All Stories from Southern CA

• 

  Bucks Up!

  Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

  View
• 

  Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

  So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone.

  View
• 

  Lunch at the Lakes

  Pack your own picnic and head for a lakeside lunch at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Then take your pick from a lovely trio of lakes accessed from the same trailhead. Follow it all up with a visit to Manzanita Lake on the other side of the park.

  View
• 

  The Secret Big Blue

  Set at 4,500 feet, surrounded by 52 miles of shoreline, and with sparkling sapphire hue, Lake Almanor is the other big blue. The secret one. This huge lake—idyllic in spring through fall for all kinds of water adventures—is a gem of Plumas County where you can relax without crowds.

  View
• 

  Mill About Lakeside

  Bucks Lake Recreation Area near Quincy in Plumas County has plenty of beautiful hiking trails. For an easy hike with beautiful spots for sunning, swimming, and lounging on sand beaches or giant rock slabs, do the Mill Creek Trail.

  View
• 

  Shore Thing

  Called “America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway," the Tahoe East Shore Trail lives up to the hype with unparalleled views of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada shoreline, with access points to beach enclaves and coves.

  View
• 

  Keep on Truckee!

  An easygoing ride along the paved Truckee River Bike Trail in Tahoe City rolls out a steady stream of good times, and scenery.

  View
• 

  Flume Shot

  Skirting high above the east shore, Lake Tahoe’s famed Flume Trail is one of the most scenic trails in the West—an intermediate 13-mile high-mountain traverse with amazing views of that big blue lake.

  View
• 
  Sponsored

  Taste of Monterey (the Sustainable Way!)

  Food for thought: Get a taste of Monterey this fall! And do it the sustainable way, with the Monterey Bay Aquarium as your basecamp.

  View
• 

  Add A Little Icehouse

  Escape the summer sizzle, bathe in the canyon streams, and explore under tall wooded forests in one of the most magical forested canyons in all of SoCal.

  View
• 

  Viejas Valor

  Pining for something short, sweet, and steep? Head to Viejas Mountain, just 3 miles north of Alpine in the Cleveland National Forest, for a 3.2-mile out-and-back that gains nearly 1,500 feet in elevation and rewards the sweetest of vistas. 

  View
• 

  Secret Crestridge

  It’s hard to call a 2,800-acre green space a hidden gem, but the Crestridge Ecological Reserve feels like a secret treasure, with a multitude of trails that traverse riparian, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral habitats.

  View
• 
  Sponsored

  Medford's Made for Summer

  Located in the heart of Southern Oregon’s sublime Rogue Valley, Medford is a road-trip basecamp made for summer getaways!

  View
• 

  All the Wright Stuff

  Next time you visit the picturesque town of Alpine in the foothills of the Cuyamaca Mountains, opt for two accessible trails locals love, featuring Wright's Field and Loveland Reservoir.

  View
• 

  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.

  View
• 
  Sponsored

  Forest Bathing By Land & Sea

  Spend time in nature at and around the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Surround yourself with the tranquility of the Aquarium’s swaying Kelp Forest exhibit; then soak in more serenity hiking in a magical redwood forest in Carmel Valley or Big Sur.

  View
• 

  Mono Mystique

  Mark Twain called it “one of the strangest freaks of nature in any land.” We call it a high-desert sea. Mysterious Mono Lake is famed for its bizarre “tufa” towers. Go on a guided canoe or kayak tour here.

  View
• 
  Sponsored

  Water You Doing This Summer?

  It’s a best-kept secret in the northern Sierra and we’re gushing about it. Fun and friendly Plumas County has only three traffic stops, more wildlife than people, and over 1,000 lakes, rivers, and creeks!

  View
• 
  Sponsored

  We Dream of Ashland

  Dreaming of your next amazing getaway? Dream like a local—an Ashland, Oregon local! This beautiful mountain town is a vacation dream come true, with outdoor adventures right in town and all around.

  View
• 

  Garnet's Grand Vista

  On your next trip to beautiful Julian, get out of town! But only for a day trip to the Laguna Mountains. Located just a few miles east, this area has some of San Diego’s best hiking trails, including two short hikes with perhaps the best vistas in the entire county. DARK SKY BONUS: Julian's StarFest is coming up soon, under the stars at Menghini Winery.

  View