Under the right conditions, the Cucamonga Peak trail transcends what one expects from a local Los Angeles hike. Two years ago on a beautiful winter day, a ten month old Callie and I shared an amazing experience on the trail. I was blown away by the prospect that a hike with scenery and solitude that matched the Sierra was within such close proximity of my doorstep. That hike was a huge inspiration for the creation of this website, and I have been looking forward to returning to it ever since.
The Mount Waterman loop is two different experiences wrapped into one. A typically serene stroll through the high elevation forests of the San Gabriels is combined with a tour of a defunct ski resort slowly decaying as global warming redefines expectations for Southern California’s winters.
Tucked away in the foothills above Altadena, the Idlehour trail is a rarely traveled section of the San Gabriel Mountains that provides Angelenos an easy escape from the city’s crowds.
The North Backbone trail hits the 3 highest peaks in the Angeles National Forest, stays above 8,000 feet for its entire length, offers great views of the most remote part of the San Gabriel Mountains, and manages to remain almost completely devoid of hikers. What’s the catch?
Want to escape the hustle of Los Angeles but don’t have the time for a big hike? Try this short, easy stroll down a shaded trail that ends with a picturesque waterfall.
This relatively moderate hike offers a taste of the Pacific Crest Trail and easy access to three 9,000 foot peaks.
I took my son on his first hike to the waterfall in Eaton Canyon – a classic Southern California hike that I’d never been on either.
The recently re-opened Crystal Lake area north of Azusa, CA is a great place to escape the LA crowds on a busy weekend.
It snowed in our local foothills this weekend and Callie was on the scene to investigate.
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