All Stories from "Southern CA"

All Stories from Southern CA

Lizard Like
As a coastal enclave where beaches meet mountains, Santa Barbara County is one of those places that run the risk of having too much of a good thing. But fortunately we know a spot
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Glamp Camp
So your idea of camping is barbecues, beach cruisers, and better-not-have-to-pitch-a-tent? Say hello to Autocamp! (Or what we call Autoglamp.) Set right in downtown Santa Barbara,
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Lookout There!
Perched at 4,900 feet in the Greenhorn Mountains amid majestic oaks and huge, cleaved boulders, Oak Flat Lookout in Sequoia National Forest (named for the Giant Sequoia groves and
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High Sierra Sorensen's
At the eastern edge of Hope Valley, just 20 minutes south of Lake Tahoe, is what you would call an elegantly rustic respite suited to all seasons. Situated in an alpine valley rin
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SUP 'n' Sip
Crowned Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year? Lodi is hot on the vine trail. But wine isn’t the only thing flowing here: The Mokelumne River is a nature-lover’s oasis tha
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Hollywood Sunset
We know, we know, there are all kinds of ways to hike to the Hollywood sign. But to see this icon in its best light, go closer to sunset and take the short, classic route up Mount
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Ocean's Edge
Tightly wedged beside the 101 Freeway and downtown Ventura, and divided by the Southern Pacific Railroad, Emma Wood State Beach is mostly known for RV camping. Meh. But wait … beyo
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Hike-in Swimming Hole
We had you at hike-in swimming hole? For a taste of the glacial and volcanic splendors of Desolation Wilderness without an all-day commitment, Grass Lake is the perfect hike. Pack
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Chain of Alpine Lakes
There are six and a half good reasons to do this 6.5-mile (out-and-back) hike in the eastern Sierras’ Inyo National Forest. The Little Lakes Valley hike is an oasis-hopping, mounta
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Rocky Alpine High
Set at 10,000 feet in the Inyo National Forest of the eastern Sierras, Rock Creek Lake is idyllic, with its sandy shores and the colorful rainbow trout easily spotted in the transp
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Desolation Drama
Oval-shaped Dicks Lake is one of the scenic gems of the Desolation Wilderness. Set in a dramatic glacial cirque with 9,974-foot Dicks Peak soaring behind it, the lake makes a perfe
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Bag Tahoe's Tallest
You can’t call yourself a Tahoe hiker until you’ve climbed 9,735-foot Mount Tallac, the imposing peak that towers over Lake Tahoe’s southwest shore. This butt-kicking, 9.4-mile hik
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Sleep Like a Rock
No crowds, no cell phone service—now that’s a wilderness getaway! The hugely underrated Rock Creek Lake in the Inyo National Forest of the eastern Sierra is known for its peaceful
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Mesa's Magical
If the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands views don’t take your breath away, these 242 steps will. Mesa Lane boasts Santa Barbara’s longest and most aesthetic staircase, descending
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Thousand Steps Beach
Okay, the name is a bit of an exaggeration—it takes only 154 steps to reach Santa Barbara's Thousand Steps Beach (also known as Camino al Mar, Spanish for “the way to the sea”). Bu
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Give Me More Mesa
A typical beach routine: Drive to a parking lot, haul out your cooler, traipse across the asphalt to the sand. Want more out of the experience? Then head to More Mesa and its view-
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Simply Putah-ful
Immortalized in Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River,” Yolo County’s Putah Creek is proof that some legends never dry! Its snaking banks still teem with underrated bayou cha
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Big, Beautiful Beaudry
You won’t hear the croaky voice of Jed the Fish when you reach the KROQ radio tower at the top of this peak, but you might yodel at the top of your lungs for the glorious views you
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Stough Away
There’s nothing quite like old ruins to put civilization into perspective. Hiking to the vestiges of a mid-century youth camp perched in the Verdugo Mountains above Burbank doesn’t
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La Tuna Special
As one of the few footpaths within the Verdugo Mountains, La Tuna Canyon Trail feels like a backcountry trek, even with its proximity to the 210 Freeway.
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