Castle Rock Trail is a popular 2-mile out-and-back hike located in Big Bear, California. This short trail gains 610 ft and provides hikers with a bird’s eye view of Big Bear Lake. The path up to Castle Rock is steep, rocky, and technical towards the end, so make sure to come prepared.
Buzzard Peak is the highest point in the San Jose Hills, a small range that parallels the 10 freeway and separates the cities of Covina, Walnut, and Diamond Bar. At 1345 ft, Buzzard Peak provides commanding 360° views of Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and the San Gabriel Mountains.
Stoddard Peak sits at 4624ft in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains. This peak is sandwiched between the low lying foothills of Upland and Claremont in the front, and the high rising mountains of Mt. Baldy in the back. Stoddard Peak’s location provides hikers with some spectacular 360 degree views of the surrounding landscapes. This hike is 6-miles roundtrip, with 1204 ft of elevation gain, and a trail mix of fire road and cross country single track.
Eagle Scout Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back hike with 1043ft of elevation gain. Located between the 57 and 71 freeway, many Southern California residents have probably driven past this hike without even knowing it exists. As soon as you start to gain elevation from the trailhead, you’ll have views of Cal Poly Pomona, Diamond Bar, and the rest of the Inland Empire to the east.
Blue Ridge Campground is a cluster or 8 first come – first served sites near Wrightwood, CA. Situated at 8,000 ft, Blue Ridge Campground is intersected by the Pacific Crest Trail and is the end location of the Blue Ridge Trail hike. The 8 sites offer limited facilities with no piped water. The campground does have vault toilets, fire rings, and tables.
Channel Islands National Park is made up of five islands just off of the California Coast. In this guide, I’ll provide all of the information you need to explore Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in Channel Islands National Park.
The 1808ft summit of El Montañon is the highest point on the east side of Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. The hike to El Montañon Peak starts out at Scorpion Ranch and gains more than 2,000ft of elevation over 4 miles to the summit. In this guide for El Montañon, I’ll provide gpx files, maps, photos, and a hike description.
If you’re a hiker visiting Santa Cruz Island, this hike to Smuggler’s Cove has to be on your itinerary. This 8.2 mile hike gains a modest 1500ft of elevation gain, but provides some incredible ocean views in the process. Most hikers reach Smuggler’s Cove via an out-and-back route on Smuggler’s Rd, but in this guide I’ll provide directions for a more scenic loop route through Scorpion Canyon.
This loop hike from Scorpion Bay to Cavern Point takes place on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of eight islands making up Channel Islands National Park. Santa Cruz is also the largest island in California at 96.5 square miles. Starting at the Scorpion Anchorage Visitor Center, hikers will scale an ocean bluff with majestic views of the California mainland. From there, the trail follows the coastline before returning to Scorpion Anchorage via the Scorpion Ranch Campground.
The Mojave Lava Tube Trail sits 25 miles from the city of Baker amidst a landscape of cinder cones, joshua trees, and lava beds. This short hike only covers half of a mile round-trip, but the views and experience it provides makes it one of my favorites. In this guide, I’ll provide maps, photos, and a step-by-step guide for those of you looking to explore this lava tube in Mojave National Preserve.