The Magical Hikes of Mojave

Soaring mountains, hidden canyons with water holes, and the world’s largest forest of Joshua trees are just a few of the treats in store on these less-traveled hikes in Mojave National Preserve. Spring is the perfect time for exploring the more hidden parts of this desert wonderland.

Week: 03.22.2018
Regions: Southern CA

Formation Nation

Hiking Caruthers Canyon in Mojave National Preserve

You don't have to head to a museum to see some of the world's greatest sculpted formations. Take a hike along Caruthers Canyon Trail in Mojave National Preserve’s New York Mountains, where eons of volcanic activity have left behind a dazzling landscape of fantastic rock formation
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Spring for Bend

Bend Oregon Spring Adventure

Outside magazine named Bend the best multisport town for 2017, and 2018 is equally spring loaded! This central Oregon mountain town surrounded by the Cascades has outdoor adventures right downtown and just outside of it! Have fun outside, then kick back in time for happy hour at
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Watering Hole

Hiking Rock Spring Loop in Mojave National Preserve

In the dry, dry Mojave, water holes aren’t just oddities; they’re critical lifesavers. Rock Spring in the heart of Mojave National Preserve is a perfect example of a spot that has slaked the thirst of native tribes, explorers, and hikers (not to mention animals) for years. These
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Top of Teutonia

Hiking to Teutonia Peak in Mojave National Preserve

The best way to see just how vast and amazing Mojave National Preserve is? By bagging a peak, of course. From Teutonia Peak, you get a great perspective on the world’s largest and densest forest of Joshua trees, and the amazingly symmetrical landform known as Cima Dome. A quick b
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  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. 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. 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. 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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