A woman on a hiking trail fringed in yellow wildflowers with San Diego County's Hemet Lake in the background and a mountain.

Wildflowers by the Waterside

If timing is everything, then Easter arrives around the same time that SoCal blooms with a bevy of beautiful colors, courtesy of wildflowers that pop up this time of year. Here are three places where you can combine waterside adventures with some fresh blooms. 

Week: 04.15.2025
Regions: Southern CA

Diamond in the Rough

Wildflower Hike at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet

March Madness may be over, but the wildflower rush has just begun! This spring, in the Southern California regional bracket, Hemet’s Diamond Valley Lake is our surprise pick for the Fab Flowers Finals. Take a 2-mile round-trip hike in botanical bliss.
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Weekend in Reno Tahoe

Spring Adventure and Relaxation in Reno Tahoe

Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.
Reno Tahoe's Unique Spring Fun

Triumphant in Triunfo

Hike Among Wildflowers at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks

Hikers by the reservoir at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
Hikers on a trail at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
A hiker takes pictures of California Poppy at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks
A hiker smiling at the camera on a trail with mountains in the background at Triunfo Creek Park in Southern California
Go on a hike with a peaceful reservoir, charming meadows, and beautiful spring blooms at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks.
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Dume in Bloom

Hike Point Dume for Beautiful Ocean Views and Seasonal Flowers

During wildflower season, nature puts on a spectacular show, and one the best places to see it is at Point Dume Natural Preserve in Malibu. 
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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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