Top Adventures of 2015

Hike 5 miles (round-trip) to a mountain peak in the desert without leaving Los Angeles County, at Saddleback Butte State Park.

Week: 12.28.2015
Regions: Southern CA

1) Peak Season in a State Park

Hike 5 miles (round-trip) to a mountain peak in the desert without leaving Los Angeles County, at Saddleback Butte State Park.

Saddleback Butte State Park

2) Hidden Beach Camping on the Central Coast

You want your California beach camping to be off the beaten path? There's a secluded slice of beach paradise for that.

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3) Haunting of the Hollywood Sign

Is the world's most famous sign haunted? Find out for yourself on a cardio-filled 7-mile (round-trip) hike in Griffith Park.

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4) The Redwoods Nearby

The towering, fog-enshrouded coastal redwoods of the northern coast feel like a world away from LA, but did you know you can find redwoods right in Orange County?

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5) Stone Stairway to a San Diego Peak

Adventure up in San Diego County! To 5,737-foot Stonewall Peak. This 4-mile (round-trip) hike leads to a brilliant panorama via a set of carved stone stairs.

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6) Cave, Man!

One of SoCal's coolest caves is found just outside of suburbia on a solid loop hike and short scramble in Los Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

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7) LA Gone Wild

Cardio hiking, stunning views, and a location that's super close to downtown? Urban adventure has a wild side, and the proof is on Mount Washington with this 4-mile loop.

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8) Sunny Side Up

We all know the sun rises in the east, so West Coasters are deprived of ocean sunrises, right? Not exactly. There's a vantage from Point Dume Nature Preserve where the sun comes up smack dab over the Pacific.

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9) Joshua Tree on a Whim

Enjoy marvelous hikes and a place to soak your bones and sip a cocktail after adventures among the whimsically wild trees of Joshua Tree National Park.

Headstone Rock Joshua Tree

10) Bike + Beer = Beautiful

Go on an 8-mile bike ride with plenty of scenery, greenery, and a pit stop for an imperial pint at a taproom beer haven with serious British influence.

MacLeod Ale Brewing Company

BONUS Beyond

Discover New ABCs. ABC= Adventures in British Columbia! The westernmost Canadian province has a rainforest with a hidden hot springs, epic hiking in Whistler, and incredible lake and oceanside respites for eating, drinking, and sleeping.

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    Heaven for star buffs: the best campground in Joshua Tree National Park for night-sky viewing, in a place named an International Dark Sky Park, with a full-on observatory just minutes away! White Tank Campground is at 3,800 feet in the eastern part of the park.

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