Hike Vasquez Rocks Natural Park Area

Hike, Scramble, and Rock These Views

Ready to rock your world this weekend? Hike, climb, scramble among rock formations that offer bold new heights, huge points of view, and some gem moments to savor.

Week: 06.24.2020
Regions: Southern CA

Rock Star Hike

Hike Vasquez Rocks in Los Angeles County

Hike Vasquez Rocks Natural Park Area
The sandstone giants of Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park might be the coolest damn formations in SoCal. Explore the craggy slabs on a 2.5-mile hike.
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Road Trip Ahead: Oregon Outback

Road Trip to the Oregon Outback: Hot Springs, Hiking, Camping, and Antelope!

Oregon Outback Road Trip hot springs
Summer Lake Hot Springs Resort Oregon
Remote open spaces, camping under true Dark Skies, hiking and biking trails galore, wildlife refuges, and hot springs! Plan your road trip to the Oregon Outback this summer.
Best Southern Oregon Road Trips

Temeskull

Hike to Skull Rock in Temescal Gateway Park

Hike To Skull Rock in Pacific Palisades
Climb to new heights and huge views on an adventure hike to a quirky quarry overlooking the ocean in Pacific Palisades. It’s a 4.75-mile loop hike with an 1,100-foot ascent to Skull Rock in Temescal Gateway Park.
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Rock of Ages

Explore the campus of Caltech for geological secrets

Caltech campus wander
Relaxing walks can be filled with wonders, and this one on a college campus should not be taken for granite. Follow the pun by wandering the campus of one of the world’s top scientific institutions, Caltech—home to a best-kept geological secret.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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