Peak Perspective

Start the New Year with a fresh point of view! Here are three peak hikes for gaining excellent perspectives. Adventure time!

Week: 01.06.2015
Regions: Southern CA

Bear Necessity

Summit Bear Divide Trail San Gabriel Mountains

Some hiking secrets are a bear to keep! With nothing to mark the start of the Bear Divide Trail on the west side of the San Gabriel Mountains, few people know that this secluded trail leads toward a stellar 4,000-foot summit. The peak's elusiveness may be because it was part of a
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New Year Fling

New Year 2015 Trip to Seattle

Smart, good looking, and loves the outdoors. Yes, Seattle is your perfect match. And it's not looking for a major commitment, just a little fun. But beware: you might fall in love. If you only have a few days to get to know Seattle, here are a few ways to ignite a spark. Snowshoe
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Butte Wait, There's More!

Hike Saddleback Butte in Mojave Desert

Hiking to a mountain peak in the desert?  And you don’t even have to leave Los Angeles County? No special effects here—it’s all natural at 2,955-acre Saddleback Butte State Park. Here you can get a taste of the Mojave Desert from Saddleback Butte, a solitary mountain rising 3,651
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Hollywood High (and Long)

Hike the Hollywood Sign in LA

Make 2015 the year you actually hike to the Hollywood Sign, that iconic LA landmark that every Angelino knows so well, yet few actually take the time to visit. There are a couple of routes to get to the sign, including this cardio-length 7-mile (round-trip) option that starts at
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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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. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. 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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  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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