All in Southern CA
Hikes & Beer!
Some hikes just go better when chased by a nice cold beer. Make that: All hikes just go better when chased by a nice cold beer. Have we had a few? You should too! Here are three great hikes close to three great local breweries. Hike, quaff, repeat (the quaff, that is).
VIEWEastern Sierra Seclusion
Set at 10,000 feet and surrounded by the alpine wonders of John Muir Wilderness, Rock Creek is an eastern Sierra treasure in the Inyo National Forest. It’s where you can hike among some of the best scenic lakes surrounded by the serrated drama of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
VIEWStairway Hikes to the Sea
It’s no secret that Santa Barbara is home to some of California’s most beautiful beaches—popular and hidden! Take things a step further … make that several steps further, by combining your beach outing with a stairway walk to the sea. Here are three!
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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.
View Bonus Sherpa: Lake Adventures
Ready to cool off? From Mammoth to Tahoe to Big Bear and Sequoia, here are a few outstanding ways to hike, bike, backpack or just lounge by some of California's most famous lakes. Better lake than never!
VIEWVerdugo Views
Next to the San Gabriel Mountains lie the Verdugo Mountains, a small range with wild hiking trails that deliver big on elevation gain, and beautiful panoramas! Verdu-go!
VIEWHot for Summer Adventures
Time flies when you're hiking to peaks, kayaking through caves, biking by the sea, and playing disc golf on a mountain! We're almost halfway through our annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge, but there's still plenty of time left to get your free Weekend Sherpa T-shirt made by Marmot! Need a few ideas? From mountains to sea, here are some great ways to get outdoors this summer!
VIEWGroovy Hikes in Gaviota
Just 33 miles west of Santa Barbara on Highway 101, Gaviota State Park is wild, windswept, and spectacularly scenic, with marquee hikes highlighted by brilliant vistas, endurance challenges, craggy caves, and hot springs. Get groovy with it!
VIEWYosemite High Points
Ready to take Yosemite to a whole other level? We’ve rounded up three of the best viewpoints you can hike to in the entire park! Now that’s what’s up!
VIEWGo Fourth on Adventures
What are you doing this Independence Day weekend? From biking and hiking and sunset strolling, to stand-up paddleboarding or a mountain-high game of disc golf, here are some great ways to go fourth on easygoing adventures!
VIEWBeach Hikes
It’s hot. Keep your cool on any of these three beach hikes and walks in San Diego County—filled with sunsets, sea lions, and classic scenery. Beach ya to it!
VIEWHole In One Hikes
How do you make hiking competitive? Throw in a little disc golf! Lace up the hiking boots, grab your favorite people, and set off for some disc golf surrounded by mountains. It’s tee time!
VIEWThe Adventure Challenge Begins!
It’s that time of year again. The 5th Annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge kicks off today! Do any 3 adventures from Weekend Sherpa, take a photo of yourself in action, then get rewarded with the all-new Weekend Sherpa 2016 Adventure Challenge T-shirt—made by this year’s sponsor, Marmot. It’s free to participate. Now get out there!
VIEWAround the World in LA
Los Angeles is one of the world’s most diverse cities, with global influences found everywhere, including the great outdoors. From Japan to Berlin, here are three great ways to explore the various cultures of LA by stepping outside for a hike.
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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.
View Day Hikes in CA National Parks
Loop Scoop One of the best hikes in Channel Islands National Park is also one of the most accessible: The 2-mile Cavern Point Loop Trail will get your eyes jazzed on vivid sea vistas as it traces the cliffs west of Scorpion Cove. Yodel for Yosemite Falls Itchin’ to climb to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America? Goodonya! The 3.5-mile (one-way) hike to Upper Yosemite Falls is challenging, misty, and mystifying! [sponsored-story] King of the Canyon Giant sequoias are the main attraction in Kings Canyon National Park, but the granite peaks around here aren’t too shabby either. Hike to the area’s highest point, Big Baldy (8,209 feet), for a grand panorama of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Western Divide’s epic peaks. Jurassic Redwoods Times change, but the tallest living trees in the world still tower over the grasslands of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (one of three state parks located within the jurisdiction of Redwoods National and State Parks). Transport to the Jurassic Era on a 6-mile loop hike. Dare Devil You want the grand slam of adventures? This three-part adventure in Mammoth Lakes combines mountain biking, hiking, lakes, waterfalls, epic views, and Devil’s Postpile National Monument, a popular stop-off for Pacific Crest Trail trekkers. National Parks BONUS Check out all of our recent national parks coverage celebrating the Centennial.
VIEWNational Park Lodges: Hike-in Style
Part 3 in our monthlong feature celebrating the National Parks centennial: backcountry lodges! No need for hefting a burly backpack, tent, and food to these oases in the wilderness. From the Rockies to the Sierra, we've rounded up some of the best ways to experience national park backcountry, in style!
VIEWFantasy Island
Remote, raw, and utterly enchanting, Channel Islands National Park, nicknamed “the Galapagos of California,” is an undeveloped, far less traveled archipelago off the coast of Ventura. Explore this once lost world by adventuring all across the largest of its five islands—Santa Cruz.
VIEWSummertime Adventures
It's summer. You live in California. Get out there on these adventures!
VIEWGoing Big in the High Sierra
Big trees, big peaks, big backpacking treks, and big views … it doesn’t get bigger (or better!) than adventuring in California’s first national park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon. This is the first in our May series celebrating the 2016 National Park Centennial. Each week we’ll bring you a range of national park ideas, with insider tips and plenty of ideas to get you going!
VIEWTwo Wheels to Wild
This spring, choose your own bike adventure in San Diego County, with three bike routes full of wildlife, wildflowers, salty ocean spray, and even some tunnels and trestle bridges. Oh my, nice ride!
VIEWCanyon Dig It?
Between the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains lie the less-travelled Puente Hills: 3,680 acres of chaparral, oak woodland, riparian habitats, and diverse hiking trails in canyons. Here are 3 canyon hikes worth the trifecta. Of course you canyon!
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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 CalendarYour Inbox to the Outdoors
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