Blauert on Outdoors: Great time to visit Knights Ferry, Striped Rock

Unusually warm weather and drought conditions are starting to fade the typical signs of spring. If you want to see waterfalls or wildflowers this year, go sooner rather than later.

At Knights Ferry on the Stanislaus River last weekend, the surrounding hills were still fairly green, poppies and lupine were blooming near the river, and the icy water was refreshing after walking in the hot sun. People were picnicking, barbecuing and wading in the river. Just over an hour from Merced on Highway 108, the small historic community boasts a picturesque covered bridge built in 1860 and historic buildings that date to the Gold Rush.

Two restaurants, a vintage ice cream parlor, a visitor center, an extensive outdoor recreation area and two short riverside trails make Knights Ferry a great place to explore year-round. It’s especially enjoyable for cooling off in the summer when rafts can be rented to float the river 8 miles downstream to Orange Blossom Bridge.

The rental fee includes a shuttle service that picks up rafters and returns them to the parking/launch area at Knights Ferry. For more information, check out the following:

▪ River Journey – http://www.riverjourney.com or (800) 292-2938.

▪ Sunshine Rafting – http://raftadventure.com or (800) 829-7238.

Last weekend, I participated in the Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s “Wildflowers on Striped Rock” class in Mariposa County. Striped Rock is a 2,251-foot granite dome in the western part of the county. During our hike, we identified more than 30 species of wildflowers around the dome.

The land is a privately owned section of the county with a conservation easement overseen by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy.

The landowner generously allows SFC to conduct public classes and hikes a few times a year. The property includes a variety of landscapes and habitats, including oak woodland, chaparral, riparian areas along small creeks and exposed granite faces. The view from the dome is especially impressive on clear days.

Striped Rock will be open one more time this spring, and the conservancy will offer several hikes and classes in other locations during the next few weeks.

One of the best things about Striped Rock is that it is close to Merced. The hike is mostly moderate, but the climb to the top of the dome is steep and the trail is overgrown in places with poison oak hiding amongst other plants. For information, go to http://www.sierrafoothill.org or call (209) 742-5556.

After the wildflower class, I drove to the Lewis Creek trailhead, about 7 miles up Highway 41 from Oakhurst.

Easy to find along the east side of the road, there’s plenty of parking available. A short downhill walk on an old road (now closed to traffic) brings you to the main trail. A right turn at the junction follows a steep pathway to a viewing platform near the base of Corlieu Falls, a pretty series of cascades and falls.

It’s not as impressive as the falls of Yosemite Valley, but you won’t see nearly as many people, and it’s barely a 15-minute walk to the viewpoint.

Just be prepared for the steep climb back up the hill when you’re done. Back at the trail junction, you can also follow Lewis Creek northward (uphill) for about 2 miles to Red Rock Falls.

There was water flowing over both falls, but it’s going to diminish soon so this is a destination to check out right away or save for a time after we get more precipitation.

The Lewis Creek trail is located in Sierra National Forest, just outside Yosemite’s boundary. Call the Bass Lake Ranger District at (559) 877-2218 for information.

Yosemite’s Glacier Point Road opened last weekend, making it easy to access the southern rim of Yosemite Valley and much of Yosemite’s southern wilderness areas. Highway 108 is projected to be open to Kennedy Meadows by April 10 and over Sonora Pass a week later. Highway 180 in Kings Canyon National Park is currently closed 6 miles east of Grant Grove Village, but it will reopen to the Kings River Canyon at noon April 24. The opening date for Tioga Pass (Highway 120 through Yosemite) has not been announced.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: Great time to visit Knights Ferry, Striped Rock."