Trails Less Traveled

With so many popular places to hike in Los Angeles, where do you go to escape the crowds? How about to those same popular places… Here are three ways to get off the beaten path in some of LA's busiest hiking hot spots.

Week: 02.04.2015
Regions: Southern CA

Solitary Solstice

Solstice Canyon Hike in Malibu

Malibu's Solstice Canyon often teems with visitors, and for good reason: its leafy ravine leads to a year-round waterfall and the captivating ruins of a home lost to a 1982 wildfire. See the sights but lose the crowds on a 3.2-mile out-and-back hike. Five hundred feet above the c
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New Year, New Zealand

2015 New Zealand Vacation

Question: What's a closer flight—Italy, Australia, or New Zealand? Answer: New Zealand! You're just an overnight flight away from waking up in Middle-earth, minus the Orcs. With so much diversity in one country, every day is a different journey in New Zealand. Size Matters: New Z
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Hero's Welcome

Hike Route C Runyon Canyon Park

If you're looking for solitude at Runyon Canyon Park, you're in the wrong place. With a central location, knock-out views of Los Angeles, off-leash hiking areas for dogs, and trails to tone the thighs, the park is popular. But if you're more into a workout and less into the crowd
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Undercover Wilacre

Wilacre Parks Less Traveled Trails

Wilacre Park's Betty B. Dearing Trail is almost always packed. But there's an unnamed path paralleling it that feels near empty in comparison. Instead of battling the masses at the Laurel Canyon trailhead, park for free at Tree People, an environmental nonprofit off Mulholland Dr
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  1. Three Cheers

    Good things come in threes when you visit Sonoma. Head out on a short hike right from town, sip and stroll the historic plaza, then take in the magical holiday lights.

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  2. Island Tree Topper

    The light display atop Angel Island State Park’s Mount Livermore has long been a cheerful twinkle visible from many cities throughout the Bay Area on holiday season nights. Get into the festive spirit by hiking the 2-mile (one-way) trail from Ayala Cove up to the "Angel Lights."

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  3. Go, Tell It on the Mountain

    {NOTE: Due to atmospheric rivers that can come this time of year, always be sure to check ahead for trail closures and hazards. And of course, wait for better weather and drier con

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  4. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  1. Woman swimming in Carson Hotsprings natural thermal pool

    Hot Springs, Naturally

    Thermal spring waters are famous for their curative, relaxing elements, and Reno Tahoe is filled with them! Sink into these amazing thermal respites for a wellness super soak.

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  2. Dune It Right

    Want a beach that will really get you away from it all? Monterey's Fort Ord Dunes State Park is just the ticket. And it often glows golden toward sunset.

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  3. Sponsored

    Redding Lights and Silent Nights

    Give your holiday events calendar a major glow up this winter in California’s sunniest city. Redding is a revelation: Surrounded by iconic scenery like Mount Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

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  4. Hikers sitting on a large rock slab next to Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest Southern California near Julian

    Three Sisters

    Good things come in threes at this hike to a lovely trio-tiered waterfall in Cleveland National Forest. The 4.25-mile out-and-back hike rambles among rolling hills, with rocky mountain views as switchbacks take you down to a lush canyon and the falls.

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