California

Looking for the best photography in California? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around California. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Photography Spots in and near California

  • Monrovia, California

    Monrovia Falls

    3.7
    1.46 mi / 459 ft gain
    Monrovia Falls is closed indefinitely due to the Bobcat Fire and mudslides. Read more on the CityofMonrovia.org website. The Monrovia Falls are at the end of the main trail located in Monrovia Canyon Park. The park is easy to locate and has ample parking. Keep in mind you do have to pay a fee of...
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  • Tuolumne County, California

    Backpack Chewing Gum Lake

    3.3
    4.5 mi / 1000 ft gain
    Chewing Gum Lakes is located in Emigrant Wilderness, South of Lake Tahoe and North of Yosemite, with stunning valley views and gorgeous granite faces, peaking through the tree lines of the Stanislaus National Forest. Sitting just north of Yosemite allows you to take in a portion of the beauty of ...
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  • San Francisco, California

    Surf Under The Golden Gate at Fort Point

    4.2
    This has to one of the coolest spots to surf in the world. The break itself is a left point that requires a healthy swell to wrap into the bay, and only gets good on occasion. But when it's good, it can be an experience you'll never forget.It's important to note, that when it's good, this is not ...
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  • Crescent City, California

    Devil's Punchbowl, Six Rivers National Forest

    4.0
    8.33 mi / 1660 ft gain
    Located in extreme Northern California, the Siskiyou Mountains are the largest sub-range of the Klamath Mountain range and among the most rugged. The Siskiyou Wilderness, designated in 1984, encompasses three national forests: Siskiyou, Klamath and Six Rivers for a total of 182,802 acres. Because...
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  • Los Angeles County, California

    Mt. Disappointment via Billy Riley Trail

    3.5 mi / 1132 ft gain
    From the 210 Freeway in La Cañada, take California Highway 2 north 14 miles up into the San Gabriel Mountains. Make sure you have your National Forest Pass (sold at REI or Ranger Station) or your Interagency Pass because they have started checking parked vehicles. At the Red Box Picnic area, make...
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  • Mill Valley, California

    Trojan Point

    4.5
    0.25 mi / 75 ft gain
    The endlessly scenic Trojan Point can be reached by taking the Panoramic Highway to Pantoll road from Stinson Beach to the west, or Mill Valley / Highway 1 to the east. It can also be reached by taking West Ridgecrest Boulevard from the north from the Fairfax-Bolinas road.  Park at the large par...
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  • Point Reyes Station, California

    Bear Valley to Coast Camp Loop

    5.0
    16.18 mi / 2818 ft gain
    Permit and Trail Camp Info To stay overnight in Point Reyes, you must stay at one of the Trail Camps.   Camping anywhere else in the park is not allowed.    Permits for the Trail Camps can be booked up to 6 months in advance.  If you are looking to go on a weekend, then you'll want to start loo...
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  • Seal Beach, California

    Sunset Beach

    4.6
    Sunset Beach is located just 9 miles south of Long Beach and 6 miles North of Huntington Beach, CA on the famous Pacific Coast Highway 1. I accessed Sunset Beach from the South on I-405. I took exit 22 for Seal Beach. After the exit I turned a left/west on Seal Beach Blvd and drove for 2.6 miles ...
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  • Whittier, California

    Sycamore Canyon Trail in Turnbull Canyon

    2.0
    3.47 mi / 627 ft gain
    The Sycamore Canyon Park Trailhead can be found at the end of the dirt parking lot off Workman Mill Road. The entrance is off a small road which is pretty easy to miss, but there is a sign off the main road. Soon after you start on the trail, the path opens up onto a larger dirt road for vehicle ...
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  • Yosemite National Park, California

    Winter Backpack to Sentinel Dome in Yosemite

    5.0
    19.23 mi / 2028 ft gain
    The goal for our weekend was to do some winter camping in the Yosemite backcountry; we decided on Sentinel Dome as our destination. The trail is a cakewalk during the summer, but winter turns it into a 10 mile uphill grind from the car. Most people opt to head for the ski hut at Glacier Point, bu...
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  • Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

    Pat Springs via Skinners Ridge

    3.5
    13.18 mi / 3645 ft gain
    Backpacking to Pat Springs is a way to see Big Sur and the San Lucia mountains from a perspective that few get to experience. The Ventana Wilderness is rugged and remote, yet Pat Springs is one of the most beautiful campgrounds around that will allow you to take in this amazing terrain.  To get ...
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  • Riverside County, California

    Hike to Lost Horse Mine

    4.09 mi / 545 ft gain
    To get to the trailhead, take Key's View Road from Park Blvd for around 2.5 miles and turn left onto a dirt road. The trailhead is at the end of this road. From here, you have the option to do the 6.1 mile loop or the 4 mile roundtrip out and back. This trail takes you through a beautiful desert ...
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  • Tulare County, California

    Hike to the Summit of Big Baldy, Kings Canyon National Park

    4.5
    5 mi / 650 ft gain
    This short and easy trail to the summit of Big Baldy in Kings Canyon National Park is not to be missed if you are in the area.The trail winds through forest and boulders as it climbs the north shoulder of Big Baldy. When you think you have reached the end, and you see people sitting down with the...
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  • Tahoma, California

    Susie Lake, Desolation Wilderness

    5.0
    7.96 mi / 1496 ft gain
    Starting at the Glen Alpine trailhead (best access to Susie Lake): To get to the trailhead, head toward Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe. From HWY 89, turn onto Fallen Leaf Rd and drive past the summer homes and marina until you reach a small firehouse on the left side of the road. You'll fol...
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  • Malibu, California

    Photograph the Iconic Malibu Pier

    3.2
    Less than a mile South from the small town center, Malibu Pier stretches out into the Pacific. The Pier has been in Malibu since 1905 and though much of Malibu has been built up around it, it has remained quite similar to when it was first constructed. You can either pay for parking right at the ...
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  • Mariposa County, California

    Sentinel Dome Trail

    5.0
    2.15 mi / 390 ft gain
    One of the most popular places in Yosemite for sunset is Glacier Point, but by walking one mile from the trailhead, the crowds quickly dissipate. Sentinel Dome is great for all ages since the trail is short and not too steep. Park at the Sentinel Dome trailhead, about 3 miles from the end of Glac...
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