Good ideas for Hiking in Southern California.

1. 61

   Justin McMarshallposted 16 years ago

   Good ideas for Hiking in Southern California.
   
   Good Hiking, Camping, Rivers, Lakes. Let me know your favorite spots.

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2. 61

   Something Fishyposted 16 years ago

   hey Justin.
   
   i can tell you about a few spots i really like in the general Los Angeles area. for hiking that is.
   most of my camping experiences are in NorCal.
   
   great hikes around LA:
   1) Temescal Canyon (Pacific Pallisades)- there is a loop trail that goes past a waterfall (rarely flowing) up to a ridge with a great view of the ocean past Pacific Pallisades. about a 2 hour hike - moderate
   2) Ed Davis / Towsley Canyon (Santa Clarita) - another great loop trail that goes through some amazing rock formations up the ridge with great views and back down. there are some tar pits along the way. about 2.5-3 hours - moderate difficulty.
   3) Griffith Park - there are a ton of trails in there. i like to start at Ferndell Picnic area and go past the Observatory to the top of Mt. Lee. great 360 view of large parts of LA. - about 2 hours - easy/moderate.
   4) Eagle Rock (Topenga Canyon) - neat big rock with great views. tough on hot days as there is very little shade anywhere. 3 hours - moderate.
   
   hope that was any help at all.
   
   good luck man. enjoy the trails.
   
   -Fishy

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3. 78

   kiwi91posted 14 years ago

   I haven't done a lot of hiking in Southern California, but I found plenty of trails in Palm Springs. Tahquitz Canyon and the Indian Canyons are two amazing spots in the city that aren't located too far from the downtown area. Actually, Tahquitz Canyon is located just behind the downtown area. Other towns like Palm Desert, Cathedral City, and Rancho Mirage also have mountainside trails to explore.
   
   If you take the Palm Springs Aerial Tram to the top of the mountain, you can hike all the way through to Mount San Jacinto and into the mountain town of Idlyllwild. I didn't hike the entire length of the trail, but I hiked about 90 minutes from the top of the Aerial Tram. Spectacular scenery and challenging terrain. I'd say it's well worth the trip - and the views are incredible.

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