SoCal's Top 10 Outdoor Adventures of 2022

It's not easy choosing the year's best outdoor adventures for our annual year-end Top 10 issue. Like a band choosing their greatest hits album, there's just so much good stuff.  As we bid adieu to 2022, cheers to you, and the great outdoors.

Week: 12.28.2022
Regions: Southern CA

Constant Condor

Hike to Condor Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains

Hiker celebrating with raised arms after reaching Condor Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains
Hiker and dog on the trail enroute to Condor Peak in the San Gabriel mountains
Hiker standing at Condor Peak overlooking the scenery and San Gabriel Mountains
Trail to Condor Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains
Condor Peak is one of the less traveled hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains, probably because it’s 16 miles (round-trip)! Get an early start for this challenging adventure, best done during the cooler months.
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POST's 2023 Hiking Calendar

Find the Best Hike for Every Month of the Year

POST 2023 hiking calendar hiking couple
POST 2023 hiking calendar trail
POST 2023 hiking calendar hikers
POST 2023 hiking calendar beach at sunset
Start the new year off right by heading outdoors for a hike. Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) curated a (complimentary) 2023 hiking calendar that provides all the inspiration you’ll need!
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Purely Wild

Hike Channel Islands Santa Cruz Island to Potato Harbor and Cavern Point

Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park
Campground sign and Cavern Point sign at Santa Cruz Islands, Channel Islands National Park
Two hikers at Santa Cruz Island Channel Islands National Park
Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.
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Simply Boutiful!

Stroll Lake Vista Trail around a hidden reservoir at Malibou in Malibu

We know you’ve heard of Malibu, but have you heard of Malibou? Yes, that’s right, Malibou … located in … Malibu! It’s a private reservoir created by two dams in a small residential community. See it on the scenic 2.25-mile Lake Vista Trail.
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Beauty and the Beach

Visit Garrapata State Park for bluffside hiking and a beautiful beach in Monterey

Sweeping, romantic, and vast, Garrapata State Park has all the stuff of swoon-worthy scenery. There’s a magical beach backed by hulking cliffs with a hiking trail we like best in the later afternoon, when the beach can be blissfully deserted.
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Get Hetched!

Backpack to Rancheria Falls in Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley

Backpacking to Rancheria Falls in Hetch Hetchy Valley Yosemite
Backpacker in Yosemite Hetch Hetchy
Waterfall on trail in Hetch Hetchy Yosemite
Hetch Hetchy oasis in Yosemite
Enjoy top-notch valley views on this 13-mile moderately strenuous backpacking trip highlighting some of Yosemite's best scenery. A bonus: This part of the park attracts fewer visitors than the much more famous valley
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Triumphant in Triunfo

Hike Among Wildflowers at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks

Hikers by the reservoir at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
Hikers on a trail at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
A hiker takes pictures of California Poppy at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
A hiker smiling at the camera on a trail with mountains in the background at Triunfo Creek Park in Southern California
Go on a hike with a peaceful reservoir, charming meadows, and beautiful spring blooms at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks.
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Strawberry on Top

Hike to Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains

Hiker holding up Strawberry Peak sign at the summit of Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains
Hiker going up the trail to reach Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains Southern California
Hiker on the trail at Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains
Hiker going down from Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains
There's no question that Strawberry Peak is a most challenging and rewarding peak in the front range of the San Gabriels. It’s a 7.75-mile out-and-back hike climbing 1,800 feet to unparalleled 360-degree views.
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Perris Is Always a Good Idea

Bike Around Lake Perris in the Inland Empire

Two bikers looking at the lake at Lake Perris State Recreational Area
Two people on bikes stopping to look at the lake scenery at Lake Perris in Riverside
Two bikers on the paved bike path at Lake Perris State Recreational Area in the Inland Empire
Two people at a picnic table overlooking a beach at Lake Perris State Recreational Area in the Inland Empire
Beaches and oases in the Inland Empire? Just say Perris! Bike around the Lake Perris State Recreational Area and make beach stops along the way. Then enjoy some Casey's Cupcakes.
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Big Sky SoCal

Hike Big Sky in Simi Valley Southern California

Hiker at Big Sky Trail in Simi Valley
Hiker on trail at Big Sky Trail in Simi Valley
Hiker on a trail at sunset at Big Sky Trail in Simi Valley
Hiker walking a wide open hiking trail at sunset with huge sky and mountain views in Simi Valley
When does hiking through a neighborhood feel like you’re worlds away from civilization? When you’re in SoCal's Big Sky territory! Big Sky Trail is a 4-mile loop over rolling hills, all with incredible vistas of the surrounding valley and, of course, that big blue beautiful sky.
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Bald Statement

Hike to the Summit of Bald Mountain in Sun Valley Idaho

Hiker on Bald Mountain Summit Trail in Sun Valley Idaho
Hiker at Bald Mountain Summit in Sun Valley Idaho
Hiker at the Scenic Overlook on Bald Mountain in Sun Valley Idaho
Hiker at summit of Bald Mountain overlooking the ski area in Sun Valley Idaho
If you’re going to have a rite of passage hiking in Sun Valley, the hike to the summit of Bald Mountain is one to check off your list. This 5-mile (one-way) trek requires some stamina, yet richly rewards with a variety of views and vantages, abundant wildflowers, and the chance to combine a free chairlift and gondola ride back down.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Purely Purisima

    Take a relaxing hike on the lower section of Purisiima Creek Trail in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.

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  2. Muir Woods Night Tour

    Thousands of people flock to Muir Woods every year, yet only a few see it at night, when this beloved park is experienced in a whole new light. The Muir Woods Night Tour happens on the last Friday of every month through October.

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  3. Slide Ranch Marin

    Slide On Over

    Marin's Slide Ranch has a popular neighbor in the Muir Beach Overlook. But don’t overlook Slide! This open-to-the-public nonprofit organization sits on 134 acres of coastline and is filled with animals, Pacific scenery, and an adjacent hiking trail.

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  4. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  2. Lookout Ahead!

    A 3.7-mile loop hike to Boucher Hill Fire Lookout in Palomar Mountain State Park reminds us just how stunningly beautiful are the mountains of this remote, lightly visited portion of northern San Diego County.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Strawberry Peak Lookout Hike

    Strawberry Sunday

    The 2.5-mile (round-trip) lollipop loop climb to the Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout near the town of Lake Arrowhead dishes up some delicious views.

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