The Hiking Guide for Southern California
Runyon Canyon Park gets a bad rap. The park lies just beyond Hollywood Boulevard, and attracts a steady stream of dog walkers, hikers and trail runners. It’s not unusual to overhear a conversation about script development or a new pilot. It’s not a wilderness trail. You won’t find solitude here. But if you live in [...]
Limestone Canyon Wilderness Park is a rare area with beautiful geography and unspoiled trails. One of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, Limestone Canyon is best known for it’s iconic geographic feature “The Sinks” which have often been called the “Mini Grand Canyon” of Orange County. The area is normally closed to hikers, except for specific [...]
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is a located in the heart of Sonoma County wine country. Last month, we hit the road to Northern California, spending a few days enjoying Sonoma — my first time visiting. There are many wonderful wineries and restaurants in the area, and of course, one of the wonderful benefits of hiking, is [...]
Peters Canyon Regional Park is centrally located in the city of Orange, near foothills of Tustin and Irvine. Because it’s located smack dab in the middle of Orange County, and because it actually has some decent hills with views extending to the coast, Peters Canyon is one of the more popular places to hike in OC. [...]
Small Peak is the name my friend John gave this knoll in the foothills of the Cleveland National Forest behind Orange County’s Robinson Ranch. This hike is a 3 mile out-and-back route that climbs up to this little peak, which in spite of its name, has some big views over much of Orange County. At [...]
When you think of hiking in Orange County, you don’t usually envision dramatic waterfalls. But during the spring, there are a number of wonderful seasonal waterfalls that are just a hike away. One of my personal favorites is Chiquito Falls. This hike is a 9 mile out-and-back route with nearly 3,000′ of vertical elevation gain. [...]
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 [...]
The Colinas Bluff trail is a great mixed-use double-track trail that follows the Colinas ridge between Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano. It’s a suburban trail with terrific, sweeping 360 degree views from Santiago Peak (or the San Gabriel mountains, when it’s clear) to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. I like this trail because [...]
Technically speaking, there is no trail or ridge officially named The Roller Coaster, but if there was, this would be it. This is a great double-track trail with hills that will get your heart pumping. I like to hike this after work most Wednesdays, and enjoy the ocean breezes, the sweeping coastal and mountain views [...]
Done at a brisk pace (3.5 miles per hour) hiking the Las Ramblas trail makes a great early morning workout. There are some steep hills and sweeping vistas of the coastline from Dana Point to Oceanside, and Santiago Peak and the Santa Anas to the east. The trail follows dirt double track, but the junctions [...]
Long trails have a gravity that pulls thru-hikers toward them … more
Each year on the last weekend of April, a motley crew of hikers assemble in … more
Crystal Cove State Park is one of my favorite areas to hike in Orange … more
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