Westlake Village, California

Getting to the parking lot near the trailhead and finding an open space can seem like the most daunting part of this whole excursion. There are free parking lots along the road to the trailhead, so keep an eye out. There are also several ways to get to the trailhead from other parking areas; I ad...

Castaic Lake is a man made reservoir located 41 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, CA in the town of Castaic. Made up of two bodies of water, separated by a 425-foot dam, Upper and Lower Castaic Lakes have a combined 29 miles of shoreline forming the Castaic Lake State Recreational Area. The s...

The trail starts near Dell Picnic area, near the Trails Cafe. On this wide fire road, you can choose to run or hike, but don't expect to have the trail to yourself, especially if you're heading out on the weekend. With that said, you can time your run or hike around sunset and get amazing views b...

The Old Youth Camp Loop is a 2.6-mile loop with over 700 feet of elevation gain that can be ran, hiked, or even mountain biked if you prefer. While not completely empty the area receives very little visitors and is a great place to enjoy a little more solitude than near by hiking locations. The l...

Manhattan Beach Pier is a popular spot in the South Bay of Los Angeles for surfers of all levels. With its exposed beach break with consistent surf and more than 300 days of sun per year, you can pretty much always count on good weather in Manhattan Beach so you can surf no matter the season. Ide...

Glendale Peak is often passed over by people hiking to Mt. Hollywood, and while it is not as high as its neighbor summit, it boasts arguably better views that you will enjoy all to yourself. While not really a full hiking trail and more of a small detour, Henry's Trail is worth the small uphill c...

The Ventura Promenade is a .5 mile long biking and walking trail that runs from the Ventura Pier to Sufer's Point, eventually connecting to the Ventura River & Ojai Bike Trail. It is also part of the the larger "Omer Rains Trail" which runs some 3.5 miles to the south through Buenaventura Sta...

The Vital Link Trail is a steep and narrow out-and-back trail accessed though the Wildwood Canyon Park located in Burbank, CA. Parking at Wildwood Canyon is free and easy, and will be determined by which of the four trailheads you choose to start from.  For the shortest and most direct route you...

The Ventura - Ojai - Santa Paul loop is a classic half-century loop throughs some of the most beautiful cycling roads on the Central Coast. Beginning in Ventura and heading on the off-road (but paved) Ventura / Ojai trails, this loop then heads into downtown Ojai before following Ojai Valley Road...

The Rincon Trail between Ventura and Santa Barbara is part of the wonderful Pacific Coast Bike Route, and features two-wave paved cycling lanes with beautiful views up and down the central coast. There are numerous places to stop along the way for food and relaxing, including the great seaside to...

The Ventura River and Ojai Valley Trail, effectively the same trail, is a gorgeous 32 mile trail that runs from Seaside Park in Ventura to downtown Ojai. It runs along and across the Ventura River and through the Ventura Canyon, with views up and down numerous side canyons and ravines. The trail ...

Surfer's Point aka Ventura Point is a well-known kite boarding/surfing (and surfing) spot due to its (when conditions are right) great wave quality, favorable wind direction (sideshore with occasional side-off), friendly locals, rider capacity, and a nearby point break with. When conditions are e...

At 1,625 feet Mt Hollywood is the second highest point in Griffith Park and provides picturesque views of the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Park Observatory, Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains. The hike to the Mt Hollywood Summit begins on the northeast side of Griffith Park near the ...

In 2009, the people that lived in the neighborhood, close to the stairs, wanted to find a way to fight the graffiti that was being put on the structures and stairs themselves. Artist Ricardo Mendoza was commissioned to paint a giant mural that would cover most of the concrete walls that surround ...

Verdugo Peak, at 3000 feet, is accessible from multiple directions and trails along the Verdugo Range. The most direct route to the top is Hostetter Fire Road, a 3.6-mile hard-packed dirt trail that climbs 1600 feet to the 3,126-foot summit. The hike begins at the dirt parking lot off of La Tuna ...

Great little campsite very close to the town of Ojai.  My discovery of this gem was totally coincidental. I was trying to book a hotel room in Ojai; however, that particular weekend all the rooms that were within my budget were sold out. Instead of giving up, I looked for alternative options and ...