Old Wide Awake is an old plantation site and adjacent park about 30 minutes outside of Charleston. The plantation house is a popular venue for wedding receptions, and the park, with its moss-draped live oaks, is a popular setting for the ceremonies. In addition, there is a tiny network of trails that allows for an …
San Onofre State Beach
The name "San Onofre" is usually synonymous with a pair of suggestively-shaped nuclear reactors. However, this area also features miles of pristine coastline that, due to Camp Pendleton and the reactors, has been left undeveloped. This beach represents one of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline in the Los Angeles/Orange/San Diego County region.Distance: 6.1 MilesElevation Gained: …
Dry Lakes Ridge
Tucked away high atop a ridge in Los Padres National Forest north of Ojai lie five "dry lakes." These "lakes" are actually meadows, even though they look like they could hold water, given enough precipitation. This unusual, perhaps unique environment is as tranquil and beautiful as it is surprising.Distance: 5 MilesElevation Gained: 1,600Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: …
Agua Dulce Loop – Laguna Mountains
The Agua Dulce Loop is a 6+ mile loop taking in some of the finest forest in the Laguna Mountains, as well as the southern end of Laguna Meadow. This particular loop takes you along Agua Dulce Creek, which provides enough moisture to support a thriving mixed-conifer and oak forest, while providing countless places to …
Guatay Mountain
Guatay Mountain is a moderate-height peak that lies just south of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The park features the usual views, but the noteworthy aspect of this mountain is that it is home to the Tecate Cypress, which grows in a handful of locales in Orange and San Diego Counties.Distance: 5.7Elevation Gained: 1,600'Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: …
January Summary
During the month of January, I hiked 91.1 miles, gaining approximately 14,650 feet of elevation. I spent a total of 39 hours and 40 minutes on the trails, during which time I burned approximately 13,440 calories (and lost five pounds). It was a good start to 2013, especially given how busy I've been all month …
Spitler and Apache Peaks
Spitler and Apache Peaks are two prominent bumps standing at 7,500' on the Desert Divide, which includes the southern portion of the San Jacinto Mountain range. This portion of the range gets its name from the fact that it separates two distinct desert environments contained in the Coachella Valley and the Anza Valley.Distance: 13.1 milesElevation …
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park: Oakzanita Peak, Granite Springs, East Mesa, Dyar Springs
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park comprises one of the largest public parks in Southern California. It features mountains topping out at 6,500', rolling meadows, shady canyons, rare cypresses, and a plethora of wildlife. There is a vast network of trails that can create easy hikes, masochistic hikes, and everything inbetween.Distance: 12 MilesElevation Gained: 1,600'Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: …
Sitton Peak
This relatively modest peak in the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains features great views of the ocean, and, when it's clear, the San Bernadino Mountains, Palomar Mountains, Los Angeles and Orange County Basins, and Catalina Island.Distance: 9.5 MilesElevation Gained: 2,150'Difficulty: Moderately StrenuousTime: 3:45Critters: Squirrels, birds, hawksGet there like this. The Santa Ana Mountains are …
Giant Forest Snowshoeing
Giant Forest is the heart of arguably the best Sequoia grove within what is one of the greatest forests of North America. The mixed-conifer forests in the middle elevations of the Sierras feature some of the largest and most beautiful trees in the country, and this more apparent here than anywhere else. Drop several feet …
scott turner hikes 