Editor’s Note
Some conversations begin with a question. Others begin with a moment that stays with you long after the weekend is over.
Last weekend, my wife and I took our one-year-old grandson on his very first camping trip. Like most grandparents, we spent the weekend watching him discover things many of us stopped noticing years ago. Pine cones. Dirt. Rocks. The crackle of a campfire. Every stick became something worth investigating.
Driving home, I found myself thinking less about the camping trip and more about the years ahead.
If I had the opportunity to introduce him to the Sierra Nevada one adventure at a time, where would I take him? More importantly, what experiences would I want him to remember long after I’m gone?
That question became this week’s conversation.
More Than a Bucket List
This isn’t a countdown of the biggest attractions in the Sierra Nevada.
It’s a collection of places and experiences that have shaped the way I see these mountains. Some are well known. Others are quiet corners of the Sierra that have become meaningful through years of returning to them with family and friends.
Every one of these places reminds me that the value of the Sierra isn’t measured by how many destinations we visit. It’s measured by the memories we create while we’re there.
If you’re introducing a child or grandchild to the outdoors—or simply thinking about the places that have become part of your own story—I hope these experiences inspire a few adventures of your own.
Memorable Moments from the Conversation
“The places matter, but it’s the memories we create there that stay with us.”
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that we rarely remember a trip because we checked another destination off a list. We remember the people who shared it with us, the conversations around a campfire, the unexpected discoveries, and the traditions that slowly become part of every adventure.
“I wasn’t trying to build a bucket list. I was thinking about building a lifetime of memories.”
The Sierra has never been about seeing everything. It has always been about slowing down enough to appreciate the places that continue calling us back year after year.
“One day he’ll decide which places become his favorites. My job is simply to introduce him to the mountains.”
Every generation discovers the Sierra in its own way. As grandparents, parents, mentors, and friends, perhaps our greatest gift is simply opening the door.
The Twelve Experiences
Watch Sunrise at May Lake
If someone asked me where they should experience their first Sierra sunrise, I’d have a hard time arguing against May Lake.
Most Yosemite visitors never see it.
They’re still asleep in Yosemite Valley, waiting for breakfast or planning their drive to Glacier Point, while the high country is quietly waking up. The air is cool enough that you’ll probably want a light jacket, the lake is often as smooth as glass, and the first light begins working its way across Mount Hoffmann long before it reaches the valley floor.
I’ve returned to May Lake several times over the years, and every visit has reminded me that Yosemite is much more than the places found on postcards. Standing beside the lake before sunrise changes your relationship with the park. The crowds disappear. The noise disappears. Suddenly you’re reminded that Yosemite is, first and foremost, wilderness.
It’s also one of the best introductions to Yosemite’s high country. Whether you’re hiking from Tioga Road, spending a night at May Lake High Sierra Camp, or simply making it part of a day exploring Tuolumne Meadows, the experience is entirely different from the Yosemite most visitors know.
If you’re introducing someone to the Sierra for the first time, especially a child or grandchild, I can’t think of many better mornings than watching the sun rise over May Lake together.
Spend a Night Under the Stars in the Eastern Sierra
The Sierra has no shortage of beautiful night skies, but the Eastern Sierra has always felt a little different to me.
Drive out onto the back roads between Bridgeport and Carson Valley, far enough away from towns and highways, and eventually the last traces of artificial light disappear. Suddenly the Milky Way stretches from one horizon to the other. Satellites drift quietly overhead. Every few minutes another shooting star cuts across the darkness. It’s one of the few places where the silence is almost as memorable as the stars themselves.
When I imagine sharing that experience with my grandson, I don’t picture anything elaborate.
I picture two camp chairs sitting beside the truck. A couple mugs of hot chocolate warming our hands. Maybe we’re counting satellites. Maybe he’s convinced an airplane is really a spaceship. If we’re lucky, perhaps the Northern Lights decide to make one of their rare appearances that far south.
Those quiet moments have a way of slowing life down.
They’re a reminder that some of the greatest outdoor experiences don’t require hiking another mile or reaching another summit. Sometimes all you have to do is look up.
Jump Into Lake Tahoe
Every kid should know what it feels like to jump into Lake Tahoe.
Not because it’s famous, but because there are very few places where you can stand on a granite boulder, look down through crystal-clear water, and see your toes before taking the plunge.
I already know where I’d take him.
Not one of the crowded beaches. I’d head for one of the quiet coves along Tahoe’s east shore, spread out a towel on a warm granite slab, and spend the afternoon doing what generations of Sierra families have done. We’d swim until the cold chased us back onto the rocks, warm up in the sun, laugh about how freezing the water was, and then do it all over again.
I used to bring my dog to this same stretch of shoreline. We’d often have the place almost entirely to ourselves.
Someday, I hope it’s my grandson standing on that same rock, laughing as he jumps into one of the clearest lakes in the world.
Explore Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Along Wolf Creek
When I think about introducing someone to wilderness, my mind always goes back to Carson-Iceberg Wilderness.
Long before Sierra Rec Magazine, Wolf Creek was one of the very first places I ever wrote about. It’s never been the busiest trail in the Sierra, and that’s one of the reasons I love it so much.
The hike itself isn’t particularly difficult. After about a mile and a half, the trail bends through a beautiful meadow before following Wolf Creek deeper into the wilderness. That’s usually where I’d leave the trail, find a quiet stretch of water, and simply let the day unfold.
I’d want my grandson to kick off his shoes, splash in the creek, throw rocks into the water, listen to the aspens rustling overhead, and enjoy the kind of afternoon that doesn’t require a schedule.
If I had my choice, we’d probably go in the fall when the aspens begin turning gold.
The best part about Carson-Iceberg Wilderness isn’t what you see.
It’s what you don’t.
No crowds.
No noise.
No rush to get somewhere else.
Just the freedom to spend an afternoon together beside a mountain creek.
Watch the Wild Horses of Carson Valley
Not every unforgettable Sierra experience happens high in the mountains.
Some happen before you even begin climbing into them.
One of the experiences I hope every grandchild gets to have is watching the wild horses that roam the Carson Valley and the surrounding BLM lands. There is something special about seeing these animals exactly where they belong—not behind a fence or inside a zoo, but living as wild horses should.
I’d love to pull off one of those dusty back roads, quietly walk toward a band of horses, and simply sit together watching them interact. Watching the stallions protect the herd. Watching the younger horses play. Talking about why they’re called a “band” in the first place.
I can already picture him pointing.
“Look at that one, Grandpa.”
“The spotted one.”
“That one’s my favorite.”
Those are the kinds of conversations children never forget.
Neither do grandparents.
Catch a First Fish at Lake Almanor
There are countless places to fish throughout the Sierra Nevada, but when I started thinking about where I’d introduce my grandson to fishing, one place immediately came to mind.
Lake Almanor.
It’s one of those lakes that seems to have everything. Trophy trout. Outstanding bass fishing. Beautiful mountain scenery with Lassen Peak rising in the distance. More importantly, it’s a place where the entire day becomes part of the adventure.
In my mind, the morning starts with breakfast at Carol’s Café before meeting one of the local guides at the marina. Grandpa isn’t pretending to be the expert. I’m hiring someone who fishes these waters every day because I want my grandson’s first experience to be a great one.
Maybe we spend the morning chasing rainbow trout. Maybe the afternoon is all about bass fishing and watching one explode out of the water for the first time. I can already imagine him fighting what feels like the biggest fish in the lake, even if it’s only sixteen inches long.
When the day is over, maybe we head back to St. Bernard Lodge, tell fish stories over dinner, and fall asleep listening to frogs along the shoreline.
That’s what I hope he remembers.
Not just catching a fish.
But spending an entire day outdoors together.
Experience the Freedom of Dispersed Camping
When I think about camping with my grandson, I don’t picture a campground packed with RVs, playgrounds, or campground programs.
I picture a dirt road.
Somewhere between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, I’d turn off Highway 395, follow one of the BLM roads into the sagebrush, and spend a little time finding the right campsite. That’s part of the adventure. There’s no reservation waiting for us. No campground host pointing us toward Site 14. Just open public land and the freedom to choose where we want to spend the night.
It’s probably the closest experience I can give him to the kind of camping I grew up doing with my own dad.
We’ll build a campfire, roast marshmallows, stay up later than we should, and wake up with the sunrise instead of an alarm clock. He’ll hear birds before he hears traffic. Maybe he’ll spend the morning chasing lizards through the sagebrush while I make breakfast over camp.
That’s the kind of camping I hope he remembers.
Not because it was comfortable.
Because it felt like an adventure.
Stand Beneath the Giant Sequoias
There are plenty of giant sequoia groves throughout the Sierra, but if I’m introducing someone to these incredible trees for the first time, I’m heading to Sequoia National Park.
I want him to stand beside the largest trees on earth and experience that moment every first-time visitor has. You look up, keep looking up, and eventually your neck starts to hurt because you still can’t see the top.
We’ll probably make a day of it.
If the weather is cool and cloudy, I’d love to hike the Alta Trail, wandering through the meadows toward General Sherman while passing giant sequoias, old Native American grinding sites, and some of the park’s quieter corners. If it’s a beautiful bluebird day, we’d ride the shuttle to Moro Rock, climb to the top, and then spend the afternoon walking toward Crescent Meadow before eventually reaching General Sherman.
Along the way we’ll stop constantly.
We’ll look for deer.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and spot a black bear.
We’ll walk through fallen giants, stand beside trees that have been growing for thousands of years, and wonder what this forest looked like long before any of us arrived.
Every child should stand beside something that makes them realize how small they are.
For me, that’s what the giant sequoias have always done.
Raft the East Fork of the Carson River
Some Sierra adventures are exciting because of where they take you.
Others are special because of who you share them with.
One of my favorite family experiences has always been floating the East Fork of the Carson River from Markleeville toward Gardnerville. It’s not extreme whitewater. It’s simply enough current to keep everyone smiling while giving you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery.
The first time I floated the river, there was a family with two young kids in another raft. I don’t remember every rapid we ran that day, but I remember those kids smiling from the moment we pushed away from shore until we pulled the boats out hours later.
That’s the memory that stayed with me.
Someday I’d love to watch my own grandkids experience that same kind of joy. Watching birds fly overhead. Splashing water at each other. Drifting through one of the prettiest river valleys in the Sierra without a care in the world.
Sometimes happiness is surprisingly simple.
A river.
A raft.
A family.
And a day spent outside together.
Explore the Historic Tunnels at Donner Summit
Every kid deserves a place where their imagination gets to run wild.
For me, that’s Donner Summit.
The old railroad tunnels have fascinated me ever since the first time I walked through them. They’re part history lesson, part adventure, and part giant playground. Children don’t see abandoned railroad tunnels the same way adults do. They see secret passageways, hidden worlds, and places waiting to be explored.
I’d hand him a flashlight and simply let him lead.
We’d stop to admire the old stonework, talk about the history of the transcontinental railroad, and, yes, probably admire some of the graffiti that now covers many of the tunnel walls. Maybe he’d ask why trains no longer come through here. Maybe we’d spend an hour talking about how these tunnels helped build California.
Or maybe we’d just enjoy walking through them together.
Either way, I have a feeling he’d remember the adventure.
Spend an Afternoon at Caples Lake
Some of my favorite Sierra memories didn’t involve accomplishing anything.
Caples Lake has always been one of those places.
There’s a small parking area along the east shore where fishermen often pull off. From there, a handful of informal trails lead down to quiet coves hidden among granite slabs and scattered pines. Years ago, my friend, my dog, and I would spend entire afternoons there without ever looking at the time.
We’d carry paddleboards, hammocks, lunch, and towels down to the shoreline.
Then we’d simply disappear for the day.
Swim for a while.
Stretch out in a hammock.
Paddle across the cove.
Eat lunch.
Take a nap.
Watch the afternoon drift by.
That’s the kind of place I hope my grandson gets to experience someday. A place where there isn’t an agenda. Where no one is trying to hurry to the next attraction.
Just a quiet cove, a hammock hanging between two trees, and an afternoon that belongs entirely to us.
Walk Through Fall at Green Creek
I’ve seen beautiful fall color all across the Sierra Nevada.
Alpine County is spectacular. Hope Valley never disappoints. There are dozens of places I’d gladly recommend.
But if I only had one chance to introduce someone to fall in the Sierra, I’d take them to Green Creek Canyon outside Bridgeport.
From the moment you leave the trailhead, the landscape begins changing. Aspens climb the mountainsides in every direction, and before long the trail enters what I can only describe as a tunnel of gold. For nearly a mile you’re surrounded by glowing yellow leaves, the sound of Green Creek beside the trail, and some of the most beautiful autumn scenery anywhere in California.
I’d probably choose a weekday.
The canyon deserves to be experienced without the crowds.
I can already imagine my grandson stopping every few minutes to pick up another golden leaf or asking why all the trees suddenly changed color.
Those are the moments I hope he remembers.
Not because Grandpa told him where to look.
Because the Sierra showed him something he’d never seen before.
Why These Places Matter
Looking back, I realize none of these places made the list because they’re famous.
They made the list because they became part of my family’s story.
Each one represents time spent outdoors, conversations shared with friends, mornings that started before sunrise, unexpected discoveries, and traditions that slowly became part of our lives.
My hope is that one day my grandson will have his own list.
It probably won’t look exactly like mine.
And that’s exactly the way it should be.
Continue Exploring Sierra Rec
If this conversation inspired your own Sierra bucket list, you may also enjoy exploring:
- Yosemite National Park
- Lake Tahoe
- Carson Iceberg Wilderness
- Green Creek
- Eastern Sierra
- Mammoth Lakes
- Bishop
- Scenic Drives Along Highway 395
- Family Camping in the Sierra Nevada
Listen to the Full Conversation
The conversation at the top of this page goes deeper into each of these experiences, the stories behind them, and why sharing the outdoors across generations may be one of the greatest adventures any of us can have.
