Death Valley Desert Adventure

Desert Holiday

After the Thanksgiving dessert ... desert! With the holiday season coming in hot, do a different kind of turkey trot. Head to the desert. Here are few good ways to spend the upcoming holiday.

Week: 11.21.2019
Regions: Southern CA

Dunes of Death Valley

Sand Dunes Sunset at Death Valley

You won't find a body of water here, but you will find big waves … of sand! Bring snacks and a beverage to enjoy at one of the world's premier picnic spots—the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes—just 2 miles east of Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park. Park on the side of Highway
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Good Times in Anza-Borrego's Badlands

Hiking the Palm Wash Slot Canyons in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza-Borrego’s badlands look forbidding, but anyone with a sense of adventure can dive in and explore V-shaped canyons, 100-foot-deep slots, and a vast maze of sandstone rock formations laced with the calcite veins that drew miners here in the 1940s. At the heart of all this badn
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Find Your Oasis

Visit Death Valley National Park and Stay at the Ranch

Oasis at Death Valley
Don’t let the name fool you. Death Valley has a completely new lodging experience that’s all about being alive! Here are five amazing ways to find your oasis in the Lower 48’s largest national park.
Take Me to the Oasis!

Joshua Tree's Secret Aerie

Hiking to Eagle Cliff Mine in Joshua Tree National Park

Hiking to Eagle Cliff Mine in Joshua Tree National Park
You won’t find Eagle Cliff Mine on the official Joshua Tree National Park map—which is part of the appeal of this challenging 4.6-mile (round-trip) out-and-back trek.
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Ultimate Oasis

Hiking Victor Loop in the Agua Caliente Reservation Palm Canyon

Water is life in the desert, and nowhere does the desert come to life more dramatically than in Palm Canyon in the Agua Caliente Reservation's Indian Canyons. Here a walk on the 2.9-mile Victor Loop takes you through the world’s largest California fan palm oasis in the heart of a
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Salton Sea 101

Visiting Salton Sea State Recreation Area and Bombay Beach

Your best intro to the Salton Sea is via a 2.5-mile walk along the north shore in Salton Sea State Recreation Area. It’s not exactly paradise, but the surrounding geography is impressive: the Santa Rosa and Coyote Mountains to the west and the Orocopia and Chocolate ranges to the
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Hike to New Lights

    For an enlightening late-day hike, catch the San Francisco skyline at sunset from high atop Ring Mountain in Tiburon. This 2-mile (round-trip) hike to Turtle Rock is a perfect late afternoon wander.

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  2. Three Cheers

    Good things come in threes when you visit Sonoma. Head out on a short hike right from town, sip and stroll the historic plaza, then take in the magical holiday lights.

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  3. Island Tree Topper

    The light display atop Angel Island State Park’s Mount Livermore has long been a cheerful twinkle visible from many cities throughout the Bay Area on holiday season nights. Get into the festive spirit by hiking the 2-mile (one-way) trail from Ayala Cove up to the "Angel Lights."

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  4. Woman swimming in Carson Hotsprings natural thermal pool

    Hot Springs, Naturally

    Thermal spring waters are famous for their curative, relaxing elements, and Reno Tahoe is filled with them! Sink into these amazing thermal respites for a wellness super soak.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields. DECEMBER BONUS: Enjoy a holiday market, see The Nutcracker, and visit Santa at Sensorio.

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  2. Hikers stand atop Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park

    Weekend Sherpa Podcast: Take It Outside

    Adventure for your earbuds. What's new in the world of the outdoors? Listen to Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss local hikes, beaches, bike rides, camping spots and all kinds of travel and adventure in California and beyond!

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  3. O Enchanted Night!

    Prepare to be mesmerized! Holiday-season nights in Descanso Gardens are a magical interplay of lights and natural beauty that dazzle as you stroll through the Enchanted Forest of L

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  4. Hikers sitting on a large rock slab next to Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest Southern California near Julian

    Three Sisters

    Good things come in threes at this hike to a lovely trio-tiered waterfall in Cleveland National Forest. The 4.25-mile out-and-back hike rambles among rolling hills, with rocky mountain views as switchbacks take you down to a lush canyon and the falls.

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