California

From I-5, take the Burbank Blvd exit. Drive north on Burbank Blvd. and take a right on N 3rd. Left on E Harvard. Right on Wildwood Canyon after 1.5 miles. There are a few ways you can begin your hike: from the parking lot, the entrance will be to the left past the gate. Here you were have a stee...

Arroyo Verde Park is a small parked tucked in the hills above Ventura, California, and has a network of trails running up and down the hills surrounding the valley in the center of the park. The entrance to the park is at the intersection of Foothill Road Day Road, east of downtown Ventura. There...

Starting at about 2000 elevation this hike is very gentle and nice for the first 2 miles. On the third mile it is a steep climb with short lengths of level ground the rest of the way. The junction at Breckenridge Road is at about 5500 elevation. If you hit the trail in the winter, there are some ...

Intermediate: No snow.Advanced: Lots of snow.Expert: Snow w/ high winds and low temps. GPX: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasu... San Jacinto, at 10,834 feet, is the second-highest peak in the Southern California. It's unique in that it has a rotating tram car (think slow motion disco floor) that r...

The trailhead is somewhat 'interesting' to get to given the dirt roads are in questionable shape and some of the roads in Angelus Oaks are not easily identifiable but I didn't have any problems finding it by closely following Google Maps.    Trailhead parking requires an Adventure Pass parking pe...

The Hotlum-Bolam route follows the ridge between the Hotlum and Bolam Glaciers on Shasta's north side. It's an intermediate route that isn't much more technical than the south side routes, except for icy sections and possible late-season open crevasses. For this reason it's a popular alternative ...

From downtown Ojai, head north on N Signal Street. Head up the hill and turn left onto a gravel road next to a chainlink fence once you get to the top.(There should be a sign that points to "Pratt/Foothill Trailhead.") Continue past a water tank on the right to a trailhead parking area.  I've gon...

Entering Mt San Jacinto State Park via the Palm Springs Aerial Tram is one of the easiest ways to get into the wilderness area.  Purchase your ticket and ride to the station where you'll be able to walk out the backdoor and onto the trail. In order to get to Cornell, your route finding skills wil...

While this is not a terribly scenic hike, the trees, creek, and terrain are very beautiful, and the entire area is quiet and peaceful. You're likely not to pass a single other person on the hike, which is great for letting dogs off-leash.The trail starts off with a series of switchbacks, which ga...

Getting There You can, from Los Angeles, go one of three ways: take I-405 to US-101 and head west, or from downtown, take US-101 the whole way, OR, get on I-10 from the Westside or east of there and take that until it becomes PCH, then take that to Topanga Canyon (turn left onto Old Topanga Cany...

This hike is best done during the spring, fall, or winter when moderate temperatures make the hike more comfortable. Be warned that this hike has a large elevation change despite being less than 4 miles. Starting at the Arroyo Road Staging Area, take the East Shore Trail east, heading towards a s...

Castaic Lake is a man made reservoir located 41 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, CA in the town of Castaic. Made up of two bodies of water, separated by a 425-foot dam, Upper and Lower Castaic Lakes have a combined 29 miles of shoreline forming the Castaic Lake State Recreational Area. The s...

Baker Campground is a first come, first serve campground. Each site is equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and bear boxes. The cost for a single family site is $20 per night and a double family site is $40 per night. The campground provides bathrooms and potable water. The campground is typi...

The Brook Trail Loop is a beautiful hike, starting off in Sam McDonald County Park and later entering into Pescadero Creek County Park. This adventure can be done in any season, with the trails almost entirely shaded for even the hottest summer days. Starting off from the Heritage Grove trailhea...

Just outside of Los Altos is a very long ridge of mountains, one of which is Black Mountain.  This is a very dry hike, with no tree canopy, so it can get very hot! Be aware that this can make the hike feel a lot more difficult with the sun beating down on you. Follow Rhus Ridge Trail to Black Mo...

I found these amazing dunes when traveling from Phoenix to San Diego. These are a nice break from the 5+ hour drive. They are very picturesque and nice to walk on. I would advise to avoid the summer as I would imagine it would be uncomfortably hot.  When you are driving on the I-8 in either direc...