The Hiking Guide for Southern California
If there’s a full moon tonight (and there is) it must be time for a Boat Canyon night hike. Boat Canyon is a terrific 8.2 mile hike in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, climbing up above Boat Canyon, dropping down to Laguna Canyon Road and climbing back up again before returning to the trailhead — [...]
Last month I outlined my training plan for the John Muir Trail. In a nutshell, it involves several weekday conditioning hikes, longer weekend hikes, weight-bearing hikes and most importantly, hikes at high altitude with substantial elevation gain. As I researched my options, I settled on a series of six peak-bagging hikes, each progressively more challenging [...]
San Clemente’s Ridgeline Trail is a great little 4.7 mile out-and-back hike along a ridgeline above the city. The trail is suburban and paved, making it a great choice for rainy weather when you don’t want to slog through the mud but you still want to get your heart pumping. And the ocean and mountain [...]
Standing prominently above Pasadena, Mount Wilson is a Southern California landmark. The 5,710 foot summit is home for an observatory responsible for the most detailed photos of Mars as well a vast array of antennae for local LA radio and television stations. While the summit is steeped in astronomical wonder and tremendous views of Los Angeles, the [...]
At 3,273 feet above sea level, Sitton Peak has commanding 360 degree views of the Cleveland National Forest. On clear days, you can see the ocean and even Catalina Island. The elevation gain and distance makes this a good intermediate level hike. The first section of the trail is single track, but much of the [...]
I have hiked and backpacked for years without trekking poles. I’ve seen plenty of people using them, but always thought they would be more of a nuisance than a help. My views have changed, with this caveat: trekking poles are great when you use them correctly. Sadly, most people I see on the trails do [...]
Long trails have a gravity that pulls thru-hikers toward them … more
Cucamonga Peak offers amazing views over Southern California's Inland … more
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