cone of an extinct volcano. It’s a long drive from any major city, but your kids will remember the hike forever. Amboy Crater looms on the horizon in the Mojave Desert about an hour southeast of Barstow.
Little Butte Trail
Saddleback Butte State Park
The state park boasts a forest of Joshua trees, that iconic symbol of the Mojave Desert. In fact, the Joshua tree’s range is roughly the same as the Mojave. Though most who hike the park aim for the top of the ubiquitous Saddleback Butte, a day hike with young kids ought to be more restrained.
Sequoia N.P. hikes run past massive trees
Sequoia National Park
Among the best ways to see Sequoia National Park’s major sights is via a day hike. Just four short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – giant sequoias, a marble cave, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, and massive waterfalls.
Horse Tail Fall Firefall
Yosemite National Park
Day hikers can enjoy a spectacular natural firefall in Yosemite Valley a few days each winter – if events conspire to their favor. The second week of February, around 5:30 p.m. local time, the setting sun illuminates the upper reaches of Horse Tail Fall so that the water flows orange and red, as if glowing lava. The waterfall tumbles 1,570 feet down El Capitan’s east face.
Bumpass Hell Trail
Lassen Volcanic National Park
A fantastical world of steaming pools and multi-colored soils await day hikers on the Bumpass Hell Trail at Lassen Volcanic National Park. At 3-miles round trip, Bumpass marks the best day hiking trail at the northern California park.
Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks series.
