All "Hikes" Stories in Southern CA
Big Tree Bonanza
Roosevelt elk, canyons draped in ferns and dripping with small waterfalls, oh … and the tallest trees on the entire planet! Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has all the fixings for world-class hiking.
ViewJust Dune It
Miles of epic sand dunes seem like something you're more likely to find in the desert than on Northern California's lush redwood coast. Surprise! One of the most spectacular expanses of sand-scape you’ll ever see is in Humboldt County, just minutes by car from Old Town Eureka.
ViewI Do!
Even if you’re not getting married anytime soon, you’ve gotta visit Wedding Rock, the most dramatic spot in Patrick’s Point State Park. It’s called Wedding Rock because the park’s
ViewScreaming Mandatory!
Feeling the wind whoosh past you as you soar above Corona’s Skull Canyon, 200 feet in the air while zipping along a matrix of steel cables, is one of the most exhilarating of all s
ViewIf Jack Sparrow Had a Lagoon
Nothing goes together better than bird-watching and buried treasure, right? Never connected the two? Consider 610-acre Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad—perhaps the most bird-friendly
ViewWhole Lotta Ballona!
It’s a thrill to see a pterodactyl patrolling a prehistoric pond, even if you know it’s really “just” a great blue heron stalking the Ballona Freshwater Marsh. Less camouflaged are
ViewRiver, Meet Ocean
The city of Ventura is officially known as Buenaventura, meaning “good fortune.” That applies to one of the least-known but most abundant estuaries in the region, where the Ventura
ViewSwim Hole, Say No More!
People flock to Kirkwood’s Silver Lake, a quiet beauty set against the backdrop of the Sierras. But few know about the easy 2-mile out-and-back (round-trip) hike that follows one o
ViewTall Drink of Waterfall
Tucked between Echo Summit and Lover’s Leap on US 50 there's an impressive display of water barreling down a mountain. Hello, Horsetail Falls! The commanding 800-foot-tall waterfal
ViewMeet Margaret!
You have an adventurous side and enjoy lakeside solitude, but you don’t want to be too far from your comfort zone. Time to meet Margaret! Tucked just north of Kirkwood and just off
ViewEmerald in the Woods
Green Valley Lake, nestled at 7,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains right between Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead, has all the watery charm of those popular bodies of water, just on a smaller scale, and decidedly without crowds—or motorized boats. It's also got camping, including first-come, first-served options.
ViewMalibu Creek State Park
Yes, Angelenos, you can escape city lights and view the Perseid meteor shower at Malibu Creek State Park Campground—so close to the big city, but it feels like it’s a galaxy away.
ViewSecret's Out
The turquoise waters and pristine beauty of Secret Cove on the east shore of Lake Tahoe are like an ode to Tahoe’s iconic spirit. And while this lovely spot near Incline Village is
ViewSpooner Afternoon
Tucked quietly away above Lake Tahoe’s eastern shore, Spooner Lake hides in plain sight. Just 12 miles north of Stateline on Highway 50, hikers, bikers, and beach loungers jet past
ViewShealor Stunner
Robust mountains, striking slabs of granite, and deep green pine reflections make Shealor Lake near Kirkwood resort a jewel of the El Dorado National Forest. Reach this alpine oasis on a 1.3-mile hike.
ViewFo Guang Shan Columbarium
Improbably perched above a steep oak-filled canyon in the Puente Hills above Whittier is the nation’s largest Buddhist pagoda, and you can see it on a 2.5-mile partial loop trail i
ViewTae Go Sah Temple
A startling vision greets you deep in Sand Canyon outside Tehachapi. Like an ancient Oriental woodblock print come to life, a Buddhist temple sits at the confluence of two narrow w
ViewRamakrishna Monastery
The Ramakrishna Monastery, perched on a foothill above Trabuco Canyon, accepts all religions as divinely inspired. For this reason, monks created the Shrine Trail, a mile-long loop
ViewGreat Is an Understatement!
Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marble limestone caves.
ViewSlot Canyon Cathedral
Ready to play the slots? We’re not talking the casino kind. We mean exploring the only slot canyons found in Nevada! Located right off Great Basin Highway (aka Highway 93), Cathedr
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Tram to Cool Treks
Elevate your fun, getting whisked from palm trees to alpine wilderness on the world’s largest rotating tramcar. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you up and away on a 2.5-mile scenic route from the desert floor to the refreshing wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park.
Get Your Ticket to Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
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