Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wow!

Wanna make a colorful splash this Easter weekend? Here are some hikes with waterfalls, wildflowers, or a brilliant combo of both. Hop to it!

Week: 04.13.2017
Regions: Southern CA

It's a Waterfall Life

Hiking to Tahquiz Falls in Palm Springs

Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores will change how you think about the desert. You might grumble at the $12.50 entrance fee, but fork it over—this hike is worth it. Its 2.1-mile loop trail offers an easy da
Read the full story

State Park Stunner

Wildflower Hike in Chino Hills State Park

Stunning blankets of wildflowers are blooming in Chino Hills State Park, adding brilliant splashes of color to the most vividly green rolling hills in Southern California. You’ll hike amid brilliant displays of California poppies, lupines, and Canterbury bells on a 2.5-mile out-a
Read the full story

Big Sycamore Canyon

Hiking to Big Sycamore Canyon Waterfall in Point Mugu State Park

After a five-year drought, winter rains have reawakened a waterfall hidden deep within Big Sycamore Canyon and turned it into a spring fantasy. See for yourself on a 4.7-mile loop trail starting at Rancho Sierra Vista. From the main parking lot, head southeast on a dirt trail alo
Read the full story

Get Lost Among Giants

See the Tallest Redwoods in the World in Humboldt

Humboldt County defies hyperbole. Here, you’ll encounter the tallest living trees, the biggest ferns, and stretches of the most dramatic coastline on earth. Venture to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a sanctuary of old-growth redwoods, golden beaches, and vibrant green canyons
Visit our sponsor Humboldt County

Point Dume Bloom!

Wildflower Hike on Point Dume in Malibu

On this 2-mile loop hike in Mailibu's Point Dume Natural Preserve, you can find yourself walking through fields of brilliant yellow specimens—some of them chest high and taller—but also dip down to pristine beaches and tide pools, possibly crowning your visit with a gray-whale sighting.
Read the full story

The Irish Hills Are Smiling

Hiking the Irish Hills in San Luis Obispo

Everyone loves San Luis Obispo, and the Irish Hills rank high among reasons why. Inches from civilization, you enter a world laced with oak-shaded creeks, green grassy hillsides, and rugged chaparral-cloaked slopes that lift you to views stretching clear to Morro Bay and the sout
Read the full story

Black Star Canyon

Hiking to Black Star Canyon Falls in Orange County

A hike to the roaring Black Star Canyon Falls in the heart of the Santa Ana Mountains is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of ankle. This waterfall in the Santa Ana River is flowing stronger than it has in years! And it’s reachable via a challenging and exciting 7-mile out-
Read the full story

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Talk of the Town

    We're spilling the tea on this bountiful 5.5-mile loop to Gossip Rock in Hayward’s Garin Regional Park (currently whispering all the right springtime notes).

    View
  2. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

    View
  3. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

    View
  4. woman kneeling and signing peak book at Mount Olympia in Mount Diablo State Park

    Double Up on Diablo

    Set the tone for 2024 with this twofer summit hike at Mount Diablo State Park. Embark on a 7-mile out-and-back up Mount Olympia and Diablo’s lesser-known summit, North Peak.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Hiker overlooking Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey

    Pinnacles of Spring

    Why hike at Pinnacles National Park? Spring's a beautiful time of year here. And you might spy the magnificent California condor soaring while you gain soaring views from the High Peaks Trail.

    View
  2. Caves in Mojave

    No one expects to see caves when they visit the desert, and that’s part of what makes Mitchell Caverns in the Mojave Desert such an interesting place. Go on a two-hour guided adventure tour through Mitchell Caverns in Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.

    View
  3. Hikers by the reservoir at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks

    Triumphant in Triunfo

    Go on a hike with a peaceful reservoir, charming meadows, and beautiful spring blooms at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks.

    View
  4. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

    View