All Stories from Southern CA
Three National Parks ... Re-opened!
A lot of national parks are closed because of Covid-19, but it doesn't hurt to be optimistic in planning for the future. Here 3 we can't wait to get back to, along with some top hikes to do.
ViewNew Rules of the Trail
As some parks around California begin to re-open, we came up with tips for being responsible on your outdoor adventures. Let’s do our part so we can all keep enjoying the parks.
ViewIdeas for Mother's Day
Create arrangements from what is already growing in your yard (or in between the cracks of your sidewalk). Make make beautiful bouquets from a variety of weeds, grasses, and plants.
ViewTachevah Canyon
Grand is great and all, but little canyons can make big impressions too. Take Tachevah Canyon’s rim-to-rim hike in the San Jacinto mountain range. This 4.7-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike features some dynamic desert landscape.
ViewGo Get a Lytle
Go on a little adventure hiking to Stone House Camp with big valley views, creekside relaxation, and shaded campsites—all within a 1.8-mile out-and-back hike.
ViewCatch the Winds!
Proof that you don’t always have to go to the mountains to enjoy the mountains? Five Winds Trail in El Dorado Ranch Park, located at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, with an expansive view of Mount Baldy and the San Gabriels.
ViewNew Trail Alert
Check out the vastly improved trail at the Edward and Frances Hunter Arboretum on Palomar College’s San Marcos campus.
ViewHeart of Stone
It's just a half-mile hike to Heart Rock at Seeley Creek Falls, where you’ll find a perfectly symmetrical heart-shaped granite bowl carved by nature at the crest of the 25-foot waterfall
ViewBouquet of Waterfalls
Like a good love letter, some of the best hiking trails are short and sweet. Cue the hike to Bouquet Falls in Santa Clarita Valley’s Bouquet Canyon.
ViewInstead of Bonbons: Bonita
Bonita Falls goes year round, but in winter with snowmelt the waterfall is at its grandest. Hike to this oasis of the San Gabriels on a 2-mile (round-trip) trek.
ViewOld Towne Orange
Tour the county’s namesake city via a 2.5-mile hike in El Modena Open Space, followed by a stroll through the charming Old Towne district.
ViewFountain to the Falls
There are three ways to reach the lovely Monrovia Canyon Falls, but only one of them is worthy of being named a good challenge!
ViewFill Up on Fallbrook
This small town in northern San Diego County has more than 10 nature preserves. Explore two less-visited hiking havens: Hellers Bend and Dinwiddie Preserve
ViewThe Ryan King
At 5,456 feet, the summit of Ryan Mountain has the best view in the park. Its brilliant panoramic expanse, spanning desert to mountains, and—bonus—late afternoons can feature a sky tinged with lavender thanks to the low-sitting sun.
ViewTrio of Trails
Get into Joshua Tree National Park Park early and hit the classic circuit of short trails before the crowds arrive. We also have some food and overnight recos.
ViewSplit Decision
Joshua Tree is famous for its namesake trees but it's also got some big-ass boulders! We're talking size-of-a-building boulders. See them on an off-the-beaten-path hike along the Split Rock Trail.
ViewGlow Up
Tucked in the southeast corner of Griffith Park, Beacon Hill is an example of how you don’t have to travel far or aim high to reach one of the best panoramas of LA’s skyline
ViewHollywood Ending
Is the Hollywood Sign ready for its close-up? See it up close on the 3-mile round-trip hike up Aileen B. Getty Ridge Trail, which crosses the 1,820-foot summit of Cahuenga Peak.
ViewGlow Up
Tucked in the southeast corner of Griffith Park, Beacon Hill is an example of how you don’t have to travel far or aim high to reach one of the best panoramas of LA’s skyline.
ViewOld Tower, New Home
Castro Peak Lookout can be viewed via a 5.6-mile gut-bustin’, heart-thumpin’ out-and-back hike that delivers panoramic vistas of the San Gabriel Valley
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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).
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