All in Southern CA
Dam Good Hikes!
You just wanna go on a dam hike! Well, we have a few options for you. These three hikes include historic dams and serene scenery. Dam it all, go do them!
VIEWPost Storm Outings
After rain (and snow!) where do you go? Head for hikes with high points overlooking scenery scrubbed clean, find lush new greenery, and go to the flows ... waterfalls have been turned on!
VIEWSecret Heights
Hike to heights less traveled! These three summits in San Diego County are less popular yet equally spectacular. We hope we’ve piqued your interest.
VIEW![]()
SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
ViewPrimo Peaks in the San Gabriels
The San Gabriel Mountains are a crown jewel of SoCal's wild outdoors, providing loads of open space and ahhhmazing mountain scenery. Try these peak and high vantage hikes for a San Gabriels trifecta.
VIEWSecret Vistas
2021 has a few secrets up its sleeve, including three hikes with overlooks and vistas that are less traveled. Just you and a new point of view! Here’s to a year of new perspectives.
VIEWTop 10 of 2020
In a year that was a rollercoaster of challenges, one thing felt a little more stabilizing: the great outdoors! We found respite and were able to re-energize in local parks and trails. Closing out 2020, we're sharing the top 10 best outdoor adventures of the year in Southern California. Onward to 2021!
VIEWTeam Favorites
Thank you to our 2020 team for bringing the great outdoors home in a most challenging year. Meet our contributing content producers and get ideas from their personal favorite California adventures.
VIEWHikes of Hope and Optimism to End 2020
End 2020 on a more optimistic note. Hike among painted Rock Snakes with inspiring messages placed on trails, or search for hidden painted rocks filled with messages of gratitude.
VIEWLA Hikes Honoring Local Legends
Take a hike in memory of a few local legends we lost this year—from a Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural walk to hiking Trebek Open Space and exploring a trail near one of Eddie Van Halen’s haunts.
VIEWSunset Hikes for the Holidays
Shorter days may leave you feeling in the dark, but there’s a bright side: sunsets! They're beautiful this time of year. From Los Angeles to San Diego, soak in the sun on any of these three hikes.
VIEWThankful for the Great Outdoors
Wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. This year we're more thankful than ever for the great outdoors. Explore some local wonders outside this weekend. Here are a few ideas to get you going.
VIEWYou've Got It Mead!
Beer and wine are common holiday staples, but we’ve got some sweet secrets that are worthy of some buzz: three hikes close to some of SoCal’s top meaderies (aka “honey wine”). Beeline for them.
VIEWFeast on These Urban Hikes
These three urban hikes with food bonuses take you to hidden parks, historic fig trees, big views, mural art and magnificent landmarks. Gobble them up!
VIEW![]()
SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
ViewSoCal's Secret Redwoods
Redwood groves in SoCal? Yes! And they’re the perfect respites if you need some space to clear your head or just look up and revel in awe. Here are three places to wander among the local redwoods.
VIEWHalloween Hikes!
It's a boo-tiful time of year! Head out on any of these hikes in gardens and forests and hidden trails infused with the Halloween spirit, including tricks and treats and ... who ghosts there?!
VIEWHome Run Hikes
In the spirit of the World Series, these three hikes are a grand slam for getting outdoors, gaining great views, checking out some baseball landmarks, and enjoying food, wine, and beer, too. Home run!
VIEWUncork These Adventures!
Discover Sonoma County's coastal hikes, hidden beaches, secret redwoods, tent-cabin stays, and vineyard bike rides. Come for the wine, stay for the outdoors!
VIEWMalibu Hike-in Beaches
A beach or a hike? How about a beach hike? Malibu's got both, and then some! Here are three coastal where you get million-dollar Pacific views and quality beach time too.
VIEWSimple Waterside Escapes
Enjoy a riverside stroll, dining outdoors in a state historic park, and paddling an oasis in one of LA's most lovely recreation areas.
VIEWHikes & Garden Walks with Hidden Labyrinths
Meditative, contemplative, and sometimes just simply fun, these hikes and garden walks with hidden labyrinths allow for a little levity and contemplation in nature.
VIEW
Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
Winter's Best Activities in Reno Tahoe
Your Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.
Trending Stories NorCal
View all Stories![A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas]()
Dragon Quest
The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.
ViewSoaking Up History
When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.
View![woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato]()
Buck Wild!
Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.
ViewState Park Soaker
Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.
View
Trending Stories SoCal
View all Stories![A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.]()
Sunset Hike at Dante's View
It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.
ViewHot, Wet, and Wild!
At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away.
ViewIt's a Waterfall Life
Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.
View![]()
Oh Snow Nice
Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.
View
