Tent Talk

Many people will tell you Havasupai is the most beautiful place in Arizona, and I'd be hard pressed to disagree. Also known as the Grand Canyon's Garden of Eden, the blue-green waters of Havasu Creek flow from the red rocks of the canyon down to the Colorado River, creating a spectacular canyon full of life and awesome waterfalls. The Havasupai (people of the blue-green waters) still make the canyon and the village of Supai their home, and only let a certain number of people enter per day (day hiking is not permitted, nor practical). Posted above is the "Vlog" style video from our recent three day trip to the campground at Havasu Falls. If you're ready to go, make your reservations here ! The Havasupai Tribe have recently updated their website, and are currently only accepting reservations over the phone due to overwhelming demand. This post will refer to Havasupai as a whole place , encompassing the Village of Supai, the Havasuapi People, and Havasu Cre...

A Grand Canyon Winter Adventure The Chronicle  Written by: Thomas Berry ---            I left Phoenix around nine in the morning, throwing my pack and boots in the back of my Jeep. Already late, I had a stop at Target and then a good three hours of driving ahead of me to make it up to the park by twelve. At Target I grabbed an insulating layer jacket on sale for thirty-five bucks, then changed into my long johns and snow pants in the parking lot, slipping my wool socks over the thin polyester of the white base layer before pulling my boots tightly over the socks. Fifteen minutes later I was heading north on the I-17, mentally as well as physically unprepared for the four days to come.            The drive to the rim was a long one. Nearly two hours down the I-17 and the scenery had transformed into something only out of winter. Desert became snow. The highway became ice. Even my Jeep had changed ...

Los Prietos Campground is one of the many campgrounds that lay along the Santa Ynez river in the Santa Ynez National Recreation Area, due north of the town of Santa Barbara. Other campgrounds within the recreation area include the smaller Fremont Campground, Paradise Campground, and the upper and lower Oso and Camuesa campgrounds. At the time of our visit in mid July 2011, the Oso and Camuesa campgrounds were closed as a result of heavy rain that destroyed the bridges leading to them. Unfortunately, with the budget shortfalls affecting both the state and federal parks systems, these roads had no timetable of reopening, but are likely repaired at the time of this post. The campground is open April 1st through October 30th. There are a total of 37 campsites with fire rings, barbecue, and a picnic table at each site. Most sites can be reserved on Reserve America , but there are a select few available on a first come, first served basis. For reservations, you are required to book at leas...

Of all destinations in Southern California, Lake Cuyamaca State Park is far and away our favorite. The combination of the beautiful mountain scenery, the water falls at Green Valley, the miles upon miles of hiking trails, and the proximity to the iconic town of Julian all combine to make Cuyamaca one of the best all around weekend destinations. Only an hour away from San Diego and two hours away from Orange County, you owe it to yourself to make the trip to enjoy the park. This post is about my experience at Green Vally Campground, the smaller and southernmost of the two campgrounds within the park. You can read about the larger campsite, Piso Picacho, here.  The Green Valley campground is mainly popular for the creek and water falls within the campsite, but the camping itself can't be overlooked. There are 81 campsites, almost all shaded by big beautiful oak trees and defined by granite boulders. The terrain and trees do give a sense of privacy to most of the sites, but...