All in Southern CA

The Adventure Challenge Begins!
It’s that time of year again. The 5th Annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge kicks off today! Do any 3 adventures from Weekend Sherpa, take a photo of yourself in action, then get rewarded with the all-new Weekend Sherpa 2016 Adventure Challenge T-shirt—made by this year’s sponsor, Marmot. It’s free to participate. Now get out there!
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Around the World in LA
Los Angeles is one of the world’s most diverse cities, with global influences found everywhere, including the great outdoors. From Japan to Berlin, here are three great ways to explore the various cultures of LA by stepping outside for a hike.
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Day Hikes in CA National Parks
Loop Scoop One of the best hikes in Channel Islands National Park is also one of the most accessible: The 2-mile Cavern Point Loop Trail will get your eyes jazzed on vivid sea vistas as it traces the cliffs west of Scorpion Cove. Yodel for Yosemite Falls Itchin’ to climb to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America? Goodonya! The 3.5-mile (one-way) hike to Upper Yosemite Falls is challenging, misty, and mystifying! [sponsored-story] King of the Canyon Giant sequoias are the main attraction in Kings Canyon National Park, but the granite peaks around here aren’t too shabby either. Hike to the area’s highest point, Big Baldy (8,209 feet), for a grand panorama of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Western Divide’s epic peaks. Jurassic Redwoods Times change, but the tallest living trees in the world still tower over the grasslands of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (one of three state parks located within the jurisdiction of Redwoods National and State Parks). Transport to the Jurassic Era on a 6-mile loop hike. Dare Devil You want the grand slam of adventures? This three-part adventure in Mammoth Lakes combines mountain biking, hiking, lakes, waterfalls, epic views, and Devil’s Postpile National Monument, a popular stop-off for Pacific Crest Trail trekkers. National Parks BONUS Check out all of our recent national parks coverage celebrating the Centennial.
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Sponsored
2026-10-07
Boo-tifall Reno Tahoe
Fall goes fast. Good thing Reno Tahoe knows how to make the good times last, with some of the West’s best harvest fairs, haunted happenings, and only-in-Reno celebrations.
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National Park Lodges: Hike-in Style
Part 3 in our monthlong feature celebrating the National Parks centennial: backcountry lodges! No need for hefting a burly backpack, tent, and food to these oases in the wilderness. From the Rockies to the Sierra, we've rounded up some of the best ways to experience national park backcountry, in style!
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Fantasy Island
Remote, raw, and utterly enchanting, Channel Islands National Park, nicknamed “the Galapagos of California,” is an undeveloped, far less traveled archipelago off the coast of Ventura. Explore this once lost world by adventuring all across the largest of its five islands—Santa Cruz.
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Summertime Adventures
It's summer. You live in California. Get out there on these adventures!
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Going Big in the High Sierra
Big trees, big peaks, big backpacking treks, and big views … it doesn’t get bigger (or better!) than adventuring in California’s first national park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon. This is the first in our May series celebrating the 2016 National Park Centennial. Each week we’ll bring you a range of national park ideas, with insider tips and plenty of ideas to get you going!
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Two Wheels to Wild
This spring, choose your own bike adventure in San Diego County, with three bike routes full of wildlife, wildflowers, salty ocean spray, and even some tunnels and trestle bridges. Oh my, nice ride!
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Canyon Dig It?
Between the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains lie the less-travelled Puente Hills: 3,680 acres of chaparral, oak woodland, riparian habitats, and diverse hiking trails in canyons. Here are 3 canyon hikes worth the trifecta. Of course you canyon!
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Wild Hikes in Palm Springs
Palm Springs might be best known for golf courses, condos, and cocktails by the swimming pool. But have you explored the best of its wild side? Here are three hikes to get you going, before going wild doing other things.
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Spring for Fallbrook Hikes
Tucked in north San Diego County, Fallbrook is famous for its avocados, but less known are the outstanding open space preserves, home to some of SoCal's best hiking. From a peak-bagging butt-buster to a lollygagging wander, here are three to Fallbrook for.
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Secret Hikes of Griffith Park
LA’s Griffith Park isn’t a secret, but that doesn’t mean there aren't secret hiking spots—especially those of the artistic kind. Here are three ways to explore Griffith and discover its hidden gems. Avant Garde, Griffith!
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Basket of Adventures
Hidden Hike The Canyon View Loop Trail is a less-traveled hike that includes a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and possibly bighorn sheep sightings. Discover it in the recently designated Sand to Snow National Monument. Urban Vistagram Just a mile from the heart of downtown yet an oasis world away lies an 11-acre park with a trail offering one of the very best views of LA’s skyline. B-Roll Three of our favorite B words come together to make this adventure happen: Bike. Beach. Brewery. [sponsored-story] Paddle, Picnic, Sunset, Wine Like a Half Dome of the Central Coast, Morro Rock is an iconic fixture of San Luis Obispo County’s shoreline. Take a magical kayak and picnic tour at sunset. Knapp Time Knapp’s Castle in Los Padres National Forest is a quirky site filled with original ruins—and stunning panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
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Sponsored
2026-10-07
Boo-tifall Reno Tahoe
Fall goes fast. Good thing Reno Tahoe knows how to make the good times last, with some of the West’s best harvest fairs, haunted happenings, and only-in-Reno celebrations.
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Roam the Ruins
From shipwrecks to a fallen mansion and an old jail cell at a mission, the area stretching between Los Padres National Forest and the Pacific Coast is riddled with intriguing ruins. Here are three to see!
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National Obsession
Recently President Obama federally protected nearly 2 million acres of California desert by designating three new national monuments across select landscapes well worth a visit. Here’s how to hike around and explore each one of them.
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Sepulveda's Secrets
Thousands of motorists catch a glimpse of LA’s Sepulveda Dam while madly weaving through the interchange of the 405 and 101 freeways, but few know that it's publicly accessible by foot and bike trails, with some movie mojo, too. Step outside for some Sepulveda Basin!
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Welcome to the New Weekend Sherpa
Mugu Magic Set on the coast between Oxnard and Malibu, Point Mugu State Park is dressed to impress. Make a date with its namesake peak on a 5-mile (round-trip) summit-bagging hike. Joshua's Wild Side Joshua Tree National Park is wild in more ways than its gnarly trees. Hike the park's west side for a big-picture vantage of the desertscape. The 6.7-mile Lost Horse Mine loop is both eerie and beautiful. Crystal Ball Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County is prized for its glistening beaches, but there's also 2,400 acres of backcountry, including a 9-mile hike (or mountain bike) to a high point that rewards with gorgeous coastal scenery. LA Stairway Urban hiking has a wild side, and the proof is just northeast of downtown LA. This 4-mile loop traverses Mount Washington and includes a cardio climb up a mountain with stunning views. Bigger and Boulder From afar, Stoney Point Park in Simi Valley looks like a real-life drip sandcastle. Get right into it though and find a park filled with hidden caves and alcoves only nature could design. The Great Ascot! Sometimes the skyline's the limit, and that's a good thing if you're visiting Ascot Hills Park, an 83-acre LA respite that offers a winter sunset to remember. Lava & Java Mojave National Preserve's got more than a few ways to get your adrenaline pumping, so go with the flow—or rather, go where the lava once flowed.
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Best of Big Bear's Winter Hikes
A classic adventureland nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, Big Bear is the definition of a winter wanderland. Explore by strapping on some snowshoes or good snow boots (and bring some poles). Big Bear hug!
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Spring Classics
Wash away winter's cobwebs hiking through wildflowers, overnighting in a yurt, or climbing high in Joshua Tree!
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Kiss the Frog
This Valentine's Day weekend, go ahead and kiss the Frog. Frogtown, that is! Running alongside the diverse and enigmatic Los Angeles River, this refreshingly relaxed part of LA is home to sweeping green spaces, breathtaking views, and plenty of options for sweet adventures.
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Boo-tifall Reno Tahoe

Fall goes fast. Good thing Reno Tahoe knows how to make the good times last, with some of the West’s best harvest fairs, haunted happenings, and only-in-Reno celebrations.

See What's Happening This Fall in Reno Tahoe