Hikes in California

Driving around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, you will pass quite a few unnamed or unmarked footpaths heading off somewhere into the desert. If you are curious enough to venture down one of these mysterious trails, make your way to Tubb Canyon. Located near Culp Valley Primitive Campground in the San Ysidro Mountains on the west side of the park, Tubb Canyon Trail offers an easy 1. ...Read more.

If you like mountain views without a mountainous amount of effort, set out on Culp Valley Loop. This 2.2-mile hike with 200 feet of elevation change begins from Culp Valley Primitive Campground in the San Ysidro Mountains west of Borrego Springs. The campground is just off Montezuma Highway, the main road into the park from the west, making Culp Valley Loop a convenient first stop for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park visitors coming from Los Angeles, San Diego, or somewhere in between. ...Read more.

Culp Valley is a primitive campground in the San Ysidro Mountains west of Borrego Springs. At 3,375 feet above sea level, the campground a cradled by peaks. Here's what Culp Valley Primitive Campground doesn't have: water, picnics tables, fire rings, and charcoal grills. Here is what the campground does have: vault toilets and ground to put a tent on. ...Read more.

Within the Cleveland National Forest on Palomar Mountain is a trail through a pleasant woodland that has broad valley vistas en route to a world-renowned destination. What more could you want? Strap on your hiking boots and set out up Observatory Trail, which is 2.2 miles long from point to point with 700 feet of elevation gain. The trail starts at Observatory Campground and ends just outside the Palomar Observatory. ...Read more.

Observatory Campground is a 42-site campground in the Palomar Mountains near San Diego County's famed Palomar Observatory. The astronomically accommodating Cleveland National Forest campground is the start of Observatory Trail, which ascends to Palomar Observatory. Observatory Campground is open from April through October and is suitable for tents or RVs. ...Read more.

Located in the Cleveland National Forest near Warner Springs, The live oak-shaded Atáxam Mámta'ash Campground (formerly know as Indian Flats) is the start of a short trail to a trickling river fork. It is a 0.5-mile round trip hike from the campground goes down to the East Fork of the San Luis Rey River, which flows down a mountain slope covered in granite boulders. ...Read more.

Atáxam Mámta'ash Campground is a small 17-site campground in the Cleveland National Forest near Warner Springs. The campground lies within a sunny live oak woodland at 3,600 feet. At this elevation, expect cool night and warm days. Atáxam Mámta'ash Campground, formerly known as Indian Flats Campground, is located below Hot Springs Mountain, the 6,533-foot high point of San Diego County. ...Read more.

Peters Canyon Regional Park is an Orange County Park preserving 354 acres of open space including the 55-acre Peters Canyon Reservoir. A gradual 2.7-mile loop around the reservoir is popular trail with joggers and dog walkers. Other trails in the park allow visitors to hike even farther. The 5.7-mile East Ridge Loop is an expansion of the Lake View Loop that delivers a grand tour of the park. ...Read more.

Near the west end of Mulholland Highway north of Leo Carrillo State Park, you will find an almost hidden trailhead for Malibu Springs Trail. This spring-loaded single track is faint and overgrown in areas, providing a sense of adventure as you take in fantastic views of the highest peaks Santa Monica Mountains. At the end of an arduous climb, you will drop down to Nicholas Flat in Nicholas Flat Natural Preserve. ...Read more.

A mesa is defined as a flat-topped hill with steep sides. A peak is defined as the pointed top of a mountain. Put these contradictions together and you get a subtle summit with substantial ocean views. This short perch on a mesa-like ridge behind Pepperdine University in Malibu delivers panoramic views over the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. The hike to Mesa Peak up the steep sides of the mesa begins from the Piuma Trailhead in Malibu Creek State Park and follows 2. ...Read more.