3 hikes near L.A. where you can frolic in the snow
Last week, I stared out the window at the mountains like a little kid, watching the rain come down. I knew at higher elevations the…
Can the Woolsey Fire teach us how to recover burned Palisades trails?
Reporting on the 2018 Woolsey fire remains vivid in my mind. I remember observing its bright orange glow from outside the gates of the shuttered…
Want amazing views? Hike to this L.A. fire lookout
In California, firefighters have a true range of tools available to alert them of wildfires: live cameras mounted throughout forests, satellites orbiting Earth, pilots scanning…
Cuts to National Park Service could harm L.A.’s wildlife
I felt conflicted as my friend Taran and I pulled into Death Valley National Park this past Friday evening. I was over the moon to…
3 ambitious L.A. hikes to try before winter ends and it gets too hot
My New Year’s resolution this year was to walk, jog, bike or hike at least one mile a day. By Jan. 6, I’d traversed almost…
Where to find peace and quiet in nature around L.A.
I’ve spent the past week in one of the least quiet places on Earth: a windowless room in a hospital’s intensive care unit. Among many…
3 L.A. hikes where you can breathe freely and finally enjoy nature
I was walking my dog Saturday evening when I started to feel a slight drizzle overhead.“Oh, it’s raining,” I thought in passing. Then it clicked,…
These 54 L.A. hiking trails burned in the SoCal fires
To some it might feel flippant to bemoan the hiking trails that burned up in the Eaton and Palisades fires. After all, thousands of people…
When will L.A. hiking spot Eaton Canyon recover? Sooner than you think
On Tuesday, I walked along the path parallel to Eaton Creek, trying to comprehend the gray-scale scene around me. Charred limbs of manzanita and other…
How outdoors enthusiasts can help their neighbors amid L.A. fires
About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, I looked out my living room window to observe the wind blasting through the trees. I couldn’t believe my eyes.Five miles…
3 quick and pleasant nature walks to kill time around LAX
Editor’s Note: The Wild is going on holiday. We’ll be taking a break beginning Dec. 26 and will return to our regularly scheduled programming Jan.…
How to spot gray whales migrating along California’s coast
The water off the coast of Point Vicente quivered in the distance with little leaping bits of life. At least, that’s what they looked like…
3 wintry hikes near L.A. to peep pine trees (and maybe snow)
This chilly time of year, it always feels like I’ve stepped through a portal after I drive 45 minutes from L.A. and find myself alone…
3 L.A. hikes that will make you grateful to live in L.A.
I am someone who enjoys giving back to the people I love, so Thanksgiving is an exciting time for me. Today, I am in my…
What to do if you see a coyote on the trail — or in your backyard
My friend Ameera and I were almost back to the parking lot after hiking to Mt. Hollywood under a full moon when she spotted something…
One of L.A’s best birding hot spots is on a military base in the desert
Last week, I drove out to Rosamond to visit a paradoxical place: the largest freshwater wetlands in the desert of northern L.A. County. I wondered:…
Joshua Tree too crowded? Try these 3 desert hikes near L.A.
Now is the time of year when I try not to brag too much about how great the weather is. Soon enough, my friends back…
L.A.’s Rim of the Valley needs to be protected. Here’s why
As our small plane flew over the San Fernando Valley, I was in awe of just how remarkable and diverse the region’s wild lands are.I…
What to do when you see a mountain lion while hiking
I was around 16, sitting on the front porch talking to my friend on the phone, as many millennial teens did, when I heard a…
Book these campsites near L.A. now to bask in wildflowers come spring
One Sunday morning in March 2019, I asked my wife to get in the car and go on a road trip with me. I decided…