Caffeinated Adventures

We love our wild spaces, but we also love a great coffee drink! From mountain biking to hiking, here are three explorations, each with a tasty payoff—the nearby presence of a very cool coffee house.

Week: 12.07.2017
Regions: Southern CA

Topanga Aerie

Hiking to Eagle Rock in Topanga State Park

You’ll feel like an eagle when you reach the top of Eagle Rock, crown of Topanga State Park. The massive, pockmarked sandstone slab is a blast to hike to, play on, and perch atop of, with its eagle’s-eye view of the Santa Monica Mountains, Pacific Ocean, and the San Fernando Vall
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Keep on Truckee!

Win A Truckee Vacation

Nice and easy … that’s how your ski getaways should be! Snow doubt about it: Truckee’s your best base camp for hitting the pow, quickly! Located smack on I-80, you’re 15 to 30 minutes from 12 Lake Tahoe–Truckee world-class ski resorts plus over 100 miles of Nordic trails leaving
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Ride Open Spaces

Mountain Biking the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve

This five-mile fat-tire cruise in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve is what mountain bikers call a middle-chainring ride—no extremes, nothing technical, but rather a gentle climb into the Simi Hills and a gentle descent on the return through an oak-studded landsca
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Yes, A.M.

Echo Park Urban Hike

It's easy to find good artisan coffee in Echo Park, but it's also a great place to work up a sweat and take in glorious morning views before grabbing that morning pick-me-up. This 3.5-mile (round-trip) urban loop starts with a heart-pumping climb up 230 steps at Baxter Stairway,
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  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

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  2. 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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  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

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  1. Sponsored

    Tram to Cool Treks

    Elevate your fun, getting whisked from palm trees to alpine wilderness on the world’s largest rotating tramcar. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you up and away on a 2.5-mile scenic route from the desert floor to the refreshing wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park.

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  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

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  4. Vista Hermosa Park in Echo Park Los Angeles

    Vista Hermosa, Echo That!

    Tucked in Echo Park, the little-known gem of Vista Hermosa Natural Park feels worlds away thanks to its serene beauty and thoughtful design. At 11.5 acres there’s still plenty to explore. And it's got a premier view of the iconic Los Angeles skyline.

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