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National Geographic
02-07-2025
- National Geographic
8 must-do adventures in Namibia
Namibia is a southwestern African nation roughly twice the size of California, known for having the world's oldest desert. The Namib Desert is the scene for many of Namibia's must-do adventures, from hiking up Sossusvlei's distinctive red and orange dunes at sunrise to spending days exploring the Tok Tokkie Trails on foot. Despite the harsh desert conditions, Namibia offers abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. Watch elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, wildebeests, oryx, and other animals congregate at watering holes in Etosha National Park. In other locations, spot desert elephants along dry and ephemeral riverbeds, track rhinos on foot, and learn about conservation work to protect leopards, pangolins, and other species. Travelers should not miss out on these eight experiences when visiting Namibia. (Why you should go to Namibia now.) 1. Hike the Tok Tokkie Trails and sleep under the stars Spend three days hiking and two nights camping under the stars in 'dune beds' along the Tok Tokkie Trails in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. Look up at the Magellanic Clouds, Southern Cross, and Milky Way, including its satellite galaxies, while enjoying some of the planet's darkest and least light-polluted skies in Africa's first International Dark Sky Reserve. Exploring the desert on foot allows visitors to observe wildlife such as oryx, zebras, and giraffes, as well as to appreciate the wind-carved ripples in the dunes and the tiny tracks left by Tok-Tokkie beetles, geckos, moles, jackals, and other animals. While on car-based safaris, Wilderness Travel guide Peter Nuugonya says it's challenging to see all the fine details of the natural environment, such as mysterious fairy circles or tiny insect tracks left in the sand. However, getting out on foot opens up a new world of exploration. 'If you think of the Namib Desert itself, where the Tok Tokkie Trails are located, the Namib Desert is very rich when it comes to the small creatures,' he says. 2. Track desert elephants Namibia is home to a group of fascinating desert elephants that reside in the Kunene Region, and the best way to see them is to join a guide for a desert tracking experience. Explore dry and ephemeral riverbeds looking for signs of elephants, including enormous footprints and fresh piles of dung. If you're lucky and find an elephant—or a group of them—you can watch them munch on trees and even interact in family groups. The area is also breathtakingly quiet, and NamibRand Nature Reserve was designated Africa's first Wilderness Quiet Park by Quiet Parks International in 2024.'You can hear your heartbeat at times,' says Nuugonya. (Desert hikes and camping under the stars on a budget safari in Namibia) 3. Hike the Sossusvlei dunes at sunrise Watch the sun rise while hiking some of the world's most impressive dunes at Sossusvlei. As the sun climbs in the sky, the dunes transform with brilliant shades of red, orange, and ochre, and early morning is the perfect time for hikers to ascend before the day gets too warm. Wind creates an ever-changing array of ripples and shapes in the dunes, which get their distinctive color from iron oxide. After topping a dune, you can head back down and spend some time exploring Deadvlei to see the gnarled camel thorn trees set against the white clay pan and red dunes. 4. See ancient rock art at a UNESCO World Heritage site Travelers should add a visit to the Twyfelfontein rock engraving site in Namibia's Kunene Region to explore the country's Indigenous people and their culture. Photograph by Frans Lanting, National Geographic Image Collection Gaze at ancient rock art that dates back to the Late Stone Age at Twyfelfontein, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The site is home to an extensive collection of rock art, including engravings and paintings, believed to have been created by the Indigenous San people. See art depicting rhinos, elephants, ostriches, giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife, along with a few images of humans, and an impressive collection of human and animal footprints. Short hiking trails and viewing platforms provide good vantage points for a fascinating peek into this open-air gallery. (Eight ultimate adventures for every ability in Namibia) 5. Track leopards and pangolins at Okonjima Nature Reserve Visit Okonjima Nature Reserve for a chance to track leopards and pangolins and learn about conservation and research projects on-site. The 55,000-acre reserve is a research area for leopards, brown hyenas, pangolins, and other species. Sign up for a leopard tracking excursion to accompany a guide in a vehicle and use telemetry to track leopards. The technology makes spotting them easier. Guides also record data about the animals and their behavior. You can opt for pangolin tracking in the late afternoon or evening, among other options. Several lodging options are available on-site, including Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp and Okonjima Plains Camp. This reserve is also home to the AfriCat Foundation. Since 1991, the foundation has worked to help farmers and wildcats coexist, and today, researchers and veterinarians collaborate to save the cats. 6. Witness world-class wildlife viewing at Etosha National Park The 1,800-square-mile Etosha Pan is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including elephants. Photograph by Chris Schmid, National Geographic Image Collection A lioness and her two cubs rest in the shade at Etosha National Park. Photograph by Chris Schmid, National Geographic Image Collection A young Leopard hides in the tall grass at Etosha National Park. Photograph by Chris Schmid, National Geographic Image Collection The Etosha Pan is so large that it can be seen from space. This 1,800-square-mile salt pan is home to numerous watering holes where wildlife gather in Etosha National Park. Take a tour or drive yourself to this northern Namibia park, but be aware that you will need to remain in your car for your safety, except at designated fenced rest areas. Watch from your vehicle as animals congregate around watering holes, taking the time to enjoy the elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, oryx, zebra, oryx, lions, cheetahs, and more. 7. Take a game drive in Ongava Private Reserve Go for a game drive in the 74,000-acre Ongava Private Reserve to see rhinos, leopards, lions, elephants, jackals, impalas, zebras, and a variety of other wildlife. The reserve is situated near Etosha National Park, and offers sundown game drives, waterholes near accommodations, and is also home to the Ongava Research Centre. 8. Track rhinos on foot with dedicated rangers In Namibia, a group of dedicated rangers from the Save the Rhino Trust works to protect rhinos from poachers in the Kunene Region, and it is sometimes possible to join them on foot to see a rhino. If rangers spot a rhino, guides bring guests—clad in neutral clothing without any shiny objects—to see them, walking low to the ground and stepping as quietly as possible for a peek at the animals. (Learning to protect Namibia's endangered rhinos on a new conservation bootcamp) This trip was created with the support of Wilderness Travel. GO WITH NAT GEO: Travel with National Geographic Journeys and seek out endangered black rhinos through Etosha National Park in Namibia." For more info, check out our Journeys: Wonders of Namibia. Kristen Pope is a freelance writer based near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, who covers adventure travel, outdoor recreation, astrotourism, wildlife, conservation, and science.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Why 'Quiet-cations' Are The Latest Travel Trend
The modern world we live in is noisy. Take a minute to listen to the landscape around you, and you'll see that even if things are 'quiet,' there are likely a few background hums of noise, from that of your appliances operating to the ambient noise of traffic on nearby streets. True silence, for many of us, can be a scarce commodity. Does it matter? Well, it turns out that quiet can be healthy. Studies have shown that experiencing silence, even for just brief intervals, can help lower our blood pressure and improve our focus. This at least partially explains the recent travel trend of 'quiet-cations,' in which travelers actively seek out the quietest places. A nonprofit called Quiet Parks International is attempting to help by drawing attention to parks and trails that are particularly quiet. You can check out their full list here to find quiet places close to your home. In the meantime, here are two of our picks for great quiet travel destinations, one national and the other international. Located just a few hours northwest of Seattle, the sprawling Olympic National Park has something for everyone, from imposing mountains to boulder-strewn beaches and an impressively deep lake. In fact, this park, which was designated a national monument in 1909 and named a national park in 1938, is the place that inspired Quiet Parks International's Gordon Hempton to found the organization. Where To Find Quiet: Try visiting 'One Square Inch of Silence,' a research project created by Quiet Parks International that may be one of the quietest places in the continental United States. Another good bet is the 'Hall Of Mosses' trail in the Hoh Rain Forest, a 24-square-mile temperate rainforest so laden with moss and trees that you'll feel a palpable hush as soon as you enter. While the Olympic National Park is easily accessible from Seattle, Nuku Hiva, one of a chain of volcanic islands called the Marquesas in French Polynesia, will take a little more work. First, you'll need to fly to Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport, the main international airport for French Polynesia. Next, you'll need to take a 3 hour and 15 minute flight to Nuku Hiva Airport, a one-runway landing strip on the northern part of the island. But once you're there, you'll find yourself in a paradise of quiet, because Nuku Hiva is one of the world's most remote tourist destinations. Where To Find Quiet: While much of the interior of Nuku Hiva features the island's quietest places (as long as you don't get too close to the impressive waterfalls, which can be pretty loud), the island's deserted beaches and their bays also can't be missed. Anaho Bay, located on the island's north side, is serenely beautiful and calm, its white sand beaches surrounded by dense vegetation that acts as a sound muffler.
Los Angeles Times
27-02-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Escape L.A's noise pollution — leaf blowers! honking! sirens! — at these 12 ‘quiet' parks and trails
Feb. 27, 2025 3 AM PT Close your eyes, take a deep breath and listen to the sounds around your L.A. neighborhood. You can hear the glorious roar of a leaf blower. And, ah yes, there's the thrum of a police helicopter. Are those fireworks? Sounds like the Dodgers won. Though this city is many things, it's not quiet. But unlike other major metropolitan areas, L.A. is blessed with several parks and mountain ranges. Within a quick drive, you can be alone on a trail in Angeles National Forest, or even just in a park far enough from the freeway to hear a bird's song over the honking. At some point in your time here, you've probably surrounded yourself in nature when you needed some calm. But did you know that there's a way to measure that peace and quiet? It's all thanks to the nonprofit Quiet Parks International. The all-volunteer group's mission is to protect quiet places. It does that, first, by conducting quiet studies at nominated parkland. After collecting that data, it awards public lands a handful of distinctions: wilderness quiet park, urban quiet park, quiet trail, quiet conservation area and quiet marine park. It maintains a map that shows spaces around the world, including more than a dozen places around Southern California, that have been nominated for one of those categories. Gordon Hempton, the group's co-founder, has dedicated his life to protecting the quiet, which he argues is not only important for our physical and mental health but also is a birthright of every person. 'It is not a luxury. It is an essential, just like clean water and clean air,' Hempton, an acoustic ecologist, said. 'Those who live in noisy neighborhoods have every reason to be mad because that jet that's flying to other places and passing over your house is not only taking your quiet but using a community resource. The air the sound travels through ... it is owned by the people.' Below you'll find the majority of locations that have been nominated for a Quiet Parks International distinction in Southern California. The list includes parks and trails along rolling hillsides, beaches and forests. Since these locations haven't yet been evaluated by Hempton's group, I did a bit of my own quiet study for each location. Using the National Transportation Noise Map, I assessed the average noise level of planes, trains and automobiles in the area around the nominated park. Though the information is not real-time, it is one more piece of proof that these locations can help you decompress even more than a forest visualization meditation (that will undoubtedly be interrupted by a car honking). No matching places! Try changing or resetting your filters Showing Places Riverside National Park Wilderness quiet park nominee Joshua Tree National Park has recently become notorious for its crowds. But it's so sprawling that it's easy to forget its popularity once you head out to one of its lesser-known trails. The majority of the park — 85% of its almost 793,000 acres — is designated as 'wilderness,' a federal distinction that bars permanent development. The park's main mission for that land is to preserve it, protecting its ecological, cultural and recreational value for years to come. This is where you are sure to find solitude (read: quiet) in Joshua Tree. As the park's website notes, these areas 'are designed to be predominately filled with the sounds of the natural world.' Thankfully, Joshua Tree is mostly spared from noise of planes, trains and automobiles, according to the National Transportation Noise Map. That said, there is a noisy rail line on the park's southwestern border, and the 10 Freeway does run along its southern border. The loudest noise within the park is traffic on Park Boulevard in the northwestern corner, which per the map, was comparably as loud in 2020 as a household refrigerator. (And no, I'm not talking about the one from your old apartment that used to make weird noises at 2 a.m.) Once you get immediately away from developed roads, however, you should easily find peace in Joshua Tree, especially on a weekday. The more rugged adventurers can take advantage of the park's endless backpacking opportunities, hiking through those aforementioned wilderness areas. Just make sure to leave those Bluetooth speakers at home! Route Click for directions Route Details San Diego County State Park Quiet conservation area Anza-Borrego Desert State Park became the first public land in California to be formally designated by Quiet Parks International as a 'quiet conservation area.' Earning the designation in 2024, this nearly 650,000-acre oasis remains the only place in the state to be awarded 'quiet' status by the group. The title likely won't surprise regular visitors, especially those who venture farther than the popular flower fields that bloom in the spring. The quietest portion of Anza-Borrego is its 400,000 acres of land designated as 'wilderness areas,' which per state law are 'where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man.' You can travel into these parts of the park using its 500 miles of primitive roads. Camping is allowed in most of the regions too. And, as an added bonus, Anza-Borrego is also designated an International Dark Sky Park, meaning the loudest thing in the park might just be you yelling 'Wow!' as you gaze upon the stars unimpeded by light pollution. Route Click for directions Route Details Idyllwild State Park Urban quiet park nominee Mount San Jacinto State Park is a 14,000-acre pine-scented emerald refuge at over 6,000 feet elevation. It is near the charming mountain town of Idyllwild and can also be accessed, as long as you aren't acrophobic, via a short ride up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Even on a busy winter weekend, it is seemingly easy to sneak into a corner of the park and find solitude beneath the shade of evergreen trees, listening to the chirps of yellow-rumped warblers. Last time I visited, I couldn't help but pause and sniff the Jeffrey pines, which smell like butterscotch and vanilla. The loudest thing near the park is Palm Springs International Airport, which is primarily polluting the airways of its city and not the mountain park, according to federal data. State Route 243 runs near the park's western boundary but doesn't typically grow louder than a normal conversation. The park offers more than 50 miles of trails of varying difficulties, including the easy 1.9-mile Desert View Trail that takes visitors on a loop to five notches with spectacular vista views. Hikers can also venture about 12 miles with a 2,434-foot elevation gain to reach the park's eponymous peak. Either way, you'll be greeted with moments lacking man-made noise. Route Details Chino Hills State Park Urban quiet park nominee Chino Hills State Park is a 14,102-acre open space featuring rolling hills and canyons full of oaks, sycamores and Tecate cypress. About a 45-minute drive from L.A., the park has more than 90 miles of hiking trails, including a trek to San Juan Hill, the highest point in the park. It's also the occasional site for some eye-popping superblooms. First opened for public use just over 40 years ago, the park was at the time the state's largest and most expensive to acquire. The state bought the parkland to protect it from being developed into sprawling subdivisions. 'The primary purpose of this park is to preserve some open space within this metropolitan area so that people will have a chance to see what the land was like before it was covered with houses,' Doug Healey, a state parks landscape architect, told The Times in 1986. Its proximity to urbanity remains one of the park's challenges in terms of noise pollution. It has Chino Airport about four miles northeast of its Sapphire Road entrance, and is bordered by the 71 Freeway to the east and the 91 Freeway to the south, two heavily trafficked and noisy routes. That said, hikers, bikers and horseback riders can still find tranquility there. Just don't look for it during wildflower season, when the park's hillsides become carpeted with poppies and other petaled prizes. Route Details Montecito Heights City park Urban quiet park nominee You wouldn't think that a park wedged among thousands of homes and the busy 110 Freeway would be quiet. But once you're inside the 319-acre Ernest E. Debs Park in Montecito Heights, you feel completely transported from the traffic and noise of L.A. Nominated as an urban quiet park, it is home to coyotes, opossums and a tremendous bird population that includes local favorites like raven, great horned owl and multiple species of hawks. It's also an important resting place for migratory birds, including those that winter in the park like the white-crowned sparrow and the gray flycatcher. Despite its proximity to homes, traffic and trains, federal data indicate it does have quiet areas without serious noise pollution. Most notable is its pond, which sits above 800 feet elevation and provides a peaceful respite for visitors who come to rest and observe the wildlife, including the sunbathing turtles and croaking frogs. Route Details Topanga State Park Urban quiet park nominee Topanga State Park is 11,525 acres through the Santa Monica Mountains and features 36 miles of trails through mature chaparral, grasslands and epic sandstone boulders, including the park's own Eagle Rock. (Not to be confused with the Eagle Rock of the East.) It includes a portion of the iconic 67-mile Backbone Trail, which features spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and nearby Channel Islands. Because it is located entirely in L.A. city limits, it's thought to be one of the world's largest wildlands within the boundaries of a major city. It makes up 5% of the acreage of the city of L.A. More than 80 mammals call the park home, including mountain lions, and over 60 reptiles and amphibians can be found there. Its noisiest neighbors are the airports and roads. The 405 Freeway to the east of the park has tremendously loud traffic. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, which runs north and south from the San Fernando Valley to Pacific Coast Highway, is far quieter, averaging a noise level between a normal conversation and a vacuum cleaner, especially closer to Topanga proper, according to federal data. The Van Nuys and Burbank airports, two major noise producers, are both northeast of the park. But much of the park remains untouched by transportation sound, per the data. Once the park reopens from the Palisades fire closure, the Musch Trail to Eagle Rock is one place hikers will find themselves often alone and in true quiet. Route Details State Park Urban quiet park nominee The Point Dume Nature Preserve, nominated to be an urban quiet park, is a protected landscape within the 63 acres of Point Dume State Beach along the Malibu coastline. Its iconic promontory has been an important navigational marker for seafarers for centuries and today provides panoramic views of the Santa Monica Bay and beyond. Though small, the beach and preserve are home to a range of creatures, including crabs, lobsters and even the alienlike Spanish shawl, an aptly named neon sea slug. Much of the water immediately surrounding Point Dume is protected and includes kelp forests and deep underwater canyons. Standing at the point's edge, you might hear the bark of a seal or see a dolphin splash by. California State Parks boasts that Point Dume is one of the few places on dryland where you can get close enough to gray whales to 'count their barnacles.' The crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean hopefully drown out the sound of the nearby Pacific Coast Highway, which produces moderate noise but not to the level of freeways threatening the serenity of other L.A.-area locations nominated to be awarded 'quiet status.' Details Malibu State Park Urban quiet park nominee Leo Carrillo State Park includes 1.5 miles of beach and more than 2,500 acres of parkland in western Malibu. Purchased by the state in the 1950s, it has been the location of several films, including 'Grease' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' 'When television and film producers need a rocky, surf-swept stretch of coast for background, they seldom take the long trek to Oregon or Monterey,' The Times reported in 1968. The rocky coves, caves and bluffs of Leo Carrillo beach, instead, did the of when a film shoot takes over, the beach's sand and shore are often quieter and more low-key than Venice and Santa Monica beaches, offering a spot for locals to stretch out and enjoy the surf. Its parkland's hiking trails in spring, under the right conditions, feature wildflowers. And its tide pools are often bursting with color and life, whether it be purple starfish, giant green anemone or the Pacific purple sea urchin. The luckiest of visitors will spot a California two-spot octopus. Far enough on the beach, or perhaps while venturing through the park's sea caves, one might no longer notice the Pacific Coast Highway nearby, the main noise polluter in the area, which on average is as loud as the hum of an air conditioner. Route Details Thousand Oaks Park Trail 1.7-mile loop Easy About 200 feet Quiet trail nomineeThe Wendy Trail is a 1.7-mile jaunt that starts in Newbury Park and meanders through Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, a National Park Service property north of Point Mugu State Park. Satwiwa means 'the bluffs' in Chumash and was the name of a nearby Chumash village, according to the National Park Service. The park includes land that was once a Chumash trade route. From the early 1800s into the mid-1900s, the park was farmed and ranched. Then, in 1980, the National Park Service bought it. Today the parkland features rolling hills and grassy fields dotted with purple sage along with large rock outcroppings farther into the park. Hikers who take the Wendy Trail can take an easy short detour to visit the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, which is open on weekends. There they can learn about the land's original inhabitants. The path also connects with multiple other hikes, including a trek into Point Mugu State Park to visit Sycamore Canyon Falls, a seasonal waterfall. The Wendy Trail starting point is just over two miles south of the 101 Freeway. The area between the freeway and trailhead includes hundreds of homes in subdivisions. The main noise is of traffic along Potrero Road, which is most audible in the first half-mile of the trail. When no truck or motorcycle is roaring by, it's easy to pause and listen to the songs and calls of spotted towhee, California scrub jay and yellow-rumped warblers, who are easy to spot in the short shrubs and trees along the trail. Route Click for directions Route Details Malibu State Park Urban quiet park nominee Point Mugu State Park is a 14,000-acre diverse landscape in the western Santa Monica Mountains that provides adventurers with jaunts through grassy valleys with native trees, river canyons and five miles of beach with impressive bluffs and the iconic 49-foot Mugu Rock. The western trailhead of the Backbone Trail, a 67-mile trail through the Santa Monica Mountains, can be accessed from the park. The park has more than 70 miles of hiking trails providing, among other things, breathtaking ocean views. After a nice trek, hikers can hit the beach to rest their tired feet or head to Mugu Rock where in February and March, they might spot migrating gray whales. One challenge that Point Mugu faces in being distinguished as 'quiet' is the aircraft and other military-related noise produced at nearby Naval Air Station Point Mugu. A military aircraft (or discharge of a firearm) is generally an immediate disqualifying event from Quiet Parks International's designations. The Pacific Coast Highway is the other noise producer around the park, which is audible on a busy weekend from some of the park's trails. But, those who travel farther into the park and Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area, especially on a weekday, can find peace and solitude. Route Details National Park Marine quiet park nominee Santa Rosa Island is a 53,000-acre wonderland where hikers can explore several trails, including to view Torrey pines, considered one of the rarest pines in the world. The land was originally referred to as 'Wima' by the Island Chumash, and humans have lived there for more than 13,000 years. It was home to at least eight known Chumash villages, and they continued to live on the island until the 1800s when their land was stolen and they were forcibly removed, a thread in California's genocidal history toward Native peoples. The next several decades, the island was used for ranching and sport hunting until 1986, when the National Park Service bought the land from a cattle rancher. The last cows of Santa Rosa Island were shipped to the mainland in 1998. Today the island offers a unique escape that is likely on the bucket list of any Southern California adventurer. Forty miles from Ventura, the island is the second largest in California at 15 miles wide by 10 miles long. It is home to to the (adorable!) island foxes, island spotted skunk and island deer mouse. Reptiles and amphibians who call the island home include the Baja California tree frog and the Channel Islands slender salamander. The island's biggest noise challenge is military traffic and, a recent development, sonic booms from Vandenberg Space Force Base, a noise that could increase if a request to launch more rockets is approved. Even in one of the most remote places in Southern California, the quiet remains threatened. Route Click for directions Route Details Urban Trail 3.9-mile trail network Easy Minimal Quiet trail nomineeThe Bob Jones Trail, also referred to as the City to the Sea Trail, is 3.9 miles split into two trails in Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo. Officials plan to build more trail to connect the 4.5-mile gap between the trail in Avila Beach is 2.6 miles and runs parallel to San Luis Obispo Creek, taking hikers pass rocky hillsides, native oaks, a vineyard and several homes. Hikes end a short distance from the beach. The 1.3-mile section is north of the other trail and also runs along the creek. Both pieces of the trail are close to the 101 Freeway, which produces a moderate noise level, per federal data. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is also nearby, another noise issue. To designate an urban setting as formally 'quiet,' Quiet Parks International uses the criteria of whether nature 'clearly dominates.' If, over the thrum of the 101, hikers can clearly hear the call of an American coot or great blue heron, two of the many waterfowl that populate the region, then this trail might have a shot at being designated as an official 'quiet trail.' Website Details We'll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
13-02-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Where to find (and protect) quiet places in nature around SoCal
I've spent the past week in one of the least quiet places on Earth: a windowless room in a hospital's intensive care unit. Among many noises, I've been listening to droning machines, incessant beeping when an IV bag runs dry and a 'ding' from a monitor when my dad's heart beats out of rhythm. Loyal Wilders may have noticed they didn't get an email at 11 a.m. last Thursday. That's because last week my dad suffered the type of heart attack that one in three people die from and had open-heart surgery. Hence my new perch in a hospital. Coincidentally, last week's newsletter was supposed to be about the quietest places in nature around Southern California. After one of the most stressful weeks of my life, I am longing for that kind of peace. And given the stress we've recently faced with deadly wildfires and political upheaval, I'm guessing you'd like some quiet, too. But, that can be hard to find in L.A. I really love this city, but 'quiet' is not one of the first words I'd use to describe it. We have tremendous noise pollution from our highways, freeways, ports and airports (and entirely too much honking). That's one reason I slip away to nature as often as possible. But even our natural areas are under threat of noise pollution. I recently spoke with acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, who co-founded Quiet Parks International in 2018, after his favorite quiet place grew really, really loud. Hempton was part of an effort to protect an area of Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park that was believed to possibly be the quietest place in the United States. He advocated for the area to become the world's first quiet park, but the idea never garnered enough political will from federal agencies to make it so. A few years later, the U.S. Navy operating out of Whidbey Island designated the Olympic peninsula, including where Hoh Rain Forest is, as an 'electronic warfare exercise range.' This meant aircraft, including the aptly named Boeing EA-18G Growler, would start regularly flying over the area. Hempton felt he'd failed. So, he paid what he calls 'the quiet' a visit in the area he'd dubbed 'one square inch of silence' in Hoh Rain Forest in 2018 and asked it for help. 'The quiet laughed at me,' Hempton said. It was there he realized he'd been focused too narrowly on one place and needed to broaden the scope of his mission. Within a year, Quiet Parks International had formed and designated its first quiet park in the northeast corner of Ecuador. (You can now take trips there, which provides money to the Cofan nation to continue to protect their Indigenous homeland). The organization has five types of awards: wilderness quiet park, urban quiet park, quiet trails, quiet conservation area and quiet marine park. It has also created a process that anyone can follow to nominate a place they'd like to be considered. You might be wondering: How do Hempton and his colleagues measure 'quiet'? For one, they're not looking for absolute silence. Nature can be loud. Think of how rowdy our feral parrots or migrating geese can be. Rather, the Quiet Parks audio team is looking for places without human-caused noise pollution. Specifically, when assessing a place that's been nominated to be a quiet wilderness park, they are discerning whether it has a 'noise-free interval,' one single occurrence of a 15-minute period of which no human-caused noise pollution occurs. They also look during a specific time, from two hours before sunrise until one hour after sunrise. 'That is the magic window, that three-hour period, that in most places in the world sound propagates the farthest,' Hempton said. 'That's your most likely time that you will hear noise pollution.' When assessing an urban quiet park, where it wouldn't be reasonable to expect to find 15 minutes without noise pollution, the group instead tries to determine whether nature 'clearly dominates,' Hempton said. 'What does that mean? It means if you rub your fingers on a leaf in front of you, you will hear its sound, and if you pick a different leaf from a different plant with a different texture, you will hear a different sound,' he said. 'When a song bird sings, and if you are listening close enough, you will be able to hear its voice.' Nature lovers have already started nominating places in California for various 'quiet' distinctions. Last August, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was designated as a quiet conservation area, becoming the only place in California to have received an award from Quiet Parks International. Sadly, Anza-Borrego was already too polluted with human-made noise to earn the more prestigious 'wilderness quiet park' distinction, but leaders of the Anza-Borrego Foundation say they will continue to work to preserve this desert beauty's tranquil soundscape. (I'm rooting for you guys!) There are 13 more natural places in Southern California that have been nominated to be designated by the group with a quiet award. Those are: The weekend before my dad had a heart attack, I visited Mt. San Jacinto Park, which has been nominated to be an urban quiet park. There was snow on the ground, and I took time to smell the butterscotch scent emanating from the Jeffrey pines. Yellow-rumped warblers and Phainopeplas flitted about the trees. Outside of the squeals made by someone getting thwacked by a snowball, it was peaceful. I thought back to that serenity as I sat in the ICU waiting room watching for my dad's surgeon to emerge. About the peace I felt while lying on a massive boulder, my fleece jacket under my head, eating a huge sandwich as I looked down on the beautiful view. Even though I wasn't with the quiet in the hospital waiting room, the quiet stayed with me. 1. Spend a day with birds in ClaremontThe California Botanic Garden and Pomona Valley Audubon Society will co-host the Family Bird Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the gardens in Claremont. Activities include an immersive migration game, storytelling and crafts. Attendees can also participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count via stations set up around the gardens. The festival is free with paid admission to the gardens. Buy tickets at 2. Pull weeds at the Ballona WetlandsBallona Wetlands Land Trust will host a nature walk and cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The group will first take a nature walk through the area and then work together to pull weeds. Attendees should park on site at Area A, in Marina del Rey across from Whiskey Red's. Participants will be provided with gloves and tools. Learn more at the organization's Instagram page. 3. Hike in a nature preserve in Van NuysJunior urban ecologist Ryan Kinzel will host a free hike from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday through the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve (6350 Woodley Ave.). The reserve is home to numerous native plants, animals and migratory birds, including the American white pelican, the largest boreal flying bird in the U.S. Participants should bring water and wear comfy shoes. Register at Residents and environmentalists are sounding the alarm on potential development within Joshua Tree National Park. Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth and Lila Seidman report that individuals and businesses connected to Connecticut-based real estate investment firm called Darkhorse Tactical Investments have purchased more than 100 acres of land within Joshua Tree National Park boundaries since 2021. A prefabricated building — think boxy modern mobile home — was recently placed on the land, and environmentalists are worried about what else developers might build. One managing partner with Darkhorse told The Times that the recent construction activity 'is definitely not a development.' Those who love Joshua Tree hope that's the case. Happy adventuring, Applications are open until 9 a.m. Feb. 21 for Community Nature Connection's Emerging Naturalists 1.0 program. The free program educates high school students in grades nine through 12 about how a naturalist observes and journals their findings, along with how to get involved in local environmental action and find careers focused on the outdoors. Students will be expected to attend in-person classes at Vista Hermosa Park near downtown L.A. Learn more at the organization's Instagram page and apply here. For more insider tips on Southern California's beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
