View All

  1. Woman looking out over the San Francisco National Cemetery
    Northern CA

    Mindful Hikes

    Short hikes are a delight when they've got redwoods, early wildflowers, big Bay Area views, and places to pay homage to history. Here are three to do.

    VIEW
  2. Woman standing at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tree Grove in Los Angeles
    Southern CA

    Explore Black History Outdoors

    While Black History Month may be coming to a close, its spirit remains year-round and can be observed in outdoor monuments and cultural landmarks throughout Los Angeles County. Here are three to visit.

    VIEW
  3. Woman hiking the Badlands Trail in Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park
    Death Valley

    Death Valley Double Dare

    As the largest national park in the Lower 48, Death Valley is wondrous, with a landscape raw and rugged and spirited and sublime—from canyons to peaks and dunes, even a massive crater, here's a plan!

    VIEW
  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.

    View
  5. Couple sitting at a bench overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains at sunrise at El Sereno Preserve in the South Bay
    Northern CA

    Romancing the Outdoors

    Romance and the great outdoors … they just kinda go together, if you know where to go! While we can’t guarantee that these five adventures will put you in the mood, we can guarantee that they will put you ... outdoors! Cupid's gotta handle the rest.

    VIEW
  6. Southern CA

    Well Isn't This Romantic

    A three-day weekend that includes Valentine’s Day? Oh wow, are you romance ready? Here are some last-minute ideas for turning up the love dial in the outdoors. Get sweet on ’em!

    VIEW
  7. Hiker overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve
    Northern CA

    Reserve These A-list Hikes

    The South Bay has lots of A-list hiking areas, and some currently require reserving a spot or knowing best times to go. Here are three places worth planning ahead for in the coming weeks.

    VIEW
  8. Woman on a boardwalk overlooking Santa Fe Dam in Los Angeles County
    Southern CA

    Dam Good Hikes!

    You just wanna go on a dam hike! Well, we have a few options for you. These three hikes include historic dams and serene scenery. Dam it all, go do them!

    VIEW
  9. Woman walking on wide open beach in Pescadero
    Northern CA

    Open Wide!

    You like a little room with your roam? These hikes and bike rides are good bets for enjoying wide-open spaces, trails less traveled, and some wiggle room if things get tight!

    VIEW
  10. Hiker
    Southern CA

    Post Storm Outings

    After rain (and snow!) where do you go? Head for hikes with high points overlooking scenery scrubbed clean, find lush new greenery, and go to the flows ... waterfalls have been turned on!

    VIEW
  11. Woman snowshoe hiking at Castle Pass overlooking the mountains in Tahoe National Forest
    Northern CA

    Inspiration Points!

    Refresh your outdoors list and head for three beautiful adventures with brilliant vantages and vistas to inspire. From a snowshoe hike to a sunrise surprise, get a new perspective for 2021.

    VIEW
  12. Woman standing at peak at Twin Peaks in San Diego
    Southern CA

    Secret Heights

    Hike to heights less traveled! These three summits in San Diego County are less popular yet equally spectacular. We hope we’ve piqued your interest.

    VIEW
  13. Woman walking on Limantour Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore
    Northern CA

    Wild Wild Coast

    Do you like long walks on the beach? These three spots offer beautiful bluffside hikes with incredible vantages and beach walking too. See wildlife like elephant seals and spy Mavericks surf break.

    VIEW
  14. Woman smiling at the peak of Mount Lukens overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains
    Southern CA

    Primo Peaks in the San Gabriels

    The San Gabriel Mountains are a crown jewel of SoCal's wild outdoors, providing loads of open space and ahhhmazing mountain scenery. Try these peak and high vantage hikes for a San Gabriels trifecta.

    VIEW
  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. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
    Northern CA

    New Year, New Trails

    2021, we're ready for new perspectives! From a brand new trail in the South Bay to a new pedestrian connector bridge and marsh in SF's Presidio, here are three ways to put some happy in your new year.

    VIEW
  17. Woman standing and taking a phone photo of the view at Briar Summit Preserve in Los Angeles
    Southern CA

    Secret Vistas

    2021 has a few secrets up its sleeve, including three hikes with overlooks and vistas that are less traveled. Just you and a new point of view! Here’s to a year of new perspectives.

    VIEW
  18. Woman on a Tree Swing overlooking the Pacific at Mount Tam in Marin County
    Northern CA

    Top 10 of 2020

    In a year that was filled with choppy waters, one thing was a safe harbor: the great outdoors. Local trails and parks were a welcome respite as we navigated a new reality. As we look to the future we're also going to close out 2020 by sharing our annual best outdoor adventures of the year. In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Adventures of 2020. Onward. 

    VIEW
  19. Woman standing in Joshua Tree National Park overlooking Palm Springs
    Southern CA

    Top 10 of 2020

    In a year that was a rollercoaster of challenges, one thing felt a little more stabilizing: the great outdoors! We found respite and were able to re-energize in local parks and trails. Closing out 2020, we're sharing the top 10 best outdoor adventures of the year in Southern California. Onward to 2021!

    VIEW
  20. Woman walking trail overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Hawk Hill in Marin County
    Southern CA & Northern CA

    Team Favorites

    Thank you to our 2020 team for bringing the great outdoors home in a most challenging year. Meet our contributing content producers and get ideas from their personal favorite California adventures.

    VIEW
  21. Woman hugging sheep at Hidden Villa Farm in the South Bay
    Northern CA

    Comfort and Joy Outdoors

    From a hike that includes a farm filled with delightful animals, to a trail less-traveled on Mount Tam and a San Francisco classic, here are some holiday hikes for comfort and joy outside.

    VIEW
  22. A couple walking the Levee Trail and looking at the painted Rock Snake at Lake Elsinore
    Southern CA

    Hikes of Hope and Optimism to End 2020

    End 2020 on a more optimistic note. Hike among painted Rock Snakes with inspiring messages placed on trails, or search for hidden painted rocks filled with messages of gratitude.

    VIEW

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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.

    View