Woman sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean at Bruce's Beach in Manhattan Beach

Beach You To It!

The heat's still on! These Southern California beach-based outdoor adventures offer some coastal chill, camping, and beautiful scenery—from murals, to viewpoints, and important stories.

Week: 08.30.2022
Regions: Southern CA

Lagoon Swoon

Hike Less Traveled Malibu Lagoon in Malibu Lagoon State Beach

We all love an underdog story, especially in the shadow of the greats. Enter a truly SoCal coastal version: Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Though situated next to Surfrider Beach, a famous surf spot that attracts swell-seekers from around the world for its point break, Malibu Lagoon
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Bluffing Good!

Hike the San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail in San Diego County

Woman hiking the San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail to San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
Woman hiking the San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail overlooking San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
Woman sitting on a bluff top bench overlooking the Pacific ocean on the San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail overlooking San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
Woman walking along the sand towards a lifeguard tower on San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
Pristine coastline, beautiful beaches, unique geological history, and picturesque sandstone cliffs with limited foot traffic in San Diego County? We promise we aren’t bluffing! Head to San Onofre State Beach and the 5-mile San Onofre Bluffs Loop Trail.
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Whiskey You Were Here!

Getaway to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area near Redding

waterfalls in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
waterfalls in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
beach fun at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is surrounded by miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, beaches for lounging, and waterfalls. It’s also home to some of the best mellow paddling in the state.
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Bruce's Beach Belongs

Visit Bruce's Beach in Manhattan Beach

Woman sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean at Bruce's Beach in Manhattan Beach
Every community has heroes “really intent on making this a better place for all people,” as Maya Angelou put it. For Manhattan Beach, it was the Bruce family. Explore their namesake beach and learn about its history.
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Signal Hill Thrill

Hiking Signal Hill in Long Beach at Sunset

Signal Hill hike Long Beach
High above Long Beach, Signal Hill gets the green light for a hike that delivers rich history, epic views, unique art, more epic views, and one of the best sunsets in Southern California.
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Hugging the Coast in San Clemente

Hiking the San Clemente Beach Trail

San Clemente is always a treat, but never more so than on this 4.6-mile (round-trip) stroll on the town’s lovely Beach Trail, with a stairway to beautiful coastal views.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  4. 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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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.

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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  3. 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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  4. 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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