California

The trail is dog and horse friendly, and many trail loops make Tilden Regional Park fun for families and those of any skill level. The Seaview and Big Springs Trail loop is typically used by avid hikers, trail runners, or mountain bikers. The first half of the trail is exposed to the sun and rock...

A 216-acre park, Helen Putnam offers 9 trails that are relatively short but can be combined however you wish. Go 2 miles or 10 miles. Loop in and out, up or around. I take a different route every time I hike here.For a good 6-mile hike, begin at the southwest corner, where the parking lot and res...

To get to the trailhead, enter Crystal Cove State Park through the Crystal Cove El Moro Campground entrance immediately next to El Moro Elementary School. Follow the road behind the school which leads to the main gate where you will need to pay a day-use parking fee of $15. Drive past the Campgr...

Start the hike from the Bear Gulch Trail Parking lot.  While pulling in, the trail head is on the left.  The Trail is marked Reservoir, Caves, and High Peaks.  Continue down the trail until faced with a junction.  Make sure to admire rock formations while hiking!At the junction take the Bear Gulc...

Barney Lake makes for an incredible day hike or trail run, but is also very accessible for camping.Start at the trailhead near the Mono Village Resort at Twin Lakes and follow the Robinson Creek Trail. If you plan on hiking during the winter, the resort will be closed and you will have to park at...

From San Diego, head South on Hwy 5 for 12 miles. Take a right on exit 5A for Palm Ave/CA-75. Take CA-75 west for 1.6 miles. Stay on Palm Ave as it splits from CA-75. Take Palm Ave for 1 mile until it reaches the coast. Turn left on Seacoast Dr and take it for 1 mile until you reach the Imperial ...

Pyramid Peak is the tallest peak in the Crystal Range and the Desolation Wilderness, just west of Lake Tahoe. On a clear day it can be seen from the Bay Area over 150 miles away. Named for its distinct shape, Pyramid a massive heap of glaciated granite slabs and talus, and the Rocky Canyon route ...

LMPL (let's be honest, the full name is a mouthful) is situated just below the crest of Merced Pass, and can be accessed by hiking south from Yosemite Valley, or north from Chiquito Pass. This is a stunning and much less crowded spot to camp, or a great way to access some of the less climbed moun...

Located in the iconic Silicon Valley town of Woodside, Wunderlich County Park offers a number of hiking trails as well as some horseback riding trails through the wilderness.  Once in the parking lot, you will see a number of stables, riding ring, as well as a beautiful historic stable that was o...

Continue by car down Castle Rock Road until it dead ends at the beginning of the trail. Parking is usually easy to find. If full, there is another overflow lot about 500 ft back the way you came in.You'll walk a good half mile down the trail before getting the main gate. As you're walking, you'll...

The South Lykken Trail is the south half of the 9.5-mile Carl Lykken Trail, which weaves along a series of mountain ridges above downtown Palm Springs. Dogs are not permitted on this trail. This section of the trail runs 3.2 miles one-way. You will gain just over 1600ft of elevation at the high...

This hike is open year-round but is especially beautiful in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming and the spring is running. This trail offers good entry level mountain biking, with mostly flat well maintained trails and a couple of challenging but doable hills. 

The Aileen Getty Ridge Trail is a singletrack trail that runs between Mt. Lee and Burbank Peak (the location of the Wisdom Tree). Though there are many options to access this trail, the most direct route is from the west via the Wonder View Trailhead. Start by parking on Lake Hollywood Drive near...

Sugarloaf is tucked away in Laurelwood Park which is located in a residential neighborhood right off of Hwy 92 in San Mateo, making this a great hiking & trail running option for Peninsula residents.I always park on Glendora Dr. and follow the paved path down towards the playground. At the bo...

Itching to climb outdoors near San Francisco?  With only a quick drive from the city, Ring Mountain is a beautiful nature preserve overlooking the city of San Francisco offering two main rock formations, Turtle Rock (Pictured) and Split Rock.  Split Rock is the slabby rock south of the parking ar...

Cabrillo National Monument is named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European explorer to reach America's Wet Coast. There are many knowledgable rangers in the park who are eager to share interesting historical facts.  Activities in the park include hiking: the Bayside Trail offers 2 mile...