Woman on a boardwalk overlooking Santa Fe Dam in Los Angeles County

Dam Good Hikes!

You just wanna go on a dam hike! Well, we have a few options for you. These three hikes include historic dams and serene scenery. Dam it all, go do them!

Week: 02.03.2021
Regions: Southern CA

Santa Year Round

Explore Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Los Angeles County

Woman on a boardwalk at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Los Angeles County
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale is an 836-acre county park with a namesake dam. Explore highlights on a 4-mile loop featuring a lake, a beach, and beautiful mountain vistas.
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Ready When You Are: Reno Tahoe

Wide Open Winter Adventures in Reno Tahoe

Reno Tahoe
Reno Tahoe snowshoe woman in forest
Man in hot spring in Reno Tahoe
beer on tap at Alibi Reno Tahoe
With outdoors being essential for health and wellness, and new protocols in place, Reno Tahoe welcomes visitors! It's wide open with snowshoe trails, fire pits by the river, skating, and hot springs.
Plan Your Reno Tahoe Winter Getaway

Hot Dams!

Hike to Historic Dams at Santiago Oaks Regional Park in Orange County

Woman sitting at a bench along a path overlooking Villa Park Dam at Santiago Oaks Regional Park
Hot dam! Head to Santiago Oaks Regional Park for the best dam hike in Orange County. This 3.5-mile loop goes through riparian and chaparral environments with mountain vistas and two impressive dams.
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On A Mission

Hike Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego and See Old Mission Dam

Woman hiking a trail
Feeling dammed up? Head for Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego for a 3-mile out-and-back trail that features a historic dam, ancient oaks, and a fresh perspective on the value of green space.
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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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