From the Desert to the Sea

San Diego County is Southern California’s Southern California, which is to say it has magnificent deserts, rugged mountains, and a storied coastline all in close proximity. Here’s a taste of all three geographies—legstretcher walks to start off your year in true SoCal style.

Week: 01.04.2018
Regions: Southern CA

You Call This a Hellhole?

A Hike Into Anza-Borrego's Hellhole Canyon and Maidenhair Falls

One person’s hellhole is another’s heavenly desert oasis. Hellhole Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is definitely the latter. Its name comes from cattleman Wid Helm, who said it was “one hell of a hole to get cattle out of.” For you, it’s a moderate to challenging 5.5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike.
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New Log Cabin in Yosemite!

New Log Cabin in Yosemite at the Redwoods

Winter in Yosemite is something special. No crowds, incredible hiking and snowshoe trails, your own log cabin in the woods … Yep, you can actually stay right inside the national park. The Redwoods In Yosemite has over 115 cabin options privately set in historic Wawona and within
Visit our sponsor The Redwoods in Yosemite

Lookout Ahead!

Hike to Boucher Hill Fire Lookout in Palomar Mountain State Park

A 3.7-mile loop hike to Boucher Hill Fire Lookout in Palomar Mountain State Park reminds us that fire, and fire prevention, have long been facts of life in Southern California. We’re also reminded just how stunningly beautiful are the mountains of this remote, lightly visited por
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Be Cabrillo!

Hiking, Tide Pooling and Whale Watching in Cabrillo National Monument

A big year lies ahead. Why not start it off with an explorer’s mind-set? Be Cabrillo! Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, that is, the first foreign visitor (1542) to America’s finest city. Honor his legacy with some San Diego tide pooling, whale watching, and 3.5 miles of walking at the pa
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  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

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  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

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  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

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  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

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