[net.travel] california

khreb@mtuxo.UUCP (k.rosen) (07/21/85)

I would like information on camping and hiking in'
California in mid to late August.   I am particularly
interested in the Channel Islands.   Any information
on camping on these islands during August will be
appreciated.   I would also like to know of
other good places in central to northern California
that won't be too crowded, have a "wilderness" atmosphere,
and have interesting wildlife/birdlife.

cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (07/25/85)

> I would like information on camping and hiking in'
> California in mid to late August.   I am particularly
> interested in the Channel Islands.   Any information
> on camping on these islands during August will be
> appreciated.   I would also like to know of
> other good places in central to northern California
> that won't be too crowded, have a "wilderness" atmosphere,
> and have interesting wildlife/birdlife.

Colusa Bird Sanctuary, near Williams.  Williams isn't "near" anything, but
if you drive north on I-5 from Sacramento for a couple hours, you'll find
Williams.  Colusa Bird Sanctuary is huge, marshy, filled with more species
of birds than you'll find in any other part of California.  It is one of
the few places I've ever seen a *flock* of herons.

Lassen National [Park? Monument?] another couple hours up I-5 from Colusa
is much like Yosemite was in the early 1960s, before everyone decided to
go see and destroy its beauty.  Lassen has the only active volcano in
California, lava tubes, beautiful lakes, and a very nice trail to the
top of Mt. Lassen (a little over 10,000 feet).  The trail is a couple of
miles, and you should figure all most of the morning going up, and much
of the afternoon coming back down.

Jackson State Forest between US 101 and the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino
County looks much like the forest that _Return_of_the_Jedi_ was filmed in;
in fact, I suspect it was filmed there.  It is deep, primeval, and please
be careful --- dope growers in that area have been known to leave trip
wires hooked up to grenades to discourage freelance marijuana harvesting.
(Fortunately the tripwire was found before the hiking party tripped it.)