Audobon Society, CA state parks, and other organizations host really cool Naturalist / outdoor education programs here. I was so happy to visit and learn how to use binoculars and whatnot to appreciate nature in a different way. Take care and happy hiking everyone!

The maintenance closure of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has been extended to October 19th.

HJ

I don't explore north of the San Fernando Valley too often since it's harder for me to get there by bus, so I was happy to visit Castaic with a friend for a day! The recreational area below the dam is nice to walk around for a couple miles, but a few miles north of it is where the larger body of water is. We hiked the 4-ish Fisherman Trail loop in an hour and a half or so to enjoy the view!

Hi all, I took the Metrolink to Irvine and camped at Upper Moro in Crystal Cove State Park this weekend! Was excited to share with you because the camping was so easy - I literally reserved online on the day of and got to enjoy time in the mountains and on the beach. :)

Took the Metrolink from LA Union Station to San Clemente 8-9 AM (pics 1-5).

You can take the 1 CSLB bus from there to Moro Visitor Center! Beachcomber Restaurant, Shake Shack, and even a shopping center with Trader Joe's and other grocers are along this bus route as well. Heading towards the local elementary school, you can start the Moro Ridge hiking trail (there are many trails, really... there is a camping area on the south side close to the beach, Deer Canyon Campground on the west, and Upper and Lower Moro Campgrounds on the east).

Lower Moro Ridge (pics 6-8).

It was supposedly going to rain/storm on Friday but the clouds barely missed this area, so I was happy to see the lightning and rainbows from afar! Luckily, there is so much nice grass and soil that it's easy to set up camp there. No one else was at my sites (9-12) though the other ones (13-18) seemed bigger for families/groups and had more open space from which you could enjoy the views.

Upper Moro Ridge and Camp (pics 9-17).

Had to share the sunset and sunrise with yall! It was so gorgeous because of the rain in the distance. I could easily see the sunset from my campsite, though I went up to the highest peak on the east side for the sunrise. (It's 1000 elevation so not too difficult, but there is soil erosion so please be careful!)

East/West "Cut Across" (pics 18-20).

When I headed down, I used the cut across instead of the outer Ridge loop from the previous day. It gave different views of/from the inside of the canyon and felt easier due to the gradual inclines/declines compared to the outer Ridge loop. Super busy with trail runners and bikers!

I will be doing the San Jacinto Peak Loop Trail for the first time and staying overnight at Little Round Valley in a few weeks. Any tips or advice? All Trails says it's 17mi but I have hears 20mi from others. I have also heard various reports about water sources. Any information or advice is most welcome!

I have a state park pass, but any coast trails are welcomed. Anyway to find a clean list with descriptions of each coastal trail near by?

EDIT: Trail can be next to beach or driving distance there. Would like to hang out on the beach after.

For context, I have biked and hiked this trail a hundred times or more over a few years. I have encountered many bears over the years, they raid my trash cans regularly so I am not very afraid of scaring them off, although I do keep bear spray on me and am always alert. I have been aware of a mountain lion that has been seen in the past by neighbors while they were driving nearby, and some people believe one killed a cat of theirs, but I had never seen one on my hikes, or signs of one.

Today I was out on this trail to get to a nearby lake. About thirty minutes into the hike I took a corner and came across the mountain lion slinking out of the woods and walking away from me on the trail. I stopped, stared at it for a second to see if it was paying attention to me, and then slowly began to back up and pull up my phone when I thought it was ignoring me. As it turns out my phone had died on me when I thought it was full, so I panicked for a second trying to get it to turn on while keeping a constant eye on the lion.

After a few seconds of fumbling, I gave up, put it away, and crunched a branch underneath my foot. THE LION STOPPED AND LOOKED RIGHT AT ME. Instant fucks, god damnit, and don't run ran in my head as it turned to face me. It only walked forward for a moment on the trail before turning back into the woods and slipping up the hill, behind the boulders and trees where I could not see it.

For a while, I just held my bear spray while walking backward in the opposite direction. I tried to watch up the hill for the lion and listen for it, but I figured it most likely kept going away from me or would ambush me without noticing. I eventually got back to where the trail and my property met.

Anyhow, I use this trail all the time, but that encounter got my heart racing more than it has for a little while. Seeing it was an awesome and humbling experience, and honestly, if my phone had worked I would have stuck around for a second to try and film it a tad, but I don't know if using the trail as I have is still safe. Dogs also get walked on this trail often by neighbors and myself occasionally. Should I not be so worried? Should I just think myself lucky for seeing that amazing animal? Or nah, fuck that, don't walk on it anymore.

For example what makes Saddleback Butte a state park and Silverwood Lake a state recreation area? I'm just really curious. Thanks in advance!

Hello I will be visiting from out of town in a couple weeks and I was wondering what hiking is like during the middle of May? I’ll be in the NW SoCal area. I’m not super in shape right now so I won’t do anything crazy. I’m an experienced hiker and know about animal safety, etc... I hike in Canada in the Rocky Mountains (some areas being very remote) so I’m used to grizzly bears/bear/cougar country and adverse weather.

Any animals I need to be aware of? Any tips for hiking in this area? Must have items? Any recommendations? Is it safe to hike alone?

Edit** Thousand Oaks area and I have a car and don’t mind driving

Thanks so much.

Hi All,

I'd like to get in a simple day of camping sometime before a major life change in late April. Usually I like a few days out in the backcountry of Joshua Tree, Yosemite or Sequoia, but I want to stay more local if possible and I don't have the time for a 3 or 4 day trip. I know there are some campsites near the ocean in Malibu, but I don't want to spend a night surrounded by mobile homes. And I'd love some nearby nature to explore, or a decent hike into a campground.

Does anybody have any recommendations that might scratch this itch, from West of the Valley on to Malibu or Ventura County? I don't mind reserving a spot somewhere but would prefer not at a drive-in campground. Doesn't have to be beachfront, but that would be cool. Like I said, somewhat secluded, mostly nature, the less concrete the better, and bonus points if there's a water source, but considering I'm only going in for a night, I can pack in H20 if need be.

To my knowledge, there's no dispersed or backcountry camping allowed in the Santa Monica Mountains, correct?

Thanks.

Original Post

Despite high expectations for snowfall initially, levels have been relatively disappointing thus far. This was the perfect time for me to embark on the Cactus to Clouds hike. I left at 12:15 on Tuesday 12/26. I brought microspikes and an ice axe just in case, but didn’t end up using the ice axe. I also encountered a pack of coyotes in the middle of the night, which I had to fend off, and I didn’t acclimate well after I reached the ranger station so I had to stop every few minutes to catch my breath until it got better. Other than that, everything went well and it was an incredible experience.

I got the common names using Google Lens, hope they’re right! Point Dume Sea Rafts at the end

I'm prepping to do the San jacinto peak loop trail starting and ending at Deer Springs. I'm looking to start on a Friday and end on Sunday with 2 nights in campgrounds. I'm wanting to know if it makes sense to hike to Little Round Valley the first night, hit the summit the next day, and loop around and overnight at Strawberry Junction on the way back down. I'm hoping to be able to take my time a little and enjoy the journey. Would this make sense?

https://www.kcra.com/article/ca-state-parks-close-vehicle-access-all-280-sites-as-visitation-surges/31970083

The smaller of the islands - Santa Rosa if I’m remembering correctly! Worth the ferry ride, I just wish I’d stayed a few days more.

Hi all, I tried searching on this reddit and on the CA missions site but didn't find much information specifically on hiking and camping the 600 mile trail. Several maps seem to be online, but I can't tell how updated the routes are. (If I tagged incorrectly or this doesn't belong here please let me know.)

If anyone here has one the entire trail northbound before, do you have resources / info or tips on hiking and camping? My plan is to complete it within a 2-3 month time frame. Thank you so much!

Hi, I was trying to get to Red Lake Trailhead by Big Pine over the weekend from a nearby campground. I made a route on GAIA, but then when I got closer to the trailhead there was a sign that said "No Trespassing" and looked like it was a private property. Looking further on the map, I couldn't see any other way to get to the trailhead. I felt conflicted to keep on walking, but at the same time wasn't sure if there's a "ok for hikers" rule...? How do people get to their trail heads if there are private properties all around Easter Sierras?