All Stories from Southern CA
This Skunk Doesn't Stink
On Santa Rosa Island, an all-day hiking expedition to Skunk Point unfolds like chapters of a geographic fairy tale. You’ll cross several distinct terrains on a 11-mile lollipop loo
ViewThe Comeback Pine
The Torrey pine is now the rarest pine in the United States. On Santa Rosa Island, you can visit one of its last seaside groves—with some trees dating back 250 years—on a 4.5-mile
ViewThree Falling
Three waterfalls, and fewer people. McCloud Falls might be the best waterfall hike in Northern California. There are bigger waterfalls in the state, but it’s the whole package that makes this 4-mile (round-trip) hike truly memorable.
ViewA Shot of Whiskey
Whiskeytown Falls is a relative newcomer. While a few locals knew of its existence, it wasn’t largely shared, and there wasn’t a trail—until 2004. That’s when park biologist Russ W
ViewBurney Man!
Upon first seeing Burney Falls, President Theodore Roosevelt called it one of the wonders of the world: a 129-foot waterfall gushing 100 million gallons every single day. This baby
ViewFisherman's Friend!
Finding a secret hike and hidden campsite in one outing? Get outta here! No seriously, get outta here. Head to the southern part of Orange County’s Cleveland National Forest, where
ViewA Little Birdie Told You
Bordering Orange and Riverside counties, the El Cariso Nature Trail in Cleveland National Forest is like the Twitter of hikes: It packs a lot within its limits. The trail gains 15
ViewNobody's Beer!
Isn’t it great when popular ski mountains are free of crowds? It actually happens! All you have to do is go before it snows. Big Bear’s Snow Summit is still open to hikers, so befo
ViewCamp Right Beer!
Camping + beer = better together! Pineknot Campground at Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest closes for the season at the end of this month, so make haste and pitch
ViewBeers to You!
First comes hiking, then comes beer! Good news, the hiking leads to the beer at Big Bear Lake, where its annual Oktoberfest stays open until midnight on Saturdays and until 5:30 p.
ViewCulture Club
San Diego is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and you get to travel through 100 years of its history on a modern- day 5.5-mile urban loop hike that’s filled with food, art, culture, and epic natural beauty!
ViewSlide on Down
Glass-bottom observation decks were supposed to be all the rage ... that is until California’s tallest building—the US Bank Tower—upped the ante by cashing in on an open-air observ
ViewBig on a Bay View
Newport Beach is well known for having the biggest of things: homes, boats, egos (oh come on, you know we love you, Newport Beach!) … and the largest estuary in the area, which hap
ViewAlabama Backdrop
Despite being named for a Confederate warship, the CSS Alabama, there’s nothing Southern about the Alabama Hills. This range of rocky hills between the eastern slopes of the Sierra
ViewLone Oasis
Every summer, thousands travel to Whitney Portal in the Eastern Sierra to summit Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. But thousands more are denied the
ViewOld and Gnarly
Few places will magnify your sense of time and space quite like the rugged White Mountains. A part of Inyo National Forest, this remote, seldom-visited range along the upper Owens
ViewInspiration Point, Indeed
Sideways might be the best way to experience Santa Barbara’s abundant wine culture, but the best way to experience its beautiful natural landscape? Upwards! Inspiration Point is a
ViewLizard Like
As a coastal enclave where beaches meet mountains, Santa Barbara County is one of those places that run the risk of having too much of a good thing. But fortunately we know a spot
ViewGlamp Camp
So your idea of camping is barbecues, beach cruisers, and better-not-have-to-pitch-a-tent? Say hello to Autocamp! (Or what we call Autoglamp.) Set right in downtown Santa Barbara,
ViewLookout There!
Perched at 4,900 feet in the Greenhorn Mountains amid majestic oaks and huge, cleaved boulders, Oak Flat Lookout in Sequoia National Forest (named for the Giant Sequoia groves and
View
Savor Spring in Paso Robles
Take a classic California road trip this spring and find all the treasures of the season in Paso Robles. Located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, this laid-back slice of California country combines with the Central Coast for an absolutely spring-loaded getaway.
Spring in Paso Robles
Your Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.