CA · Pacific Southwest
5 forest guides within driving distance
Planning a trip near Los Angeles? Our curated guide has the top picks.
Read the guide →
Complete guide to Angeles National Forest in Southern California. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, permits, mountain peaks, and trip planning resources for LA's backyard wilderness.
13 min read
Complete guide to San Bernardino National Forest in California. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, permits, seasonal tips, and everything you need to plan your trip.
10 min read
Cleveland National Forest spans 460,000 acres of chaparral-covered mountains in San Diego and Riverside counties, offering trail access to four wilderness areas and some of Southern California's most accessible backcountry hiking.
6 min read
Sequoia National Forest protects 1.2 million acres of southern Sierra Nevada terrain, from the giant sequoia groves of the Tule River watershed to the remote high-country meadows of the Golden Trout Wilderness.
8 min read
Complete guide to Los Padres National Forest in California. Condor country, Big Sur coastal mountains, Ventana Wilderness, chaparral backcountry, and trail planning for Santa Barbara and Monterey.
10 min read
Guide to the Eaton Canyon Falls trail near Pasadena, California. An easy 3.4-mile hike to a 40-foot waterfall just minutes from the LA metro area.
6 min read
Guide to the Trail Canyon Falls hike in Angeles National Forest, California. A 4-mile out-and-back to a 30-foot waterfall in a lush canyon above Tujunga.
5 min read
Guide to Sturtevant Falls in Angeles National Forest. A 3.6-mile out-and-back from Chantry Flat drops into Big Santa Anita Canyon, passing historic backcountry cabins to a 50-foot waterfall.
5 min read
A 5.5-mile out-and-back to the 5,558-foot summit of Josephine Peak in Angeles National Forest, California, with sweeping views of the San Fernando Valley and surrounding San Gabriel peaks.
6 min read
Guide to San Gabriel Peak in Angeles National Forest. A 6.2-mile out-and-back from Red Box Junction climbs to the highest point in the front range of the San Gabriels with panoramic views of Los Angeles.
6 min read
A 2.6-mile loop around Crystal Lake in Angeles National Forest, California, the only natural lake in the San Gabriel Mountains, at 5,800 feet with views through a ponderosa pine forest.
6 min read
Guide to the Bridge to Nowhere trail in Angeles National Forest, California. A 10-mile out-and-back along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River to an abandoned 1930s bridge.
6 min read
Guide to Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A 12-mile round trip with 4,300 feet of gain to an 8,862-foot summit with expansive views across the Inland Empire.
7 min read
Guide to summiting Mount San Antonio (Mt. Baldy) via the Devil's Backbone in Angeles National Forest, California. The highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains at 10,069 feet.
7 min read
Guide to the Sespe Creek Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A 10-mile out-and-back through the Sespe Wilderness following a creek corridor that is California condor critical habitat.
5 min read
Guide to the Deep Creek Hot Springs Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A 3.7-mile round trip descent into a remote canyon where natural geothermal springs pool along the Pacific Crest Trail.
6 min read
Guide to the Mount Pinos Summit Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A 5-mile out-and-back to the highest point in Los Padres at 8,831 feet, with condor views and Chumash cultural significance.
4 min read
Guide to the Cougar Crest Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A 4.8-mile out-and-back with 720 feet of gain offering panoramic views of Big Bear Lake and a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.
6 min read
Guide to the Reyes Peak Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A 6-mile out-and-back through ponderosa pine to a 7,510-foot summit with views of the Sespe Wilderness and Channel Islands.
4 min read
Guide to the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A short 1.4-mile round trip interpretive walk to the largest recorded lodgepole pine in California, near Big Bear Lake.
6 min read
Guide to the Vivian Creek Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. The most direct route to the 11,503-foot summit of San Gorgonio Mountain, Southern California's highest peak, at 17.3 miles round trip with 5,840 feet of gain.
7 min read
Guide to the Pine Mountain Loop via Reyes Peak in Los Padres National Forest, California. An 8-mile loop through ponderosa pine forest to a 7,510-foot summit with condor sightings and Sespe Wilderness views.
5 min read
Guide to the Castle Rock Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A short 2.8-mile round trip with 570 feet of gain to a granite outcrop with panoramic views over Big Bear Lake.
6 min read
Guide to the Dollar Lake Trail via South Fork in San Bernardino National Forest, California. An 11.4-mile round trip into the San Gorgonio Wilderness to an alpine lake at 9,300 feet, ideal for overnight backpacking.
7 min read
Guide to San Gorgonio Mountain via the South Fork Trail in San Bernardino National Forest, California. A 19.1-mile round trip with 4,708 feet of gain to the 11,503-foot summit, the longest approach to Southern California's highest peak.
7 min read
Guide to the Santa Cruz Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. An 8-mile out-and-back through the Santa Ynez River canyon near Santa Barbara with winter waterfalls and Gibraltar Reservoir views.
4 min read
Guide to the Manzana Creek Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A 12-mile out-and-back into the San Rafael Wilderness following a creek corridor with swimming holes, condors, and remote backcountry.
5 min read
The Agua Caliente Creek Trail follows a year-round stream through a chaparral canyon in Cleveland National Forest near Warner Springs, offering 6 miles of gentle creek walking with spring wildflowers and swimming access.
4 min read
El Capitan Peak is a 5.8-mile out-and-back in Cleveland National Forest's Cuyamaca Mountains, climbing through chaparral and oak woodland to a 4,006-foot summit overlooking El Capitan Reservoir and the San Diego backcountry.
3 min read