All "Hikes" Stories in Southern CA
You Call This a Hellhole?
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.
ViewLookout Ahead!
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’
ViewBe Cabrillo!
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. H
ViewBaldy View and Candy Canes Too!
Kids getting restless? Maybe overeager for the big day? Burn off some steam with a family-friendly 0.8-mile stroll on the Joatngna Trail in the Angeles National Forest below Mount
ViewYes, A.M.
It's easy to find good artisan coffee in Echo Park, but it's also a great place to work up a sweat and take in glorious morning views before grabbing that morning pick-me-up. This
ViewTopanga Aerie
You’ll feel like an eagle when you reach the top of Eagle Rock, crown of Topanga State Park. The massive, pockmarked sandstone slab is a blast to hike to, play on, and perch atop o
ViewAround the World in San Diego
Ah, what wonders grow when the weather is perpetually delightful! Such is the case in San Diego, where the San Diego Botanic Garden is able to grow a ridiculous 4,000-plus species
ViewCalifornia in 86 Acres
Sometimes the biggest secrets are, well, big. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is an 86-acre gem, hidden away in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Claremont. In a way, i
ViewMediterranean Diet
Niguel Botanical Preserve features a variety of vegetation, both native and from the similar climates of Australia, Chile, South Africa. It's also got a cool little labyrinth.
ViewAt Play on Rocky Peak
Big views, big boulders, and a great hike are all good reasons to rock out on the Rocky Peak Trail in Simi Valley. This hike gradually ascends for nearly five miles to (surprise!) a rocky peak whose 2,715-foot summit straddles the border between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
ViewJive on the Hive
Griffith Park is home to more than one awesome rock venue. Sure, the Greek Theatre stages legendary rock concerts, but Bee Rock provides beautiful wide vistas and some fun rock scr
ViewSnaking Your Way Through Joshua Tree
You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this high-friction frolic in Joshua Tree. All it takes is a sense of adventure—a willingness to plunge into a dramatic canyon that’s de
ViewRedwoods Friday
How’s this for a post-Thanksgiving plan: on Black Friday, you’ll be seeing red … as in magnificent redwoods! Yep, the day after Thanksgiving you can enjoy free day-use admission to
ViewHike-in Hidden Beach
Blink and you'll miss some hidden beach bliss. Located in the tiny town of Elk on scenic Highway 1, Greenwood State Beach is easy to miss because it's a half-mile walk down to it.
ViewBig Horn Full of Gold
You don’t have to travel to Gold Country to strike gold in California! When it comes to old mines, SoCal has some gems. Big Horn Mine in the San Gabriels is a perfect example. You
ViewStairway to Weirdness
Here’s one to put in your Stranger Flings file: a hike that’s also a peek into the history of several Angeleno residents and their ties to the Third Reich. This weird chapter linge
ViewShipwrecked in Palos Verdes
Usually you need serious scuba gear and a lot of courage to get up close and personal with a massive shipwreck. But on the rocky shores of Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates, you c
ViewGood Times in Anza-Borrego's Badlands
Anza-Borrego’s badlands look forbidding, but anyone with a sense of adventure can dive in and explore V-shaped canyons, 100-foot-deep slots, and a vast maze of sandstone rock forma
ViewJourney into the Chasm of Doom
When you enter Joshua Tree’s Chasm of Doom, your fate is sealed. Your life becomes an experience of mystery, steep climbs, steeper drops, chimneying, and death-defying squeezes. Wh
ViewChutes and Ladders
Just when you think you can’t go any farther in Painted Canyon, you remember why this route is called the Ladder Canyon Trail. Whew! There it is: a perfectly placed ladder that get
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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
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