Oscars for the Outdoors

The Academy Awards are this Sunday, but before you sit down to toast cinematic excellence on the big screen, enjoy the bigger picture by heading outdoors to hike, bike, and explore a few local spots that made their way to stardom. And—action!

Week: 02.17.2015
Regions: Southern CA

Best Supporting Background

Hike Bouquet Canyon

The acclaimed movie Wild cast a big Hollywood spotlight on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,660-mile route up the western states between the Mexican and Canadian borders. Hike a fantastic local slice (0.12%, to be precise) of the epic journey on a challenging 6.4-mile (round-trip) tr
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Yosemite Light Show!

Yosemite Winter Adventures, Horestail Falls

As if you need an excuse to visit Yosemite ... but we've got three really good ones! Yosemite's currently got some stellar seasonal rates at rustic resorts, grand hotels, and everything in between. Here are some of the best things to do in the coming weeks. Yosemite Light Show! T
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Starring Leo

Tidepools at Leo Carrillo

The shores at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu have been the backdrop for such cinematic masterpieces as Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's 50 First Dates. Of course, it's also been the backdrop for true classics like The Karate Kid, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Clint Eastwood’s
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Golden Oldie

LA River Bike Path and Golden Road Brewery

Nominated for Best Picture in 1940, The Wizard of Oz became a classic. "Follow the yellow brick road" just beckoned an adventure. You too can follow a road and get to a happy ending by hopping on a two-wheeler for a mellow journey that concludes with a cold glass of Hefeweizen, f
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

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  2. Sponsored

    Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

    Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

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  3. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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  4. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  3. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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