Flower Power

Wildflower superblooms have gotten super publicity—and super mobbed. But there are ways to enjoy our flower displays a bit more quietly. Here’s a bouquet of three super sites for flower power where you can go on a quiet hike without big crowds. Have a bloomiful time!

Week: 04.11.2019
Regions: Southern CA

Wildflower Dreamscape

A Wildflower Walk on Tejon Ranch

Sprawling Tejon Ranch is on 270,000 acres north of Santa Clarita and south of Bakersfield, incorporating parts of the San Joaquin and Antelope Valleys, and the Tehachapi Mountains. It is private land, but the Tejon Ranch Conservancy holds guided wildflower viewings (limited in size), and other interesting events throughout the year.
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Epic Winter Means Epic Spring in Reno Tahoe

Epic Winter Means Epic Spring in Reno Tahoe

1) Ride the Rapids! This year’s snowmelt means river rapids galore. Connecting Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River cuts through downtown Reno, and when it’s this good you’ve gotta get your thrills whitewater rafting or kayaking along some of its most scenic stretches (
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Lupine Around Chino Hills

A Wildflower Hike in Chino Hills State Park

All of the flowers without any of the mayhem! That’s the 3.4-mile, lightly trafficked Sidewinder/Upper Aliso Canyon Loop Trail in Chino Hills State Park.
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Nuclear Option

Hiking PG&E's Point Buchon Trail Near Montaña de Oro State Park

A private stretch of the glorious Central Coast with poppy-studded hills and wild coastal bluffs is ours for the hiking, and you’ll never guess who the willing-to-share landlord is: none other than PG&E’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Point Buchon Trail makes a grand tour of
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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

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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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