How a forgotten California border town became a hip hideaway
The first two surprises, as you roll up Old Highway 80 into this dry and silent Sonoran Desert town, might be the steam and the…
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…
Hiking inn-to-inn from Santa Monica to San Diego
Approaching Laguna Beach on the hike from Newport Beach to San Clemente. (Tom Courtney) This charming stroll will transport you back to the 1930s, through…
3 Mount Wilson hikes to learn about L.A.’s space exploration history
I grew up in a rural place with minimal light pollution. When I looked up to the night sky, I could see layers of stars…
The brilliant fall foliage of the Eastern Sierra draws a global crowd
BISHOP, Calif. — Just after dawn on Thursday, I pointed my car up a long, steep hill outside Bishop and climbed through the high desert scrub…
Join the L.A. Times on a fall hike along the Gabrielino Trail
Howdy! I’m Jaclyn Cosgrove, an outdoors reporter at the L.A. Times. I write about the best trails, bodies of water, campgrounds and more that you…
Big Santa Anita Canyon is open. Here’s how to hike the L.A. oasis
Four years after the Bobcat fire and subsequent floods tore through Angeles National Forest, the pristine mountain wonderland of Big Santa Anita Canyon near Sierra…
6 helpful nature apps that will enhance every hike
I used to believe that the last thing I wanted to do on a hike was pull out my phone. That’s one of the reasons…
How to plan a dreamy winter Amtrak trip from L.A. to New Mexico
It was early morning in mid-December when I awoke to the sounds of steady rumbling while lying in the top bunk in my 9-by-5-foot family…
3 hikes that avoid the Southern California wildfires
A week before Los Angeles shut down in spring 2020, my two friends, wife, dog and I hiked the Bridge to Nowhere. Setting off into…
A look at the ‘party car’ on the swanky high-speed rail coming to SoCal
One day in the late 2020s, if the people at Brightline West deliver on their promised fast train between Southern California and Las Vegas, you’ll…
Sunday Funday in Los Angeles with Tinx
From an early age, Christina Najjar, better known by her moniker Tinx, recalls the grip that “Sunday scaries” had on her household. “I remember my…
Bears don’t hibernate in L.A. How to stay safe from them on trails
I was drifting to sleep in my tent, soothed by the crisp night air, when I heard one word that jarred me back to reality.…
This under-the-radar city is the hiking trails capital of California
Redding doesn’t get talked about much as a travel destination. That’s because what makes Redding worth a trip is everything else that surrounds Redding. The…
4 tips for how to start rock climbing in and around L.A.
I’ve never enjoyed walking into a gym. Growing up as a fat kid, I have enough traumatic memories around exercise to fill several therapy sessions.…
These day hikes in Kings Canyon National Park are uncrowded and serene
Hiking in and around L.A. can often feel like its own mini-vacation. Our local public lands offer many different types of escape, whether you want…
Kings Canyon is a hiking and camping paradise — without the crowds
Just five hours north of Los Angeles sits a national park that should be on your outdoor bucket list. It features a valley carved millions…
Biden stays at the estate of billionaire friend Joe Kiani
SANTA YNEZ, Calif. — Hours after delivering a swan-song speech to a roaring crowd at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, President Biden was relaxing…
Why hiking early in Los Angeles is worth getting out of bed
I’ve never regretted getting up early for a hike.I had that realization on my favorite trail near Pasadena last week, as I breathed in the…
It’s a full moon weekend. Here’s where to hike in L.A.
My coworkers and I were deep in conversation when we all gasped. We’d crested a hill in Griffith Park, and rising just as we did…