In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, sometimes you have to hike a great distance to a great view, and sometimes you don't. Panoramic Point is the latter. The outstanding overlook can be reached via a paved 0.5-mile round trip hike with one switchback. The views are worthy of the name, looking northeast over Kings Canyon and surrounding snowy peaks. The trailhead is just a couple miles from Grant Village in the Grant Grove Area of Kings Canyon National Park, making it an easy-to-reach trailhead for an easy hike to views that are easy on the eyes! ...Read more.

If you are driving down Generals Highway to the Cedar Grove Area of Kings Canyon National Park, you should feel compelled to check out Grizzly Falls. The obscured view of the 80-foot waterfall from the road should be incentive enough for you to stop, and you can get to the base of Grizzly Falls via a super short and easy 0.1-mile round trip stroll. ...Read more.

Hume Lake Ranger District is the northernmost section of Sequoia National Forest and is separated from the rest of the national forest by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Much of the Hume Lake Ranger District is also protected as part of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Kings Canyon National Park is divided into pieces. To drive between these two sections of the park (and to drive between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks) on Generals Highway, you must pass through the Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest. ...Read more.

Isn't it comforting to know that even in the Giant Forest, the most visited area of Sequoia National Park, you can still find a wonderful trail where you might not bump into another hiker? Starting from the busy parking area at Crescent Meadow, Sugar Pine Trail heads away from that beautiful sequoia-lined meadow to seek out other interesting natural features away from the big trees. ...Read more.

Big Trees Trail offers an easy, educational, and beautiful hike through giant sequoias in Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest. Big Trees Trail is a level and paved nature trail circling 0.8 miles beneath towering sequoias along the edges of Round Meadow. Handicapped visitors can park at a convenient lot near Round Meadow for a 1-mile wheelchair-friendly hike. ...Read more.

Hanging Rock Trail might be one of the easiest trails to overlook in Sequoia National Park, but there are many reasons why you shouldn't. To start with, you'll find a fun giant sequoia at the trailhead that has been burned out like a chimney with two gaps big enough to climb in and out of. The hike to Hanging Rock also has some of the park's best views of Moro Rock, Sequoia's most famous granite dome. ...Read more.

Harmony Headlands State Park preserves 784 acres along California's Central Coast between Cayucos and Cambria. Setting out from Highway One, a gradual 4.5-mile lollipop loop through the park crosses a coastal valley to reach picturesque ocean bluffs. The easy bench-lined hike ascends about 85 feet up a wide dirt road before descending 135 feet to the coast where a footpath can be used to explore the rugged oceanfront. ...Read more.

Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon is an impressive segment of Santa Clarita Woodlands Park, located on the north side of the Santa Susana Mountains at the north end of Los Angeles County. The trailhead is located just off the 5 Freeway north of the San Fernando Valley, not far from Six Flags Magic Mountain. You don't need a ticket for an adventure in this park, which has its share of natural attractions, like the narrows of Towsley Gorge and seeps of oil and liquid asphalt that pool along the trail. ...Read more.

The San Gabriel Mountains are graced by several enchanting canyons with sylvan steams flanked by bays and alders. Monrovia Canyon is no exception, complete with a splendid 30-foot waterfall that tops off the experience. Monrovia Falls can be reached from a few different starting points in Monrovia Canyon Park. Falls Trail presents a gradual 1.6-mile round trip hike with 350 feet of elevation gain. ...Read more.

Located along the Pacific Ocean, twenty miles west of Santa Barbara, Refugio State Beach has 66 standard sites and one group site that can be reserved in advance for an ocean view camping experience. Palm trees line the beachfront campground, which is split down the middle by the leisurely flowing Refugio Creek. The meeting of the Refugio Creek and the Pacific Ocean makes the campground a haven for birds. ...Read more.