hikespeak

If the hike at your own risk sign at the start of Sydney Trail doesn't intimidate you, maybe the 1,275-foot climb over 1.4 miles (one-way) will. This is a steep hike up a rocky road. The destination is a stone seating area at the top of Murray Hill (also known as Unnamed Hill), a 1,715-foot summit in the Santa Lucia Foothills with panoramic views over San Luis Obispo, more commonly reached from the north via Reservoir Canyon Trail. ...Read more.

Located in the southeast corner of Griffith Park, Beacon Hill is the easternmost summit in the Santa Monica Mountain Range. The 1,001-foot hill towers over the Los Angeles River and provides panoramic views from Burbank to Santa Monica Bay. On a clear day, Beacon Hill issues a stunning panorama. The summit can be reached via a 2.75-mile out and back hike, or a 3. ...Read more.

If someone wrote a book about hiking Smith Mountain, it would be called A Tale of Two Trails. It was the most gradual of times, it was the steepest of climbs... This classic hike in the San Gabriel Mountains begins with three miles of single track that easily gain a thousand feet to Smith Saddle. What follows is an 800-foot scramble to the summit in less than half a mile. ...Read more.

Inferno Cone Trail is a short but steep path up the cinder cone at the center of the scenic loop drive in Crater of the Moon National Monument. This 6,181-foot summit provides a panoramic view of the surrounding volcanic landscape. Inferno Cone Trail is just half a mile round trip with 160 feet of elevation gain. The killer overview of Craters of the Moon is well worth the effort. ...Read more.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook provides a grand view over LA from a steep hill south of Culver City. The unique perspective looks north over the Los Angeles Basin that extends from Santa Monica Bay to the west, across the Hollywood Hills toward downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains to the east. At Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park you don't choose between taking the elevator and taking the stairs. ...Read more.

Mount Fremont houses the nearest fire lookout tower to Mount Rainier. On a clear day, the lookout promises some of the park's best views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding Cascade Mountains. The 6-mile round trip hike from the Sunrise Lodge and Visitor Center to Mount Fremont Lookout is exceptionally scenic and fulfilling, with 800 feet of elevation gain. ...Read more.

From a less heralded summit in the Santa Lucia Foothills northeast of San Luis Obispo, you will find triumphant views of the peaks and valleys surrounding this gem on the Central Coast. The hike from Reservoir Canyon to this 1,715-foot crown is not for the meek. The 5.35-mile round trip hike ascends 1,350 feet, and over 800 of those feet come in the final grueling mile. ...Read more.

It might be half a dome, but it's a full day's hike - 16 miles round trip from Yosemite Valley with 4,800 feet of elevation gain. Is Yosemite's much heralded bucket-list hike worth all the hoopla? You bet it is. Half Dome is an iconic element of the Yosemite landscape and the trail to its summit is a one of a kind. The hike up Half Dome is a major challenge (and a major reward). ...Read more.

Located just west of downtown San Luis Obispo, the 1,292-foot Cerro San Luis (or San Luis Mountain) offers sweeping views over the city and surroundings. Cerro San Luis is a member of the Morros, or Nine Sisters, a chain of prominent volcanic peaks stretching east from Morro Bay. These beautiful peaks set the postcard-like backdrop for San Luis Obispo and are excellent places to hike. ...Read more.

With its unique craggy surface and panoramic views, Eagle Rock is one of the most exciting hiking destinations in Topanga State Park. There are several ways to get to the 1,957-foot summit. For hikers leaving from the park's main trailhead at Trippet Ranch, Musch Trail is an excellent route. The narrow trail is half a mile longer than the more traveled Eagle Springs Fire Road, and is off limits to bikers as it cuts through sagebrush terrain. ...Read more.