I'll be traveling south this summer for a few days of training, and I have an abundance of locations to choose from. I'm determined to tack some photography time onto one side or the other of the training, and I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head. I would really appreciate your input on what locations would be well suited for mid-summer visits.
Option #1: Lake Tahoe as an access point for Yosemite in early to middle July.
Option #2: Vancouver, WA as an access point for the Columbia River Gorge and Oregon waterfalls in early August.
Option #3: Las Vegas as an access point for Zion and Grand Canyon in late June (I have prior experience at this location during other times of year).
Option #4: Denver as an access point for the Rockies and/or Moab in early August.
Is there another place that would top your list if you had to visit in the summer (no options here in Alaska unfortunately)? Thanks for all your advice.
Posted by Richard Wong on April 9, 2009 at 1:57 AM
At that time of the year I'd go for #2 or 4. Too hot and dry in the other locations.
How about Death Valley in mid July I think I would go with the Gorge that time of year. If you decided to do the Tahoe thing, let me know. I could maybe meet up with you somewhere. If not, I could tell you about some good spots around the lake, and near by locations. I know you want to go to Yosemite. The eastern gate to the park, on hwy 120 is about 2 1/2 hours from south shore, so about 3hours + to the valley. If you really want to make the most of your time in Yosemite, if you choose to come. You should talk to Lon.
As much as I love Yosemite, I personally wouldn't recommend visiting in July. Unless you have time to hike the back country up along Tioga Pass, Yosemite Valley will be warm, if not hot, the crowds will be unbearable and the falls will be dwindling down to trickles.
If it were me, I would head for Washington and spend what time you could at Olympic NP. Although you can expect fog along the coast, the Hoh rainforest, Sol Duc falls and all that can be found within the park would be worth the visit. I don't know what the "Gorge" is like in the middle of the summer - hopefully someone else will chime in.
My second choice on the list would be RMNP - or can you do Glacier NP?
Anytime you want to do Yosemite - October thru May, let me know... :-)
I'll echo the suggestions on washington. The gorge may be past it's prime in mid summer, but olympic, rainier, and the north cascades are all gorgeous. Especially if you have enough time/desire to do a bit of hiking.
Posted by Ron Richins on April 9, 2009 at 10:52 AM
If you're going to go to Zion or Grand Canyon from Las Vegas in June, you could go a little further to Bryce Canyon. It's probably more pleasant than the two former places in June.
If your in Denver I would go to Rocky Mountain National Park in August. The trip over Trailridge road is great and you might want to go up Mt Evans also. I would stay out of Moab in August unless an instant tan was in your plans.
Posted by Steve Sieren on April 9, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Yosemite's high country above 10,000ft should be real nice and plush if you have the time.
If you do the Tahoe gig, here's a suggestion for a 'loop' trip...
From Tahoe, head over to 395, go south to 108 and then up and over Sonora Pass. When you get to the town of Sonora, head north on Hwy 49 to Jackson and then east on 88 and then on to Tahoe..
There's some fabulous country ranging from high desert to alpine at Sonora Pass (9.640') then down into the foothill Gold Country. At Jackson you head back into the mountains, up and over Carson Pass toward Hope Valley and then over Luther Pass to Tahoe.
This loop can be done in three days, allowing plenty of time for shooting and checking things out.
On your list, I'd probably go with option 2 or something in the PNW. The only one I wouldn't do is Yosemite.
I'm planning on spending some time in Glacier NP in late August. In my opinion, it's got better scenery and fewer crowds that RMNP, and it's one of the places changing the most year to year as the climate changes. Plus, Waterton Lakes NP is just across the border from it, which has loads of opportunities in a condensed area and no crowds, relatively speaking.
Here's another vote against option #1, primarily because of the likely weather at that time of year. They don't call it "sunny California" for nothing. The only interesting weather in California all summer long comes from fog along the immediate coast or the occasional monsoonal bulge from the Colorado plateau and desert southwest. Coastal fog of course is irrelevant to Yosemite, and early/middle July is a little early for the monsoon to work its way that far west. It can happen, but I'd give the probability at around 10% (even in August-September, Yosemite is so far west that the monsoon only makes it to Yosemite maybe 20% of the time). So in addition to massive crowds and dry waterfalls, you'd probably have solid blue skies to deal with every day (maybe with a few puffy cumulus blooming up in the afternoon and dissipating an hour before sunset, but that's it).
Speaking of sky conditions, I'd rule out #3 for similar reasons. Zion and Grand Canyon can get wonderful skies from the summer monsoon, but June is too early for the monsoon to have reliably set in yet. Better in July through October.
Scott
Posted by Dan Baumbach on April 9, 2009 at 6:37 PM
I know the roads Preston is recommending and if you decide to do Tahoe, they're fabulous and probably not very crowded, even in summer. Like the others have said, Yosemite Valley will be as crowded as New York City in the summer. The high country off of CA 120 is great but you'll need some time to hike into it.
Thanks for all the great info you guys! I had some suspicions going in, and they have been largely confirmed with a lot more detail than I could have mustered from an on-line search. I'm going to lean away from Yosemite based on the consensus opinion.
I'd love to hear any more feedback you might have on water levels in northern Oregon, flower possibilities in Colorado, weather in the north Cascades. I'm also wondering about coastal redwoods during the summer, but that sounds like it would probably be a very very busy location. I'm thinking that there's so many little insights being shared here, this is bound be be useful to someone besides myself. Thanks again.
Posted by Dan Baumbach on April 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Giant Redwoods will be either Muir Woods or a long drive up the CA coast. Muir Woods is like Yosemite, however it opens at 8 AM or earlier and will be empty till the crowds start pouring in about 9:30. Muir Woods is across the Golden Gate bridge from SF.
You'll also find giant Redwoods in Pfeiffer Redwoods State Park, a 3 hour drive south from SF.
Kent, you mentioned coastal redwoods without saying exactly where you had in mind. They grow along several hundred miles of the California coast, from Big Sur to Oregon, and so there is plenty of territory for you to explore.
The best forests are in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties -- best in the sense of "the mostest and the biggest". Humboldt Redwoods State Park (a very large state park along the Eel River south of Eureka) and Redwood National and State Parks (a national park and 3 state parks north of Eureka) would be the prime locations with the largest undisturbed redwood old growth in the world. They also are only moderately busy, and Redwood National Park in particular is not crowded at all; there are many smaller redwood parks much closer to the big cities which draw most of the traffic (such as Muir Woods like Dan mentioned). Also, being right along the coast, you'd have a good chance of fog, or at least overcast skies to soften the light for forest-interior photography. (Note Redwood National Park is right along the coast, while Humboldt Redwoods is further inland, so less chance of fog/overcast.) If you were to go in June rather than July, you'd also have some wildflower bloom remaining -- rhododendrons in Redwood National Park, for example.
A possible downside for you is that of all the locations you mentioned, the redwood coast of California looks most like where you're from. Rocky forested hilly coastal shore, fog and overcast, conifer trees galore, etc. So if you want something looking really different than what you're probably already used to, you'll need to consider one of the other locations.
Discussion
16 repliesOption #1: Lake Tahoe as an access point for Yosemite in early to middle July.
Option #2: Vancouver, WA as an access point for the Columbia River Gorge and Oregon waterfalls in early August.
Option #3: Las Vegas as an access point for Zion and Grand Canyon in late June (I have prior experience at this location during other times of year).
Option #4: Denver as an access point for the Rockies and/or Moab in early August.
Is there another place that would top your list if you had to visit in the summer (no options here in Alaska unfortunately)? Thanks for all your advice.
Chris
Chris
Chris
As much as I love Yosemite, I personally wouldn't recommend visiting in July. Unless you have time to hike the back country up along Tioga Pass, Yosemite Valley will be warm, if not hot, the crowds will be unbearable and the falls will be dwindling down to trickles.
If it were me, I would head for Washington and spend what time you could at Olympic NP. Although you can expect fog along the coast, the Hoh rainforest, Sol Duc falls and all that can be found within the park would be worth the visit. I don't know what the "Gorge" is like in the middle of the summer - hopefully someone else will chime in.
My second choice on the list would be RMNP - or can you do Glacier NP?
Anytime you want to do Yosemite - October thru May, let me know... :-)
Lon
From Tahoe, head over to 395, go south to 108 and then up and over Sonora Pass. When you get to the town of Sonora, head north on Hwy 49 to Jackson and then east on 88 and then on to Tahoe..
There's some fabulous country ranging from high desert to alpine at Sonora Pass (9.640') then down into the foothill Gold Country. At Jackson you head back into the mountains, up and over Carson Pass toward Hope Valley and then over Luther Pass to Tahoe.
This loop can be done in three days, allowing plenty of time for shooting and checking things out.
-P
I'm planning on spending some time in Glacier NP in late August. In my opinion, it's got better scenery and fewer crowds that RMNP, and it's one of the places changing the most year to year as the climate changes. Plus, Waterton Lakes NP is just across the border from it, which has loads of opportunities in a condensed area and no crowds, relatively speaking.
Speaking of sky conditions, I'd rule out #3 for similar reasons. Zion and Grand Canyon can get wonderful skies from the summer monsoon, but June is too early for the monsoon to have reliably set in yet. Better in July through October.
Scott
- Dan.
I'd love to hear any more feedback you might have on water levels in northern Oregon, flower possibilities in Colorado, weather in the north Cascades. I'm also wondering about coastal redwoods during the summer, but that sounds like it would probably be a very very busy location. I'm thinking that there's so many little insights being shared here, this is bound be be useful to someone besides myself. Thanks again.
You'll also find giant Redwoods in Pfeiffer Redwoods State Park, a 3 hour drive south from SF.
- Dan.
The best forests are in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties -- best in the sense of "the mostest and the biggest". Humboldt Redwoods State Park (a very large state park along the Eel River south of Eureka) and Redwood National and State Parks (a national park and 3 state parks north of Eureka) would be the prime locations with the largest undisturbed redwood old growth in the world. They also are only moderately busy, and Redwood National Park in particular is not crowded at all; there are many smaller redwood parks much closer to the big cities which draw most of the traffic (such as Muir Woods like Dan mentioned). Also, being right along the coast, you'd have a good chance of fog, or at least overcast skies to soften the light for forest-interior photography. (Note Redwood National Park is right along the coast, while Humboldt Redwoods is further inland, so less chance of fog/overcast.) If you were to go in June rather than July, you'd also have some wildflower bloom remaining -- rhododendrons in Redwood National Park, for example.
A possible downside for you is that of all the locations you mentioned, the redwood coast of California looks most like where you're from. Rocky forested hilly coastal shore, fog and overcast, conifer trees galore, etc. So if you want something looking really different than what you're probably already used to, you'll need to consider one of the other locations.
Scott