Getting there: From the bay area to Mt. Shasta is a long and dull 4.5-5 hour drive. Most of the drive is through a dull stretch of the central valley until you get closer to Lake Shasta and the mountain itself.

Campsites: We didn't so much stay in the designated campsite as much as we just kinda picked a spot and set up our tent right next to Panther Meadows. Pick a spot a little off the main road as traffic goes up and down that road all day and night as people launch from the Bunny Flat trail head at all hours for their accent of Shasta.

The Park: It's amazingly beautiful. Shasta is a real gem.

What to do: Try the technical climb of Mt. Shasta. There are two ways to do this; backcountry ski skin accent and mountaineer accent. Both have unique advantages and disadvantages. I ended up doing the BC ski accent/decent. This option requires you to carry a ton more weight for the hike up, but a much faster and more fun decent. Be sure to get a summit permit before climbing the mountain. A permit is require for all climbers ascending above 10,000'. I believe it was about $25

The Gear: I took with me my Marmot Aplinist Jacket. This is my first season using this coat and it's a great piece of gear. The coat is designed to work with Alpinist (and ski) gear as the name suggest. Pockets are high, remaining accessible with a backcountry pack on. The hood is large, so that it easily fits over my climbing helmet. The ventilation is abundant, so that I could quickly adjust my temperate on the fly with the changing weather conditions. The temperature on the mountain ranges from 80+ at the base to below 30 up top with heavy winds. Some parts of the accent were rocky and exposed. The jackets durability held up well to the abuse of rubbing against rocks and the edges of my skis on occasion with no tears or rips at all. At night when we were done climbing for the day and were around the campsite on the mountain the jacket layered well with a down mid layer. But my favorite part of the jacket is it's fit. The Aplinist jacket has an athletic cut, so that there wasn't a bunch of extra fabric all over the place getting caught in pack clips or flapping in the wind (and it looks great on you). An athletic fit usually means restricted range of motion, not in the Aplinist. Even with it's athletic fit I had full unrestricted range of motion with my arms, head (even with the helmet and hood on), and torso. Verdict: Field tested, Ranger recommended! For extreme and diverse conditions this jacket is amazing. The only downside is the weight as you would want a different coat (Marmort Precip for example) for longer backcountry treks or more moderate weather conditions. Check out the coat at: marmot.com

Getting there: As far as campsite in Yosemite go, Tuolumne Meadows is one of if not the most difficult to get to. From the East entrance of the park your still about 1.5 hours away from the campsite. To increase the difficulty of getting there Tioga Road is closed during the winters and will close anytime it snows.

Campsites: Tuolumne Meadows rest halfway between the Yosemite Valley and Mono Lake. Additionally Tuolumne sits just feet from the John Muir and the Pacific Crest Trail. All this access in combination with the difficulty of getting to Tuolumne Meadows makes it a great campground for those wanting to get away from the crowds and out onto the trails. WARNING: Because Tuolumne Meadows is so exposed to the forest there is HEAVY BEAR ACTIVITY. Keep your campsite clean, keep all food/toothpaste/sunscreen/anything that smells (even canned beer or alcohol) in the Bear Bin. The Park: Yosemite is awesome. What to do: You're already WAY OUT THERE so you might as well go see everything off Tioga Road (White Wolf, Porcupine Flat, etc. Also drive out to Mono Lake. You have perfect access to hiking the John Muir and Pacific Crest trail. Find a route and get out there!

Getting there: Easy from anyplace in the bay. The 92 into Half Moon Bay tends to get a lot of traffic as it's only 1 lane each direction. The beach is right off where the 92 and PCH meet up and is super easy to find. Campsites: The campsites are close to each other, your not going to get a 'secluded' camping experience here. The facilities were kinda dirty, probably because they are overused by day trippers to the beach and not just campers. The sunset, beautiful. The stars, scarce with the fog and ambient light from all the surrounding cities. Dogs are allowed at the campsite on leash, but not on the beaches here at all. If you want a dog friendly beach go just a little south to Poplar Beach where the pups can roam free off leash and have a blast. The Park: Tiny. Beautiful beaches, nice scenery, not a lot of vegetation. What to do: If you want to swim, surf, or just watch the sunset this could be the campground for you. If you want to hike, be alone in nature, or have a secluded experience then go someplace else like Big Sur. There was a LOT of trash on the beach when we were there (beer bottles, red solo cups, bonfire wood/ash). I'm sure this is an isolated incident of some assholes trashing the beach to party, but it should be noted.

Note: This review is for climbing Mt. Whitney and camping at the Outpost Camp @ 12,000' Getting there: From any real city getting to Whitney Portal will take hours and hours on the longest most boring roads in the world. And you better not forget your permit before you get there, because you wont make it through Whitney Portal without it - permits are required to camp or climb Mount Whitney.

Campsites: There are no campsite at the Outpost Camp @ 12,000', you simply pick a spot and set up your tent. Try to find someplace that will be sheltered from the wind and don't set up too close to the water. Have a pre determined place picked out where you want to poop (you MUST have a WAG Bag with you on Whitney - be sure to pick them up before your hike, and carry extra) for going to the bathroom as it is quite rocky and exposed. You don't want to be searching for a spot with a turtle head poking out. Thirsty? Great! The stream has cold delicious water flowing through it, but unless you want to get giardia you better have a filter or iodine tablets. Enjoy!

The Park: It's beautiful, it's treacherous.

What to do: Hike forever and summit Mount Whitney! Try not to die. Look at ALL THE STARS! Try not to freeze to death. Enjoy the view! Try not get Altitude Sickness.

Getting there: Super easy, look for the tallest mountain in the area, drive towards it, boom you're there. It was expensive to enter the park… I think around $10 per vehicle, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

Campsites: The campsites are a decent size and fairly spaced out. All the campsites provide a old broken down picnic table, a bear box, a grill, and a fire pit. There are shared restrooms with plumbing to use.

The Park: Awesome. Big. Crowded. No dogs allowed.

What to do: Hike Diablo there are TONS of trails. Go rock climbing or bouldering in Rock City. Drive, hike to the top and check out the observation deck.

*will add my pics later.

Getting there: Getting to the park is fairly easy compared to other parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains like Big Basin. There is an entry fee of $6 per vehicle if you park in the lot. The lot was full and cars were waiting when we left. If the lot is full and your not towing a bunch of stuff or kids you can also access the park via road parking and the gates (if you park in front of the gate you will be ticketed/towed). Campsites: All the campsites provide a picnic table, a bear box, a grill, and fire pit. There are shared restrooms with plumbing scattered all over the place so one will always be within a short walk. The Park: It's nice. Dogs are allowed on leash. Lots of Redwoods but to far inland to see the ocean or anything. Even during the summer it gets enough of a sea breeze and has enough shade to stay cool.
What to do: Go out on some hikes, there are about 15 miles of trails. If you hike 2 days and stay 1 night you can easily hike the park out. Trails start steep and then mellow out once your on the ridge line.

*will add my pics later.

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Getting there: Once you get off the 50 from where ever you're coming from it's another 45 minute drive on windy roads. Best to try and arrive during daylight as signs are scarce and many roads look overgrown, it would be easy to get lost at night. Campsites: The campsites are fairly spacious but close together. Each campsite is allowed 1 car for free, additional cars are $7 per night. Also not listed when booking is if you bring a dog they'll tax you $1 per night per dog. All the campsites provide a nice very large picnic table, a bear boxes (big enough for about 2-3 coolers), a grill, and a large fire pit. There are shared restroom areas scattered all over the campgrounds so one will always be within a short walk. The restrooms are coed, have TP, and is little more than a hole in the ground. No sink for washing hands or a dish washing area so bring your own wash basin. A potable water spout is located outside of each restroom. The Park: It's ok. There are a lot of lakes around. It get really hot up there. What to do: Go out on some hikes. Bring a kayak and chill at one of the lakes. Hope you drove a Jeep up here because this is 4x4 land and you would be in good company revving your engine and trying to drive up some rocks.

Getting there: A long drive on windy roads behind people generally doing 10mph under the speed limit. Take your time because you sure wont be able to rush. Once inside the campground the road looks more like a lunar landscape with more potholes than pavement. Campsites: The group campsites are fairly spacious and easily fit 15 of us, they are rated to hold 20 people but that might be a bit of a squeeze. All the campsites provide 3 picnic benches, 3 bear boxes (not enough so be weary of how many coolers you have), and only one fire pit with grill grate. Trying to get 15 people around a single fire pit and still within range of the warmth was a major issue. There are shared restroom areas with full plumbing and potable water through the campsite. This campsite was also really, really far away from most of the stuff we wanted to do, I would NOT stay at this campsite again. WARNING: The rangers here are asshats. They were constantly patrolling and searching for a reason to write us a ticket (-1 star). They gave us 3 warnings the first day of our stay for BS nit picky reason (we don't want to put our shit in the bear bin when we are sitting around snacking on it you dick). The Park: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park were nice but everything you want to do is at least an hour drive each way on windy roads. Kind of a pain. What to do: Go out on some hikes, there are a ton of trails. Go see the giant Sequoias, either General Sherman or General Grant. Go explore some caves, they are awesome.

Getting there: As far as campsite in Yosemite go, Hodgdon is one if not the easiest to get to. From the East entrance of the park off the 120 the campsite is less than a mile from the entrance gate. You wont get stuck in the grueling traffic that often plagues the drive to get down into the valley.

Campsites: Hodgdon rest on the upper shelf of Yosemite outside the valley. Because of this a lot of RV's camp here and then use their tow vehicle to drive down into the valley. Additionally Hodgdon will be windier than in the valley and a few degrees cooler. The campsites are fairly close to each other and all provide a picnic bench and fire pit with grill grate. There are shared restroom areas with full plumbing and potable water through the campsite. WARNING: Because Upper Pines sits along and is so exposed to the forest there is HEAVY BEAR ACTIVITY. Keep your campsite clean, keep all food/toothpaste/sunscreen/anything that smells (even canned beer or alcohol) in the Bear Bin. If you're not prepared to chase a bear away from your tent, your car, or your family… stay someplace else. The Park: Yosemite is awesome. What to do: While Hodgdon isn't one of my favorite campsites in Yosemite it does have a distinct advantage, access. If you stay in the Yosemite Valley… you're basically stuck in the Yosemite Valley. Staying at Hodgdon gives you much better access to Hetch Hetchy, Tuolumne Grove, Crane Flat, and everything off Tioga Road (White Wolf, Porcupine Flat, Tuolumne Meadows) - if it's open.

Getting there: From San Jose it took me about 40 minutes. The road is windy, narrow, and not for the car sick. Be prepared to pay $6 for parking.

Campsites: The campsites are nicely maintained. Plenty of area to pitch a tent, all the sites have a BBQ, fire pit, and picnic table. The sites are close together to maybe bring ear plugs in case you have loud neighbors.

The Park: Really pretty, really small. I would say in 1 full day you can explore 100% of this park. No need to make an entire weekend out of this place when you can do all of the pretty stuff in just a few hours.

What to do: Go see the waterfalls. With the current California drought all of the falls were at little more than a trickle but still something to see. To hike to each fall it's about 6ish miles with just a few hundred feet of total elevation gain. The trails are large and well defined for an very entry level experience.

Yosemite is the golden gem of the National Parks system. It's one of a kind landscape and unmatched beauty is something that has to be experienced, not just seen.

Getting there: The drive down into the Yosemite is grueling… you WILL be stuck behind someone who goes 10 mph under the speed limit, its taking picture on their phone while they are driving, and has a turn signal on the entire time. These people are the unavoidable demon of a place so famous and beautiful that every gaper out there wants to come and see it for themselves.

Campsites: Upper Pines sits along the Merced River and just on the North edge of the campgrounds for the valley. It location is great for access to the trailheads for Half Dome, Mirror Lake and Nevada Falls. The whole campsite has a great view looking up at Half Dome. The river is a perfect spot to wash off or cool down after a hike. WARNING: Because Upper Pines sits along and is so exposed to the forest there is HEAVY BEAR ACTIVITY. Keep your campsite clean, keep all food/toothpaste/sunscreen/anything that smells (even canned beer or alcohol) in the Bear Bin. I have stayed at Upper Pines about a dozen times and about half of those trips there will be a bear incident someplace in the campsite. If you're not prepared to chase a bear away from your tent, your car, or your family… stay someplace else.

The Park: Yosemite is awesome.

What to do: I'm sure this will be covered more in-depth in a different review.

With so many great parks near the Bay area from Yosemite to Big Sur or Point Reyes, Pinnacles is and under rated gem of a park.

Getting there: An easy drive down the 25. The park East entrance is actually very easy to miss so pay attention on the windy road or you'll miss it like I did… twice.

Campsites: Car/RV camping. Full plumbing restrooms and showers. Metal fire pits at each campsite. Wood for sale. Campsites are very close to eachother and you will catch a lot of neighbor noise so try and select a campsite on the end. The Visitor center has maps, information, and a small shop.

The Park: Very much had a high desert feel. Very hot during the day with little shade to be offered, but got fairly chilly at night. It seemed small for a National Park… but i'm also comparing its size to the likes of Yosemite or Big Sur. You can explore just about the entire park in 2 days/1 night.

What to do: …Hike.

• I would suggest one day going to explore the Balconies Cave. From the Old Pinnacles Trailhead Parking its 2.1 miles each way to the cave and the cave is about .4 miles. All said and done it will be about a 5 mile round trip hike. The walk out is exposed and gets hot, have plenty of water. The cave itself stays very cool, around 50*f. Headlamp for both caves will be required.
• Now that you're warmed up go for a real hike the next day up to the top of the Pinnacles. I'd suggest parking at Bear Gulch Day use area > up the Condor Gulch Trail (1.7mi) > turn left at High Peaks Trail (.6mi) > stay left on the High Peaks Trail all the way back down (2.2mi) [there is a restroom on the trail near Scout Peak] [Photo Ops here, look for the Condors!!] > turn right onto the Rim Trail (.4mi) > cool off going down through the Bear Gulch Cave (.7mi) [need your headlamp again] > and finish the hike back down to the Day Use Area (.5mi). It's a good hike… not to be done with young kids. You better have some food with you and at least 2-3 Liters of water per person, the trail is very exposed and the sun will beat down on you like an ant under a magnifying glass. Start in the morning to try and avoid some heat and finish in the cave to cool off at the end, it will feel refreshing and amazing.