Top 10 of 2019

When you reach the fire lookout tower that crowns 8,535-foot Butler Peak, you reach a 360-degree panoramic view that captures the grandeur of SoCal’s most epic mountain ranges—the towering ridges of the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the daunting peaks of the San Gabrie

Hidden in the Cleveland National Forest near Los Pinos Springs is a waterfall so unknown it doesn’t have a name yet and neither does the 2.6-mile (round-trip) out-and-back trail to find it. But the path immediately immerses you in a feeling of wilderness with the peaceful sounds

Under the shadow of majestic Boney Mountain, Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a fascinating place to explore, with gorgeous hiking paths like the Satwiwa Loop Trail and an optional side-trip into Point Mugu W

It's hard to be #1 when you live in LA. But Hollyhock House achieved that status as the first LA landmark designated a World Heritage Site. See it on an urban tour of LA’s architecture and public art scene, including a Frank Lloyd Wright–themed walk through Barnsdall Art Park.

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

Your best intro to the Salton Sea is via a 2.5-mile walk along the north shore in Salton Sea State Recreation Area. It’s not exactly paradise, but the surrounding geography is impressive: the Santa Rosa and Coyote Mountains to the west and the Orocopia and Chocolate ranges to the

It’s a guilty pleasure to bag a peak via a short hike. Steal some spectacular views in Orange County’s Santiago Oaks Regional Park. A 3.5-mile loop climbs to 1,152-foot Robbers Peak (a.k.a. Robber’s Roost) and earns you gorgeous vistas of Orange County, iconic mountains, and the

Sprawling Tejon Ranch is on 270,000 acres north of Santa Clarita and south of Bakersfield, incorporating parts of the San Joaquin and Antelope Valleys, and the Tehachapi Mountains. It is private land, but the Tejon Ranch Conservancy holds guided wildflower viewings (limited in size), and other interesting events throughout the year.

Summer in Big Bear means only one thing: Get out on the lake! The best way, of course, is to rent a canoe, so you can paddle, sightsee, and rekindle summer camp memories all at the same time. If you pick up your canoe at Captain John’s Marina in Grout Bay, you’re near Stanfield M

The coolest part of the Big Sycamore Canyon Loop Trail in Point Mugu State Park? Every stretch offers something new, from rocky bluffs to grassy valleys, coastal views to majestic mountains. This 9-mile (round-trip) trail is best hiked in a counterclockwise direction. That way, t