Huddart Park’s cool redwood gulches, wildflowers, and seasonal creeks are a delightful day hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains, just a few miles west of Woodside. The 5.1-mile Dean-Crystal Springs Loop circles shady gulches across wooden bridges with occasional views of the San Francisco Bay. Some of the park’s 24 miles of trails are equestrian-friendly;… Read more »
Search Results for:
Lyle Cherry Orchard Loop
The Lyle Cherry Orchard Loop is a popular hiking route on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, just east of the town of Lyle. It’s a mostly moderate loop route with a few steep and narrow sections, and it’s hikeable year-round–though you’ll definitely have a good amount of mud in the wet months.… Read more »
Canyon and Ocean View Loop
Just off Pacific Coast Highway sit Zuma and Trancas Canyons, the largest section of federally owned land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Several popular trails, including the Zuma Ridge Trail, are found here. However, this doesn’t mean that lesser-known hikes aren’t equally as spectacular. Enter the Canyon and Ocean View Loop. With… Read more »
Mount Emma and Old Mount Emma Trail
After a relatively sedentary December, I was looking for a trail to jolt me into the new year when I stumbled across one that would take me to the peaks of Mount Emma and Old Mount Emma. With about 2,400 feet of elevation gain in just over five miles, and the added bonus of bagging… Read more »
Garden to Sky
The 3.1-mile round-trip Garden to Sky hike on Catalina Island is an exceptional day hike up Avalon Canyon to rewarding vistas of the island’s coastline, deep canyons, and San Gabriel Mountains. It’s easy to bump up the mileage by making a loop on the Trans-Catalina Trail or connecting to other nearby trails. You may even… Read more »
Gould Mesa Trail Camp via the Gabrielino Trail
As many of you have either heard about or experienced, Southern California’s 2024 winter has been wet. With multiple atmospheric rivers battering the West Coast, many of LA’s waterways have filled up to their banks. The Arroyo Seco is no exception. To experience its power firsthand, my partner and I ventured to Pasadena to hike… Read more »
Three Sisters Rock via the Pacific Crest Trail
After several days of rain, I was itching to get outside. So, I gathered a group of friends and drove to Acton for an adventure along the iconic Pacific Crest Trail to Three Sisters Rock. While on paper this hike’s length and elevation gain looked challenging, it was surprisingly mellow and cruisy (minus the last… Read more »
Backbone and Overlook Trail Loop
As someone who enjoys hiking in the mountains, winter can feel like a perilous time, as many of Southern California’s high-alpine trails are either painfully cold or covered in snow. Luckily, the Santa Monica Mountains are the perfect destination for those trying to get their fix of tall peaks and never-ending vistas during the colder… Read more »
15 Refreshing Creek Hikes in the Bay Area
I just love exploring creeks in the Bay Area’s rainy season (roughly November through March). Finally, FINALLY, empty creek beds are filled with water and, for a limited time, we get to hike in water-filled forests. When I’m on a creek hike, everything calms down and tunes in to the shhh sounds of a rushing… Read more »
Silver Falls Loop in Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is certainly not short on scenery … but sometimes those epic views and panoramas can take quite a bit of huffing and puffing to get to. That is not the case with the Silver Falls Loop on the beautiful Ohanapecosh River, which is a relatively easy loop hike from one of… Read more »