All Stories from Southern CA

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  A Valido Point of View

  When you reach Aliso Peak via Valido Trail in Laguna Beach, you’ll be close enough to the blue Pacific to see the detail of the waves crashing upon the shore, but high enough for a

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  Rancho PV Seaside Spree

  Here’s a hike where the payoff comes with every step you take, not just in a hero view from a summit perch. The oceanside trails of Rancho Palos Verdes keep the dramatic Pacific in

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  Baldy Base Camp

  The grand stone house known as Harwood Lodge, set at 6,000 feet amid the pine-forested splendor of the San Gabriel Mountains, is just a short walk from Mount Baldy Trail, the quintessential SoCal mountain trek. It's also close to trails for more leisurely walks.

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  Hunt for the Hot Springs!

  Wanna find hidden hot springs? Hunt for them! Tucked alongside a creek in the Madhesi Valley an hour from Burney Falls and 5 miles from the nearest town of Big Bend (population 102

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  State Park Soaker

  Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its ver

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  Carson Calling

  Along the banks of the East Fork Carson River, brushing the California–Nevada border, sits a series of hot spring pools surrounded by high desert. The springs have for years been a

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  San Gabriels Sojourn

  To overnight at Sturtevant Camp is to relive Southern California’s “Great Hiking Era”—the 1880s to late 1930s—when millions flocked to the San Gabriel Mountains to hike, fish, and

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  At Home on the PCT

  Cienaga Creek Ranch rests at 8,250 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains. Nice. But even better: The ranch is smack dab on the Pacific Crest Trail, 8 miles southeast of Big Bear! Th

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  Two-Canyon Empire

  Let’s see ... a plateau that’s an extension of a mountain range, an undulating ridgeline, big boulders, and two canyons: The 6.6-mile Wiashal Trail is a great hike for ticking off

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  Riverside's Wild Side

  Wilderness trails inside Riverside city limits? Amazing but true. Sycamore Canyon Park Trail is a 4.6-mile loop that winds through dramatic boulder formations and traverses 450 fee

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  An Orange Shade of Red

  Which is closer: Zion or Orange County? For a quick red-rock fix, we vote for the OC. Namely, Red Rock Canyon in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park—a 4.2-mile (round-trip) out-and-back

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  Gulls Getaway

  The Anacapa wildlife spectacle begins almost as soon as you pull away from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. First up are playful common dolphins, and if you’re lucky, humpback and migrating gray whales. As you approach, you’ll see (and hear) noisy California sea lions and harbor seals.

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  Fancy Camp

  Wanna go rugged on the coast, minus the whole pitching your own tent and sleeping on the ground bit? Mendocino Grove is spot-on for upgrading your roughing-it experience, with beautifully appointed tent-cabins set across the bluffs overlooking Mendocino Bay.

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  Wing Stop

  The best birding in LA is in Van Nuys? Arguably, yes. The minute you step into the forest of cottonwoods and weeping willows between Haskell Creek and Wildlife Lake, you wonder how

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  Head for the Headlands

  A stroll along Mendocino's marquee bluffs is pretty much mandatory when you visit, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the charming hamlet of Mendocino, offers your

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  Bluffing Seals

  We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary

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  Pirate of the Coast

  Mendocino’s wild and scenic Pacific waters are filled with dramatic coves and caves best explored by kayak. Push your paddling boundaries with the experienced guides of Kayak Mendo

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  Heavenly Hellhole

  Rounding up some friends to go to a hellhole? Maybe it doesn't sound appealing, unless you're talking about Hellhole Canyon County Preserve. Its 1,907 hilly acres are home to a str

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  Dreamy Winery

  For relaxation, valley views, and some delightful wines, Hill Top Winery in Valley Center is a dreamy setting—literally, because it represents a family’s dream of turning a 30-acre

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  Garden in the Wilderness

  Hidden spots may seem harder to come by these days, but San Diego's Pauma Valley has a few less-known gems, including a small oasis tucked within Wilderness Gardens County Preserve. Find it along a tranquil trail where water, native history, and natural diversity come together.

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