High Hikes with Bragging Rights

When winter storms clear the SoCal skies, stunning vistas unfold. Here are three hikes with enough elevation gain to make you feel proud for living near such wild beauty. And for reaching the top!

Week: 03.02.2017
Regions: Southern CA

Find Placerita Gold

Hiking Placerita Canyon in Los Angeles County

Head to Placerita Canyon Natural Area and tackle the Firebreak Trail loop, which gains 1,700 feet in 7 miles. It’s a workout hike with payoff views at the height of the loop.
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Best the Crest

Hiking Castro Crest in the Santa Monica Mountains

A walk along the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Malibu is especially good when the days are cool and the skies so clear. Add a jaunt down into Malibu Creek State Park, and you’ve got a 7.5-mile out-and-back challenge that rewards you with wonderfu
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Sea-to-Sea View

Hiking Cuyamaca Peak in San Diego County

It’s a bit of a leg buster, but this 5.6-mile out-and-back hike up 6,512-foot Cuyamaca Peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park gets you bragging rights for reaching the second-highest point in San Diego County. Better, it rewards you with sweeping views that extend from sea to sea...
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