California Trails

Raging rivers, avalanches, and steep snow slopes challenge thru-hikers.

Inside the life of the guy who keeps the bathrooms running in 120-plus temperatures.

Great for summer skiers, not so great for PCT thru-hikers.

Researchers discovered the big cats almost always flee human voices, even when feeding.

The KCET travel series will tackle Marin and Sonoma Counties in its new season.

CA 120 is plowed only to the winter closure gate outside the national park.

Hikers spotted the unique formation in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

Search & Rescue crews pulled a young man to safety after he slipped and was swept over two waterfalls in the Bass Lake area.

The House plans to vote Thursday on a bill making it easier to store water during abundant snow years.

Citizens in the coastal town--cut off from civilization by a damaged bridge and landslides--share the challenges of isolation.

Intense heat contributed to the growth of the 1,200-acre blaze on Tuesday.

The U.S. asked UNESCO to remove 17 different sites nationwide from the renowned list of international natural wonders.

Usually, high-elevation roads across the Sierra are open by now. Not this year.

Hikers and the property owner met to negotiate a deal over access to the box canyon trail.

Judge declines to intervene in battle over access to a popular trailhead.

Brad Stapleton is a publicist during the workday, and your guide to the best trails and events of Southern California.

Our California experts sounds off on the best places to see redwoods and grab a post-hike brew.

First responders and firefighters are prepping to fight powerful wildfires and raging whitewater this season.

California Highway Patrol's rescue team saved a woman at South Lake Tahoe.

A wet winter means a summer with abundant rattlesnakes on California's public lands. Here's how to protect your pooch.

An 18-year-old man fell from a cliff at Chantry Flat.

The cables helping hikers ascend Yosemite's iconic summit opened June 2.

Abundant snowpack leads ski resort to stay open well into the summer.

Walk from the coast into the last of the Golden State’s grasslands by way of a forgotten route.

Sample a smorgasbord of mountains from this chill California outpost.

Sequoia National Park, California

Yosemite National Park, California

Lava Beds National Monument, California

Scramble across the trailless desert in Joshua Tree's wild northeast corner to inner Basin Pass. BY EMELIE FROJEN

From trailheads to trail towns, US 395 in California serves up the ultimate road trip for hikers.

Climb to the top of the Sierra Buttes for sweeping views from an old fire lookout. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

California’s rolling hills and desert heat will eagerly invite you to cool off in isolated swimming holes.

Explore beaches, mountains, and redwood forests on California's Lost Coast.

Appreciate the urban on a nitty-gritty city trek; dayhike to a crowd-free airy view; and snag a peak-bagging overnight on Los Angeles's best local hikes.

Hike to the best views in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

This hiking and camping trip is filled with water falls that gush over into a valley 200 feet below and a 2,000 foot sentinal panoramic view.

Hiking this 8,007-foot peak will bring you peace and solitude, as well as breathtaking views.

Climb through a rejuvenating burn zone and a cinder cone-strewn hillside at the front end of this 32-mile stretch on the JMT

Get the story behind the High Peaks–Balconies Caves Loop, Pinnacles National Park, California—and how to see it yourself.

Get the story behind Mt. Islip Loop, Angeles National Forest, California—and how to see it yourself.

Our trail scouts' top local hikes as the seasons change.

John Donovan disappeared in a high-elevation blizzard, leaving rescuers and friends stumped. But his backpack contained a miracle clue.

Check out Dan Koeppel's author page.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

This easy 6.2-mile loop links lush marshland with ancient mountains--now small weathered hills--that were once islands before river sediment filled in the channel.

Jagged sandstone cliffs, glorious wildflowers, and deep canyons seem endless on this 9-mile out-and-back ridgeline run in Cleveland National Forest.

Trace the rugged, uninhabited coastline of Crystal Cove on this 5.2-mile out-and-back to sunbleached bluffs, swirling tidal pools, and a deserted settlement of old beach villas.

Trek into history on this 7-mile out-and-back in the San Gabriel foothills. You'll visit the ruins of a luxurious hotel and cog railway that date back to the early 1900s.

Hike 6 miles to an island of green space nestled in L.A.'s suburbs, then climb steeply to panoramic views of the nearby San Gabriel mountains and the Hollywood Hills.

Savor sunny views of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean, then descend to a cool creek under the pleasant shade of sycamore trees on this 8.9-mile canyon loop.

This 4.6-mile canyon hike features chilly mountain pools, several beautiful waterfalls, and slim sandstone cliffs set in a cool oasis of lush oak and sycamore forests.

Hike, run, or bike this moderate 6.2-mile out-and-back, which follows a scenic, rolling ridgeline to a boot-shaped mesa with a stunning ocean vista.

Don't be fooled by the name--this 9.3-mile out-and-back climbs more than 3,000 feet. But it rewards hikers with some of the most spectacular views in the LA foothills.

This 4.2-mile hike begins in a deep cleft of the Santa Monica Mnts., then winds up a mellow ridgeline with gorgeous ocean views. Zuma Canyon is a lush basin of wildflowers in season.

Scamper 4 miles into a picturesque canyon loaded with Technicolor rock formations and high desert species like the brown eagle, desert fox, and California condor.

Giant stands of ponderosa pine alternate with patches of wildflowers along the rugged shorelines of Pinecrest and Catfish lakes on this isolated 5.9-mile loop.

The rocky points of this 5.6-mile coastal hike offer some of the best tidal pool viewing in Southern California. Go at low tide to see crabs, sea stars, anemones, and sea hares.

Escape the city's smog on this pretty 7.3-mile loop into the chaparral-covered ecosystem of La Jolla Canyon. Fresh air and Pacific Ocean vistas are only a 30-minute drive from downtown.

This 6.5-mile loop passes through sage, chaparral, and oak groves to a high plateau with panoramic views of the Santa Ana Mountains.

Navigate the long, gorgeous valley of Bishop Creek's Middle Fork to alpine lakes beneath spectacular Sierra Crest peaks. Leave early for this arduous 17-mile hike.

This easy 4.7-mile route loops past Sycamore Canyon Falls and the shady bottom of Big Sycamore Canyon.

A steep, 330-foot cliff descent begins a 5-mile out-and-back along one of SoCal's last undeveloped coasts--which happens to include a famous nude beach.

The 9.2-mile trek heads along one of California's last pristine beaches to the swimming grounds of harbor seals and the once-endangered California gray whale.

Enjoy a gurgling creek, the staccato of canyon wrens, and ridgetop vistas on this 4.2-mile jaunt just minutes from downtown Pasadena.

A 3,000-foot gain in 3.4 miles delivers landscape-painting vistas of pastoral valleys and idyllic California hamlets on this 6.8-mile round-trip.

An oak-shaded creek with cat tails and mountain lion tracks.

Tall grass mixes with prickly pear on this 5.4-mile loop to sprawling ridgeline views of the Santa Ana Mountains, Bell Canyon, and San Juan Canyon.

Ramble from canyon views to shady forest along the exposed cliff bands above Santa Ysabel Creek.

Climb high above the Pacific on this 6-mile loop over 3,111-foot Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Trek 24.4 miles to a 200-foot, glacier-fed waterslide, then bag the highest peak in the Trinity Alps. Bring a fly rod for rare red-meat brook trout.

This 12.8-mile cardio challenge climbs 3,000 feet to sweeping vistas in Agua Tibia Wilderness. Start early with lots of water, and bring gaiters for the chaparral.

Experience the many moods of the chaparral and wildflowers in bloom en route to an unnamed summit on this 6.8-mile hike in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.

Escape cookie-cutter suburbia on this 4.5-mile hike or bike through a mix of soaring ridges, lush canyons, and remnants from the ranchero era.

Tackle a heart-thumping 5.6-mile, out-and-back scramble over boulder fields to a 2,700-foot peak perched high above the coastal haze of the Pacific.

This 8.3-mile lollipop loop quickly ascends 2,500 feet into the coastal hills; bring your camera to capture striking above-the-fog seascapes.

See the result of millions of years of tectonic movement on this 7.9-mile loop beneath massive volcanic monoliths. Bring a flashlight for optional cave trails.

Explore the ranch estate of late cowboy humorist Will Rogers on this 5.4-mile trek among the Pacific Palisades ridgelines of Topanga State Park.

This 5.4-mile out-and-back has it all: 5-star camping, superlative swimming, and picture-postcard scenery along a patchwork of lakes in Tahoe National Forest.

Basecamp in a rarely visited basin and take daytrips to several alpine lakes with stunning views on this 17.2-mile, long-weekend backpacking trip.

This 5.2-mile desert hike is great any time, but spectacular in spring when the Antelope Buttes bloom with native grasses and fire-orange poppies, the California state flower.