Visit the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center and learn about the region’s geological background. They have many exhibits that give us a peek into the area’s landscape, its plant life and wildlife. This center is also home to Mount Whitney’s Ranger Station. With the help of the ranger, visitors can explore nearby areas like Mount Whitney, Alabama Hills and the shallow Owens Lake.
If you are a movie buff and want to know the magic that happens behind the camera, visit the Museum of Western Film History. The museum displays photographs, costumes, posters and props used on sets, plus other memorabilia such as movie making equipment used in the early 20th Century. Around the museum are locations that were featured in movies like The Round Up and the Tarzan series. Highlights of the establishment include the wagon used in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Django Unchained and several costumes used by John Wayne.
The undulating Alabama Hills is a popular destination amongst hiking enthusiasts. These imposing hills feature soft peaks with many stunning rock formations. It has several scenic hiking and biking trails to explore. Avid mountaineers can trek up to the summit and enjoy the panoramic views of the neighboring Sierra Nevada Mountains. Due to its unique landscape, Hollywood movies are often shot here.
Leading to a height of 10,000 feet (3048 meters), the challenging Horseshoe Meadow Trail begins from the mountainside town of Lone Pine. This 70.8-mile (114.1 kilometer) long trail takes you through rocky areas, woodlands and many lakes. To offer respite to hikers, many overnight camping areas have been set along the trail. Once on this trail, hikers can deviate to other nearby scenic locations like Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park and Golden Trout Wilderness.
One of the most popular trails in the park leads to this pristine meadow in the heart of the Kings Canyon Valley. Characterized by a lush copse of trees and shrubs, Zumwalt Meadow is presided over by a majestic granite cliff that forms the centerpiece of the area. With its easy access and flat trail, the meadow makes for an ideal attraction for tourists to visit in the park with their family. One can bask in the delightful scenery unfolding all around and admire the striking sights that abound here.
Kings Canyon National Park is an extraordinary place of beauty and diversity. The park, located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range, has to its credit some of the most scenic natural wonders within its 461,901 acres (186,925 hectares). Towering sequoias filter the sunlight, watching over the park as silent sentinels. Nowhere are these ancient giants more astonishing than at the Redwood Canyon, the largest grove of its kind in the world. Carved into its surface are also some of the deepest canyons on Earth. Their rocky outcroppings and weather-worn cliffs are adorned with waterfalls running into basins so clear it's like peering into a mirror. A protected environment replete with exquisite landscapes and natural beauty, it's no surprise the park receives thousands of visitors every year.
An extension of its namesake river, the Roaring River Falls is a scenic cascade in Kings Canyon. The falls come gushing down from between rugged granite boulders before meeting a greenish-grey pool of frothing water. This water then flows down to meet the Kings River. The waterfall can be reached via a 0.3-mile (0.48-kilometer) round-trip trek. The clear, cold water is perfect for visitors looking for a serene picnic spot and a pool to cool off on a hot day.
Found on the boundary of Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Park, Mount Whitney is known for attracting tourists because of being one of conterminous United States’ tallest peaks. A popular hiking spot, one of the well-known routes runs parallel to Inyo National Forest. The top of the summit, apart from providing panoramic views of the park, also rewards climbers with an enchanting sunrise.
History lovers shouldn't miss out on a trip to Manzanar, one of the most well-preserved war relocation camps of WWII. This was home to many Japanese migrants post Pearl Harbor. Today, a visit to the place can be really interesting as remains like the barracks, exhibits around the camp and various pictures taken by photographers recreate a scene of how things might have been. Though the memories that it brings back are not all pleasant, the location with the majestic Sierra-Nevada backdrop is undoubtedly breathtaking!
Visit the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center and learn about the region’s geological background. They have many exhibits that give us a peek into the area’s landscape, its plant life and wildlife. This center is also home to Mount Whitney’s Ranger Station. With the help of the ranger, visitors can explore nearby areas like Mount Whitney, Alabama Hills and the shallow Owens Lake.
Found within the Inyo National Forest, a part of Sequoia National Park, Lone Pine Lake is a site gifted with picturesque scenery. Located on the way to Mount Whitney, climbers can stop here to capture photographs of the landscape characterized by jagged, rocky outcrops surrounding the pond. Situated at a height of almost 10,000 feet, the shimmering waters of the spectacular alpine lake invite wanderers to linger around its shore, explore the pristine natural beauty, and rest for a while before proceeding with their hike.
One of the most popular trails in the park leads to this pristine meadow in the heart of the Kings Canyon Valley. Characterized by a lush copse of trees and shrubs, Zumwalt Meadow is presided over by a majestic granite cliff that forms the centerpiece of the area. With its easy access and flat trail, the meadow makes for an ideal attraction for tourists to visit in the park with their family. One can bask in the delightful scenery unfolding all around and admire the striking sights that abound here.