Hikes in California

Joshua Tree National Park has a lot of interesting history, like old gold mines and Native America sites. Crown Prince Lookout highlights another period of the park's history, when a warning station for World War II airplanes was located atop a granite formation near today's overlook. The lookout and a second nearby viewpoint can be reached via an easy 3. ...Read more.

Despite the harshness of the desert environment, some people actually made a home in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Miners, Jepp and Tom Ryan built a large house next to Ryan Mountain in 1898. Over a hundred years later, much of their old adobe structure still stands and can be easily visited today. Two routes lead to the ruins of Ryan Ranch. ...Read more.

Bajada All-Access Nature Trail is located on the southeast side of Joshua Tree National Park between the 10 Freeway and the Cottonwood Visitor Center. The hike, which you could do in flip-flops or tennis shoes, is a 0.3-mile loop with about 5 feet of elevation change. If that wears you out, there are three benches along the way where you can pause to admire the vegetation and scenery. ...Read more.

Vanalden Cave near Tarzana is one of the most unusual sandstone formations in the Santa Monica Mountains and is quite easy to hike to. Vanalden Cave is a sandstone den about 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide, and 50 feet deep. The roof of the cave is only a few feet thick with a few holes that, like skylights, illuminate cave walls covered with curious carvings and graffiti. ...Read more.

This five-mile loop combines four trails to visit two canyons in the mountains between Laguna Beach and Irvine. Little Sycamore Canyon is framed by a big wall of pocketed sandstone that makes it an interesting destination. The high end of the hike along Serrano Ridge Trail offers broad inland views toward the Santa Ana Mountains. Hiking the loop over Little Sycamore Canyon Trail, Serrano Ridge Trail, Camarillo Canyon Road, and Stagecoach South Trail offers a great taste of the sagebrush terrain in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, a 7,000-acre section of the South Coast Wilderness Area. ...Read more.

In Griffith Park, Mount Lee has the Hollywood Sign. In the San Gabriel Mountains, Azusa Peak has the A. The big white uppercase A just below the summit is hard to miss from the city below. You can hike to the A and up to the top of Azusa Peak on a 2 2/3-mile out and back hike with 1,275 feet of elevation change. After the steep climb, you have the option to hike to a second peak, Glendora Peak, expanding the trek to 4 2/3 miles round trip with 1,800 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

Placerita Canyon Natural Area is an interesting park on the west end of the San Gabriel Mountains near Newhall Pass. Gold was discovered in Placerita Canyon in 1842, and a century later the canyon rushed onto the silver screen as a backdrop for westerns. Today, the park is home to the Placerita Canyon Nature Center where you can learn about local plants and animals. ...Read more.

Located on the west end of the San Gabriel Mountains, Placerita Canyon Natural Area (also know as Placerita Canyon State Park) is an interesting park that has something for everyone. There are easy canyon trails and tougher backcountry tracks, along with a nature center and an Ecology Trail that offers an easy loop for those interested in local plants. ...Read more.

If you travel to Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, there's a good chance you like the outdoors. Those looking for a short hike that's quick to access from town should set out on Towne Trail. This 2 2/3-mile round trip hike ascends 200 feet on a gradual rolling course along the base of the mountains on the south side of Big Bear Lake. Discover periodic views north over the lake and the surrounding peaks as you enjoy this pleasant woodland hike between Snow Summit Mountain Resort and Forest Service Road 2N08, just above Knickerbacker Road. ...Read more.

Since so much of the coastline of Southern California has been developed upon, it comes as a relief to find a 230-acre estuary that has been set aside and preserved as a vital ecosystem for shorebirds. Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park offers a level 1.2-mile round trip hike through part of El Estuaro past several observation areas and benches. While this might not appear to be the most picturesque park on the Central Coast, it is one of the area's most important wetlands and you have a good chance of seeing great egrets and other interesting waterfowl. ...Read more.