If the crowds at Lake Tahoe aren't your thing, make a beeline for this gorgeous alternative in the spectacular Sierra Nevadas.

The Santa Barbara County chaparral shrublands form my best-loved hiking region, also called Los Padres National Forest. However, the much higher “alpine” areas also summon the soul to breathe free ...

Lake Tahoe isn't the only outrageously beautiful alpine lake in the High Sierras — in fact, there are thousands of them, and ...