clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

5 Ways to Enjoy the Great Outdoors in LA

Just in time for National Trails Day

Saturday is National Trails Day, which is probably a made-up thing, but who cares because it's an excuse to get outside. Sure, this year's outdoorsy day is going to be a hot one, but freeze some water bottles and remember to reapply that sunblock and it might not be so bad.

Los Angeles has so many options when it comes to hiking, but to narrow it down a bit, we've put together a short list of ideas.

↑ Check out a few miles of the newly unified, 67-mile Backbone Trail in Malibu. It's one of the longest continuous trails in Southern California, and it's opening up tomorrow.

↑ Enjoy one of the many trails near a stop on the Metro Gold Line extension to Azusa. If you hit Fish Canyon Falls on Saturday, there's a free shuttle between the Duarte rail stop and the trailhead this month.

↑ Some people need a little convincing to hike, and for those folks, there are at least eight great hikes in the LA area that have awesome endings, like great views or fantastic ruins (or both).

↑ Runyon Canyon is closed until at least July, so the chances of seeing recognizably famous people and less famous dog walkers on the rest of these celeb-favored trails has probably increased by a lot.

↑ Pick a place at random from a hefty database of LA County trails. An detailed map allows users to peruse trails at random, see actual photos of what the terrain looks like (or how much shade there is), and access a wealth of information about hiking spots across the county.