LA Outdoor Confidential

Long weekend: check. Lucky enough to live in the Golden State: check. Wondering what to do this long weekend in the Golden State? Check out these hikes, bike rides, waterfall adventures, and a place to catch the sunset. Long live the long weekend!

Week: 05.25.2017
Regions: Southern CA

A Thousand Steps to Paradise

Staircase Hike in Laguna Beach

A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach. Why the exaggeration? Originally, maybe
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Amir's Art

Amir's Garden in Griffith Park Los Angeles

At 4,210 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, home to a huge variety of trails, recreation, and hidden gems. Among the most inspiring of its better kept secrets is Amir’s Garden, a beautiful, heavily-shaded spot that’s literally a work of natur
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Garden of the Gods

Hiking the Garden of the Gods in Los Angeles

A 1-mile out-and-back trail in 23-acre Garden of the Gods threads through sandstone boulders that were natural icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age, back when this site was known as the Iverson Movie Ranch.
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Partner in Wine

Line 39 Weekend Wine Adventures

Getting after it this weekend? Don’t forget the wine! Hello, Line 39. What makes Line 39 your ideal partner in wine? For starters, it’s the approachability. Line 39 is an amazing collection of California wines inspired by the outdoors: There’s a wine to pair with every imaginable
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Seaside Cycle and Sip

Seaside Bike Ride in Santa Barbara

Enjoy an easy Santa Barbara bike ride and all the trimmings—which include gorgeous beach scenery and samples of local vintages. Hop on the Cabrillo Bike Path at Stearns Wharf for a flat 4.4-mile (round-trip) oceanfront journey. As you start pedaling toward the harbor (ocean on yo
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Go West(world)!

Hiking at Paramount Ranch Los Angeles

If your idea of visiting a film location is more Westworld than Universal Studios, then we know just the place. Paramount Ranch has been a film backdrop since 1923 and is home to a number of hiking trails, including a 1.2-mile loop through film and television settings from the Ol
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Hollywood Sunset

Sunset hike to Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles

We know, we know, there are all kinds of ways to hike to the Hollywood sign. But to see this icon in its best light, go closer to sunset and take the short, classic route up Mount Lee in Griffith Park. A late-day start means fewer people, less heat, and more lenient parking regul
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Let the Adventures Begin!

2017 Adventure Challenge

The Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge is back for its sixth year! Don’t let the name intimidate you: it’s free and easy to participate. Just get outdoors over the next few months and take a photo of yourself in action! And we’re excited to be teaming up with Line 39—their wines
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

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  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

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  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

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  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

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  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

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