All in Southern CA

  1. The Outlook Is Bright!

    The crisp, sunny days of a SoCal winter are the perfect time to hike high and be dazzled. Here’s a lineup of choice views to pursue—great workouts, each with a memorable payoff.

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  2. Mountain Town With the Most

    They say that Mt. Bachelor just outside of Bend, Oregon, is a volcano. But we could swear it's a magnet, attracting outdoor enthusiasts from all across the West. The glorious mountain town of Bend offers every kind of adventure in winter: ski, hike, snowshoe, river surf (!) .... And with 24 craft breweries, your thirst for more adventure is easily quenched.

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  3. Howling Good Hikes

    You don’t have to own a dog to love these hikes, but if you do, you’ll definitely make your furry friend happy. Each of these trails is super accessible and serves up great views. (Your dog does savor brilliant vistas, right?) These are also hikes that might be a tad warm in summer or fall, so now is the perfect time to pack up the pooch and go frolic together.

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-06-04

    Reno Tahoe Summer Bucket List

    There’s no place quite like it - a perfect intersection where the Truckee River meets the creative enclaves that inspire Burning Man. A landscape with lakes throughout and a downtown that glows with casino resorts, art light exhibits, and an acclaimed food scene.

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  5. From the Desert to the Sea

    San Diego County is Southern California’s Southern California, which is to say it has magnificent deserts, rugged mountains, and a storied coastline all in close proximity. Here’s a taste of all three geographies—legstretcher walks to start off your year in true SoCal style.

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  6. SoCal's Top 10 Adventures of 2017

    A wise man once said looking back is looking forward. Actually, we just made that up. But we do enjoy looking back at some of your favorite adventures from 2017. Here's to getting outside even more in 2018!

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  7. Easy Holiday Outings

    We've had a rough couple of months, from the wine country wildfires in Northern California to the current fires in Southern California. But no fire can snuff out the California spirit. If you're looking for ways to find some comfort and a little adventure this season, here are three outings to please kids from 1 to 92.

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  8. Caffeinated Adventures

    We love our wild spaces, but we also love a great coffee drink! From mountain biking to hiking, here are three explorations, each with a tasty payoff—the nearby presence of a very cool coffee house.

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  9. Secret Gardens

    We’d be surprised if you’ve heard of, let alone visited, all three of the “secret” gardens we highlight this week. Such is the beauty of SoCal, where natives and exotics grow in abundance, and fantastic preserves showcase them for our walking and viewing pleasure. Secret's out!

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  10. 6 SoCal Thanksgiving Hikes

    When you've hit your max on turkey and pumpkin pie, it's time to make a pilgrimage to the outdoors. From Los Angeles to the desert, here are some good adventures to work up another appetite. Grateful for the great outdoors.

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  11. Rock Your World!

    Big rocks have a way of making you feel bold. Or boulder, if you will. We’re not talking technical climbs here, but rather stony summits and rocky routes that invite a bit of scrambling and bring out your inner explorer. Why just stroll when you can rock ’n’ roll?

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  12. Winter Wanderlands

    Winter brings all kinds of adventures to Southern California: photogenic desert rambles, snowy Sierra outings, chilling in Griffith Park... Here are some winter classics!

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  13. Stranger Flings

    Remnants of faded dreams and nefarious schemes can make for pretty compelling journeys. Here are three hikes into history that also serve up some nifty vistas.

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  14. Gamboling in the Slots

    You don’t have to journey to Utah for the slithery fun of exploring slot canyons. We have some stellar examples of our own, where nature has sculpted solid rock into tight but passable corridors. Challenging? Sometimes. Fun? Always.

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-06-04

    Reno Tahoe Summer Bucket List

    There’s no place quite like it - a perfect intersection where the Truckee River meets the creative enclaves that inspire Burning Man. A landscape with lakes throughout and a downtown that glows with casino resorts, art light exhibits, and an acclaimed food scene.

    View
  16. Walkin' LA!

    Los Angeles is one of the world’s most diverse cities, a beautiful confluence of local and global influences, including in the great outdoors. Here are some great ways to combine stepping outside and exploring the art, culture, even the coffees (!) of LA.

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  17. Spirited Adventures

    Time to get weird! Yes, it’s the season for visiting the undead in a living ghost town, getting lost in a corn maze, and hiking to an iconic jack-o’-lantern atop a local mountain. Nothing too creepy—just good weird fun in the spirit of Halloween!

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  18. Rocky Picture Shows

    What a show to behold! The strangest forces of SoCal geology could star in their very own cult movie. Crazy uplift, bizarre evidence of faulting, massive lava flows, weird underwater formations risen to the desert surface—they’re all ripe for exploring if you know where to look. And we do!

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  19. LA Urban Art Crawls

    Urban hikes can be just as satisfying as hitting the trail. Especially when they dazzle with edgy art, ethnic enclaves, and intriguing eateries. Here are three LA walks that get to the art of the matter.

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  20. Ahh-tumn Redwoods

    There's only one place where you can see the world's tallest trees ... and we're lucky enough to live just a few hours from it! This fall, motor up to the epic redwoods, wildlife, and spectacular rugged coastline of Humboldt County … we guarantee you an awe-struck weekend. Here's a plan!

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  21. 3, 2, 1... Takeoff!

    Man’s oldest dream is to fly—so what’s keeping you? We’ve got three thrilling aerial adventures in store that will have you hang gliding, paragliding, or ziplining in no time. Adrenaline rush? You bet. Need skill? Nope. Just stop dreaming and start flying!

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  22. Wet and Semi-Wild

    More than 95 percent of our wetlands have been lost. We're lucky we can still visit remnants of them along the SoCal coast. They're home to a dazzling array of bird life, especially this time of year. Here are three easy walks to soothe the soul and see some of September's most active feathered friends.

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

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  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

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  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

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  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

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  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

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  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

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