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

Some of the best holiday light displays don’t involve close encounters with plastic glowing snowmen. Instead you can catch the LA skyline at sunset 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
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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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  1. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

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  2. Waterfalls and Wine Pours

    Cooler temps, green hills, and the return of our magnificent waterfalls! This family-friendly 2-mile hike at Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill is a great way to get the most out of a short hike post-rain.

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  3. Woman hiker is climbing up the ladder in the Steep Ravine section of the Dipsea Loop Trail on Mount Tam

    Misty on Mount Tam

    Mount Tam’s 3.9-mile round-trip Steep Ravine and Dipsea Trail Loop weathers the wets and wilds with some confidence, sheltered in parts by redwoods, and wowing with a waterfall.

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  4. Mile-Long Cataract Club

    In winter after heavy rains, the north flank of Mount Tam glows with flows. The nearly mile-long series of waterfalls—Cataract Falls—transforms into a supercharged spectacle. Starting at Alpine Dam, a 1.6 mile (one-way) narrow trails threads through redwoods and ferns along Cataract Creek.

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  1. Peace Labyrinth

    Hidden in LA’s historic West Adams district, the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens is a welcome respite from the norms of urban noise.

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  2. Weekend Sherpa Podcast: Take It Outside

    Adventure for your earbuds. What's new in the world of the outdoors? Listen to Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss local hikes, beaches, bike rides, camping spots and all kinds of travel and adventure in California and beyond!

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  3. 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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  4. People gathered around a tree at an LA Park as part of the Tree Tour led by Stephanie Carrie

    LA's Tree Tour

    Los Angeles is famous for its iconic palm trees but did you know that LA is home to one of the most diverse urban forests in the world? With over 1,000 different tree species lining its streets, LA offers a unique urban canopy waiting to be explored. One of the best ways to discover it is by joining a Tree Tour

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