From the category archives:

State and Local Parks

Bodie State Historic Park

June 9, 2010

So, this isn’t exactly a hiking trip – but anyone who’s even mildly interested in the history of the American West owes it to themselves to visit this unique State Park just outside the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park. The town of Bodie, north of Mono Lake, was a bonafide boomtown. Named for W. [...]

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Hiking Mount Lee to the Hollywood Sign

May 18, 2010

Get up close and personal with two of L.A.’s landmarks on this moderate 6.5 mile out-and-back in Griffith Park — the iconic Hollywood Sign AND the Batcave from the 60′s TV series “Batman.” This dog-friendly route is popular with local hikers, fitness buffs, and equestrians, and is a good way to tack a local workout [...]

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Hiking the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve

April 26, 2010

A short and easy but breathtaking stroll through the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve – a 1800 acre reserve of prime California poppy real estate. Accessible for just about everyone, this small unit of the State Park system is a must-see during bloom season, when the low hills become absolutely covered in carpets of orange. [...]

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Statewide Park Smoking Ban Failed?

March 19, 2010

In the “I honestly thought this was already done” file, the LAist reported that the California Assembly was to vote on a statewide public smoking ban on all state parks and beaches. The law would have made California the first state to enact such a wide-ranging smoking ban, and while it passed a vote in [...]

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Astronomy Night at Charmlee

January 15, 2010

Tonight at 6:30, Charmlee Wilderness Park will host a free stargazing hike (parking is $4). The City of Malibu will provide a telescope, but if you’ve got your own or a set of binoculars, feel free to bring them along to take advantage of some clear winter skies. If you can’t make it out tonight, [...]

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Hiking Los Liones Trail to Parker Mesa

January 4, 2010

A 7.3 mile hike from the Pacific Palisades to a popular overlook in Topanga State Park. The first part of this hike – the Los Liones Trail – is one of the most lush riparian canyons I’ve seen in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s gently graded, moderately shady, and definitely worth a look even if [...]

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Hike to the Hollywood Sign

November 20, 2009

If you’re one of the few non-natives who actually stick around Los Angeles when Holiday Season hits, and you want to try to work off some of that Thanksgiving turkey, you might want to join up on a ranger-led hike to the Hollywood Sign in Griffith Park. On the mornings of November 27th and 28th [...]

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Surprise of the Day – NO STATE PARKS CLOSING

September 25, 2009

Wow. I honestly have to say it again. Wow. I’m completely surprised, but today Governor Schwarzenegger announced exactly how many State Parks would be closed – zero. According to a blog entry on the LA Times site, the State Parks will still have their budgets cut, but instead of closing, most parks will simply reduce [...]

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Get Ready for a Busy Weekend

September 25, 2009

This Saturday is National Public Lands Day, an annual event dedicated to giving back to our public lands. Since so many of our public lands seem to be under assault recently – whether it be from fires or shortminded politicians who STILL won’t release a list of parks they want to close – now’s a [...]

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List of Closed Parks to be “Less Than 100″

September 23, 2009

Even though there is still no list of closed or potentially closed parks, Governor Schwarzenegger is now saying he will close “far fewer than 100,” according to an article in the Mercury News. A spokesman for the Governor urged cautious optimism, saying “That 100 number isn’t something to hang your hat on” and that they [...]

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