All Stories from Southern CA

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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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  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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  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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