Summer's Coolest Adventures

Some of summer's coolest adventures include lakes, reservoirs, and the ocean ... from kayaking to a hidden beach to easygoing coastal hikes with quiet sands, here are some cool ways to top off the season.

Week: 08.03.2017
Regions: Southern CA

Kayak to a Remote Beach Camp

Kayaking to Lava Wall on Catalina Island

Lava Wall. The name alone shouts adventure—and the place loudly delivers. This towering volcanic cliff is the backdrop to a remote beach campground on Catalina Island that you can only reach by boat.
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Thanks, Annie!

Hiking Annie's Canyon in Encinitas

Weekend Sherpa writer Matt Pawlik descending into a slot canyon at Annie's Canyon in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach
Annie’s Canyon Trail in the 1,000-acre San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach includes the most unique quarter-mile you’ve ever maneuvered—through a sandstone slot canyon!
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What a Ride!

Top Bike Rides in Reno Tahoe

The perfect landscape for bike rides—gorgeous desert surrounded by incredible mountains, hidden turquoise lakes, and no cars! Reno Tahoe is an under-the-radar destination for beginner-friendly trails and epic singletrack mountain biking. Ready to kick up some dust? For beginners:
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Malibu in Your Pocket

Malibu's "Secret" La Piedra State Beach

La Piedra, one of Malibu’s “pocket beaches,” is the perfect sanctuary for beachgoers who don’t care to rub beach blankets with the crowds at Zuma or Paradise Cove. It’s less than 10 minutes up the coast from Zuma, but a world away from the all the frenzy.
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Dam Good Canoe Adventure

Canoe the Black Canyon Outside Las Vegas

Bring your swimsuit to Vegas—but not for the pools. A self-guided canoe trip down the Black Canyon portion of the Colorado River is way better than renting a cabana by the pool. This day-trip is just 45 minutes from the Strip and gets you into some amazing solitude that’s the yin
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Bag Los Pinos

Hiking to Los Pinos Peak in Cleveland National Forest Southern California

Bag Los Pinos! This 4,500-foot peak in southeastern Orange County’s Cleveland National Forest can be pleasantly private. Reaching it on a 5-mile (round-trip) hike is a grind, with grand rewards.
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Ramakrishna Monastery

Hiking to Ramakrishna Monastery in Trabuco Canyon

The Ramakrishna Monastery, perched on a foothill above Trabuco Canyon, accepts all religions as divinely inspired. For this reason, monks created the Shrine Trail, a mile-long loop around the monastery (open to the public) along which are erected altars honoring the world’s major
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

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  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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  3. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

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