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Bajada All-Access Nature Trail is located on the southeast side of Joshua Tree National Park between the 10 Freeway and the Cottonwood Visitor Center. The hike, which you could do in flip-flops or tennis shoes, is a 0.3-mile loop with about 5 feet of elevation change. If that wears you out, there are three benches along the way where you can pause to admire the vegetation and scenery. ...Read more.

Placerita Canyon Natural Area is an interesting park on the west end of the San Gabriel Mountains near Newhall Pass. Gold was discovered in Placerita Canyon in 1842, and a century later the canyon rushed onto the silver screen as a backdrop for westerns. Today, the park is home to the Placerita Canyon Nature Center where you can learn about local plants and animals. ...Read more.

Since so much of the coastline of Southern California has been developed upon, it comes as a relief to find a 230-acre estuary that has been set aside and preserved as a vital ecosystem for shorebirds. Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park offers a level 1.2-mile round trip hike through part of El Estuaro past several observation areas and benches. While this might not appear to be the most picturesque park on the Central Coast, it is one of the area's most important wetlands and you have a good chance of seeing great egrets and other interesting waterfowl. ...Read more.

Ever wonder what happened when settlers first set eyes on giant sequoia trees? Relive the excitement of that discovery and see the enormous trees for yourself at Calaveras Big Tree State Park. The 10-square mile park has two groves of sequoias, two campgrounds, picnic areas, and a number of hiking trails. You could easily spend a couple days exploring the park, but if you only have one afternoon, hike through the storied North Grove on a 1. ...Read more.

Everyone knows that Northern California is the place to go to see groves of giant redwoods, but few people know that you can get a taste of the redwoods in Southern California. Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea has a 10-acre grove of coastal redwoods, the largest grove of these trees in Southern California. Even through the could-be giants are relatively young and not really suited for the climate in Orange County, the 2. ...Read more.

Yellowstone National Park might have a lot of must see attractions, but you should not leave the park without visiting Mammoth Hot Springs. This impressive hydrothermal area may not have any high-spouting geysers, but it does have one of the world's greatest collections of hot springs with terraces made up of travertine deposits. The colorful steps and pools at Mammoth Hot Springs look more like something you would see in a cave next to stalactites than anything you are used to seeing above ground. ...Read more.

Devils Tower National Monument was the first national monument established in the United States. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the extraordinary tower in the northeast corner of Wyoming and created the 1,347-acre Devils Tower National Monument to ensure that the rock formation was preserved. Devils Tower rises 867 feet above the surrounding pine forest and has a one-mile circumference. ...Read more.

Beneath the natural fortress known as Badlands Wall, Cliff Shelf Nature Trail presents easy access to South Dakota's badlands and has views across the Great Plains. This pleasant half-mile lollipop loop passes through a juniper forest elevated along the Badlands Wall, a 100-mile long ridge spanning across the park. The start of the loop is wheelchair friendly, but steps lead to the highest viewing platform on this wide trail. ...Read more.

Elfin Forest Natural Preserve (also know as Los Osos Elfin Forest and El Moro Elfin Forest Natural Area) lies between the communities of Morro Bay and Los Osos on the coast of San Luis Obispo County. A mile of boardwalk circles the 90-acre preserve, providing opportunities to gaze across Morro Bay and admire nearby peaks in Morro Bay State Park. There is a thin 80 feet of elevation gain along the loop, making it suitable for strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs. ...Read more.

Dune Succession Trail in the West Beach area of Indiana Dunes National Park offers a mile-long look at the stages of dune development, starting with a beach on the shore of Lake Michigan and ending with a boardwalk through a forest that has risen from the sand. The loop has 100 feet of elevation change, covered by 250 boardwalk steps. In addition to the ecology lesson, the self-guided nature trail delivers great lake views. ...Read more.