All in Southern CA

  1. Woman standing and taking a phone photo of the view at Briar Summit Preserve in Los Angeles

    Secret Vistas

    2021 has a few secrets up its sleeve, including three hikes with overlooks and vistas that are less traveled. Just you and a new point of view! Here’s to a year of new perspectives.

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  2. Woman standing in Joshua Tree National Park overlooking Palm Springs

    Top 10 of 2020

    In a year that was a rollercoaster of challenges, one thing felt a little more stabilizing: the great outdoors! We found respite and were able to re-energize in local parks and trails. Closing out 2020, we're sharing the top 10 best outdoor adventures of the year in Southern California. Onward to 2021!

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  3. Woman walking trail overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Hawk Hill in Marin County

    Team Favorites

    Thank you to our 2020 team for bringing the great outdoors home in a most challenging year. Meet our contributing content producers and get ideas from their personal favorite California adventures.

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-08-20

    Let's Go to Paso!

    Paso Robles is a good idea in all seasons, but one season brings a special bounty: harvest season! Road-trip ready and teeming with fall colors and fun events, Paso Robles is the ultimate destination for unique autumn experiences.

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  5. A couple walking the Levee Trail and looking at the painted Rock Snake at Lake Elsinore

    Hikes of Hope and Optimism to End 2020

    End 2020 on a more optimistic note. Hike among painted Rock Snakes with inspiring messages placed on trails, or search for hidden painted rocks filled with messages of gratitude.

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  6. Woman Hiking at Trebek Open Space in Los Angeles County

    LA Hikes Honoring Local Legends

    Take a hike in memory of a few local legends we lost this year—from a Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural walk to hiking Trebek Open Space and exploring a trail near one of Eddie Van Halen’s haunts.

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  7. Sunset Hike in Ascot Hills in Los Angeles

    Sunset Hikes for the Holidays

    Shorter days may leave you feeling in the dark, but there’s a bright side: sunsets! They're beautiful this time of year. From Los Angeles to San Diego, soak in the sun on any of these three hikes.

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  8. Man hiking in redwoods at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Orange County

    Thankful for the Great Outdoors

    Wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. This year we're more thankful than ever for the great outdoors. Explore some local wonders outside this weekend. Here are a few ideas to get you going.

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  9. Meaderies in Southern California

    You've Got It Mead!

    Beer and wine are common holiday staples, but we’ve got some sweet secrets that are worthy of some buzz: three hikes close to some of SoCal’s top meaderies (aka “honey wine”). Beeline for them.

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  10. Urban Art and Food Hike in Los Angeles

    Feast on These Urban Hikes

    These three urban hikes with food bonuses take you to hidden parks, historic fig trees, big views, mural art and magnificent landmarks. Gobble them up!

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  11. Redwoods Hikes in SoCal

    SoCal's Secret Redwoods

    Redwood groves in SoCal? Yes! And they’re the perfect respites if you need some space to clear your head or just look up and revel in awe. Here are three places to wander among the local redwoods.

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  12. LA Arboretum

    Halloween Hikes!

    It's a boo-tiful time of year! Head out on any of these hikes in gardens and forests and hidden trails infused with the Halloween spirit, including tricks and treats and ... who ghosts there?!

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  13. Urban Hike from Cesar Chavez Park to Petco Park in San Diego

    Home Run Hikes

    In the spirit of the World Series, these three hikes are a grand slam for getting outdoors, gaining great views, checking out some baseball landmarks, and enjoying food, wine, and beer, too. Home run!

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  14. Sonoma County Great Outdoors Boon Hotel and Spa

    Uncork These Adventures!

    Discover Sonoma County's coastal hikes, hidden beaches, secret redwoods, tent-cabin stays, and vineyard bike rides. Come for the wine, stay for the outdoors!

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-08-20

    Let's Go to Paso!

    Paso Robles is a good idea in all seasons, but one season brings a special bounty: harvest season! Road-trip ready and teeming with fall colors and fun events, Paso Robles is the ultimate destination for unique autumn experiences.

    View
  16. Leo Carrillo State Park Hike and Beach

    Malibu Hike-in Beaches

    A beach or a hike? How about a beach hike? Malibu's got both, and then some! Here are three coastal where you get million-dollar Pacific views and quality beach time too.

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  17. Los Encinos State Historic Park

    Simple Waterside Escapes

    Enjoy a riverside stroll, dining outdoors in a state historic park, and paddling an oasis in one of LA's most lovely recreation areas.

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  18. Hike to Bronson Caves and a Labyrinth in Griffith Park LA

    Hikes & Garden Walks with Hidden Labyrinths

    Meditative, contemplative, and sometimes just simply fun, these hikes and garden walks with hidden labyrinths allow for a little levity and contemplation in nature.

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  19. Hike Joshua Tree National Park

    Hikes for a Fresh Perspective

    Hazy days make one thing very clear: a renewed appreciation for blue skies! From the desert to the coast, here are three view-tiful hikes for gaining a fresh perspective when the air improves.

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  20. Colorado Bridge in Pasadena

    Hike to These Iconic Bridges

    Hike to some classic bridges, with great scenery and secret gardens, too. Here are three beautiful and historic bridges in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Pasadena.

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  21. Emma Wood State Beach and Ventura Estuary

    Keep Cool Outdoors This Weekend

    Keep things cool on a hot summer day with beaches, beautiful murals, a SUP excursion, and the namesake lake with a banner view of the Hollywood Sign.

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  22. Sierra Nevada Lake Camping California

    Four Goodness Lakes!

    Enjoy the Sierra Nevada's most refreshing assets: lakes! Here are four lake camping destinations in the Sierra Nevada where you can escape for some lounging, paddling, and hiking.

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  1. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  2. 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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  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. 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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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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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

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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