Hiking down South in California

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California has a lot to offer in the way of beaches, entertainment and such. Many people fail to realize there are tremendous hiking opportunities, particularly in the south.

Hiking Down South In California

When discussing hiking in California, it is important to get a caveat out of the way. You can go hiking on any of the beaches and walk for days. It is a good time since you can people watch and there are also plenty of places to stop for food and grog. That being said, I am not going to include beaches in this list of hiking trails. If you want to hike them, you already know where they are.

The trails in Torrey Pines State Reserve make for good day hikes. Although very close to the ocean, they are located about 300 feet up on a bluff overlooking the north end of La Jolla. This is one of the only places in the world where the Torrey Pine grows, thus the name. There are three loop trails known by the names Parry Grove Trail, Guy Fleming Trail and Broken Hill Trail. They total about a mile and a half, which isnt particularly long. That being said, you will be stopping all the time to take in the views and a mass of birds. To get to the entrance of the park, just take the only exit on Highway 101 between Del Mar and La Jolla.

The Cuyamaca Mountains offer some of the best trails in California. A personal favorite is the Oakzanita Peak Trail. It doesnt look like much from the base, but it blossoms as you go through the Oak Trees and Manzanitas until you hit the peak with amazing views. The trail is 8.2 miles round trip and takes about four hours if it is cool. If it is hot, add another hour for breaks. Total elevation gain is about 1,200 feet. To get there, you need to get on highway 79 and find mile marker 3.7. There is a turnout where you can park. The trail head is at the turnout.

Joshua Tree National Park is the legendary location of some of the best trails in California. Eureka Peak is a popular trail since it summits at one of the best spots to take in the park. The trail is great because the first few miles run through a Joshua tree forest before you start heading up 1,500 feet to the peak. The total length there and back is about 10 miles and the trip takes 5 hours in total. The trail is easy to find. Just go to the Black Rock Canyon Campground and ask for directions. The trail starts in the campground.

If you know where to look, you can work out those boots pretty easily in California. This is only a sampling of the possibilities, so get out there and explore.

Hiking down South in California

Breaking in Your Hiking Boots in San Diego

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Having grown up in San Diego, I am amazed at how packed and hectic it has become. Hiking for few hours gives you a chance to enjoy the area without the rat race element.

Breaking In Your Hiking Boots In San Diego

It is Friday afternoon and you are sitting in rush hour traffic on I-5 going north, I-8 going east or one of the other lovely commutes. You have time on your hands, so you start day dreaming. You start wondering if it was always this busy in San Diego? Perhaps it is even time to think of relocating? Easy my friend, a few hours in your hiking boots will renew your faith in our politically corrupt, expensive slice of paradise.

The first of the treks worth your time is the beach hike. It is relaxing, easy and will remind you why it is great to live in San Diego. You can start and stop just about anywhere. A personal favorite is to head north starting at the beach in front of restaurant row in Cardiff. Depending on how far you want to go, you can just cruise up past Swamis through Encinitas and up into relaxing Leucadia. The really great thing is you can just pop up off the beach and take in lunch on a patio whenever you feel like it.

If you are looking more for a hikers hike, there are plenty to fit the bill. A trip up the San Diego River, particularly in spring, is candy for the eyes. No, I am not talking about the section of the river down in the city. Instead, we are looking at the area out by Ramona. This is a 10 mile hike that takes 10 hours or so. It begins at the Inaja Picnic Area or Ramona Oaks Road on the other end. The hike is 10 miles one way, so you either need to have two cars or turn around at some point. Regardless, you will see waterfalls, hike through canyons, groves of oaks, granite grottos and do some boulder hopping. You will have to exert yourself on this trail, so be warned.

To the east of Poway is one of the more popular hikes in San Diego – Mount Woodson Trail. There is a short version that goes up the mountain, but I am talking about the 4.5 mile version that goes beyond it. Regardless, the hike is picturesque, close to much of north country and a favorite of hikers that like to do a little rock climbing given the boulders on the mountain. The best place to start is at the southwest edge of parking and picnic area at Lake Poway. There is a trail head that will take you to a junction just beyond Warren Canyon. The trail starts here and is marked with a sign. If you cant find it, just ask as it is very well known. It can get brutally hot in the summer, so make sure you have water.

San Diego is a great place to live even thought it is crowded and expensive. Take a few hours to explore the beauty and you will be ready to handle the rush hour on Monday morning.

Breaking in Your Hiking Boots in San Diego

Travel - Hiking Vacations

There are a great many beautiful and exotic locations on this planet that are best visited using the most ancient of all methods of transportation your own two feet. You cannot experience the sounds of a rippling stream in an otherwise silent canyon or know what the rustle of fall leaves really sound like without the background noises of civilization.

It is truly mentally and emotionally healing to stand still and look at the world as our ancestors must have seen it pure and unspoiled. It is exhilarating to deeply inhale air that is scented by pine and honeysuckle (that didn’t originate in a spray can) rather than by exhaust fumes. There are sights and sounds and smells that cannot be experienced while traveling down a freeway at 70 miles per hour or flying high above the land in a jetliner.

You can get a lot of good walking exercise by visiting Disneyland, but you won’t get the spiritual healing that you can get by walking in the remote wilderness. Can you imagine silence? Probably not if you live in our modern, busy, and noisy world.

You can find hiking vacations in just about every state in the Union and in every nation on earth that isn’t at war. You can see and experience the world as it once was. You can visit a remote, water-filled oasis hidden in a Utah slick rock canyon, or a Native American village tucked into a far corner of the Grand Canyon.

You can find a hiking travel package that will fill your needs and coincide with your level of fitness. There are hiking tours that are relaxing and easy walks along the shores of a lake, exhilarating treks through the mountains, and everything in between.

Travel - Hiking Vacations