California Trails

Hike to the highest point in Point Reyes National Seashore on this 6.3-mile loop that visits the wooded summit of Mount Wittenberg.

Climb a 3,333-foot sandstone spire just four miles north of Santa Barbara.

Climb to a 5,349-foot summit in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on this 8.2-mile out-and-back.

Climb to a rocky highpoint in the San Gabriel Mountains on this 6.7-mile dayhike in Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area.

This 6.9-mile lasso loop in Rancho Seco Recreational Area traces a lake and tours golden grassland.

This 17-mile out-and-back in the Trinity Alps features pristine mountain lakes, stunning views and an easy, off-trail scramble.

This 14-mile out-and-back ascends Sisar Canyon to a viewpoint overlooking the Sespe Wilderness.

You'll trace Placerita Creek, pass a natural oil seep, and visit a 15-foot waterfall on this easy-going 4.8-miler in Placerita Canyon Natural Area.

Just 30 minutes from Los Angeles, this 6.2-mile loop in Ed Davis Park winds through two canyons and tops out on a ridge overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley.

Get up close and personal with 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls on this 3.1-miler in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

This 8.8-mile out-and-back rolls over oak-dotted hills, drops to the banks of Cache Creek, then climbs to a meadow with picture-perfect views.

Take two weeks to hike through superlative Sierra Nevada country on a 165-mile circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe. Ranging in elevation from 6,240 feet to 10,338 feet, the TRT spans two states (California and Nevada), six counties, one state park, three National Forests, and three Wilderness areas.

Take in the iconic McWay Falls with Big Sur, a California treasure.

See the effects when two tectonic plates collide at Wallace Creek Interpretive Trail at Carizo National Plain

Hit two beautiful sandy beaches and view the rugged coastline on the is easy one mile loop hike.

Hike through one of the last natural Monterey Cypress groves that exist on the easy one mile loop hike through the Allan Memorial Cypress Grove.

Hike to great ocean views and a chance to see great coastal wildlife including Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Sea Otters.

This family-friendy, 2.7-mile out-and-back leads to one of Point Reyes's five backcountry campgrounds with views of the Pacific Ocean.

Escape into the Bay Area’s backcountry on this weekend excursion through the scrub-brushed hillsides and pine-dotted meadows of Henry W. Coe State Park.

On this easy 3.3-mile loop, wind through the tranquil hills of Montana de Oro State Park en route to jaw-dropping Pacific Ocean panoramas.

Climb to the highest of Central California’s Nine Sisters on this 3.5-mile out-and-back to Bishop Peak.

Two days. Forty-two miles. More than 10,000 feet elevation gain climbing 100+ stairways. In Los Angeles? Here's how one visionary (OK, a slightly obsessed backpacker) started a local-hikes revolution in the epicenter of urban sprawl.

See the tallest waterfall in the United States up close in this short and easy loop hike in Yosemite Valley.

Overlook the battlefield where the Modoc made their last stand, and a nearby spatter cone displaying unusual frozen rock formations on this 2.6-mile out-and-back.

This easy 2-mile out-and-back visits two collapsed sections of a wide lava tube with Native American pictographs and natural bridge walls.

Walk an old homestead route that crosses sagebrush plains and passes lava flows and collapsed tubes on this 9.5-mile point-to-point trail.

Follow the Big Sur River to a group of hot pools on this 19.3-mile out-and-back half an hour from Carmel.

Visit the 100-year-old ruins of a once glamorous resort on this 5.3-mile hike to a 3,207-foot summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Hike through a towering redwood forest on the easy-access overnighter.

Get three classic Range of Light trips in Yosemite National Park and hike below granite-capped peaks through wildflower-dotted meadows to remote alpine lakes and pristine camping.

This bundle features a complete thru-hike in Death Valley National Park--where you'll see more Joshua trees and traveling rocks than people--plus four section hikes across the deep washes, alluvial fans, and isolated canyons that make this park one of a kind.

Hike to a cliff-top vantage that overlooks Phantom Falls on this 7.3-mile figure-eight loop just 40 minutes from Chico.

Hike to a private lakeside retreat.

This 6.6-mile loop visits 1,211-foot Wildcat Peak before dropping down the Conlon Trail to Wildcat Creek.

See newts on the move in California, bears heading out of the alpine in Montana, and 360-degree mountain views in Arizona.

Raise a glass to the fall colors and comfortable weather of harvest season.

Bookmark this page for ongoing updates about our 2013 expedition benefiting at-risk urban teens.

Cast for beautiful fish that live in beautiful lakes.

Hike through a towering redwood forest on this easy-access overnighter.

Hike cross-country to a pocket of dreamy lakeside camps on the John Muir Trail.

Five must-do hikes from our top field correspondent, who's notched more than 1,800 trail miles throughout the West and mapped 116 trips.

Climb an 11,000-foot peak, hike to a secret summit, see the glacier-capped Cascades, soak in hot pools, and explore the ruins of a 100-year-old resort.

Discover hidden wonders in a cave-riddled wilderness.

Walk a scary-narrow rock fin to an airy summit.

Climb without crowds to the state's top mountain view.

Hike a remote paradise just hours from California's bustling cities.

Discover the inner sanctum of California's second largest wilderness.

Climb high and then plunge deep on this hike in Southern California.

My hike, like a million other trips each day in Los Angeles, starts with a ride on a rumbling bus.In the heart of Los Angeles, a band of hikers starts a local-trails revolution--one step at a time.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Take a lightly trafficked trail into the word's biggest grove.

Don't waste winter: Tackle this cross-country canyon trek in the Lower 48's largest national park.

Sharing is for kindergarten. Try one of these hikes to have the wilderness all to yourself.

Alternative routes, where to find solitude in the Lower 48, and avoiding the crowds in America's most crowded park

You won't find bottlenecks on these untrammeled peaks.

Find real solitude amid the crowds at these secret stashes.

Ten perfect summits for your next group hike

Get big views and rack up long miles with these close-to-home adventures.

A quick guide to the best acres, trails, and views.

Check out the world's hottest hydrothermal fumarole, Glacier's grizzlies, and a venus flytryp in North Carolina.

Trek through a trio of wilderness playgrounds on shape-shifting mountains of sand.

Does your kid want to be an ice climber? How about a thru-hiker, or paddler? These cities have just what you need.

Which towns offer the ideal mix of accessible trails, inspiring teachers, and great recreational resources? We worked with The Outdoor Foundation to identify America's top 25 places to beat nature deficit disorder.

From Boulder to Juneau to Bozeman, see which cities made the cut for the best place to raise an outdoor kid, and why.

Hike across forested hills to gape at ocean vistas just one hour north of San Francisco.

First, check out our tips for healthy hiking on steep terrain in the May 2009 issue then, put them to the test on one of our favorite high-angle trails from California to North Carolina.

Use our comprehensive city-specific pages to find hikes near your hometown or in a city you're planning to visit.

Fall camping season seems to go on forever with these fair-weather weekend trips.

Paddling, hiking, testing self-arrest skills–we cover it all in these 10 epic trips throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Ghost stories always seem scarier beside a flickering campfire. So, dim your headlamp and scoot up closer: our writer-at-large explores the ghoulish beginnings of these age-old tales and shares a few of his all-time favorite blood-curdlers. We dare you to read on.

Check off the most remote miles in California's Range of Light.

First John Francis stopped riding in cars. Then he stopped talking. More than three decades, two continent-spanning hikes, and countless trail miles later, he's still following his remarkable path of protest–only now he's not alone.

After reading Dan Koeppel's latest urban hiking adventure "Don't Pay at the Pump" (September 2008), we guarantee you'll want to crank "Magic Bus" and ditch the car on your next trip to the trailhead. We can help. Our map team has assembled more than 25 hikes you can access via public transportation. Plus, check out more of Michael Darter's photos and read Koeppel's 2004 feature, "I Climbed Los Angeles," to learn about his slightly insane 19-mile L.A. staircase route.

Hikers learn to leave (absolutely) no trace on high-traffic peaks and trails.

What happens when a couple's vows are tested by hard miles and hunger pains on the John Muir Trail? A sore-footed bride tells all.

You can only get so far off the grid in a single day - that is, unless you take a shortcut into the mountains. Many ski resorts, including the three premier sites mentioned below, open a lift or two in summer and fall, offering an express route to places high and wild. There's no other way to get this deep into the woods this fast.

Whether you fear, respect, or applaud these complex creatures of the night, the tips below will help you find and observe them.

Track the sun on these 2-4 day trips in the Southeast, Southwest, and Hawaii

Find out what happens when four people hike the 221-mile John Muir Trail in just a week. Then learn how to bag the classic in more sensible lightweight fashion.

Thoreau, Hemingway, and Kerouac all went into the backcountry to find the right words.