Living in Southern California means that there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy with beaches and mountains nearby. This post is about hiking in Southern California. You can find information on hiking and hiking trails on this website http://ocparks.com/parks and http://www.hikespeak.com/los-angeles/. Among many of the trails, I would like to highlight three that I’ve enjoyed.
Chino Hills State Park
This park consists of a number of easy trails with very large open-spaces and beautiful scenery. The trails are well-maintained, making it easier to enjoy nature. I usually go on the South Ridge Trail which is on the western part of the state park. There are no tall trees along the path, so if you’re hiking in the daytime without any sunscreen, you’ll get a serious tan. Mountain bikers also have access to the trail.
Tree of Life Trail and Cahuenga Peak
Although this is a relatively short trail with only 3-miles, it is moderately difficult because the trail is a constant uphill and consists of a few rugged paths until you reach the peak. Along the way, you will see Lake Hollywood and view of downtown Los Angeles. On you reach the peak, you will find a tree called the Wisdom Tree and a breathtaking view of Los Angeles. I went in the afternoon and by the time I reached the top, the sun was setting, allowing me to see Los Angeles all lit up with glittering lights.
East Fork of the San Gabriel River
This is a difficult 10-mile hike. I like this one because you reach a beautiful bridge named, “The Bridge to Nowhere” built in the 1930’s. People do bungee jumps from this bridge, and I actually did the hike to go bungee jumping. If you’re interesting in bungee jumping, this might be a good option http://www.bungeeamerica.com/bungee/ because you get a good workout from the hike and meet new people along the way.
If you like hiking, there are various meetup groups that plan organized hiking trips to nearby spots.