SoCal's Top 10 Adventures of 2017

A wise man once said looking back is looking forward. Actually, we just made that up. But we do enjoy looking back at some of your favorite adventures from 2017. Here's to getting outside even more in 2018!

Week: 12.22.2017
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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Ramakrishna Monastery

Hiking to Ramakrishna Monastery in Trabuco Canyon

The Ramakrishna Monastery, perched on a foothill above Trabuco Canyon, accepts all religions as divinely inspired. For this reason, monks created the Shrine Trail, a mile-long loop around the monastery (open to the public) along which are erected altars honoring the world’s major
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Oregon's Ultimate Ski Town

Winter Vacation in Oregon at Bend and Mt Bachelor

It’s something that Oregonians have known for a while and Californians are just beginning to realize: Bend is the ultimate mountain town for the whole family! And in the winter, it has everything you’d want for a snowy extended weekend. In the midst of the Cascade Mountains, Mt.
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Holy Chute, We’re in Malibu!

Paragliding Adventure in Malibu

You’ve surfed Malibu, SUP’d Malibu, and lounged on its sand. Ready for the next wave? Then it’s time to paraglide down from the coastal hills, soar over the mansions, ride thrilling thermals, savor sweeping views, and then touch down softly on the beach. With Claude Fiset and Mal
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Thanks, Annie!

Hiking Annie's Canyon in Encinitas

Weekend Sherpa writer Matt Pawlik descending into a slot canyon at Annie's Canyon in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach
Annie’s Canyon Trail in the 1,000-acre San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach includes the most unique quarter-mile you’ve ever maneuvered—through a sandstone slot canyon!
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Sea-to-Sea View

Hiking Cuyamaca Peak in San Diego County

It’s a bit of a leg buster, but this 5.6-mile out-and-back hike up 6,512-foot Cuyamaca Peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park gets you bragging rights for reaching the second-highest point in San Diego County. Better, it rewards you with sweeping views that extend from sea to sea...
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Screaming Mandatory!

Zipline Adventure in Skull Canyon, Corona

Feeling the wind whoosh past you as you soar above Corona’s Skull Canyon, 200 feet in the air while zipping along a matrix of steel cables, is one of the most exhilarating of all sensations. It doesn’t take skill—only a willingness to let your adrenaline pump as you step off a mo
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Where the Murals Are

A Walking Tour of Downtown LA's Arts District

Is the Arts District the best spot to see art in LA? Duh! We’re talking the brand-new Institute of Contemporary Art, edgy murals, murals in progress, and surprises around every corner in this 2.5-mile DTLA urban art walk. Park on the street near Arts District Brewing Company and
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Castles in the Air

Beachwood Canyon Staircase Hike in the Hollywood Hills

This staircase hike takes you on a journey into classic old Hollywood charm and reveals gorgeous views, but you have to work for it! Your fantasy-world journey begins on Beachwood Drive among iconic storybook houses. An extremely steep and seemingly endless staircase lined with c
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It's a Waterfall Life

Hiking to Tahquiz Falls in Palm Springs

Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores will change how you think about the desert. You might grumble at the $12.50 entrance fee, but fork it over—this hike is worth it. Its 2.1-mile loop trail offers an easy da
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Chutes and Ladders

Hiking Ladder Canyon Trail Through Painted Canyon in the Mecca Hills

Just when you think you can’t go any farther in Painted Canyon, you remember why this route is called the Ladder Canyon Trail. Whew! There it is: a perfectly placed ladder that gets you up and over the would-be dead-end and into the next thrilling phase of your canyon hike. Ladde
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

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  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

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  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

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  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

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  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

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