All Stories from Southern CA
Trio 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.
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.
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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High Rise
It’s a tall order to hike 3.3 miles up a series of steady switchbacks to the 3,375-foot summit of Jones Peak, but this trek rewards with views that get better the higher you go.
ViewSitton Pretty
Sitton Peak is a 3,273-foot summit in the Santa Ana Mountains. All in, a 10-mile hike gets you to a panoramic summit filled with hills galloping toward the Pacific.
ViewCave Culture
Cave Landing, a craggy headland between Avila Beach and Pismo Beach, is a storied stretch of the Central Coast that stirs potent reveries in the beholder.
ViewSmall Craft Morning
San Luis Obispo Bay is a lovely place to kayak. The highlands backing the bay and a jetty at its western end protect the harbor from tough paddling.
ViewOld SLO Hills
Hike Johnson Ranch, a sprawling 242-acre open space south of San Luis Obispo and north of Avila Beach where vistas seem to ever unfold in new directions.
ViewPlanet of the Oaks
Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.
ViewArrowhead Ahead
Deciduous black oaks and Fremont cottonwoods line the Sawmill Road Loop Trail near Lake Arrowhead, making it one of the best places in SoCal for a seasonal kaleidoscope of changing leaves.
ViewRocky Picture Show
Suicide Rock near Idyllwild is a SoCal hot spot for changing colors in the fall, and a great workout as well. The 6.3-mile out-and-back hike rewards with autumn yellows and sweeping views.
ViewCrunch Time
This 6.8-mile (round-trip) loop in northern Griffith Park is supernaturally enticing: four peaks, panoramic views, and ... ghosts.
ViewWelcome to Mr. Cobb's Haunted Forest
The ruins can be explored on an easy 1.5-mile (round-trip) loop trail. Hike it close to dusk for maximum creepiness (just make sure you're out by dusk, when the park closes).
ViewHiking with the Shadow People
The Thompson Creek Trail in Claremont seems so benign. And it is, until you start encountering weird noises, “shadow people,” or bleeding trees! Test your bravery on the 5.6-mile (round-trip) trail.
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