Tour de SoCal

The Amgen Tour of California is set to roll across the Golden State this May. Preview tour-worthy cycling destinations in the Southland on three rides suitable for beginners. All ride, all ride, all ride.

Week: 04.28.2015
Regions: Southern CA

Santa Clarita Spin

Placerita Loop Bike Ride

Santa Clarita is the bike-friendly host city for stage 5 of this year's Tour of California. The pros will cross the finish line here, but you'll get to see more on a 22.5-mile loop that includes scenic roads used in past tours, along with nicely paved bike trails that the pros do
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Water You Waiting For?

OARS 2015 Whitewater Raft on the American River

There are only a few rivers in California that will be whitewater ready throughout the summer. Rafting season is a go on the American River, and O.A.R.S. is the leader when it comes to fun, professionalism, and affordability—not to mention being #1 rated on TripAdvisor. Choose be
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Grin and Bear It

Bike Ride Around Big Bear Lake

Bicycle Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake will host a time trial stage for both the men and women in the 2015 Tour of California. Want to see how you measure up? Take a not-so-tough 17.4-mile loop around Big Bear Lake and be treated to exceptional scenery in the heart of the San Bernardino Mountains. Make i
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Victory Lap

Bike Ride Around the Rose Bowl

Many champions have been crowned at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In 2015, the Tour of California will pick its winners here, too. The final stage of the Tour concludes with several speedy 3.1-mile laps around the stadium and Brookside Golf Course. Should be exciting, right? Don't l
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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