Wild Hikes

The San Bernardino National Forest is an 800,000-acre playground of deep canyons, soaring peaks, and five separate wilderness areas. Here are three day-hikes worth going wild for!

Week: 10.06.2015
Regions: Southern CA

Pines and Panoramas

Hike to Views Over Santa Ana River Valley

Ponderosa pines sighing with mountain breezes set the stage for this 3-mile out-and-back hike that serves up outstanding views of the Santa Ana River Valley. Start at Barton Flats Visitor Center’s east entrance, following the Rio Monte Panorama sign. A squiggly trail parallels Hi
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Coastal Walks of Monterey County

Coastal Walks in Monterey County

Taking a walk has proven health benefits. And taking a walk along the coast of Monterey County—well, that will add years to your life … and life to your years! Here are a few to keep you glowing through the fall. Carmel-by-the-Sea's Moveable Feast: Maybe you've walked the cobbles
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High Low There!

Hike the Santa Ana River Trail

A happy hiker's checklist for a good fall hike: crisp fresh air, a forest mix of hardwood and fragrant conifer, flowing trail with scattered boulders, ridgelines, mountain views, and a babbling brook. Oh yeah, and a post-hike meal at a hometown restaurant with log beam ceilings a
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Home Sweet Mountain Home

Solitude Hike on Mountain Home Flats Trail

Score solitude on a little-used trail in two scenic canyons on the lower flanks of the San Bernardino Mountains south of Angelus Oaks. The 3-mile (round-trip) hike on Mountain Home Flats Trail has a remote vibe, with invigorating bouts of navigational acumen and challenging terra
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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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