Grand Canyon NP, Arizona (south rim)
Hiking Maps AZ & Books for Camping Arizona
Canyon de Chelley
Colorado River RV Camping
Recreational Map AZ (older edition)
see also –
Anza Borrego Desert Map
BLM Maps
Mojave Desert Books
Mojave Maps
San Diego Backcountry Map
Find Maps for Kern River Canyon
(Sequoia National Forest)
Find Kings Canyon High Country Map
Find Maps for Kings Cyn & Sequoia National Parks
Books on the Southern Sierra Mountains, Calaveras Big Trees, Sequoia National Forest & Sequoia National Park
Giant Sequoia are the most massive individual trees in the world. They grow to an average height of 164–279 feet with trunk diameters ranging from 20–26 feet. Record trees have been measured at 311 feet tall. The specimen known to have the greatest diameter at breast height is the General Grant tree at 28.9 feet.
The oldest known giant sequoia is approximately 3,200 years old based on dendrochronology. Giant sequoias are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. Giant sequoia bark is fibrous, furrowed, and may be 3 feet thick at the base of the columnar trunk. The sap contains tannic acid, which provides significant protection from fire damage. The leaves are evergreen, awl-shaped and arranged spirally on the shoots.
The giant sequoia regenerates by seed. The seed cones are 1–3 inches long and mature in 18–20 months, though they typically remain green and closed for as long as 20 years. Each cone has 30–50 spirally arranged scales, with several seeds on each scale, giving an average of 230 seeds per cone. Seeds are dark brown, yellow-brown wing along each side. Some seeds shed when the cone scales shrink during hot weather in late summer, but most are liberated by insect damage or when the cone dries from the heat of fire. Young trees start to bear cones after 12 years.
Giant Sequoia Trees on Western Divide Highway
camping, hiking, mountain biking, off roading, fishing
Historic Burr Trail, south of Capital Reef NP
HIGH DESERT: Southern Utah is a magical place to explore. Red rock and National Parks, State Parks – too numerous to name. Outdoor recreation around every corner – from river rafting to rugged canyon hikes, wildlife watching to wheeling. Dispersed camping, very abundant. Dirt back roads, by the many miles. Hiking and biking, all over!
The east-west Interstate 70 splits the state, so most parks are located south of the freeway. Green River is a highway town, along I-70 and the mecca, Moab, is south of the interstate.
MOAB, UT (southeast Utah) – is a hot bed of recreation activities, tourism, hotels, shopping, plus the 2 National Parks.
TORREY, UT (south central Utah) – hip mountain village, next to Fish Lakes National Forest and Capital Reef National Park. Restaurants, motels, RV Campground with showers, and a grocery stop.
SPRINGDALE, UT (southwest Utah) – the small river town that has merged with neighboring Zion National Park. Tourists everywhere.
Seek the small back roads to get you up and around the outskirts of Zion – very scenic drives. Ghost towns, pinyon & juniper forests, hidden canyons, watrfalls, kolobs and buttes. North of Zion NP, Navajo Lake and Cedar Breaks National Park @ 8000′ elevation – can have snow more than half the year, so plan according.
UTAH TIP = Beware: Thunderstorms and heavy rains are part of the package here in this desert state. Extreme flash floods possible, know the weather forecast and the warnings. Stay out of slot canyons during rainy season. Watch out for wet, muddy, red dirt roads. You’ll get stuck, even in 4WD.
Small farming towns are scattered throughout the National Park areas, some more geared for travelers than others. Many National Forests and BLM areas to camp (for free). Usually just a few miles outside the National Park boundaries. The further you get off pavement, the more seclusion you can find. Find the nearest ranger station and ask some questions – if needbe.
utah = remote
National Geographic makes these colorful, durable, waterproof maps for all the Utah Parks.
Atop Angel’s Landing, Zion NP
cool canyon hikes
RED DIRT TRAILS
Schaffer Trail, Canyonlands NP
The books below are warnings to all who wish to be enlightened on wilderness skills and reality. Come all clumsy, clueless and naive. Outdoorsman, weekend campers or highway stranded motorists. Learn from true stories on disappearances.
City folks beware, hundreds of people go missing, vanish or die every year in the wild lands of this country. Most disappear inside popular National Parks and numerous State Parks.
If you are indeed interested to discover how easy it is for people to get lost, fall off of a cliff, get injured or attacked, drown, be kidnapped or die in the mountains – then these books may be good reading material.
On foot, by truck or by car, the stories are long and ever detailed, often ending with more questions than answers.
Books on National Park Deaths and other outdoor fatalities
see also –
