Where to Get Outdoors in LA: Hike to Morton Peak Fire Lookout

Go Fourth the Great Outdoors

While this won't be your typical Fourth of July, there are still some ways to clear the Covid-cobwebs outside. We've rounded up a few hikes, and you can also explore our new website for more ideas. Stay safe, follow county protocols, and happy Fourth!

Week: 07.01.2020
Regions: Southern CA

Good Morton!

Hiking to Morton Peak Lookout in the San Bernardino Mountains

Hiking to Morton Peak Lookout in the San Bernardino Mountains
The panoramic views from Morton Peak Fire Lookout are some of the best in the San Bernardinos. Hike a 5.25-mile (round-trip) grind that climbs 1,400 feet to the summit on a fire road.
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All Roads Lead to Rogue

Rogue Valley Road Trip in Southern Oregon

Hobart Bluff Rogue Valley Oregon Road Trip
Idea for your next road trip: Go Rogue! The Rogue Valley in beautiful Southern Oregon has some of the state’s best hiking, swim holes, and wineries, and the charming historic towns of Ashland, Medford, and Jacksonville.
Best Southern Oregon Road Trips

Go Get a Lytle

Hike to Stone House Campground in the San Gabriels

Go on a little adventure hiking to Stone House Camp with big valley views, creekside relaxation, and shaded campsites—all within a 1.8-mile out-and-back  hike.
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Hike Ferndell to Berlin

Hike Ferndell Nature Trail to Berlin Forest in Griffith Park

Griffith Park hike to Berlin Forest
The 0.5-mile Ferndell Nature Walk features a shaded dirt path and a running creek with miniature waterfalls. The path ends at Griffith Observatory, but your adventure continues to the Berlin Forest.
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Garden in the Wilderness

Hiking Wilderness Gardens Preserve in the Pauma Valley

Hike Wilderness Gardens County Park
Hidden spots may seem harder to come by these days, but San Diego's Pauma Valley has a few less-known gems, including a small oasis tucked within Wilderness Gardens County Preserve. Find it along a tranquil trail where water, native history, and natural diversity come together.
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Rock Star Hike

Hike Vasquez Rocks in Los Angeles County

Hike Vasquez Rocks Natural Park Area
The sandstone giants of Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park might be the coolest damn formations in SoCal. Explore the craggy slabs on a 2.5-mile hike.
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New Rules of the Trail

New Rules of the Hiking and Biking Trails

New Rules of the Trail
As some parks around California begin to re-open, we came up with tips for being responsible on your outdoor adventures. Let’s do our part so we can all keep enjoying the parks.
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    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  2. 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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  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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  1. 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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  2. Underground Garden

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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

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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