ten days . two national parks . two states
2023 California Road Trip
Saturday, September 9 to Tuesday, September 19, 2023
09.09.23 . Day 1 – Fly to SMF. Drive north, stay in Shingletown.
09.10.23 . Day 2 – Hike Lassen Peak at Sunrise. Explore Lassen Volcanic National Park. Stay in Shingletown.
09.11.23 . Day 3 – Hike Cinder Cone Trail in Lassen National Park for sunrise. Drive back to Sacramento via Lake Almanor and Chico. Stay in Sacramento.
09.12.23 . Day 4 – Drive to Yosemite National Park. Tunnel View for sunrise. Drive Glacier Point Road. Hike to Taft Point. Explore Yosemite Valley. Stay in or near Yosemite National Park.
09.13.23 . Day 5 – Hike Half Dome. Stay in or near Yosemite National Park.
09.14.23 . Day 6 – Explore more Yosemite Valley. Hike to Tuolumne Sequoia Grove. Drive Tioga Pass. Stay near Bridgeport.
09.15.23 . Day 7 – Visit Bodie Ghost Town State Park. Drive to Lake Tahoe. Paddle board Sand Harbor. Sunset at Hidden Beach. Stay in Incline Village.
09.16.23 . Day 8 – Hike to Monkey Rock. Drive to Truckee. Hike to Summit Lake via Pacific Crest Trail and Donner Lake Rim loop. Sunset at Moondunes Beach. Stay in Incline Village.
09.17.23 . Day 9 – Mountain Bike at Northstar Mountain Resort or Visit Emerald Bay. Drive back to Sacramento via the Pony Express Route. Stay in Sacramento.
09.18.23 . Day 10 – Day trip to San Francisco. Detour through Napa Valley. Stay in Sacramento.
09.19.23 . Day 11 – Fly home!
When and with whom
After two years of applying for the pre-season lottery to hike Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, I was successful in being awarded a permit. This entire trip was planned around landing this lucrative permit. When applying, I selected dates that were late season, after all danger of snow pack and school break crowds had passed. Though low waterfall levels and wildfire smoke danger risks were greater, neither impacted our trip due to a heavy winter snowpack and low wildfire levels this particular season.
The lottery permit was for myself and one other hiker, Scott. However, we also had the joy of meeting up with friends in Lassen, and then staying with them at their home in Sacramento. We also met up with Scott’s sister, who lives in Oregon, during our time in Lake Tahoe.
