Glendale, California

Take PCH through Malibu towards Oxnard and the campground will be on your left. There is no day use here and you can drive right to your campsite.During the summer, make reservations or arrive really early to nab a site. Spaces can fill up quickly.There is access to a hiking trail across PCH.

...I think out of all the State Parks in the Santa Monica Mountains, Point Mugu State Park is without a doubt the best one. Maybe it has something to do with its proximity to the beach, or the endless trails and epic views, but the energy and diversity here is just so much more wild. With the par...

Saddleback Butte State Park is a state park in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert. It’s oftentimes looked over, but you’d be surprised what you can find there. Definitely a place to stop. It is located east of Lancaster. It can get hot so make sure to bring lots of water and wear su...

The Bommer Ridge West Trailhead aka The Pacific Ridge Trailhead begins at the edge of Ridge Park Road, overlooking CA State Highway 73, and marks the northwest entrance to the Laguna Coast Wilderness and its neighbor, Crystal Cove State Park. From the well-marked trailhead follow the trail south...

The Deer Canyon Loop Trail is an easy drive from Orange County and Newport Beach. In the spring, wildflowers are abundant along the trial. This is a favorite spot for trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers. The trail is kept in great condition year-round and is very wide. There is very little...

Just south east of the city of Irvine, on the southern end of Orange County, is the scenic Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Don't let the newly developed shopping centers restaurants fool you, because just beyond the parking lot ($3 Daily Use Fee) of the Borrego Canyon Trailhead, you will find your...

Point Mugu State Park offers some amazing rolling mountains, sweeping meadows of tall grass, and beautiful coastal views. I suggest going in the spring. I recently went, and the wildflowers were blooming everywhere. There are campgrounds available in different parts of the park that you can make ...

Located off of Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach is Crystal Cove State Park. There are three primitive sites located in Crystal Cove: Deer Canyon, Upper Moro, and Lower Moro. The site I stayed at was Lower Moro campground. All three of these sites require the backpacker to hike everything in...

The trail features a waterfall and is open year-round, but is best used in the spring. Remember to bring $15 cash for the parking fee. The Laguna Beach trail is shared by trail runners, mountain bikers, hikers, and the occasional horseback rider. Dogs are not allowed in Crystal Cove State Park. 

This is part of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you're through-hiking or sectional hiking, you'll have to hit it eventually. Try and avoid it in the late summer or early fall because of heat, and gnats. Find a way to check the bug report, we got marauded by gnats 90% of the way (early October) and ap...

The lot provides free parking, with plenty of spaces available throughout the day.  The first few miles feature a descent into the canyon on a defined trail out in the open. The way back up is a decent incline in the sun!   Be prepared, because even though 6+ miles may not seem too hard, this h...

To get to the trailhead, enter Crystal Cove State Park through the Crystal Cove El Moro Campground entrance immediately next to El Moro Elementary School. Follow the road behind the school which leads to the main gate where you will need to pay a day-use parking fee of $15. Drive past the Campgr...

The trail begins and ends at the El Moro Visitor Center. Parking requires either a $15 day use parking pass, which is available in the visitor center. This hike we are focusing on is called the Difficult Loop Trail and it is the third most difficult trail the canyon offers. You take Moro Canyon,...

To get to the bluffs overlooking Crystal Cove State Park Beach to the south, you'll need to pull off onto the side of the Pacific Coast Highway *before* Morro Ridge Road.The easiest and most obvious turnoff is on the right side of the highway southbound, just past the "Adopt a Highway" sign and w...

This hike has been a must do since I was young. Do you love scenic views of the ocean and wildlife? You'll see plenty of both, from hawks searching for food to squirrels and deer running through the brush. This is my favorite route in this area but there are plenty of other trails to shorten or a...

There a numerous trails in the Laguna Coast Wilderness that proceed up and along the ridges and down into the canyons (or the reverse), and are quite popular for mountain biking, hiking, and trail running. A great mountain biking loop begins in Emerald Canyon at the end of Emerald Canyon Road an...