hikespeak

Winston Ridge and Winston Peak are name-sharing neighbors in the high San Gabriel Mountains near the Mount Waterman Ski Area. While Winston Peak is the high point of the hike at 7,502 feet, the summit is covered with pines that leave little room for panoramic views. The best vistas come from the shorter 7,003-foot Winston Ridge, which has fewer pines and broader views. To bag the Double... Read more.

Rising to just over 6,200 feet, Mount Hillyer is actually one of the easier summits to reach in the high country of the San Gabriel Mountains. Beyond its boulder piles and pine forests, the stretched-out summit offers several sweeping views of nearby peaks and canyons. The shortest route to the summit involves hiking 1.33 miles up Mount Hillyer Trail from Horse Flats Campground, gaining 575... Read more.

On the east end of the Verdugo Mountains between Glendale and Burbank, there is a scenic 6.15-mile loop on wide dirt service roads. North and South Beaudry Motorways circle past Tongva Peak and Mount Thom, which rise above the micro-range's eastern ridges. The high point of the loop, and a highlight of the hike, is a scenic overlook on the 2,656-foot summit of Tongva Peak. There are big... Read more.

The Santa Ynez Mountains form a verdant backdrop behind Santa Barbara. One of the highest summits in the range is Montecito Peak, which offers sensational views over the coastal cities below and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The 3,214-foot peak can be reached via a demanding 7.1-mile round trip hike with 2,450 feet of elevation change. It is quite a trek, but the ever-expanding ocean views will... Read more.

Mount Baldy, Old Baldy, or more formally, Mount San Antonio — whatever you call this mountain, the trek to the summit is considered a right of passage for SoCal hikers. Baldy towers over the San Gabriel Mountains and is the highest point in the range. The far-reaching panoramic views found at the exposed 10,064-foot summit attract plenty of hikers. Two major routes go to the top: ... Read more.

Devil's Backbone Trail offers spectacular views from an impressive ridge-top trail. The spine-tingling hike along a tantalizing spine starts from Baldy Notch and ends at Mount Baldy, the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountain. Devil's Backbone Trail is 3.3-miles long with 2,350 feet of elevation gain, and can be reached several ways: From the summit of Mount Baldy after hiking 4.5... Read more.

Baldy Bowl - Ski Hut Trail climbs 3,900 feet over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains. The trails ascends the southwest side of the mountain and is the shortest route to the top that does not involve the use of a ski lift. Expect an aggressive climb for most of the hike rewarded by views over San Antonio Canyon. Halfway up the mountain, the trail passes a Sierra Club... Read more.

The 2,624-foot summit of Cerro Alto is one of the highest points in San Luis Obispo County and delivers a panoramic view. It seems like you can see the entire county from the top of the commanding peak, including each of the volcanic peaks stretching between Morro Bay and Edna Valley, the Nine Sisters. There are a couple ways to the summit, each tackling 1,600 feet of elevation between the... Read more.

Nine principle volcanic plugs are spread between the central coast cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. The 911-foot Cerro Cabrillo (or Cabrillo Peak) is the third of the Nine Sisters from the west after Morro Rock and Black Hill. The summit of Cerro Cabrillo is the highest point in Morro Bay State Park, offering panoramic oceanfront views.  The unmaintained trail to the summit passes... Read more.

It can feel like stealing when you snag great views from an easy hike. This is the situation on the 2-mile loop to Portola Point in Morro Bay State Park, which ascends 315 feet to panoramic views over Morro Bay. The view-to-effort ratio on this hike is quite favorable, almost criminal. Portola Hill is a dome-shaped volcanic rise on the eastern edge of Morro Estuary. The 329-foot hill is... Read more.