Three Cool Canyons

Not all canyons can be grand, but we think these three are pretty cool. Give you summer a proper sendoff and plunge into these!

Week: 09.19.2019
Regions: Southern CA

Big Sycamore, Big Views

A Hike in Big Sycamore Canyon, a Dip in Sycamore Cove Beach

Big Sycamore Canyon Point Mugu State Park
Big Sycamore Canyon Point Mugu State Park
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
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Massive Must-Sees

See the Redwoods in Humboldt County

Humboldt redwood hiker
Famous all over the world, see the mighty coastal redwoods of Humboldt County in Northern California.
Visit Humboldt County

Almost Easy

Mountain Biking Sullivan Canyon in Brentwood

Yes, it’s almost easy! That’s the beauty of Sullivan Canyon, that rare mountain bike ride in the Santa Monicas that doesn’t blast right up steep slopes. For the first 3 miles, you’re so enchanted by the huge oaks and sycamores that drape across and shade the trail, you barely not
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A Lot o’ Tecolote

Hiking Tecolote Canyon Near Mission Bay in San Diego

“Tecolote” is the Spanish word for owl, perhaps suggesting that you would be wise to visit Tecolote Canyon, a secluded nature preserve near Mission Bay. The best way to enjoy it is via a 3.25-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike—truly a hidden hoot! Park at the Nature Center and d
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  2. 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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  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. 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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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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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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