If you like ridge top views without the effort of hiking all the way up a ridge, make your way to the end of Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills. From there, Winnetka Ridge Trail runs south along the spine of a ridge into the Santa Monica Mountains. The ridge stands above the west side of Corbin Canyon and delivers broad views over the San Fernando Valley. After 3/4 of a mile, Winnetka Ridge... Read more.

Corbin Canyon Park is a less visited pocket of Topange State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. The 328-acre parcel stretches into the mountains from neighborhoods in Tarzana and Woodland Hills, presenting a small offering of trails that are isolated from longer routes through the Santa Monica Mountains. Corbin Canyon hosts trails for a pleasant and manageable 2.05-mile partial loop with... Read more.

Griffith Observatory sits on a ridge between Vermont Canyon Road and Western Canyon Road on the slopes of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Griffith Observatory is a true Los Angeles landmark that can be appreciated by arriving by trail instead of driving up the park roads. Take West Observatory Trail if you wish to hike to Griffith Observatory from Western Canyon or follow these directions... Read more.

Find this cozy six-site campground set within a forest of pines and other conifers near Castle Lake, a beautiful glacial cirque lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Castle Lake Campground makes a convenient base camp for hikes leaving from Castle Lake and the campground is a 20-minute drive from the city of Mount Shasta along Interstate 5. Castle Lake Campground The six sites at... Read more.

The short hike from Castle Lake to Heart Lake explores a scenic part of Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Mount Shasta. The fun doesn't need to stop once you reach that endearing lake. Hike off trail up a ridge from Heart Lake to a summit with extraordinary views that has been given the unofficial name of Castle Peak. You will feel like royalty when you stand on this mountaintop, taking... Read more.

You are bound to fall in love with the hike to Heart Lake. This pint-sized heart-shaped attraction in the Castle Crags Wilderness of Shasta-Trinity National Forest boasts views of Mount Shasta, Black Butte, and surrounding Klamath Mountains. The hike to Heart Lake begins from a trailhead at Castle Lake, a larger mountain lake wrapped by pines and granite cliffs. For a two-lake trek, you can... Read more.

Oso Flaco Lake Trail in Oceano Dunes SVRA offers a hike with easy-going appeal. The nearly level trail takes a boardwalk over a 75-acre birdlife-boasting lake and across sand dunes to a tucked-away beach and a viewpoint overlooking the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. These are the largest dunes on the coast of Southern California, but Oso Flaco Lake Trail is a short hike at just 2-miles round trip.... Read more.

Take a trip to Arroyo Sequit Park to hike a short loop through a tucked-away pocket of the Santa Monica Mountains, The park is situated along Mulholland Highway inland of Leo Carrillo State Park and below the range's most rugged peaks. The surroundings for this 2.05 miles hike are beautiful. Arroyo Sequit Nature Trail has 285 feet of elevation change, winding over and around the upper... Read more.

At the west end of Malibu where Mulholland Highway meets PCH, you'll find Leo Carrillo State Park. Well known for its beaches and surfing, this park has offerings for hikers too, like the trek up Nicholas Flat Trail to an oak-wrapped grassland with a small pond, which is 7 miles round trip or more. For a shorter hike, combine the bottom of Nicholas Flat Trail with Willow Creek Trail, for a... Read more.

Nicholas Flat Trail is a three-mile long 'ocean to mountains' trail beginning within Leo Carrillo State Park, just across PCH from a famous beach at the west end of Malibu. The single-track trail travels up a coastal ridge past two vista points (and lots of other ocean views) to reach Nicholas Flat, where grassy meadows are rimmed by oak trees. A small network of trails offer different... Read more.