The 3.4 mile hike to Teutonia Peak passes through an area with the most dense concentration of Joshua Trees anywhere in the world. This 700 ft climb to the 5,755ft Teutonia Peak also provides hikers with breathtaking views of Kessler Peak and Cima Dome. If the scenic views, Joshua Trees, and volcanic domes don’t pique your interest, you can also take a side trail on this hike to explore the old Teutonia Mine.
Fossil Falls is a basaltic lava flow located just off of Highway 395. In this guide, I’ll provide all of the information you need to find Fossil Falls, hike out to the dry fall area, and find a place to camp if you’re looking to make this an overnighter.
The Cameron Ridge Segment of the Pacific Crest Trail is a 6.5 mile stretch of trail that starts on Cameron Rd and ends on Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd between the cities of Mojave and Tehachapi. This trail takes hikers right up to the wind turbines of the Alta Wind Energy Center. Hiking this trail in late spring will allow you to rub shoulders with PCT thru-hikers making their way from Mexico to Canada.
The Red Cliffs Nature Trail is a short 0.8-mile loop hike located in California’s Red Rock Canyon State Park. This hike gains a modest 118ft of elevation, while passing by the iconic sedimentary red rocks that Red Rock Canyon State Park is known for.
The hike to Big Pine Lakes via the North Fork Trail is a great way to see the beauty on display in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Starting at the Big Pine Creek Campground, this trail passes by Mt. Alice, before entering the John Muir Trail Wilderness of Inyo National Forest. There are 7 Big Pine Lakes numbered sequentially. For this hike, we only visited the first three, as snow and ice were blocking the trail for lakes 4-7. The first three lakes are known to be the most scenic, as they sit with the majestic Temple Crag in the background.
Mono Lake is a large and shallow salt water lake just east of Yosemite National Park on HWY 395. Mono Lake is best known for it’s sweeping views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and it’s iconic tufas. One of the best places to see tufas along the shores of Mono Lake, is on the South Tufa Trail.
Mt. Baden Powell is a 9,407ft peak that can be accessed via an 8 mile roundtrip hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. The mountain is named after Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the World Scouting Movement (Boy Scouts). Mt Baden Powell is one of the largest peaks in the San Gabriel Range, and is the highest peak outside of the Mt. San Antonio massif.
Mount Lukens is the highest peak within the city limits of Los Angeles and the westernmost peak in the San Gabriel Mountain Range. Standing tall above the Crescenta Valley, Mount Lukens provides spectacular views of Greater Los Angeles Area, Tujunga Canyon, the San Fernando Valley, and the Verdugo Mountains.