Woman standing and taking a phone photo of the view at Briar Summit Preserve in Los Angeles

Secret Vistas

Shhhh … 2021 has a few secrets up its sleeve … including three hikes with overlooks and vistas that are less traveled. Just you and a new point of view! Here’s to a year of new perspectives and new adventures.

Week: 01.06.2021
Regions: Southern CA

Briar Blockbuster

Hike to Panoramic Views of Los Angeles at Briar Summit Preserve

Woman taking a photo with her phone at Briar Summit Preserve overlooking Los Angeles
Get a fresh perspective on Hollywood and awesome views while avoiding the crowds. Briar Summit Preserve has a short and sweet 1-mile, 250-foot climb and distinct 360-degree views across LA.
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Not Your Garden Variety View

Hike to a Garden With a View in Griffith Park Los Angeles

Man on hiking trail to Amir's Garden in Griffith Park Los Angeles
This vista comes with botanical beauty. In LA's Griffith Park, enjoy fantastic florals by climbing 300 feet over a 1-mile out-and-back hike that's viewtiful. Enter Amir’s Garden!
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Don't Overlook This Overlook!

Hike Fryman Canyon in Hollywood for Beautiful Views of the San Fernando Valley

Woman at Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook in Hollywood, taking in the views of San Fernando Valley
Head to the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook in Hollywood and hike Fryman Canyon for 1.5 miles, with just under 400 feet of elevation gain, and some of the very best views of the San Fernando Valley.
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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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