hikespeak

Existing without an official name until 2015, McAuley Peak was already a convenient destination along the Backbone Trail, hosting a distinct rock formation and panoramic views over the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. The name - honoring conservationist, author, and literal trailblazer Milt McAuley - adds even more heft to the peak. This hike to the 2,049-foot crown of McAuley Peak... Read more.

The beautiful Santa Monica Mountains can be a busy place to hike. One trail you can take to feel like a ghost (not see any other hikers) is Phantom Trail. Located on the north side of Malibu Creek State Park, this scarcely visited single track is not as popular as neighboring trails, but you'll be dumbfounded as to why when Phantom Trail provides early panoramas over the rest of the... Read more.

The panoramic summit of Hazard Peak in Montaña de Oro State Park has excellent coastal views. Hazard Peak Trail is the most obvious route to the top and a great choice, rising to the 1,076-foot summit over 3 miles. A junction partway up Hazard Peak Trail makes it possible to add a couple other trails to the approach. Bloody Nose Trail and Hiedra Trail are a combined 0.85 miles long,... Read more.

Hikes in Montaña de Oro State Park travel along the coast or delve inland into canyons and up peaks. If you want a mix of hiking environments, consider this four-trail loop, which combines South Dune Trail, Bloody Nose Trail, Hiedra Trail, and Hazard Peak Trail for a 2 2/3 mile round trip hike with a little over 300 feet of elevation change. This loop can be added to the hike up Hazard... Read more.

Drury-Chaney Loop Trail (also known simply as Drury-Chaney Trail) presents a easy and well graded hike through redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The trail is a lollipop loop suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, crossing a surface of compact gravel with 100 feet of elevation change. The 2.4-mile length of this hike splits neatly into three sections: a 0.8-mile long access trail to... Read more.

Grieg-French-Bell Trail provides access to lovely grove of coast redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The ground in this area is covered by a carpet of redwood sorrel that is incredibly beautiful to walk through. Within French Grove, you'll find the Girdled Tree, which had its bark removed to 1901 so that it could be displayed in San Francisco. Use Grieg-French-Bell Trail for a... Read more.

Oso Flaco Lake Trail in Oceano Dunes SVRA offers a hike with easy-going appeal. The nearly level trail takes a boardwalk over a 75-acre birdlife-boasting lake and across sand dunes to a tucked-away beach and a viewpoint overlooking the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. These are the largest dunes on the coast of Southern California, but Oso Flaco Lake Trail is a short hike at just 2-miles round trip.... Read more.

At the west end of Malibu where Mulholland Highway meets PCH, you'll find Leo Carrillo State Park. Well known for its beaches and surfing, this park has offerings for hikers too, like the trek up Nicholas Flat Trail to an oak-wrapped grassland with a small pond, which is 7 miles round trip or more. For a shorter hike, combine the bottom of Nicholas Flat Trail with Willow Creek Trail, for a... Read more.

Nicholas Flat Trail is a three-mile long 'ocean to mountains' trail beginning within Leo Carrillo State Park, just across PCH from a famous beach at the west end of Malibu. The single-track trail travels up a coastal ridge past two vista points (and lots of other ocean views) to reach Nicholas Flat, where grassy meadows are rimmed by oak trees. A small network of trails offer different... Read more.

While it is one of the more inland hikes in Morro Bay State Park, the loop formed by connecting Chumash Trail, Crespi Trail, and Hutash Trail delivers ample coastal views as it leads to a lovely grove of coast live oaks. This lollipop loop covers 2.9 miles with 420 feet of elevation change. Hutash Trail can be trimmed from the circuit to lower the round trip distance to 2.55 miles and... Read more.