The Best of Eastern Oregon

The Best of Eastern Oregon

Bend, Oregon, is a van life hotspot.  With ample National Forest camping, just a few minutes’ drive from an adventure-driven town.  It’s easy to get sucked into the Bend, Oregon, vanlife vortex.  This is a great place to begin your Eastern Oregon road trip adventure.  There’s plenty to do in the Bend area and we have covered that in other blogs that you can see here.  Bend is also a great place to stock up on supplies and take care of all your errands before you embark on a journey that few van lifers have taken.  

This Road trip will take you through obscure Eastern Oregon terrain, from geothermal calderas, hot springs, giant holes in the earth, and ancient dry lake beds. This is a road trip off the beaten path that you will not want to miss.  

Newberry Volcano - Hot Springs and Camping

The Newberry Volcano is basically a mini Crater Lake with a fraction of the tourists.  You’ll find plenty to do at this National Volcanic Monument.  While we were here, we hiked along the north shore of Paulina Lake to Paulina Lake Hot Springs.  These were some pretty sweet primitive hot springs on the shore of the lake.  We were planning on paddling our SUP out to the hot springs, but the water was too rough for paddling. But, taking a watercraft to the springs is always an option.  We only spent the day here, but if you wanted to there is a very nice campsite on the Eastern shore of Paulina Lake.  Also, the Monument has plenty of hiking; you can also drive up to the top of Paulina Peak for an amazing view of the crater.  

La Pine - Hole In the Ground/Free Camping

Drive South on the 97 through La Pine, Oregon, and make a right turn onto HWY 31 and head east.  You are now entering The Lonely Oregon Outback.  There’s not much to see out here but there’s plenty of solitude.  Drive a few miles down HWY 31 to the Hole in the Gound, while it’s just honestly a massive hole in the earth caused by a volcanic explosion.  The road in is rough but it’s not terrible and we’ve seen tons of vehicles make it up here.  This is also the location of Descend on Bend, a large van gathering.  We love this National Forest campsite and since we’ve been here a few times, we can tell you this is the best place for camping around the rim (43.403982, -121.200021).  We really enjoy the peace and quiet out here in the Oregon Outback and the night sky is just amazing since there is no light pollution around. 

Heart Mountain Antelope Refuge - Hot Springs/Free Camping

When you are on the road and you get advice from the older retiree folks, well you better take it! Because they know what’s up.  We had a hot tip at our Bend campsite from our good friend @yoterryh to check out Heart Mountain and we are so glad we jumped on this adventure.  The drive up to Heart Mountain is stunning and a majority of this journey is on gravel and dirt roads. You better fuel up in Paisley because you are about to get very remote and there are no services past Plush, OR. The Heart Mountain Camp Ground is way out there and I’m going to leave it up to the adventurous van lifer that you are to find this place yourself.  I’ll let you know that there is a pretty nice free campsite with drop toilets and fire rings and an awesome hot springs with a rock shelter and also a primitive hot spring out in the field.  We really had an amazing time getting here it was such a beautiful drive and we saw plenty of antelope. We will also note, it snowed on us in June.  This is a very special place and is rarely visited by others.  

Alvord Desert - Dry Lake Bed/ Free Camping

Our last stop on our obscure Eastern Oregon adventure was also recommended by @yoterryh and others, The Alvord Desert.  Getting here from Heart Mountain requires quite a bit of gravel and dirt road driving. So, we recommend lowering your tire pressure, once you hit the gravel on the way to Heart Mountain because you will drive a few hours on gravel from here on out.  The Alvord desert is a massive dry lake bed that is situated under the Steens Mountains, which makes it even more of a unique landscape.  When we visited the mountains were still snow-capped,  it was interesting seeing the snow-capped mountains while you were down on the desert floor.  It’s really a magical place.  We drove far enough away from anyone and enjoyed a very secluded campsite out on the desert.  Make sure you stake everything down because when the winds pick up they can really take your campsite with them.  We also recommend bikes to cruise around the “playa” and imagine you are at Burning Man.  The silence was amazing and the night skies were some of the best we’ve seen in America.  We highly recommend making the journey to the Alford Desert to experience true solitude.  

From the Alford Desert, we headed up to Boise, Idaho, to supply up and continue the journey.  From here, we will note there is still quite a bit of gravel and dirt roads to go. So, you’ll want to air down those tires for a smoother ride, we recommend keeping them lower.  There are plenty of stations once you hit the pavement to fill up the tire pressure.  

Oregon and California Coast Road Trip - Two Week Itinerary with Free Campsites!

We embarked on this coastal journey with little or no research so we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  We’ve been doing this vanlife gig for quite a while and somehow have never explored the stretch of coast from Seaside, Oregon, to San Fransisco, California.  We knew a few things before we embarked. One, being that we don't pay for overpriced state park campsites and two, that September/October usually delivers lots of seldom seen sunshine on this stretch of what some call the Rain Coast.  If you are lucky enough to come across this post, you will not only learn where to camp for free all along this stretch but also, some hidden gems along the way.  The journey began in the hipster capital of the world Portland, Oregon where we’re stocked up on organic veggies and grass fed meats.  Once we overloaded the trucker fridge, we filled up with the last of the cheap diesel and hit the road. 

We like to make it easy for you. So, here is a nice itinerary for those of you who like to plan their trips. We broke it into day spots and camping spots.  The coordinates below are for the sleeping areas only. They are  where we parked overnight.  

Also check out the shorter version of this article here : 15 Free Campsites along the Oregon and Cali Coast

Short Sands Beach and Oswald West State Park (45.744721,-123.960908)

The first day brought us to one of our favorite gems on the north coast Short Sands Beach aka Smugglers Cove.  This was a go to surf spot for us back in our Seattle days, and if you surf you could find yourself sliding across a green wedge where the pine trees meet the sand.  This is also a great beach for a picnic or a day of exploring and relaxing.  There are plenty of easy trails all throughout Oswald West S.P. and it is a great place to either begin or end your coastal journey.  Once you have had your fair share of sun, sand, wind and rain, which can all happen in one day around here, head to the Neahkahnie Viewpoint for your first night right off the highway. Also, get used to these highway stop-over camping spots in Oregon, unless you want to fork over $35 to the State Parks.  There are no toilets here but have no fear there are plenty of options for your #2’s in Manzanita just a few minutes down the hill.  

Pacific City/Brain Booth State Park (44.520991,-124.069295)

Once you begin your journey south from here there are heaps of options on our two favorite camping apps iOverlander and WikiCamps.  We recommend heading along the coast and cruise through the surf town of Pacific City.  If the tide is working in your favor you can park your rig right on the beach and enjoy lunch on the sand and explore the Cape Kiawanda Headlands.   If the swell is looking good have a surf or head to the Pelican Brewery and have a craft brew on the deck.  From here you have plenty of options as you head south there are plenty of roadside vista points and cozy beach towns.  We decided to head down a bit to Brian Booth State Park.  Although this is a day use area you will have to use your best judgement on whether or not you wish to stay here.  We camped on the east side of the park near the river access and had no trouble there are pit toilets here as well so that makes life easy in the morning.  

Cruising the 101’s vista points / Whiskey Run Bike Trails (43.218854,-124.342054)

Waking up earlier is always a good idea when you are poaching the day use areas.  We got on the road and headed down the 101 stoping at as many scenic overlooks as possible.  Our first stop was Seal Rock.  We spotted people collecting mussels so we grabbed a bag a knife and walked down to the tide pools.  We grabbed around 20 mussels and headed down to the next day use area cooked them and headed on our way.  There’s some fun stop overs along the way and a few day use spots where you could easily stealth camp.  We were there in the low season and a lot of these areas seemed too remote and not very busy and seemed to have lower ranger activity so we felt they could be prime for a night.  We checked out the sand dunes, and a few other beach areas.  If you are into organic produce there is a Natural Grocers in Coos Bay and the fridge was restocked.  We headed to the Whiskey Run Bike Trails up in the hills and per Oregon standards there was a no overnight parking sign but as usual we ignored it and stayed the night here.  We rode the trails in the morning and had a blast if you have a mountain bike and want to ride some nice professional built flowy trails this is right off the 101 and  you will be stoked you stoped.  

Bandon Beach / Bandon Beach Streets (43.110550,-124.432711)

Just down the road is the majestic shores of Bandon Beach.  Upon arrival you may think you have arrived to a beach on a far away land.  the sun was shinning the weather was sweet so we decided to slow down the pace and explore the beach.  We recommend taking a cruise along this beach and check out all the caves and rock formations.  There is not a restroom at the main Bandon Beach parking area but just a bit down the way at Face Rock State Park there is a Restroom and a nice picnic table and beach access as well.  We noticed while in Bandon that most of the homes are vacation rentals.  So we thought no one would know that we are camping on their street.  Since it seemed to be low season we just stealth parked the rig above the beach on a parking space with quite the overlook.  In the morning we headed to Face Rock State Park to use the clean and nice bathrooms and headed out of town.  

Samual H. Boardman / Indian Sands Trail (42.157399,-124.361562)

The Samual H. Boardman State Park is an incredible state park and a the most photographed area on the coast.  We explored the area the whole day two short hikes that are wort checking out are Secret Beach and Indian Sands.  We ended up staying in the Indian Sands Day Use parking lot and once again had zero issues.  

Brookings / Smith River Camping (42.157399,-124.361562)

We headed into Brookings after seeing there was a farmers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Unfortunately this market was nothing to write home about so we headed to town to the local Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer.  We recommend gassing up at the Indian Casino south of Brookings before you get raped by the California gas prices.   We went to the Oregon welcome center and the nice folks recommended checking out the Smith River.  We found a nice spot via iOverlander right on the Smith River with access to a nice swimming hole.  We made a fire met a Basque traveler @laidagoe who joined us for some kooky adventures.  

Stout Grove / Lost Rocks (42.157399,-124.361562)

If you venture into the Smith River area we highly recommend checking out Stour Grove in  Jedidiah Smith State Park.  We drove the long way into Crescent City on the 8 mile dirt road and it was well worth it.  From Crescent City we continued on down the wooded coast to Lost Rocks where we would spend the next 2 nights.  There are picnic tables and fire pits on the beach and we really enjoyed our stay.  We also went climbing in the Promontory just about 1/4 mile up the beach.  It was an amazing setting for a climb and to be able to wrap it up with a day on the beach was magical.  We gained another traveler this night and headed south after two relaxing nights at the beach.  

Moonstone Beach (42.157399,-124.361562)

We heard about Moonstone Beach from our friends who live in Arcata so we went to see what the hype was all about.  Upon arrival we were pretty stoked with the scenery of the beach with the Little River meeting the surging tide.  It was a great place for a swim as well as top rope climbing.  We ended up staying here two nights as well right in the parking lot.  Although people told us that we cant camp there we did and had no issues.  Just clean up your mess and be a good neighbor,  

Avenue of the Giants / Big Tree Grove (40.350409,-123.991959)

We headed into Mckenlyville as soon as one of our new favorite grocery stores opened Eureka Natural Foods we piled the cart full of the freshest greens and produce we’ve seen in a while and plenty of Organ Meats to keep the mitochondria thriving.  From here we headed to the Avenue of the Giants and on to the Big Tree Grove where we would stay for the night.  Here in this grove is where you will find the tallest trees in the world.  The redwoods are powerful and we soaked up as much of there energy as we could store and headed on our way. 

Garberville Farmers Market / Roadside pull over HWY 1 (39.694736,-123.798595)

After a morning of mindfulness and good conversations we headed down the 101 to only accidentally stumble upon a farmers market this was the Gaberville market we bought some clams and some more greens and headed to HWY 1.  Once we made it to HWY 1 we were ready to prepare some food so we pulled over on one of the first pullovers we saw that was empty and we cooked some dinner (chicken hearts) and passed out.  We woke up to beautiful sunny weather the next day and tried not to launch our van off the road as we cruised the rig south.  

Glass Beach / Point Arena Lighthouse (38.943371,-123.732553)

We spot our good buddy Niel’s van and pulled over and started a new caravan soon Van Jesus was there as well and the band was back together!  We cruised down to Glass Beach where we hoarded as much of the pebbly sea glass that we could fit in our vans.  In the parking lot we checked iOverlander and found a nice spot down the road.  We stoped at some pull offs before arriving at Point Arena Lighthouse.  Here we would stay 3 nights and enjoy the iconic view of a historic lighthouse erecting out of plateau where the land meets the sea.  There is plenty of opportunities for whale watching here and if you look off the rocks the seals will be living the good life laying out absorbing some vitamin D.  

Sonoma Coast Road Side Pull Off (38.489223,-123.189684)

From here south it’s going to get tricky on finding free campsites.  The camping here is harder to find and is more likely to be roadside pullouts but there are some nice ones.  Just North of Jenner we found an amazing hill side pull out where we spent a afternoon and night watching the wales migrate while the sunset did it’s thinning the Next day we headed down to Goat Rock Beach, 

Goat Rock Beach / Jenner Roadside Camping (38.452503,-123.128298)

After a peaceful and amazing night overlooking the ocean high up on the bluffs we headed down to the small town of Jenner about 5 miles.  We spent the day at the Goat Rock Beach Parking lot enjoying the sunshine and amenities at the beach.  We did some yoga and then headed up to the upper parking lot for the night.  Here we were asked to leave by the police around 8pm and we found a last second campsite just right outside of the town of Jenner on the side of the road.  Not an ideal spot but we had no issues here.  

Goat Rock Climbing / Palomarin Trailhead (37.930389,-122.742040)

We were able to find some fun and mellow rock climbing and bouldering at Goat Rock State Beach.  While all these climbs are short we had a good time enjoying the views and sunshine wile we climbed around the small rocks here at the Park.  Once we were done climbing we made the treck one of our longest rides of the trip down to the small quant beach town of Bolinas.  Here you will find one of the most amazing organic farm stands on the coast.  The Bolinas Farm Stand is an honor system produce stand with all the produce you could imagine.  We stocked up on all kinds of organic treats and headed to the Palomarin Trailhead.  This is not by any means a free campsite and you have to be a seasoned van lifer to pull this one off without getting in trouble with the authorities.  Park Rangers came by about 3 times per day but no one patrolled the area at night.  Just don't let them catch you in the morning they will give you a ticket.  We just did the vanlife shuffle moving the van form one lot to the other to trick the park rangers.  There are many trails here to enjoy.  We enjoyed our bounty of organic food and stayed two nights here practicing Yoga and meditation while we enjoyed the silence that the Palomarin Nature had to offer us.  

Stinson Beach / Roadside Pull off Hwy 1 Near Muir Beach (37.870438,-122.590238)

After two peaceful days at Palomarin we headed down to Stinson Beach for the day. Then that night we just found another road side pull over just a few minutes from Muir Beach which would be out destination the next day. 

Muir Beach / Sausalito Parking Lot #3 (37.857649,-122.480807)

We woke up early and got to Muir Beach very early right after sunrise.  This was a good thing because the parking lot packed out at about 9am.  We got a premier spot right at the front of the beach.  We enjoy the whole day we cooked gourmet food left over from the Bolinas Farm Stand and enjoyed an amazing sunset.  From here we moved on to meet our good friend Phil aka @Sprinter_on_the_move.  He showed us a promising spot to camp for the night.  Not the most legal but we got away with it for the night.  From here we headed back up to Auburn to the shop to finish our Sprinter Van project.  

This was an amazing trip and the weather was great for us we only had 2 days of rainy weather and the rest of the trip was full of sunshine and tranquility.  This is just an outline of our itinerary all in all I think it was an over three week trip and we linked up with multiple different vanlife friends along the way.  It was a an amazing experience that we were glad to finally check off the bucket list.  We hope this helps make your coastal trip easier as we found it very difficult to fins free campsites along this stretch.  To keep places like these free and un paroled please clean up your mess and be a good neighbor.  

The one bit of advice we can give you in most of these “campsites” since they are all day use only is to get up early and act as if you arrived in the morning then the authorities can’t really do anything unless they catch you in the act of sleeping at night.  We only had the one issue at Goat Rock which we expected but we were feeling brave that night.  

Happy Travels!

15 Free Campsites Along the Oregon and California Coast

15 Free Campsites along the Oregon and California Coast. 

Before we dive into all the campsites along the way I need to forewarn you that these sites are a mixture between pull offs on the side of the road and “Day Use Areas”.  Most of the spots may be geared towards the more savvy budget road tippper or the seasoned vanlife nomad.  These spots are car/van camping specific spots.  We hope this guide is helpful in finding a few spots along the cost where a free spot can be difficult to find. We will also note here the we found California much more accommodating to find places to sleep.

Also we have a longer write up and full itinerary available here! 

Oregon HighwaY 101 

#1. Oswald West State Park (45.744721,-123.960908) 

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

This spot is actually a viewing area/rest stop.  Take advantage of your first of many multi million dollar views from your van.  Head on over to the Neahkahnie Viewpoint for your first night, right off highway 101. Also, get used to these highway stop-over camping spots in Oregon, unless you want to fork over $35 to the State Parks.  There are no toilets here but have no fear there are plenty of options for your #2’s in Manzanita has plenty of services and restrooms just a few minutes down the hill.  

#2.  Brain Booth State Park (44.520991,-124.069295)

Drop Toilet / Day Use Area / Car Camping

Although this is a day use area you will have to use your best judgement on whether or not you wish to stay here.  We camped on the east side of the park near the river access highway 101 and we had no trouble, the secret is to get there late and leave early.  There are also pit toilets here as well so that makes life easy in the morning.  There are lots of scenic beaches in this area to checkout.  

#3.  Whiskey Run Bike Trails (43.218854,-124.342054)

No Toilets / Trailhead Parking Area / Car Camping

Per Oregon standards there was a no overnight parking sign but as usual in this secluded area we ignored the signs and stayed the night here.  It was very quite, however people did show up fairly early in the morning to ride their mountain bikes.  We rode the trails in the morning and had a blast if you have a mountain bike and want to ride some nice professionally built flowy trails this is right off the 101 and you will be stoked you stoped.  

#4 Bandon Beach Streets (43.110550,-124.432711)

No Toilets / Neighborhood Streets (Stealth) /  Car Camping

We noticed while in Bandon that most of the homes are vacation rentals.  So we thought no one would know that we are camping on their street.  Since it seemed to be low season we just stealth parked the rig above the beach on a parking space with quite the overlook.  We woke up early n the morning we headed to Face Rock State Park to use the clean and nice bathrooms and headed out of town.  

#5.  Indian Sands Trail Head (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilets / Day Use Area / Car Camping 

The Samual H. Boardman State Park is an incredible state park and a the most photographed area on the coast.  We explored the area the whole day, two short hikes that are worth checking out are Secret Beach and Indian Sands.  We ended up staying in the Indian Sands Day Use parking lot and once again had zero issues.  

California Highway 1

#6.  Smith River Camping (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car and Tent Camping

We found a nice spot via iOverlander right on the Smith River with access to a nice swimming hole.  We made a fire met a Basque traveler @laidagoe who joined us for some kooky adventures.  In the morning we recommend you check out Stout Grove and take the backpay out into Crescent City.  There’s plenty of short trails with some of the tallest trees in California.  

#7.  Lost Rocks (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilet / Roadside Beach Parking / Car Camping 

There are picnic tables and fire pits on the beach and we really enjoyed our stay.  We also went climbing in the Promontory just about 1/4 mile up the beach.  It was an amazing setting for a climb and to be able to wrap it up with a day on the beach was magical.  We gained another traveler this night and headed south after two relaxing nights at the beach.  

#8.  Moonstone Beach (42.157399,-124.361562)

Portable Toilet / Beach Camping / Car Camping 

We heard about Moonstone Beach from our friends who live in Arcata so we went to see what the hype was all about.  Upon arrival we were pretty stoked with the scenery of the beach with the Little River meeting the surging tide.  It was a great place for a swim as well as top rope climbing.  We ended up staying here two nights as well right in the parking lot.  Although people told us that we cant camp there we did and had no issues.  Just clean up your mess and be a good neighbor,  

#9.  Big Tree Grove (40.350409,-123.991959)

Portable Toilets / Trailhead Day Use Parking / Car Camping

We visited the visitor center and were told that the largest trees in the California and  The Avenue of the Giants was at Big Tree Grove.  So we headed out walked a few short walks around the grove and stayed for the night.  It was very quite here and we had no issues.  

#10.   Roadside pull over HWY 1 (39.694736,-123.798595)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

Once we made it to HWY 1 we were ready to prepare some food so we pulled over on one of the first pullovers we saw that was empty and we cooked some dinner and passed out.  We woke up to beautiful sunny weather the next day and tried not to launch our van off the road as we cruised the rig south.  

#11.  Point Arena Lighthouse (38.943371,-123.732553)

Portable Toilets /  Scenic View Point / Car Camping 

Here we would stay 3 nights and enjoy the iconic view of a historic lighthouse juts out of plateau where the land meets the sea.  There is plenty of opportunities for whale watching here and if you look off the rocks the seals will be living the good life laying out all day absorbing the precious vitamin D.

#12.  Sonoma Coast Road Side Pull Off (38.489223,-123.189684)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping

From here south it’s going to get tricky on finding free campsites.  The camping here is harder to find and is more likely to be roadside pullouts but there are some nice ones.  Just North of Jenner we found an amazing hill side pull out where we spent a afternoon and night watching the wales migrate while the sunset did it’s thinning the Next day we headed down to Goat Rock Beach where they have a nice large scenic parking lot, restrooms, and garbage cans… All the necessities. 

#13.  Jenner Roadside Camping (38.452503,-123.128298)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

After a peaceful and amazing night overlooking the ocean high up on the bluffs we headed down to the small town of Jenner about 5 miles.  We spent the day at the Goat Rock Beach Parking lot enjoying the sunshine and amenities at the beach. We also went rock climbing did some yoga and then headed up to the upper parking lot for the night.  Here we were asked to leave by the police around 8pm and we found a last second campsite just right outside of the town of Jenner on the side of the road.  Not an ideal spot but we had no issues here.  

#14.  Palomarin Trailhead (37.930389,-122.742040)

Toilets / Trailhead Day Use Parking / Car Camping 

We stocked up on all kinds of organic produce at the Bolinas Farm Stand (Highly Recommended) then we headed to the Palomarin Trailhead.  This is not by any means a free campsite and you have to be a seasoned van lifer to pull this one off without getting in trouble with the authorities.  Park Rangers came by about 3 times per day but no one patrolled the area at night.  Just don't let them catch you in the morning they will give you a ticket.

#15.  Roadside Pull off Highway 1, Near Muir Beach (37.870438,-122.590238)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

After two peaceful days at Palomarin we headed down to Stinson Beach for the day. Then that night we just found another road side pull over via iOverlander just a few minutes from Muir Beach which would be out destination the next day.  We were lucky it was a Sunday and the road construction crew was off and they left their portable toilet unlocked so we had a toilet but don't count on it.  

**!BONUS!**

#16.  Sausalito Parking Lot #3 (37.857649,-122.480807)

Toilets / Marina Parking / Car Camping 

From here we moved on to meet our good friend Phil aka @Sprinter_on_the_move.  He showed us a promising spot to camp for the night.  Right at the Marina in Sausalito, it was free and fairly quite for being in the city.  Not the most legal but we got away with it for the night we saw plenty of other van travelers in the parking lot so we felt safe.  

Thanks for reading if you are looking for any other activities to do in California or Oregon just click the links!  Cheers! 

Best Views of Shasta Just minutes off I-5 | Castle Lake Overlook

If you have ever driven up I-5 form California to Oregon there’s no way you missed the overwhelming beauty of Mount Shasta.  Shasta is a massive strata volcano that juts out of the earth to an elevation of 14,179 making it the tallest Volcano in California.  Lucky for you we have an easy way to get amazing views of the Volcano just 15 minutes off of Interstate 5.  

The Castle Lake overlook is a short out and back around 3 miles long to one of the most rewarding views considering how short the approach is.  

Park in the Castle Lake parking lot from here you will take Little Castle Lake Trail (#4W02) after just under a mile the trail will split off to the Castle Lake Overlook trail.  You have to have a keen eye to see the turn off.  You don't want to hike to far on the Little Castle Lake Trail otherwise you will end up on the wrong side of Castle Lake and be on your way to Little Castle Lake.  Just remember that you want to be on the ridge lookers right while you are hiking up the trail.  If the kooks figured this out so can you.  

On the way up there is also an amazing photo opportunity on the right conditions at a reflection pond, here you can test your photography skills and snap a beautiful shot of Shasta’s peak reflecting off the glassy water in the tarn.  Once at the top of the overlook you will feel very rewarded for the short hike you just conquered.  Take a few moments here snap a few memories and head back down about 1.5 miles to the lot.  

Depending on time of year camping is ok as well in the parking lot we stayed for a day in October and enjoyed amazing fall colors on our drive out.  There are pit toilets at the lot and I would imagine kayaking or SUPing would be an awesome activity on a calm day.  Also as always pack it in, pack it out!  Let’s keep these places free and wild!  

If you are driving up I-5 and are looking for a great day activity, or a place to crash this is an amazing place to spend the day there are more hikes in the area so do a little bit of research and you could find yourself on a backpacking adventure.  

4 Family Friendly Activities to do at Yosemite National Park

Traveling can connect you with all walks of life.  While we were traveling in San Diego we met @lifeofkuhl a Canadian family of 5 traveling the Western US and Baja, Mexico, while homeshchooloing the 3 children.  We me them at he SoCal van gathering and had traveled with them all the way to Vail, Colorado before we parted ways.  

One of our stops with the Kuhl’s along our epic road trip was in Yosemite National Park in May.  This was a great time to visit the park it was just before school was out and before busy holiday weekends, and most importantly fire season so it was clear and the crowds weren't too hectic. If you’re heading to Yosemite here are a few family friendly activities that the kids will love.   

Glacier Point 

We came in from Kings Canyon so our first stop was Glacier Point in my mind a mandatory Yosemite stop for sunset this is a family friendly activity the view are amazing (some of the best on earth) and there is little hiking involved (0.5 mile) to get them. There is plenty here to keep the kids busy and entertained.  If you are looking for more head to the Sentinel Dome trail (2.6 Miles Moderate) for something to really get the kids tired. 

Biking

Yosemite Valley has a 17 mile bike trail (Valley Loop Trail) that goes around the entire valley.  While you don't have to ride the 17 mile ride you can bike to a few places for the kids to hang out.  You could make a short bike ride from Half Dome Village to the Merced River to cool off or bike to Yosemite Falls this trail will let you access plenty of family friendly hikes and places to enjoy the valley views. 

Hiking

There are plenty of easy but entertaining trails in the valley for the whole family to enjoy.  While with the Kuhl's we hikes a number of trails.  We started the day off with shuttle ride from Half Dome Village to Lower Yosemite Falls (1.0 Mile Easy) There were plenty of boulders and side trails that the kids enjoyed.  We then headed across the valley to Mirror Lake Trail (4 miles easy) here were hung out set up hammock and the kids found a rock to jump off and swim in the lake.  After that that was enough to get the adults and kids pretty tired.  

During busy season head to Tuolumne Meadows on the east side of the park. Lembert Dome Trail (2.3 Miles Moderate) is a great hike for families and has a major pay off at the end. This is a uphill climb but it is worth every step the kids will love the wide open granate surfaces to scramble on.

Float the Merced

This was something that we weren't prepared enough for but now we are after purchasing our Intex Challenger K1’s.  The Kuhl’s had two stand up paddle-boards and inflatable rafts (their Canadian) but we didn't and the price to rent was out of our budget.  However knowing this we are passing the information on to you to be prepared with rafts or SUPs if you are there in late spring the river looked amazing.  You will also need to arrange a pick up vehicle since they charge you on the shuttle so plan ahead.  I believe the start is near Half Dome Village and ends at Swinging Bridge.  

tunnel view yosemite national park

tunnel view yosemite

tunnel view yosemite np

half dome glacier point yosemite

Few Items we use to shoot our adventures

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM Lens for Canon

SIGMA

Buy on Amazon

Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera w/ 2.95" LCD (Body Only)

SOAB9

Buy on Amazon

Highway 395 Eastern Sierra - Hot Springs, Gems, and Rock Climbing

The backside of the Sierra is littered with amazing scenery, hot springs, rock climbing, and everything an outdoor enthusiast needs. 

Hot Springs

Near Bridgeport, CA, are the Travertine Hot Springs. While they can be crowded, this place is beautiful.  The natural rock formations really make an amazing hot springs environment.  

Just south, on 395, near the Mammoth Airport is a green church. If you take that road, it will take you to the Whitmore Hot Springs Area. There is a high concentration of man made hot springs that vary from warm to hot.  While we haven't been to all the hot springs in this area, we have been to most.  Our favorites are the Rock Tub, for best views, and Shepard Hot Springs, for the perfect temp.  

Earth Treasures

A great short hike to a crater that was formed from a hotspot and is actually part of some of the youngest volcanic mountains in the US.  The Panum Crater is full of Obsidian and Pumice and is a great place to hunt for earth treasures.   

Rock Climbing in Alabama Hills

This is some of the best BLM camping in California.  Alabama Hills are littered with rocks, climbing routes, a few bouldering spots, and plenty of scrambling. This place is vanlife heaven.  A great place for beginners to start climbing in Alabama hills is at Paul’s Backyard, for a variety of easier climbs. We actually camped at Paul’s Backyard and left our ropes up for a few days and climbed as we pleased.   If you are ready to step it up a few notches, the Shark Fin is a iconic climb in the area as well.  There are hundreds of routes at this world class climbing playground. 

Check out a video of us traveling through the area with @lifeofkuhl