From the category archives:

Trail Write-Ups

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 [...]

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Hiking San Gorgonio Mountain via South Fork Trail

September 22, 2009

The fact that San Gorgonio Mountain is the tallest peak in Southern California (11,502 feet) is reason enough to hike it – the breathtaking 360 degree vistas and stunning alpine scenery along the way are icing on the cake. This trip follows the South Fork Trail, approaching the peak from the north. It [...]

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Hiking Mount Islip

August 18, 2009

A mostly shaded, gently graded 7 mile hike to the mostly-exposed peak of Mount Islip. This hike offers unparalleled views of the Yerba Santa Ampitheatre and nearby middle peaks of the San Gabriels. There is also a well-maintained campground – Little Jimmy – on the route, which can make this a great stop [...]

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Hiking Throop Peak and Mount Hawkins

July 23, 2009

A just over 6 mile out-and-back trail to two prominent peaks to the west of Mount Baden-Powell. With a stretch of spectacularly-designed trail, lots of shade, and phenomenal scenery with not a whole lot of elevation gain, this is a great way to introduce yourself to this area of the San Gabriels and plot [...]

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Hiking Mount Baden-Powell

June 18, 2009

A moderately challenging 8-mile trek up the north face of one of the tallest mountains in the San Gabriels. Fans of switchbacks will love the march to the top of this peak, which rewards hikers with a stunning ridge, 1500-year-old limber pines, a small monument to the founder of the Boy Scouts, and a [...]

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Hiking Wallace Creek

June 9, 2009

A short and easy hike along a world-famous section of the San Andreas Fault. This is a great way to get close to the fault, see its effects on the landscape firsthand, and come to terms with the power and force behind earthquakes. It’s also a great way to start exploring the huge [...]

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Hiking Bear Gulch in Pinnacles National Monument

May 12, 2009

A short and easy – yet still exciting – hike in the Bear Gulch at Pinnacles National Monument. The trail travels through forest, cliffs, two caves, a man-made lake, and some of the spectacular Pinnacles formations. This is a great hike for all ages and most hiking abilities, and it highlights some of [...]

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Hiking Condor Gulch in Pinnacles National Monument

May 7, 2009

An easy, short path from a nature center up to an overlook point with a great view of the Pinnacles Formation. An easy way to see some of the sights in the park, with the option to connect to the High Peaks Trail loop and continue your journey.

The Basics:
- Distance: [...]

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Hiking the High Peaks Loop in Pinnacles National Monument

May 5, 2009

A breathtaking 9.3 mile loop through most of the big sights in Pinnacles National Monument. This trail crosses streams, dives into talus caves, and climbs around and through the monument’s namesake rock spires – in several places, even climbing up stairs cut into the sides of the pinnacles themselves. In the spring, this [...]

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Hiking Eaton Canyon

April 9, 2009

A relatively easy, >4 mile hike up a canyon in the lower San Gabriels to a 40-foot waterfall. This popular trail can get crowded on the weekends, but is still worth a visit – especially in the spring when wildflowers take over the lower portions of the canyon floor. Suitable for adventurous beginners, [...]

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