Immense, grand vistas, land of Gold Rush stories and geological oddities. Graveled washes in rocky canyons, sand dunes, silence, vast sky, sparse vegetation. Time stretches into the distance, stars brilliant in the wide sky overhead… the stillness punctuated by calls of coyote or raven…

An area of great geological and biodiversity. Rugged mountains descend through grass and wildflower meadows to lush river-bottom land. Cottonwoods, oaks, and other deciduous trees line the rivers, while ponderosa pine forests and pinion-juniper cactus zones characteristic of high desert thrive close-by. Cliff dwellings and caves, pictographs, and shards of ancient pottery coexist with a wide range of wildlife. Hiking, moderate, doable by an average person. No campground fees.

Along the lake shore, swirls of mist lift from the water with the morning sun as islands emerge from the fog. Leaves are turning gold and crimson as geese splash down to rest on their southward journey. The forest offers a thousand treasures in miniature kingdoms of moss, fields of mushrooms sprouting from mossy logs, and water splashing through boulder-strewn streams... all amidst the brilliant palette of autumn leaves.