John McKinney, Author at The TrailMaster

TRAILS

Mt. Whitney Hike Planner

To ensure a quality hiking experience on Mt. Whitney and surrounding areas known at the Mt. Whitney Zone the Forest Service requires that every hiker,…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS

Yosemite: Mariposa Grove

To Grizzly Giant is 1.6 miles round trip with 100-foot elevation gain; or 4.8-mile loop with 1,000-foot elevation gain Mariposa Grove is by far the…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California

Mount Whitney

You can’t get any higher than the 14,495-foot summit of Mt. Whitney, highest of all peaks in the continental U.S., and a once-in-a-lifetime (at least!)…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California HIKE California Coast HIKE California Trails

Point Reyes: Abbotts Lagoon

From Abbotts Lagoon to Point Reyes Beach is 3.2 miles round trip Something about Abbotts Lagoon personifies the word melancholy. Maybe it’s the lagoon itself,…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California HIKE Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara: Rattlesnake Canyon

Rattlesnake Canyon Trail: From Skofield Park to Tin Can Meadow is 3.6 miles round trip with 1,000-foot elevation gain; to Gibraltar Road is 6 miles…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California HIKE California Trails

Sequoia: Deeper into Giant Forest

Congress Trail, Trail of the Sequoias: Congress Trail is 2-mile loop; Trail of the Sequoias is 5.1-mile loop with 500-foot elevation gain Many are the…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California

HIKE The San Gabriel Mountains: An Introduction

The San Gabriel Mountains Most of the San Gabriel Mountains lie just north of metro Los Angeles and within Angeles National Forest, one of the…

John McKinneyJuly 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California

Yosemite Valley Loop

Valley Trails: 5.5-mile loop The tram tour of Yosemite Valley is fine, but to really appreciate the valley, hit the trail. On this heart of…

John McKinneyJune 7, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California

Yosemite: Tuolumne Meadows

From Tioga Road to Parsons Lodge and Soda Springs is 1.5 miles round trip Lush and lovely Tuolumne Meadows is likely the national park’s best…

John McKinneyJune 1, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California HIKE California Coast HIKE Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara’s More Mesa Offers Hiking and More

More Mesa offers more: a defacto nature preserve, great bird-watching, a network of walking-hiking trails and access to Santa Barbara’s most isolated beach. I’ve been…

John McKinneyMay 6, 2016

TRAILS HIKE Santa Barbara

Inspiration Point Santa Barbara

Hike to Inspiration Point Santa Barbara for grand vistas of the city, coast and Channel Islands. San Roque Canyon is one of the great pleasures…

John McKinneyMay 2, 2016

TRAILS

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

The California poppy is the star of the flower show, which includes a supporting cast of fiddlenecks, cream cups, tidy tips and gold fields. March…

John McKinneyMay 1, 2016

TRAILS Griffith Park TALES

HIKE Griffith Park and the Hollywood Hills

Introduction from the Trailmaster Griffith Park will always have a special place in my heart. I was born in Glendale, only a mile away from…

John McKinneyApril 18, 2016

TRAILS HIKE Santa Barbara

Figueroa Mountain Wildflowers

The spring wildflower show on Figueroa Mountain is stunning this year. In previous years of our long, long drought in Southern California, Figueroa Mountain wildflowers…

John McKinneyMarch 26, 2016

TRAILS

Mount Rubidoux, Hiking and Easter

Mount Rubidoux, the isolated, 1,337-foot high granite hill towering above the Riverside’s western edge has long been a landmark to travelers and residents alike. By…

John McKinneyMarch 26, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California

HIKE Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Come for the sequoia, stay for the Sierra. And take a hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. If you only drive through you’ll…

John McKinneyJanuary 20, 2016

TALES

Hiking Humor

Hikers have a sense of humor. Really. Perhaps we project a too serious demeanor as we climb to the top of the hill, prompting non-hikers…

John McKinneyJanuary 19, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California Coast

Santa Cruz Island Hiking

Take a hike on Santa Cruz Island, part of Channel Islands National Park. The Trailmaster's favorite hiking trails include Cavern Point, Potato Harbor and Scorpion…

John McKinneyJanuary 2, 2016

TRAILS HIKE California HIKE California Coast

San Miguel Island

San Miguel, westernmost of the Channel Islands, has much to offer the hiker, particularly if you join a ranger-guided hike. Hike to Cuyler campground on…

John McKinneyJanuary 2, 2016