State Park Stunner

Wildflower Hike in Chino Hills State Park

Stunning blankets of wildflowers are blooming in Chino Hills State Park, adding brilliant splashes of color to the most vividly green rolling hills in Southern California. You’ll hike amid brilliant displays of California poppies, lupines, and Canterbury bells on a 2.5-mile out-and-back trek on the Bane Ridge Trail, which climbs gently and surrounds you with thick grass accentuated with yellow flurries of nonnative wild mustard blooms.

Continue ascending the ridge and indulge in the genuine seclusion, as the peaceful knolls provide a natural enclosure from the bustling urban world. Keep an eye out for resident rattlers and gopher snakes hiding from the soaring raptors. You’ll be rewarded with patches of orange and purple on nearby slopes, but the real prize is down a half-mile spur trail on the right that leads into a mesmerizing sea of poppies and lupines.

Head back to the main path and continue just over a mile to the junction with the Pomona Trail, which takes a hard right under some power lines to the sycamore-lined canyon floor below. The hilltop just past this intersection is a good final viewpoint. On the way back, be sure to make another stop at the bloom blanket to take one last look at one of the most magical displays our bright orange state flower and its pretty purple partner have ever staged.

To get to the Horse Camp parking lot and Bane Ridge trailhead, take CA-71 to the Soquel Canyon Pkwy. exit. Go west for 1 mile and turn left onto Elinvar Dr., which veers left and becomes Sapphire Rd. The park entrance, and Bane Canyon Rd., will be on your immediate right. Take this for 2.5 miles (paying $5 at the ranger station along the way) and make a sharp right on the Horse Camp dirt road, which leads to the dirt lot. Look for the narrow singletrack trail marked at the north end of the lot. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  4. Lake Nacimiento
    Sponsored

    Savor Summer in Paso Robles

    Ready for the “Great California Road Trip”? Keep it real and rolling in bucolic and beautiful Paso Robles. This down- to-earth destination has everything you need to enjoy the coolest experiences.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  2. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  3. 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
  4. Vista Hermosa Park in Echo Park Los Angeles

    Vista Hermosa, Echo That!

    Tucked in Echo Park, the little-known gem of Vista Hermosa Natural Park feels worlds away thanks to its serene beauty and thoughtful design. At 11.5 acres there’s still plenty to explore. And it's got a premier view of the iconic Los Angeles skyline.

    View