51 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
51 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
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# National Parks — Places to See
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*Candidate menu of sights (with seasonal notes) for the Yosemite and Sequoia / Kings Canyon legs. The chosen, day-by-day version lives in the park day plans in [`itinerary.md`](itinerary.md).*
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---
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## Yosemite (Sep 22–24)
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### Valley
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- **Tunnel View** — classic panoramic first look into the valley
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- **Bridalveil Fall** — 5-min walk from the car, right near Tunnel View
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- **Valley View** — Merced River framing of the valley
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- **El Capitan** — view from the meadow below. *Note: Horsetail Fall firefall effect only happens in February; waterfall likely dry in September*
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- **Cook's Meadow Loop** — flat 1-mile walk, Half Dome framed over open meadow, great for golden hour photography
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- **Mirror Lake** — Half Dome reflection, early fall colour; water level typically low in late September
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- **Lower Yosemite Falls trail** — easy 1-mile paved loop, ~20-30 min, gets you right to the base
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### Above the Valley
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- **Glacier Point** — best morning light on Half Dome, spectacular panoramic views
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### South (near Wawona)
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- **Mariposa Grove** — largest giant sequoia grove in Yosemite, 10 min from the cabin
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---
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## Sequoia & Kings Canyon (Sep 24–26)
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> **No cell service** near the Miramonte cabin — screenshot maps and notes before arrival.
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### Sequoia — Giant Forest area
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- **Giant Forest Museum** — orientation, start here
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- **General Sherman Tree** — largest tree on Earth by volume; shuttle access
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- **Congress Trail** — 2-mile paved loop through giant sequoias; better than just the Sherman stop
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- **Moro Rock** — granite dome, ~350 steps to a panoramic summit
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- **Big Trees Trail** — easy flat loop around a meadow
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- **Tunnel Log** — drive-through fallen sequoia
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- **Tokopah Falls** — ~3.5-mile round-trip hike from Lodgepole
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- **Crystal Cave** — marble cave, guided tour only, tickets in advance. *Note: usually closes for the season in late Sep / early Oct — verify dates*
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### Kings Canyon
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- **Grant Grove & General Grant Tree** — the "Nation's Christmas Tree", quieter than Sequoia
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- **Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy 180)** — dramatic descent into the canyon; walls glow in afternoon light
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- **Roaring River Falls** — short walk from the byway
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- **Zumwalt Meadow** — short loop, canyon walls + river
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- **Road's End** — end of the byway, trailheads (~2 hrs each way from the cabin)
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