White Tank Campground Joshua Tree

Autumn Wonders

Full moons, starry night campsites, art walks, and iconic hikes ... autumn in SoCal brings plenty of places to wander and ponder. Here are few to take you through the season.

Week: 11.07.2019
Regions: Southern CA

White Tank Campground

Stargazing and Camping in Joshua Tree National Park

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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Brea Beckoning

Outdoor Art and Mural Walk in Brea, California

The art-centric town of Brea goes beyond museum walls with an “Art in Public Places” program featuring 183+ outdoor sculptures. Amid these treasures, you’ll find the 8-piece sculptural installation by Laguna Beach–based mosaic tile artist Marlo Bartels. This 2-mile (round-trip) u
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Mr. Beek's Mountain Dream

Hiking to Beek's Place in the Santa Ana Mountains

Hiking to Beek's Place in the Santa Ana Mountains
Beek’s Place in the Santa Ana Mountains is one of those great California shrines to faded dreams, and well worth the thigh-burning 10.5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike to get there.
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Find Your Oasis

Visit Death Valley National Park and Stay at the Ranch

Oasis at Death Valley
Don’t let the name fool you. Death Valley has a completely new lodging experience that’s all about being alive! Here are five amazing ways to find your oasis in the Lower 48’s largest national park.
Take Me to the Oasis!

Full Moon, 90049

Full Moon Hike Up Westridge Trail in Brentwood

Dog friendly full moon hike Westridge Trail Brentwood
City lights and ocean views: Brentwood’s dog-friendly, 7.4-mile (round-trip) Westridge Fire Road trail offers both, no headlamp required. The full moon is bright enough to light up this exposed trail on your return trip.
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Crunch Time

Hike to Haunted Table 29 in Griffith Park

Hike Griffith Park Haunted Table 29
This 6.8-mile (round-trip) loop in northern Griffith Park is supernaturally enticing: four peaks, panoramic views, and ... ghosts.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

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  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

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  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

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  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

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  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

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  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

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  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

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