This 3.7-mile hike combines four trails (San Ysidro Canyon Trail, McMenemy Trail, Girard Trail, and Edison Catway Fire Road) to form a loop through the mountains behind Montecito, California. The trails ascend 1,000 feet, providing good exercise and views. From San Ysidro Trailhead, begin hiking inland on the wide trail that passes through a neighborhood before reaching Los Padres National... Read more.

Tequepis Trail begins near the shores of Lake Cachuma and ascends the north side of the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara. The trail up offers views of the lake and valley, and there are broader ocean views from the top. This is an invigorating 8.4-mile round trip hike with 2,300 feet of elevation gain. To reach Tequepis Trail, start at the free parking lot at the entrance of... Read more.

The craggy sandstone summit of Eagle Rock rises over Topanga State Park, delivering panoramic views of the Santa Monica Mountains. The shortest trail to awesome prominence is a four-mile hike from Trippet Ranch to Eagle Rock. For a more challenging trek, explore this 7.4-mile round trip hike ascending 1,400 feet from Santa Ynez Canyon to the 1,957-foot summit of Eagle Rock. Begin by... Read more.

Between Corral Canyon Road and Castro Crest, the Backbone Trail passes though a remote segment of the Santa Monica Mountains know as Upper Solstice Canyon. While it is possible to feel quite removed at the bottom of this trail, the high ridges on both ends provide such sweeping views as to immediately restore your sense of place. From Corral Canyon Road to Castro Crest is 5.5 miles round... Read more.

Castro Crest is located 1.4 miles from Latigo Canyon Road up a pleasant section of the Backbone Trail. The crest offers excellent views over Malibu's Santa Monica Mountains, with the option to continue another half-mile up Castro Peak. The summit may not be reached however, as it is privately owned and extremely closed to the public. Another popular extension is to continue on the Backbone... Read more.

The 1,000-acre Corral Canyon Park protects a span of the Santa Monica Mountains between Dan Blocker Beach and Malibu Creek State Park. This is the only canyon on the Los Angeles County side of the range that remains undeveloped from the ridge top down to PCH, allowing the 2.5-mile loop through the park to plunge hikers in to a world of natural scenery and vegetation. Corral Canyon Loop... Read more.

Runyon Canyon Park is one of the most popular hiking destinations in Los Angeles and often shows up on publishers' lists of best hikes in LA. This 130-acre dog park is located in Hollywood on the east end of the Santa Monica Mountains, providing hikers with a few overlapping loops and great views over Hollywood. For a quick Runyon Canyon hike, try a 1.9-mile loop with 500 feet of... Read more.

Cahuenga Peak is the highest summit in Griffith Park with excellent views of Los Angeles, Burbank, and that iconic landmark - the Hollywood Sign. Visit the Cahuenga Peak, Burbank Peak, and Mount Lee on a rugged two-trail outing. Burbank Peak Trail (formerly Wonder View Trail) climbs from the west, passing a mini-summit viewpoint on the ridge of Cahuenga Peak known as Burbank Peak (home... Read more.

Want to hike to the Hollywood Sign? One way to get there is a 6.4-mile hike through Griffith Park that summits Mount Lee directly behind the iconic lettering. Beyond just gazing up at the sign, the hike offers the opposite perspective, a chance to look down at the city below. The moderate day hike gains 1,050 feet of elevation over wide fire roads, and the last mile is actually paved. ... Read more.

Mount Pickering rises to 13,485 feet and offers fine views over the Sierra. While not tall enough to be called a 14er, this 13er offers great views of two of those exclusive peaks, Mount Whitney and Mount Langley, as well as several other high peaks. This remote mountain is located west of the Sierra Crest in the Whitney Region of Sequoia National Park. The backpackers trek to the summit... Read more.