Winston Ridge and Winston Peak are name-sharing neighbors in the high San Gabriel Mountains near the Mount Waterman Ski Area. While Winston Peak is the high point of the hike at 7,502 feet, the summit is covered with pines that leave little room for panoramic views. The best vistas come from the shorter 7,003-foot Winston Ridge, which has fewer pines and broader views. To bag the Double... Read more.

Rising to just over 6,200 feet, Mount Hillyer is actually one of the easier summits to reach in the high country of the San Gabriel Mountains. Beyond its boulder piles and pine forests, the stretched-out summit offers several sweeping views of nearby peaks and canyons. The shortest route to the summit involves hiking 1.33 miles up Mount Hillyer Trail from Horse Flats Campground, gaining 575... Read more.

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park preserves centuries old Native American artwork that graces the wall of a sandstone cave in the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara. Chumash Painted Cave can be reached by walking a couple hundred feet up a trail on Painted Cave Road. The trailhead is just two miles from California Route 154, making it a quick, convenient, and interesting stop... Read more.

What to go for a hike but don't have time to leave Los Angeles? If you live near the Hollywood Hills or Studio City, Fryman Canyon may be the perfect place to get an hour of outdoor exercise. The 3-mile loop on Betty B. Dearing Trail passes through Wilacre Park in Lower Fryman Canyon and Coldwater Canyon Park, dishing out just 450 feet of elevation gain. The loop covers a variety of... Read more.

Emma Wood State Beach borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Ventura River. There is an estuary where the two meet, where you can sprawl out on soft sand and watch the gathering marine birds. See the beach, the river, and the estuary on a level and easy 1.5-mile loop through Emma Wood State Beach and the adjacent Seaside Wilderness Park in Ventura. Starting within the 115-acre state... Read more.

On the east end of the Verdugo Mountains between Glendale and Burbank, there is a scenic 6.15-mile loop on wide dirt service roads. North and South Beaudry Motorways circle past Tongva Peak and Mount Thom, which rise above the micro-range's eastern ridges. The high point of the loop, and a highlight of the hike, is a scenic overlook on the 2,656-foot summit of Tongva Peak. There are big... Read more.

Panorama Trail is a nearly 10-mile long point-to-point hike from the top to the bottom of Yosemite Valley. Starting at Glacier Point and ending at Happy Isles, the trail descends 3,200 feet and is filled with sensational views. You could not pick a more panoramic start for Panorama Trail than Glacier Point, a spectacular drive-up overlook atop the south wall of Yosemite Valley. The trail... Read more.

The boldly named Angel Vista is one of the top viewpoints in the Santa Monica Mountains, a coastal range running between Los Angeles and Ventura. Angel Vista soars over Thousand Oaks, presenting panoramic views of the west end of the range, which includes the Boney Mountains, the rocky crown of Santa Monicas. A few trails lead to the vista point, including the 7.6-mile round trip trek up... Read more.

Los Robles Trail in Thousand Oaks crosses a chaparral-covered mountainside leading to Angel Vista, one of the premier overlooks on the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains. There are a few routes to the viewpoint, including this 7.6-mile round trip hike up the east end of West Los Robles Trail. The hike charts a steady course along a mountain slope, gaining 800 feet to reach the vista... Read more.

The Santa Ynez Mountains form a verdant backdrop behind Santa Barbara. One of the highest summits in the range is Montecito Peak, which offers sensational views over the coastal cities below and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The 3,214-foot peak can be reached via a demanding 7.1-mile round trip hike with 2,450 feet of elevation change. It is quite a trek, but the ever-expanding ocean views will... Read more.