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  1. Northern CA

    Hill Yeah!

    These three parks and preserves have short hikes to brilliant vistas, and they're pretty in autumn. Bonus wine and sunsets.

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  2. Hiker on Grays Peak Trail in Big Bear
    Southern CA

    Fall Color Hikes and Apple Cider Bonuses

    Fall colors, apple cider donuts, did we mention seasonal beer, too? Combine them all this fall with these fantastic harvest hikes filled with apple orchards, peaks, mountain views, and tasty treats.

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  3. Hike Elysian Park in Los Angeles
    Southern CA

    Savoring Fall

    All aboard the wild train to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Not ready to board that train? We don’t blame you—take some time to enjoy the onset of autumn with one of these beautiful and chill fall adventures.

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  5. woman hiking by redwood at Samuel p Taylor state park
    Northern CA

    Celebrate the Giants With These Other Giants

    In honor of the San Francisco Giants getting to the postseason in record-setting fashion, celebrate with some of Northern California's other beloved giants: redwoods!

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  6. Northern CA

    H2-Go for Autumn

    Rivers, lakes, estuaries—there's something so calming about water. Dip into fall with one of these easygoing paddle and waterside hike adventures.

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  7. Southern CA

    Wild Hikes

    So close, yet so far away. These cities in SoCal offer fantastic nearby hiking destinations where you can go wild without having to go to the wilds!

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  8. hiker at the summit of Mt Umunhum
    Northern CA

    Put These Hikes On Your Radar

    Some of the most panoramic viewpoints in the Bay Area are also home to former and current radar stations. Be sure to put these hikes on your own radar!

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  9. Hiker at the top of Fiji Hill overlooking the mountainous background in Los Angeles
    Southern CA

    Hill New Perspective

    If heading for the hills brings to mind the Hollywood Hills, it’s time for a new point of view. These three hills in parks and open spaces take you to a fresh perspective.

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  10. Northern CA

    South Bay Outdoor Bounties

    While we all still cling to summer, the truth is fall's bounty is at our doorstep. So step outside and greet the new season in South Bay style with a classic hike, an urban bike ride, and some time at the ranch ....

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  11. Southern CA

    Amazing Coastal Hikes

    Sure, beach going is great, but sometimes you want to lace up the hiking boots before sinking your toes in the sand. These three coastal wanders offer a variety of ocean scenery, secluded beaches, and some mellow time on marshland. trails.

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  12. Kirby Cove Marin Headlands with view of Golden Gate Bridge
    Northern CA

    Hike-in, Bike-in Beaches

    September’s a great time to visit the coastline. These are some classic places where you can take your pick between hiking, biking, even snagging a campsite for fall …

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  13. Woman hiking San Onofre Bluffs Trail above San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
    Southern CA

    Beautiful Beach Hikes

    Keep your cool this season with some seriously scenic coastal trails to these beautiful beaches in San Diego County

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  14. People walking th labyrinth in San Francisco near Mile Rock Beach
    Northern CA

    San Francisco September Spectacular

    We’re thinking about people affected by California’s multiple fires — stay safe! And with the closures of all National Forests in California for a couple of weeks, outdoor recreation is getting squeezed. So isn’t it time for some adventures in America’s most beautiful city? These San Francisco hikes and park explorations are September spectacular.

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  16. Hike the Griffith Park Classic Fern Dell to Mount Hollywood
    Southern CA

    Seeing the Forest for the Trees

    With all of California's national forests shut down, outdoor recreation is getting slightly squeezed for now. So have patience, take care, and enjoy these beautiful outdoor adventures at parks where you can still forest bathe in the beauty of trees.

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  17. hikers in sequoia redwoods at Mariposa Grove
    Northern CA

    Redwood Hikes for Respite

    Resilient and resoundingly beautiful, redwoods are a treasure in California's landscape, and a canopy of quiet for looking wayyy up for a new perspective. Venture out on these beautiful hikes featuring redwood groves for respite.

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  18. woman hiking to view over LA at Runyon Canyon with dogs
    Southern CA

    Hikes with Your Best Friend

    Hiking with your furry best friend is such a pawsitive thing to do, and these three LA spots have mountain-to-sea panoramas, cinematic scenery, and inspiration points that are top dog!

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  19. Hike Mount Tam Tree Swing Dipsea Trail Stinson
    Northern CA

    Coasting Along

    These aren't just hikes to great Pacific and Bay views, these are hikes to great views enjoyed with a swing, bench, picnic table, or labyrinth. Sea it to believe it!

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  20. Scenic Hike from Point Fermin Park to Angels Gate Park in Los Angeles
    Southern CA

    Down by the Sea

    She may sell seashells by the seashore, but where does she hike and bike? By the sea, of course! These seaside strolls and rolls are stupendously spectacular.

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  21. Woman hiking the Coastal Trail in the Marin Headlands
    Northern CA

    Chicken Soup for the Hiker's Soul

    Like chicken soup for the soul, there’s just something about the Marin Headlands that’s comforting. From the hidden hike-in beaches and vast coastal views with golden sunsets, go get your headlands fix on these coastal comfort hikes.

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  22. hiker at Whiting Ranch Wilderness canyon
    Southern CA

    Hidden Canyon Hikes

    Arizona and Utah get all the attention for canyons and astounding rock formations, but Southern California has a few secret ones to hike among or drop into—with the help of a ladder. And they’re not too far away!

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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  2. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  3. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  4. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Diamond in the Rough

    March Madness may be over, but the wildflower rush has just begun! This spring, in the Southern California regional bracket, Hemet’s Diamond Valley Lake is our surprise pick for the Fab Flowers Finals. Take a 2-mile round-trip hike in botanical bliss.

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  3. Jurupa Jamboree

    If you like a short hike with a side of adventure, try the Jurupa Hills North Trail in Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park.

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  4. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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