All "Water" Stories in Southern CA
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Sea Change
Right in time for the balmy fall days, the crowds have left and Monterey Bay Aquarium is at its shoulder season best. Fewer people means relaxing with more room to roam and enjoy the animals, exhibits, and nearby outdoors for biking, hiking, and beaches.
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Anchor Yourself in Anchorage
When it comes to the ultimate adventure basecamp, set your anchor in Anchorage. Located at the base of the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage gets you easy access to 60 glaciers to see, paddle up to, hike, fly over, or climb.
View Camp Casitas
Just 20 minutes from downtown Ventura, Lake Casitas Recreation Area is like summer camp all over again. There’s a 5.75-mile shoreline hike, a rugged disc golf experience, and reservoir boating. There’s also nearly 450 campsites across its massive grounds.
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Sea You Soon!
After over a year of being closed, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is ready for some quality time with you! A visit to Monterey this time of year is a refreshing coastal escape of beaches and bike paths and beautiful blooms, with a big bonus: The region’s marquee attraction is at the heart of it all.
View Truckee Riverwalk
A city that has nature running right through it? That’s Reno! The Truckee River flows through the heart of downtown, and the popular and well-maintained Reno Riverwalk makes for a delightful downtown stroll.
ViewSanta Year Round
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale is an 836-acre county park with a namesake dam. Explore highlights on a 4-mile loop featuring a lake, a beach, and beautiful mountain vistas.
ViewHot Dams!
Hot dam! Head to Santiago Oaks Regional Park for the best dam hike in Orange County. This 3.5-mile loop goes through riparian and chaparral environments with mountain vistas and two impressive dams.
ViewOn A Mission
Feeling dammed up? Head for Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego for a 3-mile out-and-back trail that features a historic dam, ancient oaks, and a fresh perspective on the value of green space.
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Refreshingly Different
Reno Tahoe is where America’s largest alpine lake meets the Biggest Little City in the World. Easily access the best ski resorts (and hot springs!) and have urban adventures at your fingertips.
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Fall for the Treasures of North Lake Tahoe
North Lake Tahoe in fall is an amazing time. It’s less crowded, many hiking and biking trails are open, sunsets and starry nights are spectacular, and fields of aspens are a splendor across the region.
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The Highway of Waterfalls
Ready for a totally refreshing road trip? Hit the Highway of Waterfalls! This stretch of road in Southern Oregon travels alongside the wild and scenic section of the North Umpqua River—and more than a dozen waterfalls.
View Sleeper Hit
It's all about the water, and the camping, at Utica Reservoir in Stanislaus National Forest, a High Sierra reservoir perfect for kayak explorations and pitching your tent with the lake in the background.
ViewDuck, Duck, Goose!
Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.
ViewThe Long and Short of It
The Lakes Basin is, as you’d expect, packed with lakes. And Long Lake is one of its, well, longest. What’s not long is the hike to it—just 1 mile! This oasis is perfect for lounging.
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Simply Amazing Road Trip
Don’t overthink it, just go! Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin is a hidden gem just north of the California border. This adventurous region makes savoring summer and fall easy with abundant outdoor recreation.
View Peak-a-View!
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the entire country and the seventh deepest in the world. For one of the very best perspectives of this shining blue beauty, hike up to Garfield Peak.
ViewHot Springs With a View
People love a good hot spring. And Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon is a marquee attraction. You're perched on a mineral deposit above the flowing beauty of the North Umpqua River.
ViewGone Rogue!
If one thing can make you feel like a kid at summer camp, it’s spending a day on the river, rafting, floating, cannonballing off cliffs—eureka! One of the best rivers in the West to float is the Rogue River.
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National Parks Road Trip: Circle of Discovery!
Love national parks? Love road trips? Combine the two on one fabulous Circle of Discovery route in Northern California and Southern Oregon! This itinerary features 7 national parks with wondrous features.
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Gateway to Glacier National Park
It’s known as the Soul of Montana: Kalispell is one of the West’s ultimate mountain towns—only a 30-minute scenic drive to the west side of Glacier National Park. Make the friendly mountain town your home base to these top adventures.
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Sublime San Juan Islands
Well, well, this wellness action plan takes you to the San Juan Islands! Easily reached by ferry yet worlds away in tranquility and unique adventures, this Washington State jewel of the Salish Sea nurtures through nature.
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