Trails

Charmlee Wilderness Park is perched on a bluff overlooking Malibu's alluring coast. Operated by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (previously the city of Malibu), this 590-acre park has eight miles of interwoven trails, making it easy to build your own hike between two to four miles, easy to moderate. In spring, Charmlee puts on a champion's display of wildflowers. ...Read more.

Johnson Ranch Open Space preserves 242 acres of old ranch land just south of San Luis Obispo. The 3.7-mile Johnson Ranch Loop explores the municipal open space, which is dominated by rolling grassy hills accented by serpentine rocks. A shortcut can be used to trim the hike to 2.5 miles. There is 200 feet of total elevation between the high and low points of the hike, a distance that is repeated several times over the meandering loop. ...Read more.

For a quick one-mile jaunt in Montaña de Oro State Park, hike down Dune Trail to Hazard Canyon Reef. At the bottom of this oceanfront ravine is a rocky shoreline graced with engaging tide pools. Explore up or down the coast to extend your stay, or settle in for a picnic on the sandy beach. The postcard views of Morro Rock are a good reason to stick around. ...Read more.

The 90-acre Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve protects a pocket of 800-year-old oaks near San Luis Obispo, California. Los Osos Creek Trail, Chumash Trail, and Oak View Trail loop through the park presenting easy hikes between 0.75 and 1.5 miles. The trails pass beneath (and sometimes between) the gangly branches of pygmy oaks, offering quiet hikes through a shady grove. ...Read more.

When Escondido Falls is flowing strong, it is flat out one of the finest waterfalls around Los Angeles. The waterfall has an easy-to-reach lower tier that is 50 feet tall and a hard-to-reach upper tier that's 150 feet tall and stunning in optimum conditions. The 3.5 mile round trip hike to Lower Escondido Falls begins just off Pacific Coast Highway and begins by traveling uphill for 0. ...Read more.

Crypt Lake Trail is consistently ranked as one of the top hiking trails in the Canada Rockies. To reach the trailhead, you must first take a 15-minute ferry across Upper Waterton Lake. From there it is a 10.8-mile round trip hike to a sparkling turquoise lake cradled by horseshoe-shaped cliffs. You'll gain 2,300 feet along the way, passing waterfalls, crawling through a tunnel, and clinging to chains bolted along a narrow ledge. ...Read more.

Picture yourself standing on the Continental Divide overlooking a crackling glacier that feeds a string of sparkling turquoise lakes. That is only part of the panorama you'll enjoy from Glacier Overlook, a no-nonsense notch on a section of the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park named the Garden Wall. Approached from the west, Glacier Overlook offers a window looking east over a glacier and a trio of subalpine lakes. ...Read more.

Rarely does a trail deliver as many breathtaking views as Highline Trail in Glacier National Park. This is one of the most incredible day hikes in Glacier (and therefore anywhere on the planet). Highline Trail begins on the Continental Divide, delivering lofty views right from the start. Things are pretty level for the first three miles, making it easy for less ambitious hikers to still snag some great views. ...Read more.

Grinnell Lake Trail offers a level hike along a string of glacier-fed lakes. The trail departs from Many Glacier Hotel on the northeast side of Glacier National Park. There are trails along opposite sides of two beautiful subalpine lakes preceding Grinnell Lake, as well as a short spur to a waterfall, that give hikers a few options. Also, a ferry service that transports guests from Many Glacier Hotel across the first two lakes for those who prefer less hiking and more on-the-water leisure. ...Read more.

This 3-mile hike on the east side of Glacier National Park presents intimate views of two waterfalls on creeks flowing into Saint Mary Lake. Before the Mississippi-bound water from the Continental Divide reaches the grand lake, it spills over Saint Mary Falls and Virginia Falls, two easy-to-reach gushers that can be picked up as a pair. The trail descends 200 feet to Saint Mary Falls and then climbs 250 feet to Virginia Falls. ...Read more.