All Stories from Southern CA

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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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  Accomplished Mission

  Coastal breezes blow and church bells toll as you approach Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, a peaceful and serene national historic landmark and crucial piece of early

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  Eagle Gold

  There’s gold in these mountains! Well, there was, once upon a time. In the 1870s, prospectors discovered gold in Julian, leading to the creation of Eagle Mine, known as the Mother

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  Orange Country!

  Before California was the land of movie stars, the Golden State had a different claim to fame: oranges. Those simpler times come to life at California Citrus State Historic Park in

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  SoCal's Sequoias

  Nestled at over 6,000 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, Heaps Peak Arboretum in Skyforest has a stellar collection of massive trees that include giant sequoias.

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  Enchanted Oaks

  Enchanting oak forests are the closest thing to a SoCal hiker’s fairy-tale setting—swarthy trunks, long, spreading branches, cool shade on a warm day. Experience one of the densest and most alluring examples at Wildwood Canyon State Park in Yucaipa via a 2.25-mile loop.

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  Forested Falls

  What could be more soothing than adding the sound of flowing water to your zen experience of forest bathing? The place is Cooper Canyon Falls, deep in the San Gabriels, reachable v

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  Eyepopping Poppies

  Poppies! Lots and lots of poppies. Reaching the top of Grass Mountain near Santa Ynez feels like approaching the Emerald City in the Land of Oz—only crossing this poppy field won’t

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  Fantastic Phantom!

  Blooming wildflowers and gushing waterfalls can only mean one thing: spring on North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve! The mountain—actually a basalt mesa—is worth a visit any tim

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  Colorful Colorado

  Wildflowers by a sandy beach, with paths to walk and a tidal lagoon to swim in? Yep, Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach has all the makings of a beautiful spring afternoon. This recentl

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  Cultivated Carlsbad

  The most dependable bloom of springtime flowers in SoCal? It’s in Carlsbad, where the cultivated Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch have been putting on a show for the past 26 years.

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  A Splash of Whiskeytown

  Located just 8 miles west of Redding and surrounded by mountain peaks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is nearly 40,000 acres of all things outdoors: waterfalls, campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails, and a beautiful crystal-clear lake at the center of it all.

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  Weekend at Burney's

  The 129-foot Burney Falls gushes 100 million gallons of water every day over a basalt cliff face from Burney Creek. Get up close to it on an easy 1.2-mile hike taking you down to the waterfall’s base.

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  West's Best Bike Ride

  It’s the crown jewel of biking trails, wending its way through wildflowers and by the banks of the rippling Sacramento River, with stunning mountain views along the way. You’ll als

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  Descanso 2.0

  Descanso Trail gets overlooked by its showy neighbor, Descanso Gardens, but if you’re looking for a quick-fix hike and a cardio challenge, opt for the 3-mile loop trail.

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  Fly Like an Eagle Rock

  Why sit in LA traffic after work when you can fly like an eagle? Or at least pretend to, as you hover over the red lights of the 134’s stop-and-go after a wonderful workout in Eagl

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  Hi-Yo, Silver Lake!

  The 2.25-mile loop around Silver Lake Reservoir is a classic LA workout walk-jog-hike, and now it’s better than ever! First, the long-empty reservoir got refilled last year. Then,

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  Multiple Choice Hot Springs

  Travertine Hot Springs stands apart from other Eastern Sierra soaking sites for the astounding way that rock formations convey water to its primitive pools. Craggy ridges of traver

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  Hot, Wet, and Wild!

  At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar

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  Soaking Up History

  When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history. Although this rustic resort south of Bishop has changed hands a f

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