Rock Your World!

Big rocks have a way of making you feel bold. Or boulder, if you will. We’re not talking technical climbs here, but rather stony summits and rocky routes that invite a bit of scrambling and bring out your inner explorer. Why just stroll when you can rock ’n’ roll?

Week: 11.16.2017
Regions: Southern CA

Snaking Your Way Through Joshua Tree

Hiking Rattlesnake Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park

You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this high-friction frolic in Joshua Tree. All it takes is a sense of adventure—a willingness to plunge into a dramatic canyon that’s devoid of such niceties as trails or signs. Rattlesnake Canyon begins as a sandy wash behind a sign th
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Road Trip to Desert Bliss

Nevada Desert Winter Road Trips

Cooler temps, shorter days, sublime sunsets: It’s a perfect recipe for venturing into the desert during the holidays. Toss in wide-open highways, natural hot springs, funky little towns, and you’ve got all the ingredients for the perfect road trip on Nevada’s Highway 50: The Lone
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At Play on Rocky Peak

Hiking to Rocky Peak Above Simi Valley

Big views, big boulders, and a great hike are all good reasons to rock out on the Rocky Peak Trail in Simi Valley. This hike gradually ascends for nearly five miles to (surprise!) a rocky peak whose 2,715-foot summit straddles the border between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
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Jive on the Hive

Hiking to Bee Rock in Griffith Park

Griffith Park is home to more than one awesome rock venue. Sure, the Greek Theatre stages legendary rock concerts, but Bee Rock provides beautiful wide vistas and some fun rock scrambling—and this ticket is free! Park at the iconic merry-go-round and take the Fern Canyon Trail, i
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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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