Summer Kick-Off Hikes

The unofficial start of summer means just one thing: official summer hikes! Blaze your trails from Nevada to LA.

Week: 05.26.2021
Regions: Southern CA

Lovers Loop

Hike Lovers Loop in Los Olivos and Wine Taste in Santa Ynez Valley

Peaks, canyons, streams, meadows, trees—Lovers Loop in Los Olivos is the hike of your dreams in the Santa Ynez Valley. Explore it on this 4-mile hike where beautiful vistas abound. Then, wine taste!
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Reno Recharger

Rediscover Reno Tahoe This Summer

Rediscover Reno Tahoe! As unique as it is diverse, Reno is where Burning Man creativity meets the Mount Rose Wilderness, neon lights meet the Truckee River, and craft beer meets axe throwing!
Plan Your Summer Vacation to Reno Tahoe

Secret Stair Master!

Workout Stairway Hike in Pasadena California

Step up to a wonderful 2-mile, nearly 1000-step workout in peaceful Pasadena that is part leg labor, part suburban stroll, and all serene secret.
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Truckee Riverwalk

Refreshing Truckee River Views Along the Reno Riverwalk

Couple walking the Reno Riverwalk along the Truckee River
A city that has nature running right through it? That’s Reno! The Truckee River flows through the heart of downtown, and the popular and well-maintained Reno Riverwalk makes for a delightful downtown stroll.
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Lukens Good, LA!

Hike Mount Lukens to the Highest Point in the City of Los Angeles

woman standing at the peak of Mount Lukens in Los Angeles
A 5,074-foot mountain the city? It’s not part of a movie set—it’s Mount Lukens in LA! And you can conquer its peak on a 10-mile (round-trip) hike starting from the Deukmejian Wilderness Park.
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Cherry on Top

Hike to the Ultimate Destination in Cherry Creek Canyon Park LA County

Hike Cherry Canyon Park
How do you reach the Ultimate Destination in LA County? Cherry Canyon Park has a 2.5-mile out-and-back hike with a vista point called, well, the Ultimate Destination.
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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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