All Stories from Southern CA
Shakespeare Bridge + Secret Garden
Romeo, Romeo, we all know how this goes, but do you know how to go to the Shakespeare Bridge and secret gardens? We’ve got the online do-it-yourself hiking route for you.
ViewSuspension Bridge Surprise
This urban hike in San Diego connects two gardens by way of two spectacular bridges, including the awesome Spruce Street Suspension Bridge built in 1912.
ViewColorado Meets Pasadena
Connect a neoclassical-inspired bridge with a bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places on this hike in Pasadena via the Arroyo Seco Trail.
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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.
ViewHigh Five!
Hit the High Sierra for a day hike or get a permit to spend the night at one of the Cottonwood Lakes, five sublime oases set in the John Muir Wilderness.
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.
ViewLookout for This View!
Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!
ViewAll's Well That's Elwell
Mount Elwell's peak offers one of the best views of the northern Sierra. With two different routes to hike, it's 7 to 8 miles (round-trip) to the 7,818-foot peak. And it's a challenge!
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.
ViewSummit Up!
The 5.5-mile out-and-back adventure to Echo Mountain Lookout is not only an instant Angeles National Forest gem, but also one of the coolest treks in the entire lower half of the state.
ViewSneak a Peak!
It's just a 3.5-mile round-trip hike to one of the preeminent views in SoCal, San Gabriel Peak (6,146 feet). And it's even more beautiful towards the sunset hour.
ViewPeak on Climbing!
Hike to the Tahquitz Peak Lookout via the Devil’s Slide Trail in the San Jacinto Wilderness for amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the Salton Sea.
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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 Farm to Tent Cabins
The hardest part of staying at Willow-Witt Ranch will be leaving. This sprawling 445-acre property in Southern Oregon is part organic farm, part campground, part wellness retreat, and wholly relaxing.
ViewPeak-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.
ViewGrizzly and Great Views
You probably won’t see a grizzly bear on the hike up Grizzly Peak, but you will see locals on this 5.3-mile lollipop loop trail with panoramic mountain views and meadows of wildflowers.
ViewHighway of Waterfalls
Something you’ll notice when driving in Southern Oregon: The highways are beautiful. And perhaps none more enchanting than the Highway of Waterfalls. One not to miss: Susan Creek Falls.
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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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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