Hikes in Orange County

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.

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.

Once you break out of the trees at the trailhead, broad canyon views stay with you the way to Fisherman's Camp in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. Fisherman's Camp Trail descends 1.66 miles down what was once a road to what was once a campground nestled at the mouth of Tenaja Canyon. Grassy plots remain where backpackers can put up a tent in the shady creek-side retreat. ...Read more.

Everyone knows that Northern California is the place to go to see groves of giant redwoods, but few people know that you can get a taste of the redwoods in Southern California. Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea has a 10-acre grove of coastal redwoods, the largest grove of these trees in Southern California. Even through the could-be giants are relatively young and not really suited for the climate in Orange County, the 2. ...Read more.

How far would you be willing to hike to reach an idyllic swimming hole beneath a 35-foot waterfall - 5 miles, 10 miles? In fact, you will only have to hike a third of a mile round trip to reach Ortega Falls, a refreshing seasonal waterfall just off Ortega Highway in the Santa Ana Mountains. The hike begins from an unmarked turnout on Ortega Highway in a beautiful part of the Santa Ana Mountains that is protected by the Cleveland National Forest. ...Read more.