From hot springs to rivers, five secret California swimming spots to ‘declutter your mind’

Every part of the Sierra Nevada is perfect in its own way, but the southern Sierra possesses all of the granite majesty, wildlife and pristine water with a fraction of the visitors. The Kaweah River perfectly embodies this wilderness area as it begins high up in Sequoia national park and tumbles nearly 10,000ft in 20 miles to reach the foothills town of Three Rivers. It’s one of the steepest watersheds in America, and at times it feels like it is barely contained by its own banks.