All Stories from Southern CA

Hidden Lake in the Dunes
It sounds preposterous: a lake in the dunes? That’s exactly why Oso Flaco Lake, in the Oceano Dunes south of Pismo Beach, is so cool. The 75-acre freshwater lake is surrounded by m
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Heavenly Devil's Hole
Recipe for the perfect swimming hole: cool pool in a mountain stream, remote mountain setting, great approach hike. Just add a few friends and a sunny summer day, then hike, stir,
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No Rapids in This Whitewater
Here’s a little desert hideaway that’s a surprisingly cool escape, even when the weather’s hot! Whitewater Preserve in Sand to Snow National Monument is an oasis in a rugged stretc
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Cool Pool in the ’Bu
Best place to cool off on a hot LA day? Our vote goes to Rock Pool in Malibu Creek State Park. A completely natural swimming hole reached via a short and easy trail (2.4 miles roun
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Swim-through Caverns
A mug of stout beer on a hot summer day isn’t the only thing that’s cold, dark, and refreshing! There’s also the swim-through caverns of Natural Bridges in Calaveras County (aka Go
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Malibu Rooftop View
Mesa Peak isn’t your standard summit ascent. For one thing, the peak is 147 feet lower in elevation than the trailhead. But this is not just some downhill stroll. It’s a great up-a
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Waterfall Jackpot!
We know where you're guaranteed to hit the jackpot in Reno. Hunter Creek Falls. It's a favorite of Reno locals, accessible year round, and especially good in the summer months when
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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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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 very own hot springs.
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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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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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