You Wildin'!

Beautiful views meet big birds, blubbery seals, breaching whales, and playful dolphins on these three Southern California day-outings. Amazing close encounters!

Week: 06.07.2018
Regions: Southern CA

Gulls Getaway

Wildlife Trip to Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park

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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Ranch Style

Overnight Escape to The Ranch at Laguna Beach

It’s California’s only National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World. The Ranch at Laguna Beach sits on an iconic piece of land where the mountains meet the Pacific. This boutique coastal ranch hotel was completely reimagined and renovated in 2016. Hidden in Aliso and Wood Canyon
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Seal the Bluffing Deal

Hiking, Wildflowers and Harbor Seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Woman sitting perched on a Bluff overlooking seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve
Woman sitting perched on a Bluff overlooking seals at Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve
We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. An easy 1-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike on the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail gets you to an overlook from which you
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Wing Stop

Birding at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve

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 this can possibly be the San Fernando Valley—especially when you spot a snowy egret stalking a shor
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Purely Purisima

    Take a relaxing hike on the lower section of Purisiima Creek Trail in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.

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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Ballona Beach Hopper

    This easygoing bike escape is proof that you don't have to drive for hours to feel the vast benefits of nature. The Ballona Creek Bike Path is part of the “Park to Playa Regional Trail,” a 13-mile network connecting parks and open spaces from Baldwin Hills to the Pacific Ocean.

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  2. Lookout Ahead!

    A 3.7-mile loop hike to Boucher Hill Fire Lookout in Palomar Mountain State Park reminds us just how stunningly beautiful are the mountains of this remote, lightly visited portion of northern San Diego County.

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  3. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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  4. Strawberry Peak Lookout Hike

    Strawberry Sunday

    The 2.5-mile (round-trip) lollipop loop climb to the Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout near the town of Lake Arrowhead dishes up some delicious views.

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