Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wow!

Wanna make a colorful splash this Easter weekend? Here are some hikes with waterfalls, wildflowers, or a brilliant combo of both. Hop to it!

Week: 04.13.2017
Regions: Southern CA

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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State Park Stunner

Wildflower Hike in Chino Hills State Park

Stunning blankets of wildflowers are blooming in Chino Hills State Park, adding brilliant splashes of color to the most vividly green rolling hills in Southern California. You’ll hike amid brilliant displays of California poppies, lupines, and Canterbury bells on a 2.5-mile out-a
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Big Sycamore Canyon

Hiking to Big Sycamore Canyon Waterfall in Point Mugu State Park

After a five-year drought, winter rains have reawakened a waterfall hidden deep within Big Sycamore Canyon and turned it into a spring fantasy. See for yourself on a 4.7-mile loop trail starting at Rancho Sierra Vista. From the main parking lot, head southeast on a dirt trail alo
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Get Lost Among Giants

See the Tallest Redwoods in the World in Humboldt

Humboldt County defies hyperbole. Here, you’ll encounter the tallest living trees, the biggest ferns, and stretches of the most dramatic coastline on earth. Venture to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a sanctuary of old-growth redwoods, golden beaches, and vibrant green canyons
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Point Dume Bloom!

Wildflower Hike on Point Dume in Malibu

On this 2-mile loop hike in Mailibu's Point Dume Natural Preserve, you can find yourself walking through fields of brilliant yellow specimens—some of them chest high and taller—but also dip down to pristine beaches and tide pools, possibly crowning your visit with a gray-whale sighting.
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The Irish Hills Are Smiling

Hiking the Irish Hills in San Luis Obispo

Everyone loves San Luis Obispo, and the Irish Hills rank high among reasons why. Inches from civilization, you enter a world laced with oak-shaded creeks, green grassy hillsides, and rugged chaparral-cloaked slopes that lift you to views stretching clear to Morro Bay and the sout
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Black Star Canyon

Hiking to Black Star Canyon Falls in Orange County

A hike to the roaring Black Star Canyon Falls in the heart of the Santa Ana Mountains is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of ankle. This waterfall in the Santa Ana River is flowing stronger than it has in years! And it’s reachable via a challenging and exciting 7-mile out-
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

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