New Observations

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Southern California comes up with something new, like some amazing points of view! From urban hikes in Los Angeles and San Diego to a blissful back-bay hike or bike, here are three thoroughly modern observation decks to give you a fresh (and fun!) perspective.

Week: 09.29.2016
Regions: Southern CA

Slide on Down

Urban hike in LA to new observation deck and glass slide at US Bank Tower

Glass-bottom observation decks were supposed to be all the rage ... that is until California’s tallest building—the US Bank Tower—upped the ante by cashing in on an open-air observation deck featuring a forty-five-foot-long glass slide. That’s right … a glass slide for you to rid
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High Five!

2016 Adventure Challenge Wrap Up

Big thanks to the many adventurers who successfully completed the 5th annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge! Hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, sunsets, beaches, waterfalls, hot springs, overnight escapes: you guys did it all! Also, big props to Marmot for sponsoring the Chal
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Culture Club

Urban hike in San Diego through Gastown and Little Italy and Balboa Park

San Diego is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and you get to travel through 100 years of its history on a modern- day 5.5-mile urban loop hike that’s filled with food, art, culture, and epic natural beauty!
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Big on a Bay View

Hike or bike the back bay in Newport Beach at Upper Newport Bay Preserve

Newport Beach is well known for having the biggest of things: homes, boats, egos (oh come on, you know we love you, Newport Beach!) … and the largest estuary in the area, which happens to be one of the top spots for hiking, biking, and bird-watching (no, you’re not too cool for t
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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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