All "Hikes" Stories in Southern CA
Riverside's Wild Side
Wilderness trails inside Riverside city limits? Amazing but true. Sycamore Canyon Park Trail is a 4.6-mile loop that winds through dramatic boulder formations and traverses 450 fee
ViewAn Orange Shade of Red
Which is closer: Zion or Orange County? For a quick red-rock fix, we vote for the OC. Namely, Red Rock Canyon in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park—a 4.2-mile (round-trip) out-and-back
ViewGulls Getaway
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.
ViewWing Stop
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
ViewHead for the Headlands
A stroll along Mendocino's marquee bluffs is pretty much mandatory when you visit, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the charming hamlet of Mendocino, offers your
ViewBluffing Seals
We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary
ViewHeavenly Hellhole
Rounding up some friends to go to a hellhole? Maybe it doesn't sound appealing, unless you're talking about Hellhole Canyon County Preserve. Its 1,907 hilly acres are home to a str
ViewGarden in the Wilderness
Hidden spots may seem harder to come by these days, but San Diego's Pauma Valley has a few less-known gems, including a small oasis tucked within Wilderness Gardens County Preserve. Find it along a tranquil trail where water, native history, and natural diversity come together.
ViewOrange Country!
Before California was the land of movie stars, the Golden State had a different claim to fame: oranges. Those simpler times come to life at California Citrus State Historic Park in
ViewEnchanted Oaks
Enchanting oak forests are the closest thing to a SoCal hiker’s fairy-tale setting—swarthy trunks, long, spreading branches, cool shade on a warm day. Experience one of the densest and most alluring examples at Wildwood Canyon State Park in Yucaipa via a 2.25-mile loop.
ViewForested Falls
What could be more soothing than adding the sound of flowing water to your zen experience of forest bathing? The place is Cooper Canyon Falls, deep in the San Gabriels, reachable v
ViewSoCal's Sequoias
Nestled at over 6,000 feet in the San Bernardino National Forest, Heaps Peak Arboretum in Skyforest has a stellar collection of massive trees that include giant sequoias.
ViewEyepopping Poppies
Poppies! Lots and lots of poppies. Reaching the top of Grass Mountain near Santa Ynez feels like approaching the Emerald City in the Land of Oz—only crossing this poppy field won’t
ViewFantastic Phantom!
Blooming wildflowers and gushing waterfalls can only mean one thing: spring on North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve! The mountain—actually a basalt mesa—is worth a visit any tim
ViewWeekend at Burney's
The 129-foot Burney Falls gushes 100 million gallons of water every day over a basalt cliff face from Burney Creek. Get up close to it on an easy 1.2-mile hike taking you down to the waterfall’s base.
ViewDescanso 2.0
Descanso Trail gets overlooked by its showy neighbor, Descanso Gardens, but if you’re looking for a quick-fix hike and a cardio challenge, opt for the 3-mile loop trail.
ViewFly Like an Eagle Rock
Why sit in LA traffic after work when you can fly like an eagle? Or at least pretend to, as you hover over the red lights of the 134’s stop-and-go after a wonderful workout in Eagl
ViewHi-Yo, Silver Lake!
The 2.25-mile loop around Silver Lake Reservoir is a classic LA workout walk-jog-hike, and now it’s better than ever! First, the long-empty reservoir got refilled last year. Then,
ViewMultiple Choice Hot Springs
Travertine Hot Springs stands apart from other Eastern Sierra soaking sites for the astounding way that rock formations convey water to its primitive pools. Craggy ridges of traver
ViewHot, Wet, and Wild!
At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar
View
The 2025 Hiking Calendar Is Here!
Ready to make hiking part of your New Year’s wellness plan? Get the all-new 2025 Hiking Calendar courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
Get the 2025 POST Hiking Calendar
Your Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.
