California Photographic Destinations
Let me help you to find a great location in California for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser known destinations, as well as the famous “Icon Locations” for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to insure a quality guide to the best places for photography in Arizona.
- Salvation Mountain
- Bombay Beach
- Pumpkin Patch Anza Borrego Desert
- Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch
- Cypress Tree Tunnel Point Reyes National Seashore
- Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
- SS Point Reyes Shipwreck
- Point Arena Lighthouse
- Zabriskie Point – Death Valley
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
California Photographic Destinations
California Destinations
Zabriskie Point
The most famous viewpoint in Death Valley National Park. Overlooking the golden colored badlands of the Furnace Creek formation, visitors can simply enjoy the view or elect to start the hike from the point around Badlands Loop. Connector trails lead to Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Red Cathedral. The point is most popular at sunrise and sunset.
Zabriskie Point is a part of the Amargosa Range located east of Death Valley in Death Valley National Park in California, United States, noted for its erosional landscape. It is composed of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up 5 million years ago—long before Death Valley came into existence.
The location was named after Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, vice-president and general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company in the early 20th century. The company’s twenty-mule teams were used to transport borax from its mining operations in Death Valley.
What to Photograph:
Just one of the most incredible views in the country, or it may be from another planet, it has been used in films to represent other planets.
Looking out from Zabriskie Point, you are surrounded by one of Death Valley’s forbidding, almost unearthly, desert landscapes. These are badlands. Everywhere you look, you see bone-dry, finely-sculpted, golden brown rock. Only the sparsest vegetation can survive in this intricately carved terrain.
Best Time for Photographers:
Death Valley National Park is usually considered a winter park, but it is possible to visit here all year. When is the best time to visit? It all depends on what you’re looking for.
AUTUMN arrives in late October, with warm but pleasant temperatures and generally clear skies. The camping season begins in fall and so do the Ranger Programs, which continue through spring.
WINTER has cool days, chilly nights and rarely, rainstorms. With snow capping the high peaks and low angled winter light, this season is especially beautiful for exploring the valley. The period after Thanksgiving and before Christmas is the least crowded time of the entire year.
SPRINGTIME is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Besides warm and sunny days, the possibility of spring wildflowers is a big attraction. If the previous winter brought rain, the desert can put on an impressive floral display, usually peaking in late March to early April.
SUMMER starts early in Death Valley. By May the valley is too hot for most visitors, yet throughout the hottest months, visitors from around the world still flock to the park. Lodging and camping are available, but only the most hardy will want to camp in the low elevations in the summer.
Where it is:
Traveling by Car
The main road transecting Death Valley National Park from east to west is California Highway 190.
On the east in Nevada, U.S. Route 95 parallels the park from north to south with connecting highways at Scotty’s Junction (State Route 267- Access closed until further notice), Beatty (State Route 374), and Lathrop Wells (State Route 373).
The most direct route from Las Vegas is via Pahrump, NV, and California Highway 190.
Coming from the west, State Route 14 and U.S. Route 395 lead to Ridgecrest, CA where State Route 178 heads east into the park. Further north on Hwy 395 at Olancha, CA you can join Hwy 190 to the park, or north of that at Lone Pine, CA, Hwy 136 will also join Hwy 190 heading east into the park.
South of the park, Interstate 15 passes through Baker, California on its way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. State Route 127 travels north from Baker to Shoshone and Death Valley Junction with connections to the park on State Route 178 from Shoshone and connection with California Highway 190 at Death Valley Junction.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Click here for large map
Cost:
Zabriskie Point is in Death Valley National Park.
Entrance Fees
Vehicle Entrance Fee
$25 for 7 Days
This permit allows all persons traveling with the permit holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.
Motorcycle Entrance Fee
$20 for 7 Days
Individual Entrance Fee
$12 for 7 Days
This permit allows a single individual traveling on foot or bicycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.
Death Valley Annual Pass
$50 for one year
Annual pass providing free entrance to Death Valley for 12 months from the date of purchase
National Park Passes are also accepted.
Hours:
The park is open 24 hours a day.
Facilities:
There are primitive bathrooms at the Zabriskie Point viewpoint.
Lodging and restaurants may be found at four resorts located in the central part of Death Valley National Park: Furnace Creek Ranch and Inn, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs. Additional lodging and dining opportunities can be found in communities outside the national park.
Links:
Death Valley National Park Website
Location Contact Information:
By Email
By Mail
Death Valley National Park
P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328
By Phone
Visitor Information
(760) 786-3200
By Fax
(760) 786-3246
Zabriskie Point
Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
SS Point Reyes Shipwreck
The Point Reyes shipwreck, an old fishing boat that was purchased by a resident of Inverness who intended to repair the vessel. The new owner intentionally beached the boat on the Tomales Bay side of what is now the Dixon Marine Services, Inc. building in “downtown” Inverness.
Point Reyes National Seashore is a 71,028-acre park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in California. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park Service as an important nature preserve. Some existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue within the park. Clem Miller, a US Congressman from Marin County wrote and introduced the bill for the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962 to protect the peninsula from development which was proposed at the time for the slopes above Drake’s Bay. All of the park’s beaches were listed as the cleanest in the state in 2010.
The small town of Point Reyes Station, although not actually located on the peninsula, nevertheless provides most services to it, though some services are also available at Inverness on the west shore of Tomales Bay. The even smaller town of Olema, about 3 miles south of Point Reyes Station, serves as the gateway to the Seashore and its visitor center, located on Bear Valley Road.
The peninsula includes wild coastal beaches and headlands, estuaries, and uplands. Parts of the park are private farms and ranches which have commercial cattle grazing. These were leased back when the park was purchased to continue these historic uses. Other parts are under the jurisdiction of other conservation authorities with the National Park Service provides signage and manages visitor impact on the entire peninsula and Tomales Bay.
What to Photograph
The Tomales Bay Shipwreck, the Inverness Shipwreck, or the S.S. Point Reyes.
Where it is:
The new owner intentionally beached the boat on the Tomales Bay side of what is now the Dixon Marine Services, Inc. building in “downtown” Inverness. While the boat is on NPS land, one must cross private property to best view it. As of May 2016, the Inverness Store allows the public to view the boat from the east end of its parking lot. Please do not otherwise trespass on the private property in the area.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
38°5’49.529″ N 122°51’3.408″ W
Hours:
There are no hours for this location it is accessible 24 hours a day.
Cost:
No Entrance Fee is Charged at Point Reyes National Seashore
Location Contact Information:
Mailing Address:
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Phone:
(415) 464-5100
SS Point Reyes Shipwreck
Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Salvation Mountain
Salvation Mountain is a hillside visionary environment created by local resident Leonard Knight (1931–2014) in the California Desert area of Imperial County, north of Calipatria, northeast of Niland, near the Slab City squatter/art commune, and several miles from the Salton Sea.
The artwork is made of adobe bricks, discarded tires and windows, automobile parts and thousands of gallons of paint. It encompasses numerous murals and areas painted with Christian sayings and Bible verses, though its philosophy was built around the Sinner’s Prayer.
The Folk Art Society of America declared it “a folk art site worthy of preservation and protection” in the year 2000. In an address to the United States Congress on May 15, 2002, California Senator Barbara Boxer described it as “a unique and visionary sculpture… a national treasure… profoundly strange and beautifully accessible, and worthy of the international acclaim it receives”.
In December 2011, the 80-year-old Knight was placed in a long-term care facility in El Cajon for dementia. Leonard Knight died on February 10, 2014, in El Cajon. He was able to visit Salvation Mountain for the last time in May 2013.
Concern was raised in 2012 for the future of the site, which requires constant upkeep due to the harsh desert environment. Many visitors were donating paint to the project, and a group of volunteers worked to protect and maintain the site. In February 2011, a public charity, Salvation Mountain, Inc., was established to support the project.
Where it is:
Salvation Mountain is located in Slab City, a transient & retiree commune; known as the last free place in America. It’s right outside of Niland in the Colorado Desert in Imperial County, California.
Address
603 Beal Rd
Niland, CA 92257
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
33°15’14.064″ N 115°28’23.346″ W
Cost:
There is no cost to visit, but donations are accepted and appreciated.
Hours:
OPEN SUNRISE TO SUNSET, 365 DAYS
Facilities:
There are no public facilities at Salvation Mountain
Location Contact Information:
Mailing Address
Salvation Mountain, Inc.
P.O. Box 1577
Calipatria, CA 92233
760.624.8754
Info@salvationmountain.org
Salvation Mountain Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Pumpkin Patch Anza Borrego Desert
There aren’t any real pumpkins in this pumpkin patch, but if you use your imagination this city block sized patch of what geologist call concretions certainly resembles a real pumpkin patch.
Pumpkin Patch is a famous point of interest in Ocotillo Wells, near Anaz Borrego State Park because Of the abundance of the peculiar round rocks. These “pumpkins” are actually a unique geologic feature called concretions. Concretions are found all over the world, but are not all formed the same way. Geologists would agree, however, that the key ingredient is concrete, hence the name concretion.
After several years of wind erosion, these concretions have slowly emerged from the sand, while remaining stationary, and have been rounded by the wind. Unlike their life beneath the sand where they grew larger and larger, they are now exposed to the wind, slowly whittling away.
These concretions at Ocotillo Wells likely formed much like how a pearl forms. When loose sand is wetted, it will naturally Cement itself to a larger Object such as a pebble, piece of a shell, or even an insect body. When the water evaporates, the sand become hardened around the object. Although Ocotillo Wells’ pumpkins are rounded. concretions can become any shape and size.
Where it is:
The Pumpkin Patch is located in the Ocotillo Wells California Vehicular Recreation Area, just east of the Anza Borrego State Park boundary.
Getting to the Pumpkin Patch can be a little bit difficult and a high clearance 4 wheel drive is recommended. You will not be driving on roads, but instead a series of trails that primarily follow stretches of sand washes. A GPS navigation system will not get you there, it does not show the roads (trails). Be sure you have a map showing the off-road trails before beginning this trip.
There are multiple trails and routes to get to the pumpkin patch, the quickest and easiest way is to start your trip, from downtown Borrego Springs, the beginning of the dirt road can be reached by following S-22 (Borrego Salton Seaway) east from Christmas Circle for about 16 miles. Turn right onto a dirt road to a primitive BLM campground keep on the road which trends southeast, this will be crossover trail and eventually leads you into Tule Wash. Turn Right on Tule Wash and follow it until you reach the Pumpkin Patch. There will be a parking area with a picnic table and restrooms.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
33°13’22.272″ N 116°4’7.008″ W
Cost:
There is no cost to visit the Pumpkin Patch.
Hours:
The area is open 24 hours per day.
Facilities:
There is a picnic table and shelter along with restrooms at the Pumpkin Patch.
Location Contact Information:
OCOTILLO WELLS SVRA
5172 Highway 78
Borrego Springs CA 92004
Telephone
District Office:
(760) 767-5391
Discovery Center:
(760) 767-5393
Ranger Office:
(760) 767-0166
Pioneer’s Memorial Hospital:
(760) 344-2120
Emergency:
911
Pumpkin Patch Anza Borrego Desert Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
Point Cabrillo Light is a lighthouse in northern California, United States, between Point Arena and Cape Mendocino, just south of the community of Caspar. It has been a federal aid to navigation since 1909. It is part of the California state valium no prescription park system as Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park.
The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse complex is located about 1.5 miles north of Mendocino, California, and includes the lighthouse itself together with several outbuildings. Most of the original structures remain, but the barn is missing: in 1986 it was destroyed in a fire department exercise. The remaining lighthouse station is “one of the most complete light stations in the United States”
History:
Point Cabrillo, the sandstone headland on which the Point Cabrillo Light lies, was named in 1870 by the United States Geological Survey after the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho, although Cabrillo’s voyage of exploration on behalf of Spain along the California coast did not reach as far north as the point. Because Spain controlled early California, the Spanish derivation of his name is the one used today. The opium-trading brig Frolic wrecked on a reef north of Point Cabrillo in 1850; the investigation of the wreck by agents of Henry Meiggs led to the discovery of the coast redwood forests of the Mendocino area and the beginning of the timber trade that would drive the local economy for decades.
In 1873, Point Cabrillo was surveyed as a potential site for a lighthouse; however, no lighthouse was built at that time. By 1904, several shipwrecks later, the U.S. Lighthouse Service recommended that a lighthouse be placed at the point. The bill to fund its construction, Senate Bill 6648, passed in June 1906, and the government bought 30 acres of land on Point Cabrillo from rancher David Gordon for $3,195. The lighthouse was constructed by the Lindgren Company beginning in 1908, and began operation in 1909. Its first light keeper was Wilhelm Baumgartner, who held the position until 1923. In 1935, an air diaphone supertyfone sound signal was installed.
The United States Coast Guard took over the Lighthouse Service in 1939. The lighthouse building sustained major damage in 1960 after a storm caused waves that crested above the light and flooded the building with mud, but the lens remained undamaged. Later during the Cold War, the station was used to simulate a Soviet radar base in training exercises. The Coast Guard manned the station until 1973, when the lens was covered and a modern rotating beacon was mounted on a metal stand on the roof west of the lantern room.
In 1988 the California Coastal Conservancy began buying the land surrounding the light station, and in 1991 the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the California State Park System declined to take over the land at that time because of state budget shortfalls; instead, the station was managed for nine years by a non-profit organization, the North Coast Interpretive Association. Beginning in 1996, the NCIA organized a major restoration of the station to the state it would have been in the 1930s, after it was electrified, including a return to active duty of the main lens of the light. In 1999, the original third-order Fresnel lens was reinstalled after being upgraded to meet more modern standards. Before it could be used the light had to be as reliable as a Directional Code Beacon, which is commonly used at airports. The restored lighthouse was opened to the public in August 2001, and appeared in the Warner Bros. 2001 drama film The Majestic. In 2002, California State Parks purchased the light station for four million dollars. The NCIA, which then became the Point Cabrillo Light Keeper Association, continued to run the station for the state park system. The station won the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award in 2007, and the Preservation Design Award of the California Preservation Foundation in the same year.
A hiking trail, part of the California Coastal Trail, was established in 2011 and connects the light station to Caspar Headlands State Beach one mile to the north, passing Frolic Cove along the way.
The Light Station includes:
The Lighthouse, which is an active duty Aid to Navigation, containing the original Chance Brothers classic 3rd order Fresnel lens
three restored Lightkeeper homes; the first house is a period museum of a lightkeeper’s house in the 1930s; the other two houses are comfortable vacation rental homes
the restored Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop, which houses the Marine Science Exhibit with its 240 gallon saltwater aquarium
three restored storage buildings behind the residences; two of these have been converted to lovely vacation rental cottages, the other is a public restroom
What to Photograph
The historic lighthouse and keepers quarters, which are one of the most intact light stations in the country.
There are hiking trails throughout the Point which wind through coastal prairie and coastal bluff habitats.
Where it is:
Located on the Mendocino Coast, between Mendocino village and Fort Bragg, about halfway between Russian Gulch State Park and Caspar Beach, on Point Cabrillo Drive.
Parking: The Light Station is approximately one half mile walk from the entry gate on Point Cabrillo Drive. Please park vehicles in the paved parking area at the gate. The parking area is open from sunrise to sunset daily. Handicapped access parking is available at the Light Station in front of the residences.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
39°20’55.948″ N 123°49’35.688″ W
Hours:
Hours of Operation
State Historic Park: sunrise to sunset
The main floor of the Lighthouse, the 1st Assistant Lightkeeper’s House and the Marine Science Exhibit are open to the public from 11am to 4pm year-round. The State Historic Park is open from sunrise to sunset daily.
Cost:
There is not cost to visit the Point Cabrillo Light Station California State Historical Park, donations are welcome.
Drone Policy:
Due to the fragile and sensitive cultural and wildlife resources present at Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park, the flying of private drones is prohibited throughout the Park.
Location Contact Information:
office phone: 707.937.6123
giftshop: send email to giftshop@pointcabrillo.org
general questions: send email to info@pointcabrillo.org
web site issues: send email to pclk.webmaster@jhfrey.com
URL: http://pointcabrillo.org
Our mailing address:
PCLK
PO Box 641
Mendocino CA 95460
To send mail, see above. Mail is not delivered to the physical address.
Physical address:
Point Cabrillo Light Station
45300 Lighthouse Rd.
Mendocino CA 95460
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Point Arena Lighthouse
Point Arena Light is a lighthouse two miles north of Point Arena, California. The lighthouse features a small museum and giftshop. Guided tours of the light station as well as self-guided tours of the grounds are available daily.
The lighthouse at this site was constructed in 1870. The brick-and-mortar tower included ornate iron balcony supports and a large keeper residence with enough space to house several families. In April 1906, a devastating earthquake struck the light station. The keeper’s residence and lighthouse were damaged so severely they had to be demolished.
The United States Lighthouse Service contracted with a San Francisco based company to build a new lighthouse on the site, and specified that it had to be able to withstand any future earthquakes. The company chosen normally built factory smokestacks, which accounts for the final design for the new Point Arena Lighthouse, featuring steel reinforcement rods encased in concrete. This was the first lighthouse built this way.
The new lighthouse began operation in 1908, nearly 18 months after the quake. It stands 115 feet tall, and featured a 1st Order Fresnel Lens, over six feet in diameter and weighing more than six tons. The lens was made up of 666 hand-ground glass prisms all focused toward three sets of double bullseyes. It was these bullseyes that gave the Point Arena Lighthouse its unique “light signature” of two flashes every six seconds. The optics, which held an appraised value of over $3.5 million, was set in solid brass framework, and was built in France.
In 1984, a nonprofit organization called the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers acquired the light station as part of a 25-year land lease from the Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation. In November 2000, the nonprofit group became the official owners of the property due to their diligent historic preservation and educational efforts. Daily visitation, gift store sales, memberships and the rental of the historic Keeper’s homes on the property as vacation houses, all provide income to the group, for ongoing preservation, facility upgrades, and educational endeavors.
What to Photograph
The lighthouse, the fog house and 23 acres of grounds surrounded on 3 sides by the Pacific Ocean.
Where it is:
To get there, follow Highway 1 north from the town of Point Arena and turn west onto Lighthouse Road at the sign for Lighthouse Pointe Resort. Follow this road to the end and follow signs for parking.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
38°57’16.499″ N 123°44’26.615″ W
Hours:
Point Arena Lighthouse is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Hours of operation:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from the day after Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend
PLEASE NOTE: The last Tower Tour is at 3:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). The grounds, Museum and Gift Store are open until 3:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day).
The Lighthouse will close early on Christmas Eve. Hours on December 24 will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the last Tower Tour at 12:45 p.m.
Cost:
Museum admission, no Tower Tour: $5 per person (12 years and up), $1 for children ages 5 – 11, under 5 free
Museum & Tower Tour: $8 per person (12 years and up), $1 for children ages 5 – 11, under 5 free
Museum & Tower Tour per vehicle discount rate (5 to 8 people per vehicle): $35 per vehicle
Active Military & Veterans Admission including Tower tour: $6.50 per person
Location Contact Information:
Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers, Inc.
P.O. Box 11
45500 Lighthouse Road
Point Arena, CA 95468
PH: 877-725-4448, ext. 1 or 707-882-2809, ext. 1
email: info.palight@gmail.com
Point Arena Lighthouse Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch
Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch is a landmark on Route 66 located near Oro Grande California in the Mojave Desert. Elmer grew up in California and accompanied his father on trips to the desert where they collected most anything they could find, including bottles for his fathers collection. Elmer built his first bottletree in 2000 and when his father passed away a few years later Elmer inherited his fathers collection . The bottletrees continued to a count of over 200 with all of the other junk making each one unique.
Elmer Long passed away peacefully on June 22nd, 2019 surrounded by friends and family.
He created an amazing place that became a thing of wonder and a destination for people all over the world. His family will do everything in it’s power to preserve and protect his legacy after his sudden passing.
Where it is:
Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch is located at 24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande, CA 92368, between Victorville & Barstow on what used to be Route 66.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
34.6903, -117.3394
Cost:
There is no cost to visit, but donations are greatly appreciated
Hours:
There are not set hours but is open most days and can be seen and photographed from outside the fence when the gate is closed.
Facilities:
There are no facilities at the location.
Location Contact Information:
24266 National Trails Hwy
Oro Grande, California, 92368
United States
info@thebottletreeranch.com
Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Cypress Tree Tunnel Point Reyes National Seashore
The Monterey cypress that now create the “tree tunnel” at the Point Reyes Receiving Station is a signature landscape feature that evokes some of the prestige that RCA placed in this profitable, historic operation. The Cypress Tree Tunnel was planted around 1930.
The Historic KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station
Guglielmo Marconi sited and commissioned the building of a wireless telegraphy transmitting station west of Bolinas and a receiving station in Marshall on Tomales Bay in 1913–14. The Marshall station was supplanted in 1929 to support the growing point-to-point business in the Pacific by a new Art Deco-designed facility at Point Reyes Beach on the “G” Ranch. Few of the succeeding generations of antennas—arranged in “farms”—remain at the two sites. However, the radio equipment, ship-to-shore Morse communications, and teletype—some of it dating to the World War II-era—remains intact, has been restored and made functional, and is used to broadcast on numerous frequencies, including KPH.
The Receiving Station and “Tree Tunnel” are located at what is now the park’s North District Operations Center.
What to Photograph
The fabulous Monterey Cypress tree tunnel and the Art Deco Historic RCA Coast Station KPH.
Where it is:
The tree tunnel is located in the Point Reyes National Seashore on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard (the main road through the park) about halfway between the Bear Valley Visitor Center and the Lighthouse. Just look for the trees, they are the only ones around.
Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to the North District Operation Center and Historic RCA Coast Station KPH
Allow ~25 minutes.
From the Bear Valley Visitor Center, head north 0.2 miles (0.3 km) to Bear Valley Road.
Turn left and follow Bear Valley Road 1.75 miles (2.8 km) northwest to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Turn left and follow Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 9.5 miles (15.2 km) north and west.
Follow road signs for “Lighthouse” until you see a sign for “North District Operation Center.”
Turn right and follow the road 0.25 miles (0.4 km) north to the parking lot.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” buy antibiotics malaysia views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
38°5’43.114″ N 122°56’49.236″ W
Hours:
There are no hours for this location it is accessible 24 hours a day.
Cost:
No Entrance Fee is Charged at Point Reyes National Seashore
Drone Policy:
Remote controlled aircraft (both motorized and gliders) are prohibited due to potential disturbance to visitors and wildlife.
Location Contact Information:
CONTACT THE PARK
By Mail
Point Reyes National Seashore
1 Bear Valley Rd.
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
By Phone
Visitor Information
415-464-5100 x2
Backcountry Camping
Reservations may be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
For information about Backcountry Camping, call 415-464-5100 x2 x5
Headquarters
415-464-5100 x1
Volunteer Information
415-464-5225
Education Programs
415-464-5139
Special Use Permits
415-464-5111
Fax
415-663-8132
Mailing Address:
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Phone:
(415) 464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (i.e., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; weather forecast; fire danger information; shuttle bus system status; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.
Cypress Tree Tunnel Point Reyes National Seashore Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Bombay Beach
Bombay Beach is located on the Salton Sea, and is the lowest community in the United States, located 223 feet below sea level. Bombay Beach features a large number of art pieces and installations around the town and along the beach.
During the 1950s, Bombay Beach was a popular beachgoing destination. Celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby frequented the luxury resorts along the Salton Sea, which was known for its fishing, boating and water skiing. The area attracted half a million tourists annually, rivaling Yosemite National Park.
Bombay Beach’s decline began around the 1970s, when the runoff (full of salty chemicals) led to a warning that the salinity of the lake would no longer sustain wildlife; that occurred by the early 1980s. Many residents around the Salton Sea, including those in Bombay Beach, were eventually driven to move out by the odor of the dying fish, the fear of health problems, and both the flooding and the draining of the Salton Sea. Many of the remaining residents are reportedly either too poor to move out or too attached to the history of the area to leave. A report by the Pacific Institute in September 2019 stated that ten years earlier, “there were some 100 million fish in the Sea. Now, more than 97 percent of those fish are gone.”
There are only two stores in the town, one of which is a convenience store. The Ski Inn bar and restaurant is the only eating and drinking establishment in the town. The “Bombay Beach Drive-In” is an art installation consisting of old, abandoned cars at a drive-in theater. A visitor in 2019 wrote that there were many “discarded homes and trailers long-since abandoned” and that many of the buildings were “windowless husks blanketed in graffiti, surrounded by broken furniture and rubble.”
The derelict “living ghost town” status of Bombay Beach has attracted many photographers, filmmakers, urban explorers, and tourists, to the point that locals tend to ask visitors if they are filmmakers that are there to shoot a documentary. The town, as well as others on the shores of the Salton Sea, is one of the lowest settlements in elevation in North America.
The population of Bombay Beach has been described as “mostly elderly residents” who “live in a grid of mobile homes and eccentric (and, sometimes, elaborate) small homes and shacks.”
Where it is:
Bombay Beach is located in Southern California’s Sonoran Desert. Bombay Beach is located on the east shore of the Salton Sea.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
33°21’26.07″ N 115°44’2.454″ W
Cost:
There is no charge to visit Bombay Beach.
Hours:
Bombay Beach is always open.
Facilities:
There are no public facilities at Bombay Beach, there is one store and a restaurant which may or may not be open.
Location Contact Information:
There is no local contact information for Bombay Beach.
Bombay Beach Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in California
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
