All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Southern CA
Glow Up
Tucked in the southeast corner of Griffith Park, Beacon Hill is an example of how you don’t have to travel far or aim high to reach one of the best panoramas of LA’s skyline.
ViewOld Tower, New Home
Castro Peak Lookout can be viewed via a 5.6-mile gut-bustin’, heart-thumpin’ out-and-back hike that delivers panoramic vistas of the San Gabriel Valley
ViewHigh Rise
It’s a tall order to hike 3.3 miles up a series of steady switchbacks to the 3,375-foot summit of Jones Peak, but this trek rewards with views that get better the higher you go.
ViewSitton Pretty
Sitton Peak is a 3,273-foot summit in the Santa Ana Mountains. All in, a 10-mile hike gets you to a panoramic summit filled with hills galloping toward the Pacific.
ViewCave Culture
Cave Landing, a craggy headland between Avila Beach and Pismo Beach, is a storied stretch of the Central Coast that stirs potent reveries in the beholder.
ViewOld SLO Hills
Hike Johnson Ranch, a sprawling 242-acre open space south of San Luis Obispo and north of Avila Beach where vistas seem to ever unfold in new directions.
ViewPlanet of the Oaks
Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.
ViewArrowhead Ahead
Deciduous black oaks and Fremont cottonwoods line the Sawmill Road Loop Trail near Lake Arrowhead, making it one of the best places in SoCal for a seasonal kaleidoscope of changing leaves.
ViewCrunch Time
This 6.8-mile (round-trip) loop in northern Griffith Park is supernaturally enticing: four peaks, panoramic views, and ... ghosts.
ViewWelcome to Mr. Cobb's Haunted Forest
The ruins can be explored on an easy 1.5-mile (round-trip) loop trail. Hike it close to dusk for maximum creepiness (just make sure you're out by dusk, when the park closes).
ViewHiking with the Shadow People
The Thompson Creek Trail in Claremont seems so benign. And it is, until you start encountering weird noises, “shadow people,” or bleeding trees! Test your bravery on the 5.6-mile (round-trip) trail.
ViewMr. Beek's Mountain Dream
Beek’s Place in the Santa Ana Mountains is one of those great California shrines to faded dreams, and well worth the thigh-burning 10.5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike to get there.
ViewOld Tom's Cabin
The 1.5-mile hike to Vincent’s Cabin provides vast mountain views and dense forest shade—and a chance to visit an odd bit of SoCal history surrounding the man who was Tom Vincent.
ViewFull Moon, 90049
City lights and ocean views: Brentwood’s dog-friendly, 7.4-mile (round-trip) Westridge Fire Road trail offers both, no headlamp required. The full moon is bright enough to light up this exposed trail on your return trip.
ViewStone Cold Escondido
Escondido is Spanish for “hidden,” but its adventurous ales and tasty trails are right out in the open. It’s home to the not-so-secret Stone Brewing and a hike that’s just a stone’s throw away.
ViewI'll Have a Double!
Get the best view and best brew of “San Parkos” on a 4.5-mile out-and-back summit trek to Double Peak Park, which looms above North County, followed by a tasting flight at Double Peak Brewery.
ViewUNESCO, You Know!
It's hard to be #1 when you live in LA. But Hollyhock House achieved that status as the first LA landmark designated a World Heritage Site. See it on an urban tour of LA’s architecture and public art scene, including a Frank Lloyd Wright–themed walk through Barnsdall Art Park.
ViewBrea Beckoning
The art-centric town of Brea goes beyond museum walls with an “Art in Public Places” program featuring 183+ outdoor sculptures. Amid these treasures, you’ll find the 8-piece sculpt
ViewMurals of La Jolla
You need a map and sense of adventure for this fun journey through the lovely town of La Jolla. The “Murals of La Jolla” project began in 2010 as part of SoCal’s commitment to publ
ViewTahoe's Trio of Lake Vistas
They say good things come in threes, and it’s true when you embark on this 8-mile (round-trip) hike in Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness. It gives you three excellent lake vistas: Eagl
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The 2025 Hiking Calendar Is Here!
Ready to make hiking part of your New Year’s wellness plan? Get the all-new 2025 Hiking Calendar courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
Get the 2025 POST Hiking Calendar
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