All "Hikes" Stories in Southern CA

Crystal Ball
Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County is prized for its glistening beaches, but there's also 2,400 acres of backcountry, including a 9-mile hike (or mountain bike) to a high poi
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Ojai and Mighty
Blazed just over five years ago, Kennedy Ridge Trail climbs into a chaparral region above Ojai Valley once accessible only to wild creatures and the most daring bushwackers. Visit
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Dam Good Views
Deep in San Francisquito Canyon north of Valencia, you can stand atop remnants of Saint Francis Dam—part of Mulholland’s LA Aqueduct system—which collapsed in 1928, becoming the wo
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Enchanted Forest
The towering, fog-enshrouded coastal redwoods of the northern coast feel like a world away from LA, but did you know you can find them in Orange County? Carbon Canyon Regional Park
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Trees Company
One word to sum up the lower Zuma Canyon? Sycamores. Though willow, oak, and bay also grace this less-traveled Malibu respite in the Santa Monica Mountains, the patchy white-gray b
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Devils and Saints
You wouldn't think of a devil and a saint existing side by side all that comfortably, but hey, it's California—almost anything goes here. Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area near Palmda
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Two Hikes, Trees Company
If you have time for only one hike during your visit in Joshua Tree National Park, do two! Located just 5 miles from the park's main entrance—and within 5 minutes of each other—the
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Wild West Side
Joshua Tree National Park is wild in more ways than its gnarly namesake trees. Hike the park's west side for a big-picture vantage of the desertscape and to explore a historic mine
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Three Bears and Lots of Lakes
Your chances of seeing a bear on the Bear Lakes Trail aren't all that high; but your chances of seeing spectacular High Sierra scenery on this 3-mile hike? Guaranteed! Located in t
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The Haunted Forest
Ready to find out if things really do go bump in the night? Looming over Altadena in the southern hollows of Angeles National Forest lie the decrepit ruins of Cobb Estate—its abandoned stairways and random lumps of concrete setting the stage for ghost tales galore.
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The Ghost of the Hollywood Sign
Is the world's most famous sign haunted? Find out for yourself on a hike to the iconic Hollywood sign atop Mount Lee in Griffith Park. The sign—a symbol of fame and fortune to many—has some misfortune attached to it too.
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Spooky Spelunking
Not all of nature's stunning views come from bagging a peak. Sometimes it's what lies beneath that's more intriguing. Venture below Sequoia National Park's soil and discover an ext
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Into the Grotto
Halloween isn't just about hunting for candy. Go in search of a mossy grotto hidden in the Santa Monica Mountains, and your reward will be even sweeter. The grotto, embedded in ign
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Big Baldy
Giant sequoias are the main attraction in Kings Canyon National Park, but the granite peaks around here aren’t too shabby either. In fact, they’re epic. Venture down Generals Highw
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How Do You Like Them Pumpkins?
If it weren't for pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, we Angelenos might never know that fall has arrived. Unless you know about Oak Glen’s good old fashioned u-pick pumpkin and hik
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Farm Fresh, in Hollywood?
For city dwellers or visitors who want to experience farm fresh Hollywood style, visit the Sunday Hollywood Farmers' Market. Here you can peruse an eclectic selection of locally gr
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Yes Sur!
A hidden coastal hike in Big Sur, a beautiful beach, and maybe a little wine-tasting afterwards? Sounds like a plan! First, the hike. Big Sur's Garrapata State Park is a coast-hugg
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Home Sweet Mountain Home
Score solitude on a little-used trail in two scenic canyons on the lower flanks of the San Bernardino Mountains south of Angelus Oaks. The 3-mile (round-trip) hike on Mountain Home
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Pines and Panoramas
Ponderosa pines sighing with mountain breezes set the stage for this 3-mile out-and-back hike that serves up outstanding views of the Santa Ana River Valley. Start at Barton Flats
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High Low There!
A happy hiker's checklist for a good fall hike: crisp fresh air, a forest mix of hardwood and fragrant conifer, flowing trail with scattered boulders, ridgelines, mountain views, a
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