All Stories from Southern CA
Kwaay Paay All the Way
Kwaay Paay peak seems modest as the fourth tallest of five in Mission Trails Regional Park, but don’t underrate this gem. Its panoramic views are among the best in San Diego on this 2.5-mile loop.
ViewLukens Good, LA!
A 5,074-foot mountain the city? It’s not part of a movie set—it’s Mount Lukens in LA! And you can conquer its peak on a 10-mile (round-trip) hike starting from the Deukmejian Wilderness Park.
ViewSunsetsational!
With a name like Sunset Peak, expectations are high—as in 5,796 feet high and 1,272 feet in elevation gain—with thrilling views on this summit hike near Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains.
ViewDon't Overlook This Overlook!
Head to the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook in Hollywood and hike Fryman Canyon for 1.5 miles, with just under 400 feet of elevation gain, and some of the very best views of the San Fernando Valley.
ViewBriar Blockbuster
Get a fresh perspective on Hollywood and awesome views while avoiding the crowds. Briar Summit Preserve has a short and sweet 1-mile, 250-foot climb and distinct 360-degree views across LA.
ViewNot Your Garden Variety View
This vista comes with botanical beauty. In LA's Griffith Park, enjoy fantastic florals by climbing 300 feet over a 1-mile out-and-back hike that's viewtiful. Enter Amir’s Garden!
ViewThank You to Our 2020 Team
Thank you to our wonderful 2020 team for bringing the great outdoors home in a most challenging year. Meet our contributors and get ideas from their personal favorite CA adventures this year.
ViewThis Walk Rocks
Go on a 2.5-mile out-and-back hike along the San Diego River and find the colorful “Covid-19 Rock Snake,” a project encouraging people to spread joy and kindness by adding to the chain of artful rocks.
ViewRock the Hope at Lake Elsinore
Hike the 4-mile Levee Trail on the shores of Southern California's largest natural freshwater lake, Lake Elsinore, and get a splash of positive energy thanks to the Rock Snake started earlier this year.
ViewRocking Kindness: Monrovia
While there may not yet be a rock snake along a Los Angeles trail, in Monrovia you can search for painted rocks with positive messages hidden throughout the town.
ViewTrebek Open Space
While most hikers head over to adjacent Runyon Canyon, instead do the 2-mile hike at Trebek Open Space and pay your respects to the legendary Jeopardy host and philanthropist, Alex Trebek.
ViewMural Walk Honoring Gianna and Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is the undeniable King of LA. Pay tribute to the life of the sports icon, and his daughter Gianna, on a 2.4-mile memorial walk among eight beautiful murals honoring them.
ViewRock and Roll Hike
Ready to rock and roll? Honor the late, great Eddie Van Halen with a visit to his old stomping grounds in Pasadena and a nearby 2-mile hike with electric views and acoustic canyons.
ViewHill of a Good Hike!
Ascot Hills Park in East LA is an 83-acre urban respite that's got a short loop hike with excellent vantages for watching the sun set behind LA’s downtown skyline, creating a fiery silhouette.
ViewHoly Cowles!
Enjoy late day-sun vistas on a 3-mile (round-trip) hike to the summit of Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park. Located in San Diego, this summit is the city’s tallest at 1,593 feet.
ViewLa Palma Your Hand
Hike a hidden spot and then sweeten the pot in northern Orange County! Discover an inconspicuous 2.5-mile lakebed park loop and a meadery (brewery too) along the ever-growing La Palma Beer Trail.
ViewWet Lands
Got a need for mead? Before you wet your whistle at Honest Abe Cider House and Meadery, whistle while you walk through the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach.
ViewViking Hiking (and Mead)
Go on a secret gems hike at Buena Vista Park, including a hidden wetland with ferocious beasts (okay, it’s a pond with cute ducks!). Afterwards, reward yourself at Twisted Horn Mead and Cider.
ViewGrand Central Circuit
Go on a 2.5-mile urban hike in Los Angeles that has it all: the beautiful Aoyama Tree, amazing murals, the Angels Flight funicular, and a stop at LA's vibrant food arcade, Grand Central Market.
ViewPark it Here
Do a 2.5-mile scenic hike from Point Fermin Park to Angels Gate Park in Los Angeles. It’s got big trees, big ocean views, and a food and beer bonus!
View
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).
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