Bright Lights, Big City Walks

With holiday lights all aglow, LA is downright festive. Here are some easy urban hikes that are merry and bright!

Week: 12.08.2016
Regions: Southern CA

Whoop de Doos!

Hiking to a sunset spot in Brentwood

Enjoy the LA skyline late-day from a quiet vantage atop the Whoop de Doos Trail in Brentwood. The 1.2-mile (one-way) journey up the Kenter Fire Road is a moderate incline that rewards with beautiful views of Santa Monica Bay from the moment you set foot on the trail.
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Bend Up to Oregon

2017 Bend Winter Adventure

Bend just might be the West’s best mountain town: Flanked by the glistening Cascade Mountains and with the famously flowing Deschutes River running right through downtown, this central Oregon charmer is remarkably walkable and surrounded by winter activities galore. From the clas
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Jungle Bells

Urban hike in downtown los angeles

Spotting bling on the red carpet? So cliché. Spotting bling in the urban sprawl of downtown LA? Haute damn! There’s no shortage of holiday spirit on a 4-mile urban loop hike. Get off the metro at Union Station (or pay to park somewhere) and start your holiday hike at El Pueblo de
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Wild Lights

Los Angeles Zoo 50th Anniversary Celebration Zoo Lights

Something about the holiday season has you feeling like going a little wild? There’s an office party for that. There’s also the LA Zoo, celebrating its 50th anniversary with LA Zoo Lights, a colorful walk on the wild side. You’ll be greeted by a luminescent display of a monkey st
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

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  2. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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  3. Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market

    NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike

    What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.

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  4. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

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  1. People on ice learning to curl at Hollywood Curling

    You Go, Curl!

    Hollywood Curling’s Learn to Curl classes make the perfect setting for newcomers. Take the ice, and friendly curling instructors will teach you the basics.

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  2. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

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  3. Fall for These Falls

    Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.

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  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

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