Monthly Archives: September 2020

Psst: PLEASE don’t travel until it’s safe! Stay close to home, social distance, and wear a mask to keep yourself and others safe. Also: this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no cost to you.

Barking sea lions. Salty air. Waves crashing on critter-filled tidepools. Rolling hills dusted with bright orange poppies and intersected with redwood-filled valleys. Driving Pacific Coast Highway is the most beautiful road trip in the entire world. Sure, as a born-and-raised Californian I’m definitely biased, but also – it’s true. 

Our favorite way to spend a weekend is to hop into a car and head down the Pacific Coast Highway, sea breeze whipping Lia’s hair into my mouth somehow, cheap sunglasses glinting in the sun, singing along to our Driving in California Playlist, and stopping every few minutes to take in the view. It’s one of the best parts of living here, and as Lia likes to say, we fell in love on long drives down Highway One.

Today, we’ve poured that love into creating the ideal 10-day California Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary, full of the best stops along Highway One.

Our itinerary covers all of our favorite Californian things: sunny beaches and foggy coastline, swaying palm trees and towering redwoods, playful otters and flomping elephant seals, fresh oysters and vintage wines – there’s even a clothing-optional hot spring, if you’re up for it.

We’re so excited to share all the things we love about this amazing journey through this incredible state. Let’s get started!

We’ve got a whole bunch more resources to help you plan your California road trip. Take a look at the posts below, or click here to see all of our California travel guides.

Psst: We’ve created a free, printable version of this Highway One itinerary! During some sections of the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll find yourself GPS-free with no cell service. Be sure to download the itinerary to make sure you don’t miss your exit.

We also have a Highway One podcast episode! A humanist cult, a Danish hideaway, a gravitational anomaly, towering trees, a spoiled rich kid’s castle, clothing-optional hot springs, and the cutest (and weirdest) animals imaginable: in this episode, we cover everything you need to plan your trip up the California Coast – and all the weird history you never knew along the way.

Listen below or just click here! Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss new episodes.

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip FAQ’s

We get a lot of questions about driving the California Coast, so we’ve done our best to answer the most frequently asked ones below! If you have a question about something that isn’t mentioned here, drop us a comment.

Should you drive the Pacific Coast Highway road trip north to south or south to north?

We recommend driving south to north. In our PCH itinerary, you’ll start in Los Angeles and end by taking a short detour to drive through the Avenue of the Giants.

You’ll end up in the far north of California, and we’ve included details on getting back to civilization from there.

Why do we recommend doing it this way? Honestly, it’s because the Pacific Coast Highway is at its least beautiful and exciting in Los Angeles. It’s just like, a regular road, with strip malls and fast-food joints. We recommend speeding through this part of the trip as quickly as possible.

What is the best time of year to drive the Pacific Coast Highway?

The best time of the year to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is in mid-to-late February through April. California’s rainy season typically ends in early February, turning its golden hills bright green and covering the coast with colorful wildflowers which last through April and into early May.

This time of the year also overlaps with elephant seal pupping season – yes, you’ll be seeing elephant seals during your trip – as well as whale migration season, so keep an eye out for migrating gray whales, humpback whales blowing plumes of water out at sea while you drive!

Plus, this is also the time of year where you might be able to catch a “superbloom,” a phenomenon that only happens after a particularly rainy winter. It’s also the best time of the year for gushing waterfalls and running creeks!

If you do decide to drive the California Coast during the summer, the hills will be turning golden again, but your drive will still be pleasant.

But in fall, when everything is covered in dry brush and extremely flammable, you’ll want to be wary of wildfire season (and extra-careful if you’re camping). During the winter, you can expect rain and heavy fog to make your drive more difficult – and be wary of landslides, which often block off sections of the Pacific Coast Highway.

Can you do this Pacific Coast Highway Itinerary from San Francisco or Los Angeles?

One of the most beautiful stretches of Highway One is between Los Angeles and San Francisco, including Big Sur and the Central Coast! You can absolutely focus your trip just in this area and do a shortened San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip, but you’ll be missing out on some beautiful coastline north of San Francisco.

That said, it takes a LOT less time to drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles on Highway One – it’s even doable as a weekend trip if you return home on the 5. We do it quite frequently!

In our Pacific Coast Highway itinerary, you’ll be beginning your trip in Los Angeles, driving through San Francisco, and continuing all the way up north to Eureka on the northern border of California.

Ending your road trip in Los Angeles would leave you with a less-than-ideal image of Highway One, whereas ending your road trip up north in a stretch of some of the oldest trees in the world is a much more satisfying and soul-fulfilling end to your journey!

Where does the Pacific Coast Highway start and end?

Highway One runs from southern California, at Dana Point in Orange County, all the way up the California coast to Mendocino county. Its southern terminus intersects with Highway 5 and its northern terminus merges into Highway 101.

In this PCH road trip itinerary, you’ll be starting in Los Angeles – a bit north of the southern point of Highway One – and continuing along the 101 a bit after the 1 ends.

If you feel the need to drive the ENTIRE Pacific Coast Highway, feel free to tack on those extra hours on your first day and start your trip in San Diego instead of Los Angeles – but be wary of traffic through Los Angeles. We personally prefer to skip the bottom bit through LA because it’s not very scenic.

Things to Know Before Driving the California Coast

There are a few things you should now about Highway One that aren’t frequently asked about – we’ve included a few helpful tips below!

• California State Route One has a lot of nicknames. You might know it as the Pacific Coast Highway, the PCH, Highway One, The One, the Cabrillo Highway, the Shoreline Highway, the Redwood Highway, and so on. One thing it’s never called is the 101, because that is a completely different highway which just so happens to overlap the 1 several times.
• Driving times on Google Maps are typically accurate. However, you are going to stop WAY more than you think, so you’ll want to add plenty of extra time. We’ve done our best to take this itinerary as slow as possible to accommodate!
• Watch your gas gauge! There are stretches of hours before coming across gas, and the isolated ones are understandably expensive. When it doubt, fill ‘er up!
• This is also the case with bathrooms, so be careful with those Big Gulps.
• We will recommend great places to eat or snack. Don’t feel like you have to loot a convenience store unless you get particularly munchy on the road (but also, same).
• Leave no trace! This is more than just “don’t litter.” The majority of the coastline is made up of fragile ecosystems. Do your part to stop erosion and damage by not going somewhere dangerous for a picture, staying on trails, watching your kids and pets, not going somewhere dangerous for a picture, not touching animals, AND NOT GOING SOMEWHERE DANGEROUS FOR A PICTURE!
• California is colder than you think. Several stretches of the coast get very cold, with crazy wind and a lot of fog. But just to make things more confusing, there are also odd patches of hot weather. See our what to pack section below for tips on how to prepare!

What to Pack for Your California Coast Road Trip

Here are a few tips to help you pack for your Pacific Coast Highway road trip!

• Bathing suits. Yes, this is California; of course you are going to get into the water at some point. But something to note is the water is FREEZING! That might seem strange to people unfamiliar with California beaches but prepare yourselves. The beaches may be warm (except in San Francisco – Ocean Beach is like the Arctic), but the water is always near an icy 50 degrees.
• Rain Jacket. The further north you go, the deeper you get into redwoods and fog. The state overall is fairly dry outside of. winter, but the fog can get really heavy and wet. This is our favorite packable rain jacket.
• Light AND heavy jackets. Californians are experts at layering; it’s not rare to need a short sleeve, sweater, and down jacket all within a matter of hours. We love these packable down jackets for chilly nights and windy days.
• Loungewear. On our itinerary, you’re going to be in the car for a total of about 25 hours. You need some comfy clothes! Don’t get too worried though; it’s only a few hours at a time. I typically opt for my warm Merino Shifters and Lia loves her Outdoor Voices Cloudknit Sweatpants.
• Hiking clothes. We’re talking about a few jaunts…you don’t need the heavy-duty stuff. Just make sure you have sturdy pants (like this) and shoes that can handle hikes or any outdoor activity (such as these). 
• Portable charger. You’re going to be snapping pictures and running GPS. Even if your car has a charger, we recommend grabbing an Anker charger. It supercharges your phone AND holds a charge for days on end. We swear by it! Like to the point where Lia refuses to use her actual phone charger at home and grabs the Anker. And then I have to recharge the portable all the friggin time and then it’s like “God Lia why don’t you just use your charger” and she’s like “No I like this one better” and I’m like “that doesn’t make sense, how can a portable be better than the manufacturer’s charger” and she’s like “I don’t know Jeremy, what am I Steve Jobs” and I’m like “What does that even mean, you don’t have an iPhone!” Marriage is fun.
• Camera. If your phone has an adequate camera, great! If not, you’re going to want to bring a camera to capture some of the views and sights you’ll see. Make sure you’ve got a decent zoom range because there are going to be wide vistas and hard to see wildlife! We recommend a GoPro to capture those sweeping views. You can even mount it on your dashboard and take a timelapse of your drive!

The Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary

Before we dive into the details of our Pacific Coast Highway 10-day itinerary, we have a few more things to note.

First, while this is designed to cover ten days from the flight into Los Angeles all the way to the flight out, there are opportunities to tack on days if you have extra time – and we have a few suggestions on where to spend that extra time.

Second, most days you’ll only be driving for a few hours, but a few days of the itinerary are driving heavy. If you’re anything like me, you will stress to get to the next destination. Remember to chill and take in the good vibes. I say this while waving a shaka.

Lastly, there are a few ways to end the trip. You’ll either take a shortcut back to LAX, or you’ll return your rental car at a different airport (and incur a one-way fee). It’s your call! More details are at the end of the itinerary.

So with that, let’s jump in!

Day 1: Los Angeles

• Today, you’ll be exploring Los Angeles, staying on the beach in South Bay, and soaking up the sun.
• Drive time: None (except within LA)

Today is your chance to enjoy Los Angeles! LA is absolutely enormous – it’s like a mega-city composed of hundreds of smaller towns. It takes hours to drive from one side of the city to another, and the entire time you’ll be sitting in traffic and hating your life.

For that reason, we recommend picking one section of the city to explore and staying within that area. 

Chances are you’re probably flying into LAX, but if you landed further east in Burbank or another smaller airport, you’ve got a little bit more driving to do today to get yourself to the coast.

Our favorite part of Los Angeles is in South Bay, which encompasses the scenic coastal townships of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach and is connected by a walking/bike path running along the beach called The Strand. It’s absolutely lovely, very LA, and the perfect place to base yourself during your brief time in Los Angeles. 

• Highway One Travel Trip: If you have extra days in your schedule, Los Angeles would be a good spot to add on to. With extra time, you can head closer to downtown and check out some of the city’s best museums, like The Getty or the LACMA. 

To help you explore The Strand, we’ve created the perfect Beer and Bike Tour, which combines a trip to several of the breweries lining the beach with sight-seeing by bike! You can also swim or surf at the beach, or just relax on the sand.

Top off a day in the sun with a celebratory dinner at our favorite sea-to-table restaurant in the area, Hook and Plow in charming Hermosa Beach.

For accommodation, our favorite AirBNB is located right by the Hermosa Beach pier, walking distance from everything in town!

Day 1 Summary

Day 2: Santa Barbara and Solvang

• Today, you’ll be driving from Los Angeles up to Solvang, with a stop in sunny Santa Barbara. 
• Drive Time: About 3.5 Hours

The majority of this California road trip will take place on Highway 1, AKA the Pacific Coast Highway, AKA the PCH, AKA Cabrillo Highway, AKA Shoreline Highway, AKA The Prettiest Highway in the World. But all of those are just ways to say “The 1.” 

Yes, I am from California so I say “The” before every highway. 

But something you might not realize about The 1 is that within Los Angeles, it is literally just a busy city street. It’s nowhere near as exciting as it will be soon, and it’s not a particularly interesting or pretty street.

So, for that reason, the first step of the day today is to make your way to Santa Monica – and we DON’T recommend taking the Pacific Coast Highway to get there.

Once you’re in Santa Monica, look for the Santa Monica Pier – it’s the best GPS marker, as The 1 crosses in front of it. NOW you can officially begin your Pacific Coast Highway road trip! (Unless you make a pit stop.)

Now that you are officially on Highway One, head north. The 1 will drift slowly around the coastline leading to Malibu, where the Hollywood elite have their beach homes.

You’ll gawk at the mansions mocking you from the rolling hills and then pass through Topanga State Park, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, and Point Mugu State Park. All of these are chock full of places to hike and explore – feel free to take advantage. Otherwise, keep driving until you hit Oxnard.

It is here in Oxnard where you’ll experience one of the highway’s more annoying patterns. Occasionally, The 1 gets absorbed by The 101. It’s incredibly confusing because the highway names sound exactly the same to everyone who isn’t from California.

In fact, on her very first Highway One road trip, Lia accidentally took the 101 the entire way from San Francisco to Los Angeles and couldn’t figure out why everyone made such a big deal out of The One until she realized her mistake – years later. Whoops.

From Oxnard, stay on the highway – which is both Highway 1, and Highway 101 – and you’ll pass through Ventura. Depending on timing, you might want to stop and check out Surfer Point and the Ventura Pier.

Your next destination – and first official road trip pit stop – is not too far up the highway: Santa Barbara. 

PCH Pit Stop: Santa Barbara

When people who aren’t from California think about what the state looks like, more often than not they’re imagining Santa Barbara. When I think of this stretch of Southern California, I imagine long stretches of coastal views, tall palm trees, Spanish architecture, and morning fog lifting to reveal the sun. It’s a beautiful area!

We recommend taking a break here in Santa Barbara to stretch your legs and eat lunch (seafood, of course). 

No trip to Santa Barbara would be complete without a trip to East Beach, followed by a walk to the end of Stearns Wharf. The wharf has plenty of lunch options, but our choice is the famous Santa Barbara Shellfish Company.

If you’ve got extra time, here are a couple more suggestions for things to do in Santa Barbara:

• Ganna Walska, the famed late opera singer, had a bit of a green thumb and created the sprawling Lotusland – a 37 acre botanical garden considered to be one of the best gardens in the world! It’s a bit out of the main hub, but worth a stop.
• Visit the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Historic Spanish missions like this one pepper the California coast. When visiting, keep in mind what these structures were for – converting Native Americans to Catholicism. They weren’t happy places, but they tell an important piece of the complex history of California.

After lunch and some sunshine and leg-stretching, hop back on The 1 (which is still also the 101 at this point). 

After about an hour, you’ll hit Buellton. This will later be the setting for dinner, but for now take a detour on the 246 East. After about 3 miles, you might be confused and think you drove into Denmark…and you sort of did!

PCH Pit Stop: Solvang

Allow us to explain why there is a random slice of Denmark in the middle of Southern California. In the late 19th-Century, a large number of Danes moved to the United States – specifically the Midwest – for new economic prospects. They brought with them the Danish approach to education, which involved Lutheran schools with an emphasis on creativity and poetry. 

One of these Danes, Benedict Nordentoft, dreamt of a Danish school on the emerging American West Coast. Once the opportunity presented himself, he bought land in the Santa Ynez Valley. Other Danes moved out west, tired of the frigid Midwest winters. 

And thus, Solvang was formed: a charming Danish Village in the middle of California.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a town that is begging to be photographed as much as Solvang; it’s adorably European, complete with gingerbread architecture and Danish windmills.

Our vote for where to stay in Solvang is The Wine Valley Inn. The rooms are affordable and the place is cute AF. 

After checking in and exploring the town, take the short drive back to Buellton and get dinner at the famous Pea Soup Anderson’s. If you need help deciding what to order, just look at the name of the restaurant. Trust me; I hate peas but I love their soup!

• Highway One Travel Tip: For more ideas on making the most out of your stop in Buellton, our friends at Happily Ever Adventures have a fantastic Buellton weekend getaway guide!

Day 2 Summary

Day 3: Pismo Beach & Morro Bay

• Today, you’ll be driving from Solvang to Morro Bay, with a stop in Pismo Beach.
• Drive Time: 2.5 hours

Start your day with the most Danish thing possible: jam-filled aebleskiver from Solvang Restaurant.

Once you’ve had your fill of delicious fluffy balls, take the 246 back to Highway One and head north all the way to Pismo Beach. 

PCH Pit Stop: Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach, and the surrounding beaches, are a fantastic place to spend the day – there’s so much to do! If you’re up for surfing, this is the best place to try it – or, rent bikes or boogie boards.

Pismo also has huge sand dunes, so if you’re up for an adventure, go dune buggying! Dune buggying is basically like being on a roller coaster, only there’s no track and you’re the one controlling the wheel. Ahhh! You can rent an ATV made to careen gracelessly over the sand dunes at Sun Buggy.

• Highway One Road Trip Tip: We’ve got more suggestions for things to do in Pismo Beach (and nearby) in our Central Coast getaway guide.

After working up an appetite, it’s time for lunch at Brad’s or Splash Cafe. These competing restaurants are a point of contention with visitors: some swear by one and hate the other. The fact is, they’re both solid options and for me the only deciding factor is the wait time (But don’t tell my family that…they’re Brad’s stans).

The best offerings at either spot are the clam chowder (in a bread bowl of course), tri-tip sandwich, and fish and chips.

After lunch, you’ll need dessert! Head to Old West Cinnamon Rolls for some, well…cinnamon rolls. Locals-only tip: if you get the icing on the side, they give you a little more than usual.

After you’ve stocked up on cinnamon rolls, get back on The 1 and head north. Soon you’ll reach San Luis Obispo!

San Luis Obispo – locally known as SLO – is one of the major Central Coast towns; it is also home to Cal Poly, and home to a lot of college students.

• Highway One Road Trip Tip: SLO isn’t one of our recommended stops, but if you have the extra time, I do suggest checking out the Madonna Inn to see the interior design. It’s like if Dolly Parton designed a Barbie Dream House. That’s what we’re working with, and yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds. The famous hotel is right off the highway, and you don’t have to be a guest to visit (or order a slice of delicious cake from the bakery).

North of San Luis Obispo, the driving directions get a little dicey. The 1 sort of disappears then reappears as a main street.

Basically, you’ll get off at the Santa Rosa exit and go north on Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa soon becomes a highway and life makes sense again. Alternatively, you can just punch your next Pacific Coast Highway stop, Morro Bay, into your GPS.

PCH Pit Stop: Morro Bay

Welcome to my adorable little hometown: Morro Bay! I grew up here! Even though I’ve since moved up north to San Francisco, we come down to visit frequently because Morro Bay is one of the best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway.

The centerpiece of Morro Bay is definitely Morro Rock, a giant volcanic plug sitting at the edge of the coast along the bay. The rock has acted as a natural beacon for seafarers as early as the 1500s, and was considered sacred ground to the Chumash and Salinan native tribes. To me, the rock was where we took our lunch breaks at school or surfed on weekends. #JustCaliforniaThings

Morro Bay is a tourist destination, and the town frequently has just as many visitors as it does locals. Which means if you ask a local something incredibly obvious like “where is the rock?” – the giant rock you can see from absolutely everywhere in town – you might just get a sassy answer like “Oh, it’s seasonal! You just missed it.”

When you arrive in town, head to the Embarcadero to stroll and visit the shops and restaurants along the waterfront, as well as meet our friendly sea neighbors.

Morro Bay is a marine wildlife sanctuary, and there are always tons of sea lions and harbor seals who make the docks their nap spots. They’ll greet you with a wave and a BWAAAAAAH.

• Highway One Travel Tip: If you see tourists throwing food to the animals, please don’t join in! It might be cute, but it’s harmful to our animal friends.

One stop you absolutely must make as you walk along the Embarcadero is the dock outside of Great American Fish Company. If you look to the left of the dock, you’re likely to see a pack of otters being the cutest animals in existence. During the spring, you might even see up to 30 of them – along with their babies!

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There are plenty of delicious places to eat a sunset dinner in Morro Bay overlooking the water. My personal favorite is Tognazzini’s Dockside; do yourself a favor and order the barbecued oysters! Dorn’s Breakers Cafe is my second choice, but reservations are encouraged since they have the best view in town.

Windows on the Water is also phenomenal, but it is on the pricier side. If you’re looking for a much cheaper option, Dutchman’s Seafood House is a local favorite. No matter where you choose, clam chowder, fish and chips, and oysters are pretty much mandatory!

Where to Stay in Morro Bay: There is no shortage of hotels in the area. Our pick for a budget Morro Bay hotel is The Sandpiper Inn, while the Marina Street Inn is a super cute mid-range option.

• Highway One Travel Tip: For more fantastic things to do in Morro Bay, check out our detailed Morro Bay travel guide.

Day 3 Summary

Day 4: Morro Bay & Paso Robles

• Today you will be exploring more of Morro Bay, and then taking a little detour into wine country!
• Itinerary Option: If you prefer, you can turn this into a day trip instead of an overnight and continue staying in Morro Bay. Or, skip it and spend this day elsewhere if wine country isn’t your thing!
• Drive Time: 1 hour

Start your morning with a hearty breakfast at Frank and Lola’s Front Street Cafe. Expect a bit of a wait, as this place is very small and popular. If you need to pass the time, the otters are located right across the street.

The rest of the morning is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure! We have a whole post dedicated to the plethora of activities in Morro Bay, but here are some ideas:

• Hike Black Hill, a moderate 2.5 mile out and back trail right outside town. For more info, check out AllTrails
• Rent a kayak at A Kayak Shack and get up close and personal with our sea life
• Go surfing at Morro Rock or Cayucos Pier (check out our guide to Cayucos).
• Drive to the neighboring town of Los Osos for a breathtaking view. Set your GPS for Alamo Drive to see the view that the locals call “The Top of the World”
• Hike Montaña de Oro State Park, also in Los Osos. There are a lot of trail options for different people, but most people opt for the super easy Bluff Trail (4.6 miles of flat terrain).

After working up an appetite, it’s time for lunch! Our votes are the famous roast beef french dip from Hofbrau, fish and chips from Dutchman’s Seafood House, or clam chowder in a bread bowl and fresh crab legs from Giovanni’s. Not hungry yet? Don’t worry. The next town has plenty of options as well.

Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to Morro Bay. Get back on The 1 and head up the coast.

After 16 miles or so, You will see a sign for Paso Robles/CA-46. Turn right to head inland, into wine country and Paso Robles.

The 46 is a beautiful stretch of highway that cuts through chaparral and grass-covered rolling hills all the way to Bakersfield. But don’t worry; you will NOT be venturing that far.

About 6.5 miles down the road, you’ll reach the apex of the hill; look to the right and you’ll see Green Valley Viewing Point, an observation point that offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding hills.

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PCH Pit Stop: Paso Robles

Continue on the 46 as you pass through wineries and rolling hills. Paso Robles is one of the best wine countries in California, and it’s both stunning and surprisingly budget-friendly!

As you drive past the wineries, you’ll meet The 101. Take it north a bit and you’ll enter the town of Paso Robles. If you haven’t eaten yet, we recommend Thomas Hill Organics, The Hatch, Fish Gaucho, or Orale Taqueria. All of them are right off the town square and absolutely delicious.

Regardless of where you choose to eat, you MUST stop at Brown Butter Cookie Company and sample…well, everything. Lia likes the original recipe, and I like almond…and espresso…and chocolate…and the original. 

Finally, it is now officially time to taste ALL OF THE WINES! There is no shortage of tasting rooms within walking distance right in downtown Paso, so you can honestly take your pick.

Our favorite is LXV (get the spice pairings!). Seriously y’all, we love LXV so much that we actually signed up for their wine club. Other good options nearby are Diablo, Indiginé, and Cypher. But pretty much any tasting room in that area is likely to be a hit.

If you have a driver, the world opens up. Paso has literally hundreds of places to taste wine! We have a full write-up of the best wineries in Paso Robles. A few of our top picks are Niner Wine Estates (look for the giant heart), Shale Oak, Zenaida Cellars, and Barton Family Wines.

• Highway One Road Trip Tip: Because we’re responsible adults, we have to say it: sample wine responsibly! Do not drink and drive, especially since you are on a highway where people tend to drive recklessly. We have a few suggestions for getting around from winery to winery in our Paso Robles wineries guide.

There’s much more to do in Paso Robles than drink wine (although that is our favorite thing… well, other than the natural hot springs). We’ve got all the details in our guide to the best things to do in Paso Robles.

After an afternoon of wine tasting and exploring charming downtown Paso Robles, head to dinner – again, our recommendations are Thomas Hill Organics, The Hatch, Fish Gaucho, or Orale Taqueria.

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You’ll be sleeping in Paso tonight. Our vote? The Paso Robles Inn! It is located in the center of downtown Paso Robles, just off the central plaza and around the corner from our favorite coffee shop in town, Spearhead Coffee. It’s the perfect location to walk to the best restaurants & tasting rooms in Paso Robles!

Plus, the rooms are winery themed – and come complete with a hot-springs fed jacuzzi tub on the balcony, which is as romantic as it sounds.

Can you think of a better way to end your day than soaking in your own private mineral hot spring? We can’t either.

Day 4 Summary

Day 5: Paso Robles, San Simeon, & Big Sur

• Today you’ll be driving from Paso Robles to Big Sur, with a stop at a famous mansion and a visit to see California’s most famous marine residents.
• Drive Time: 2.5 Hours

Today is one of the most packed days of the trip, so wake up early for a cup of delicious brew from Spearhead Coffee and breakfast at whichever restaurant you didn’t already visit for lunch or dinner.

After you’re fueled up, take The 46 West (which is the way you came in yesterday) all the way until it meets The 1; turn right onto The 1 North. 

Soon you’ll hit Cambria, a sleepy town perpetually covered in fog and coastal pines. If you’re a sucker for dessert, like we are, stop here to pick up a slice of famous Ollalieberry Pie from Linn’s (we won’t judge you if you don’t save it for later).

• Highway One Road Trip Tip: For more things to do in Cambria, our friend Kristen from Travels and Treats has a fantastic guide to things to do in Cambria.

Continue along Highway One through Cambria until you start seeing signs for San Simeon. That’s when you – er, whoever’s not driving – should start to look to the hills to the right to catch a glimpse of gaudy, palm-tree-covered Hearst Castle off in the distance, perched atop the hills. 

PCH Pit Stop: Hearst Castle

A brief history of Hearst Castle: famed newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst owned stole most of this land to build an over-the-top estate. His inspiration for building his ridiculous Castle was a family trip to Europe, where he spent months pointing at castles and saying “Daddy, I want that one.” His goal was to have exotic animals roam the property, and his zebras are still spotted (err…striped) on the hills.

By the time Hearst moved away from the castle in 1947 due to frail health,  his mansion had 165 rooms and 123 acres of gardens….and it still wasn’t done. Hearst was a quirky guy, to say the least.

The famous  movie Citizen Kane is loosely based on his life, but he tried to block production of the film and disliked it so deeply that he banned it from being played at the castle for the duration of his life and 7 DECADES after he died. So yeah, he held a grudge. 

If you, like us, are obsessed with judging ostentatious rich people and their frivolous grandeur (think Versailles, The Biltmore Estates, etc), Hearst Castle is perfect. It is absolutely, supremely over-the-top. Everything in Hearst Castle exists just for show, and it is a mish-mash of truly confusing design decisions driven entirely by the desire to appear as fabulously wealthy as possible.

While we’re clearly on our judgmental high horse about the over-the-top wealth of Hearst Castle, the castle itself is not. Everything from the welcome video to the tour guides to the Alex Trebeck narrated bus ride video (yep) paint Hearst as a rugged pioneer or some kind of hero, when in reality he was more like the grown-up version of one of the kids from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Anyway. We’ll let you decide for yourself if Hearst was a hero, a visionary, or just another wealthy white dude. But either way, we highly recommend visiting – and booking a tour in advance.

• Highway One Travel Tip: In our opinion, Hearst Castle is a must-see California icon! That said, if you aren’t interested in the opulence of Hearst Castle, you can take things a little more leisurely today.

After you feel nice and poor the tour, exit the Hearst parking lot and turn right back onto The 1 North. 

PCH Pit Stop: The Elephant Seal Rookery

About ten minutes up the road, you will see signs for The Elephant Seal Vista Point. Turn left into the dirt parking lot and prepare to meet my patronus.

The cliff here overlooks an elephant seal rookery. These majestic beasts can be seen throughout the year at this sanctuary. Between December to March – our favorite time of year to drive Highway One – you’ll see mostly pups on the beach, which is as cute as it sounds!

• Note from Lia: Elephant seals are NOT majestic. They are the doofiest, oddest looking animals in the world. They sound like howler monkeys and they are the roundest, blubberiest things you’ll ever see. Pups are truly adorable, but only for like a month and then they hit puberty and start horrifically shedding their skin like an episode of The Flopping Dead. And yet for some reason, we are obsessed with them. If you think “ugly” dogs like Frenchies and Bulldogs are adorable (like Jeremy does) you’ll probably love them too!

After you’ve fallen in love with our unironic favorite marine animal, head back up the highway to enjoy the most scenic part of the route. 

PCH Pit Stop: Big Sur

Throughout your drive today you’ll be doing a lot of “WOW! Pull over, I want to take a picture!” 

Ostensibly, you only have a 90-minute drive ahead of you. In reality, it will take much longer because you will be stopping for pictures every few minutes. The stunning scenery here along the Big Sur coastline is absolutely jaw-dropping, and arguably the best coastline along the entire Pacific Coast Highway.

Honestly, any amount of words would never do this stretch of California’s coastline justice. Just roll the windows down, put on some good music – like our favorite Driving in California Playlist – and let the prettiest highway in the world (literally, it’s ranked) speak for itself. 

Be sure to stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and to see the iconic McWay Falls, one of California’s two tidefalls – waterfalls that spill directly into the ocean. There’s no hike needed to see the falls, which are perfectly in view right off the side of the highway (although you can’t get any closer to them than that) but if you have time you can hike into the redwoods for even more stunning coastal views on the Partington Cove trail, which leads through a tree-lined canyon and a tunnel to a beautiful rocky beach. 

You should arrive in Big Sur pretty close to dinner time. Restaurant options are scarce here, but we recommend local barbecue spot Big Sur Smokehouse.

Where to Stay in Big Sur: It is not easy to find a budget-friendly place to stay here, so expect to pay a little more for this night – unless you plan to bring camping gear, that is!

We recommend a cabin at the Big Sur River Inn. Book early though; Big Sur is a bucket list destination.

Day 5 Summary

Day 6: Monterey & Santa Cruz

• Today you’ll be driving from Big Sur to Santa Cruz, with a stop in Monterey for more adorable sea life. 
• Drive Time: 1.5 Hours

There’s something truly magical about waking up in Big Sur. Maybe it’s the coastal fog, or the smell of salt and redwoods. It could be the quiet stillness of the surrounding forest. 

Wait, actually it’s the fact that you get to go to Big Sur Bakery! This wonderful bakery and restaurant fills up quickly and sells their baked goods out before noon, so if redwoods and salty air wasn’t enough to get you out of bed early, their almond croissants should. 

After breakfast, take a short hike on The Pfeiffer Falls & Valley View Trail, an easy 2-mile hike filled with waterfalls and sweeping vistas.

After your hike, it’s time to get back on the road. 

PCH Pit Stop: Bixby Creek Bridge

Head north on The 1 for about 11 miles and you will notice a ton of people pulled over on the north side of a bridge. You should join them and look south to find out why. This is the Bixby Creek Bridge (or Bixby Canyon Bridge if you’re Death Cab for Cutie), one of the area’s most iconic photo spots. 

Here’s the deal though. Erosion is a thing; do not be the person who plummets to their death for a picture. Growing up, I had heard one group went down the canyon for a party, got stuck, and had to be rescued when the tide got too high. Stay near the top where everyone else is, please.

Continue north! After about 20 miles you might hit some traffic. It’s totally normal: you’re about to hit Carmel-by-the-Sea.

If that name sounds fancy, it’s because it is. These homes are no joke and I envy all of them. What do you expect, if Pebble Beach (yes, THAT Pebble Beach) is your backyard?

PCH Pit Stop: Monterey

Just past Carmel is Monterey, your next stop. Monterey was made famous by the local darling, literary giant, and one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck, in his novel Cannery Row. Which is highly relevant, because that’s where you’re going. 

Arguably the centerpiece of Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Y’all, I have to be honest. Aquariums have been RUINED for me because of this place. This world-class aquarium is not only at the forefront of scientific research & conservation efforts, it’s also a wildlife refuge! 

Our favorite thing to see – other than the giant walk-through aquarium hallway, which is epic – is an otter feeding! The resident otters are all rescues and will be released when they are healthy enough to return to the wild.

This is also why you have a really high chance of seeing otters while out kayaking or diving in the bay near the Aquarium: the kelp forests are full of healthy, happy otters who frequently come to visit their old home!

After you’ve dragged your companions away from watching the otters forever, pick up lunch at Mundos, a beloved sandwich spot with killer Argentine steak sandwiches, and get back on the road.

After about 30 minutes, you’ll start to see fruit stands pop up along the highway. The answer to the question on your mind is, “Yes you should stop for a snack.” 

Continue on for another 20 minutes and you will reach the very quirky and unique city of Santa Cruz.

PCH Pit Stop: Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is weird, y’all – and proud of it. If you’ve ever heard something that sounds really granola and you’ve rolled your eyes and thought “Pssh, California,” you’re probably thinking of Santa Cruz without realizing it.

Honestly, though, it’s adorable. The town stretches from the redwoods to the beach and has a lovely mix of both – including a cute little steam train to take you in between!

You’ll also notice a strange phenomenon when you’re in Santa Cruz, and we’re not just talking about the gravitational anomaly and kitschy fever dream that is the Mystery Spot, which by the way, is a blast to visit.

No, we’re talking about banana slugs! These neon yellow slimy friends are the mascot of UC Santa Cruz and the patron saint of the area. You’ll see them all over the place, and if you can get past the fact that they are giant slugs, they’re actually kind of cute!

Something that you cannot miss in Santa Cruz is the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. If you’ve ever seen the movie Us then the boardwalk should look familiar. Not to worry though, there are no Tethered to speak of (but then again…why would I tell you if there were…?). 

• Note from Lia: No one gets your references, Jeremy.

After a few hours of fun on the boardwalk, grab some dinner on the pier and watch the sunset.

Where to Stay in Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz is super quirky, so it’s no surprise the accommodations are as well. One of our favorite places to stay in Santa Cruz is at this quirky redwood treehouse next door to the Mystery Spot! For another truly Santa Cruz experience, try staying in this surfer van tiny house.

Day 6 Summary

Day 7: San Francisco

• Today you will be exploring the greatest city on earth: San Francisco. Yep, we’re biased. Welcome to our home!
• Drive Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Wake up early in your quirky accommodation and make a pit stop at Verve Coffee Roasters before hitting the road – you’re headed to the City by the Bay!

This is where we’ve called home for the past decade, so welcome! As long as you don’t call it Frisco, we promise everyone will be nice (locals hate that).  

You should be reaching San Francisco by mid-morning, and the first place we recommend is a visit to the San Francisco Ferry Building, which is the epicenter of the city’s Embarcadero, or waterfront. 

The Ferry Building is where the city’s many daily ferries to surrounding cities like Oakland, Alameda and Marin County arrive and leave from. It’s a famous spot because it was the main route in and out of San Francisco before the  Golden Gate Bridge was built in the 1930s. It also happens to be a massive marketplace full of delicious food. Win-win! 

The Ferry Building has tons of local restaurants and food stalls inside and is the perfect place to compile a little picnic lunch, eaten outside overlooking the Bay. We recommend picking up cheese at Cowgirl Creamery, stopping at the iconic Acme Bread for a loaf of San Francisco sourdough, and grabbing a few empanadas from El Porteno.

And don’t forget dessert: try a chocolate chip cookie from Dandelion or ice cream from Humphrey Slocombe. 

If you’d rather a casual seated lunch, head across the street and for delicious hot clam chowder in a bread bowl from Boudin, San Francisco’s other famous sourdough bread company. We take our bread seriously, y’all. 

Once you’re full and ready to continue your adventure, you’ll spend the next few hours exploring San Francisco on foot with our self-guided San Francisco walking tour, which will take you to iconic spots like Ghiradelli Square, Coit Tower, and Pier 39. Fair warning: there are a few hills.

On the tour, you’ll make a stop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which is the largest outside of Asia and the oldest in North America! It’s a pretty special place, and not just because of the incredible food. 

Chinatown has unique Chinese-inspired architecture, herbal medicine shops, and art and jewelry galleries that all highlight San Francisco’s rich Chinese history and heritage. The first Chinese immigrants arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, and they faced segregation and discrimination for decades. San Francisco’s Chinatown is a testament to the resilience of the city’s Chinese community. 

To really enjoy Chinatown, you have to sample some Chinese cuisine! For dinner, make your way to Hunan House or  Z & Y (fun fact: Chinese presidents have eaten there!). Both are fantastic for authentic and delicious Chinese dishes. If you have room for dessert, find literally any Chinese bakery for a pastry – Golden Gate Bakery’s custard tarts are popular, but Lia prefers the coconut buns.

The night’s not over yet! During baseball season, we definitely recommend going to see a Giants game at Oracle Park on your night in the city. But during the rest of the year, make your way to a classic San Francisco cocktail spot for drinks instead.

Bourbon & Branch is a fun, themed speakeasy bar with unique cocktails–but fair warning, it’s unmarked. If you manage to find it, you’ll need a password to enter the library (here’s a hint: what you find inside a library?) and be sure to turn your phone off – you’ll be asked to stay “in character.” 

Another of our favorite bars in San Francisco is the Tonga Room, an amazing and unique Tiki Bar in the Fairmont Hotel in Nob Hill. Sneak out onto the rooftop garden for an incredible view – this is where I proposed to Lia!

Where to Stay in San Francisco: For your short stay in San Francisco, we recommend staying at The Hayes Valley Inn in beautiful Hayes Valley, or The Washington Square Inn in North Beach. For (a lot) more information, we have a long, detailed guide about where to stay in San Francisco!

Day 7 Summary

Day 8: Muir Woods, Point Reyes & Mendocino

• Today you will be crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and following the coast north, with a couple of quick stops for redwoods and oysters. Timing is tight today but we believe in you!
• Drive Time: 5.5 hours

Today is packed to the gills, so wake up early! There is no shortage of excellent coffee nearby to help you with this task – here’s a guide to the best coffee shops in San Francisco.

First things first: no road trip through San Francisco is complete without a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge. While the bridge is visible all over the Bay Area, my personal favorite viewpoint is from Battery Spencer on the north side of the bridge. The wind here can be intense, so make sure you’ve got a jacket on!

After taking plenty of pictures, set a course for the Muir Woods Visitor Center.

PCH Pit Stop: Muir Woods

Muir Woods is named after famous naturalist John Muir, who is known as the grandfather of the modern conservation movement and the National Park Service. But Muir Woods has been an important Bay Area landmark since long before Muir’s movement – it was home to the Indigenous Miwok Tribe for generations. 

Muir Woods is a beautiful place to explore California’s famous old-growth redwoods, some of which are absolutely huge: the tallest tree in the park is over 250 feet high!

Muir Woods has hikes for all skill levels, but we recommend doing a shorter one to allow more time for stress-free driving. There is a loop that takes about half an hour which you can do right from the park entrance.

• Highway One Travel Tip: Muir Woods can get crowded and in order to manage impact on the park, the NPS enforces a cap on visitors. So you will need to make a reservation in advance.

After you’re done taking in the awe and wonder of the redwoods, consider making an optional pit stop. It’s only a short drive from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach, one of Northern California’s most famous beach towns. Stinson has a long, wide beach, which is unusual in NorCal, where we usually have smaller rocky beaches.

Also, if nude beaches are your thing, Stinson has one. If not, there’s plenty of beach space where you can keep your clothes on! 

Everything in the town of Stinson has a nostalgic surf-town vibe, including Parkside Cafe, which is a beachside lunch option if you’re craving burgers and milkshakes.

From either Muir Woods or Stinson Beach, keep heading north to Point Reyes.

PCH Pit Stop: Bodega Bay & Point Reyes

If you stay on Highway One, you’ll drive through charming Bodega Bay. But across the Bay is the coastal peninsula known as Point Reyes National Seashore, a mecca for backpackers and hikers all over the world thanks to its wildlife and amazing views. There’s also a cute town, a beautiful lighthouse, and a resident herd of Tule Elk.

• Highway One Travel Tip: If you take a detour off of Highway One to explore the National Seashore, add several extra hours to your route: the roads on the peninsula are slow and winding. But you’ll be rewarded with beautiful scenery, charming small towns like Inverness and, if you have time, a stunning Cypress Tree Tunnel. Our favorite hike in this area is to Tomales Point, but it will take all day – plan accordingly!

This area has some of the best farm to table food in California, and is best known for fresh oysters! You know how you’ll find clusters of roadside lobster shacks in Maine? That’s the vibe of this stretch of Highway One, known as the Point Reyes Oyster Trail.

Our favorite places to stop for fresh oysters on or right off Highway One are Bodega Bay Oyster Company, The Marshall Store or Hog Island Oyster Co. You don’t need to try them raw if that’s not your thing – they’re also delicious grilled, barbequed, or smothered in cheese and butter.

From Point Reyes, you’ll be completing a nice long stretch of stop-free driving. Put on your California playlist, roll down the window, and enjoy the view! You’ll be passing through a few charming coastal towns and past one picturesque lighthouse (for what it’s worth, Point Arena is well worth a stop for a lighthouse photo).

You should reach Mendocino by early evening. We recommend an intimate, romantic, local and sustainable (and yes, a lil’ pricey – but well worth it) dinner at Wild Fish.

Where to Stay in Mendocino: We love the quirky Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins, an independently owned boutique hotel complete with funky themed cabins, a daily happy hour, and 3 resident goats!

Day 8 Summary

Day 9: Mendocino & Avenue of the Giants

• Today you’ll be exploring Mendocino before driving the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to its end – and then continuing on the 101 to the most jaw-dropping stretch of redwoods in the world.
• Drive Time: 1.5 Hours

For your final full day of California adventure (see what I did there? °o°) you’ll be exploring one of our favorite coastal towns and wine countries north of San Francisco – and then taking a detour to one of the most jaw-dropping drives in the world through ancient groves of massive redwoods. 

To put it mildly, if you haven’t fallen in love with California yet, you will today! (But also, how have you not yet? Are you ok??)

First things first: delicious breakfast at Circa 62! Aside from having the best breakfast in the area, the restaurant puts feed out so you can watch woodland creatures snacking, like California quails and bunnies. It’s basically a Disney movie! Also, the restaurant has a dog menu, so there’s a high chance of making a furry friend-o.

Continue north on Highway One until you reach Mendocino proper. Mendocino is an adorable coastal town known for wine, marine life and adventure!

One of the best things to do in Mendocino is to rent a kayak at Catch a Canoe and take a calm, self-guided kayak trip down the Big River Estuary. Keep an eye out for otters and sea birds!

Mendocino’s coastline is also dotted with stunning natural sea caves – you can explore them on the Kayak Mendocino Sea Cave Nature Tour, led by Kayak Mendocino.

After you’ve worked up an appetite, spend some time exploring charming downtown Mendocino and make a stop for lunch at Good Life Bakery, which we are obsessed with. They have two kinds of bread pudding custard, blueberry and espresso, and they are both incredible. Try both! 

If you have some room in your suitcase for goodies, stop at Mendocino Jams and Preserves to pick up (and sample) some amazing chutney, jam or nut butter. YUM.

After your morning in Mendocino, head north on the Pacific Coast Highway until you arrive at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. This famous beach gets its name from its sand-like colorful glass stones, created by a natural phenomenon: Glass Beach was actually once a dump, but the trash was turned into treasure by the pounding waves. Cool, right??

After you’ve checked out Glass Beach, continue north to MacKerricher State Park, one of the best spots for tide-pooling on the northern California coastline. We recommend driving to the Seal Watching Station to visit the tidepools at Laguna Point!

When you’ve had your fill of tide-pooling, it is time to drive the very last stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway… and bid it goodbye. But don’t worry! This isn’t quite the end of your California Coast road trip just yet.

Highway 101 Pit Stop: Avenue of the Giants

At the very end of Highway One, you’ll merge onto Highway 101 and head to the Avenue of the Giants. You will hop off the 101 onto the Avenue, which runs parallel to the 101.

Avenue of the Giants is one of the most beautiful and humbling stretches of road in the world. The 31-mile route winds directly through a dense forest of old-growth redwoods. These incredible trees are hundreds of years old, incredibly tall, and ridiculously thick (or thicc, if you’re hip and with it, which I’m definitely not according to my students). There’s even a tree so large you can drive right through it – kitschy and campy, yes, but also one of those things you can only do in California.

Our favorite way to experience the Avenue of the Giants is a slow, awe-filled drive with the sunroof open, gazing all the way up until the trees seem to bend together to form a canopy.

We even have a favorite song to listen to along the route: Holocene by Bon Iver. “and at once I knew, I am not magnificent” is the lyric that perfectly encapsulates the way that the redwoods make us feel.

At the end of the day, you’ll start your journey home. There are two options–you can head north, toward Eureka, and fly out from there, or you can go on 101 South toward Sacramento.  

Day 9 Summary:

• Big breakfast at Circa 62
• Spend the morning in Mendocino
• Continue on the 1 to Leggett, where the 1 sadly ends
• Continue north on the 101
• Take a detour off the 101 to Avenue of the Giants
• (Option 1) Take the 101 South to the 20 to the 5 and stop in Sacramento for the night
• (Option 2) Take the 101 North to Eureka and stay in Eureka

Day 10: Returning Home

Today you’ll be sadly leaving behind the California coast and heading back home.

Depending on which option you picked yesterday, you’ll either wake up in Sacramento or Eureka.

You have several options for returning home. Before your trip, research flight deals as well as one-way rental car prices to see which option is right for you!

Option 1: Fly home from Eureka

• Fly from Eureka to LA, SF, or Denver
• Connect from there to get home

If you opted to stay in Eureka for the night, you’ll catch a connecting flight through LA, SF or Denver.

This option definitely has the least amount of driving, but it’s also the smallest airport on our list – meaning it may be the priciest option!

Option 2: Fly home from SAC, SFO, SJC, or OAK

If you drove south and stopped in Sacramento for the night, it may be easiest to return your car and fly out straight from there.

But Sacramento is also just 1.5 hours away from the Bay Area, which has 3 airports: San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.

Between those 4 airports, you should be able to find a decent flight back home!

Option 3: Drive to LAX & fly home

• Take the 5 South all the way from Sacramento to LA
• Fly home from LAX

There’s a good chance that the cheapest option is to return your car to LAX – or another regional airport within LA – and fly home from there. Luckily, there’s a shortcut in the form of California’s fastest and least scenic highway: the 5.

This shortcut will take about 6 hours, and unfortunately, we don’t have any fun stops to recommend, other than In ‘N Out. Put on a podcast episode or 3 (may we recommend the Practical Wanderlust podcast?) and just get it done.

That’s it – you did it! Wave goodbye to California’s sunshine and palm trees (and fog, and elephant seals) but don’t worry – we’re sure you’ll be back again someday. California will miss you until next time!

Highway One Itinerary Summary

We’ve created a free, printable summary of this Highway One itinerary! This will come in handy as you drive, since much of the Pacific Coast Highway has awful cell service.

The 7-page PDF also includes a printable version of our San Francisco Self-Guided Walking Tour for your day in the city. Plus, we’ll also send you our favorite tips to help you plan your California road trip!

You can get it all sent straight to your inbox by filling out the form below:

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We hope you enjoyed every second of your California Coast road trip! Which stop are you most excited about? Where are you thinking of extending or shortening our itinerary? Drop us all of your questions and comments below!

Psst: We’ve got a whole bunch more resources to help you plan your California road trip. Take a look at the posts below, or click here to see all of our California travel guides.

We also have a Highway One podcast episode! A humanist cult, a Danish hideaway, a gravitational anomaly, towering trees, a spoiled rich kid’s castle, clothing-optional hot springs, and the cutest (and weirdest) animals imaginable: in this episode, we cover everything you need to plan your trip up the California Coast – and all the weird history you never knew along the way.

Listen below or just click here! Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss new episodes.

Until next time,

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Psst: PLEASE don’t travel until it’s safe! Stay close to home, social distance, and wear a mask to keep yourself and others safe. Also: this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no cost to you.

Snow-covered mountains. Rushing waterfalls. Secluded beaches. Otherwordly desert landscapes. If this description of Southern California surprises you, it’s time to head out and explore!

Stretching from just north of Los Angeles all the way south to the border of Mexico, the vastness of Southern California includes multiple mountain ranges, a series of islands that double as an overlooked National Park, and a huge expanse of colorful desert.

Although Lia’s lived in California for a decade – and Jeremy for over three decades – we’re woefully unfamiliar with Southern California. So, we tapped a local to create this guide to the best hikes in Southern California! Our contributing writer Mimi has lived and hiked all over SoCal. Take it away, Mimi!

Psst: Looking for more outdoor adventures in California? Take a look at some of our other posts:

We’ve also got a ton of borrposts to help you explore California. Take a look at our favorites below or browse them all!

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The Best Hikes in Southern California 

Joshua Trees, pristine beaches, and mountain climbs: there’s a lot that Southern California has to offer, from Disneyland to major cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. 

But its natural beauty, dusty scenery, and outdoorsy communities are really what make it such a special part of California. 

And one of the best ways to experience the region’s stunning deserts, palm trees, and coastal views is by hitting the trails.  

Southern California is known for its hot, dry climate and near-perfect year-round weather (minus maybe its deserts that get scorching in the summer). 

It might not have the cool redwoods forest hikes that you’ll find in Northern California, but Southern California hikes are a different kind of impressive. 

Whether you’re looking for good views at the top of a mountain, cacti explorations, or breezy coastal walks next to the ocean, the hiking in Southern California is diverse, scenic, and one-of-a-kind.   

After living in the region for five years, these are my picks for the top day hikes in Southern California to get out in nature and really see just how beautiful California can be. 

Borrego Palm Canyon Loop, Anza Borrego State Park

• Miles: 3 | Elevation Gain: 462 ft | Guide  

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020):  Anza Borrego State Park is currently open with limited parking. All campsites still remain closed. This post will be updated once that changes. 

An often overlooked state park, Anza Borrego is one of the most beautiful and underrated places to go hiking near San Diego. 

Located within the stunning Colorado Desert and only about a two-hour drive from San Diego, the rugged terrain found within the park and its trails can best be described as otherworldly.  

The Borrego Palm Canyon Loop is a relatively easy and quick hike that takes you through the San Ysidro Mountains, past various types of cacti and desert brush, to an oasis in the middle of the canyon. 

This trail is a little more rugged than a standard walk through the desert with parts of the hike that require scrambling over rocks. Towards the end, you’ll reach a shady fan palm oasis, and a little further on a seasonal waterfall that usually pops up in the spring. 

The Borrego Palm Canyon Loop is a fun day hike from San Diego, or a good intro hike to exploring Anza Borrego State Park if you plan to stay in the area longer. 

If you’re craving good views, once you get back to the trailhead at Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, you can hop on the short 1-mile Panoramic Overlook Trail that leaves from the same area. This short out-and-back trail will give you a nice scenic view over Borrego Palm Canyon, and it’s a great way to end a few hours of hiking in the desert.  

• Hiking tip: The trail is located in the middle of the desert so it’s recommended to only hike it between October and May. Summer temperatures at the park are scorching and not the best to hike in. 

Brush Canyon Trail, Griffith Park 

Miles: 6.5 | Elevation: 1,050 ft | Guide  

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): Some parts of Griffith Park are still closed but The Brush Canyon Trail is open. 

One of the top activities to do in Los Angeles, hiking to the Hollywood Sign via the Brush Canyon Trail is an iconic way to spend an afternoon in LA. There are numerous hikes you can tackle to get up to the Hollywood Sign, but the Brush Canyon Trail is by far the most popular choice. 

The trail is a moderate and steady climb of 1,050 ft to the back of the Hollywood Sign on the peak of Mount Lee. Along the way, you’ll have sprawling views of Los Angeles behind you and the Hollywood Sign in front of you – it doesn’t get much more LA than that! 

And once you reach the top of the 1,700-foot mountain, you’ll be rewarded with even more views of the Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood Reservoir, Dodger Stadium, and the Santa Monica Mountains in the distance – as well as the back of the Hollywood Sign for that perfect Instagram-worthy shot. 

Minus the very beginning of the hike, the trail is mostly unshaded and it can get very hot so it’s best to hike early in the day or just before sunset. 

• Hiking tip: If you park at Griffith Park, the gates close right at sunset. This means you’ll have to leave before the sun goes down if you don’t want to have to call a park employee to let you out. So if you plan to hike up to the Hollywood Sign for sunset, make sure to park outside of Griffith Park to avoid being locked in. This will add an extra half mile onto your hike, but it’s worth it if you want to catch a stunning sunset from the Hollywood Sign! Bring a flashlight or headlamp with you for the hike down and wait until it gets dark to see the lights of Los Angeles at night from one of the best vantage points in the city. 

Solstice Canyon Trail, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

• Miles: 3.2 | Elevation Gain: 300-797 ft | Guide  

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): The Solstice Canyon Trail is currently open, as well as parking lots and restrooms. Visitor centers remained closed. 

Malibu has a lot of great hikes, but a local favorite is the Solstice Canyon Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Southern California that features a lush canyon, some shade (a rarity for Southern California hikes), and a small waterfall.

The trail almost has a tropical feel to it, which is a nice change from the usual dusty hikes in the region!

This trail is relatively flat, and can even be walked in just a pair of comfortable sneakers as opposed to hiking boots. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see locals walking the trail in flip flops.

One thing to note is if you’re looking for less of an elevation change, you should stick to the counterclockwise direction (head left at the trailhead). This way, you can do an out-and-back hike where you turn around and walk back the way you came once you reach the waterfall. The full loop includes more of an elevation change on the way back if you continue on from the waterfall.  

Besides the waterfall (best seen during the spring), the other highlight of the hike are the ruins of Roberts Ranch House. The house was originally designed by Paul Williams in 1952 as a relaxing retreat in the canyon, but it was burned down by wildfires in the 1980s. Today, you can still see the outline of the pool and a few features of the house that are now overgrown with flora. 

If you’re looking for a full day of hiking, there are various other trails that go through Solstice Canyon that are around 3-4 miles long. These are good to add on if you’re looking for a longer day of hiking in Malibu. 

• Hiking tip: This area is unfortunately a common spot for wildfires. The most recent one to hit the canyon hard with the Woolsey Fire in November 2018. The Solstice Canyon Trail has since reopened and it’s mostly back to its beautiful natural state. With that said, it’s good to check conditions and wildfire warnings ahead of time if you want to hike here, especially in the summer when wildfires happen more regularly. 

Yucca Point Trail, Torrey Pines State Reserve

• Miles: 1.25 | Elevation Gain: 190 ft  | Guide: Link   

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): Torrey Pines State Reserve is currently closed. This post will be updated once that changes. 

You can’t find a much more scenic hike than the Yucca Point Trail at Torrey Pines State Reserve. This beachside trail takes you on an easy jaunt along the golden cliffs of Torrey Pines and down to the beach for a sandy afternoon near the water. 

The reserve is just north of La Jolla in Northern San Diego County, and features 2,000 acres of coastal views, sunshine, and desert flora and fauna. It’s also home to one of the rarest trees in the world – the Torrey Pine Tree. 

There are a few different trails at Torrey Pines State Reserve, but I especially like hiking the Yucca Point Trail because it’s the only one with beach access.

If you’re looking for a longer hike, first tackle one of the reserve’s loop hikes like The Guy Fleming Trail (0.6 miles) or the Razor Point Trail (1.2 miles) before jumping on the Yucca Point Trail down to the beach. 

• Hiking Tip: This is one of the most popular hikes in San Diego, so plan to get to the reserve early if you want to avoid the crowds, especially during the summer. All parking at the reserve is paid parking ($12-$15 depending on the season). If you don’t want to pay for parking, there’s free parking along North Torrey Pines Road near Torrey Pines State Beach, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from the reserve. 

Cowles Mountain Hike, Mission Trails Regional Park  

Miles: 3 | Elevation Gain: 908 ft | Guide   

A popular mountain hike near San Diego, the Cowles Mountain hike is a short but steady climb to the highest point in the city of San Diego at 1,593 feet. Your calves and thighs will definitely be feeling it after this hike, but the views at the top are well worth the workout. 

From the summit, you’ll be able to see Lake Murray, most of San Diego County, and even Mexico on a clear day.

Similar to many Southern California hikes, the Cowles Mountain hike doesn’t have any shade, so make sure to stay hydrated and wear a hat!

• Hiking Tip: Because this hike is more inland from the coast, near El Cajon, it gets very hot and dusty in the middle of the day. Plan to hike either in the early morning or right around sunset for slightly cooler temperatures and a more pleasant hike. 

Mount Woodson Trail, Poway

• Miles: 6.4 | Elevation Gain: 2,106 ft | Guide    

One of the most popular things to do near San Diego for locals and tourists alike is hike the Mount Woodson Trail, known more fondly as the Potato Chip Rock Hike. The most well-known feature of this hike is reaching Potato Chip Rock, which, as the name suggests, is a rock that looks like a thin potato chip.

In order to get onto the rock, you have to be okay with making a slightly scary leap. But once you do, you’ll be able to take all the Lion King poses or yoga tree poses your heart desires. It goes without saying, but this is by far one of the most popular Instagram spots in San Diego County!

In addition to its most popular feature, the Mount Woodson Trail takes you through chaparral and granite boulders on your way to the tallest peak in the area. At the top, you’ll get stunning views looking out over Palomar Mountain, Lake Poway, and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.  

• Hiking tip: Because of its popularity, this hike is much more strenuous than most people realize. The elevation change is intense right from the beginning and it’s pretty much all uphill for the first half of the hike, so be prepared to work your calves! There’s very little shade throughout the whole hike and Poway is hot, so always bring a hat, plenty of water, and sunscreen. There are also no restrooms at the trailhead, so use the bathroom before you set out on your hike. 

Ryan Mountain Trail, Joshua Tree National Park 

• Miles: 3  | Elevation Gain: 1,069 ft | Guide  

One of Joshua Tree’s most popular hikes, the Ryan Mountain Trail is the perfect balance of good views and a decent workout. The trail is a fairly short and straight-forward out-and-back hike, but the real challenge comes in the steep elevation change of 1,069 feet in a mere 1.5 miles. 

At the summit, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of Joshua Tree from above, including the park’s rare rock formations, Joshua Trees, and the ruins of ranches and mines down below. 

If you’re visiting Joshua Tree for the first time, this can be a good hike to start with to get your bearings in the park. The 360-degree panoramic view of Joshua Tree from the summit gives you a good overview of the landscape and the main highlights the park has to offer. 

Similar to other desert hikes in Southern California, it’s recommended to only hike up Ryan Mountain between October and May because of soaring temperatures in the summer. The spring is also an especially good time to hike Ryan Mountain due to the abundance of seasonal wildflowers!

• Hiking tip: Although the trail may seem short at only three miles, the climb to the top is definitely a workout and a somewhat strenuous hike, especially since it’s completely unshaded. Give yourself at a minimum an hour and a half to do the full hike. 

Smuggler’s Cove Trail, Channel Islands National Park 

• Miles: 7.7 | Elevation Gain: 1,400 ft | Guide  

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): Channel Islands National Park is currently open and boat transportation is running again, although at limited capacity. 

One of the most overlooked national parks in California, the Channel Islands located off the coast of Ventura/Oxnard are an outdoor paradise for the adventurous hiker.

There are five islands that make up the national park, but one of the best for hiking is Santa Cruz Island. 

On Santa Cruz Island, there are a total of 15 hiking trails, but the Smuggler’s Cove Trail is by far the most popular and scenic hike on the island. To get to Scorpion Anchorage and the start of the hike, you’ll need to take an hour-long ferry from Ventura – keep an eye out for bottlenose dolphins!

Starting from Scorpion Anchorage and ending at Smuggler’s Cove, this 7.7-mile hike takes you past diverse ecosystems and highlights some of the unique nature that makes the Channel Islands such a special place. Along the way, you’ll enjoy views of the ocean, rocky cliffs, and Ventura and Santa Barbara in the distance.

Once you get to Smuggler’s Cove, you can enjoy a nice picnic lunch on the beach before heading back the way you came.   

Although this is the Channel Island’s most popular hike, you often won’t come across more than a handful of people on the hike (it really is that underrated). So if you’re looking for a secluded island hike in Southern California, this is one of the best ones to do. 

• Hiking tip: Once you off-board your ferry, relax in the shade and fill up on water at Scorpion Ranch before getting on the trail. Once you start the hike, there will be little shade and no water along the route. 

El Moro Canyon Loop Trail, Crystal Cove State Park 

• Miles: 5  | Elevation: 807 ft | Guide

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): Crystal Cove State Park is currently open, including parking lots, the beach, and all hiking trails. 

In Laguna Beach, you’ll find one of the most beautiful coastal parks in California: Crystal Cove State Park. And one of the best ways to see some of the 24,000 acres of wilderness in the park is by hitting the El Moro Canyon Loop Trail. 

This moderate trail takes you from the coast, through El Moro Canyon, and up to Moro Ridge for some of the best coastal views in the area. There are some steep inclines as you make your way to the top, but along the way you’ll be treated to a colorful display of wildflowers (in the spring), grassy hills, oak trees, willow trees, and glimpses of the ocean.   

Once you’re done climbing down from the ridge, head to Crystal Cove State Beach to lay out near the water and enjoy the perfect weather of Orange County. There are tide pools and scenic coves to explore nearby as well. 

One thing to note is that Crystal Cove State Park gets very busy in the summer and on weekends. If you’re going during peak times, parking can be difficult. Go early in the day or on a weekday to avoid the crowds and to have more solitude on your hike. 

Hiking tip: Watch out for rattlesnakes along the hike. They’re commonly found in the shrubbery around the trail and even on the trail sometimes, so stay on the path and be mindful as you hike. 

Mt Baldy Hike, Angeles National Forest  

• Miles: 11 | Elevation: 3,990 ft | Guide  

COVID-19 Update (as of 6/16/2020): Angeles National Forest is currently open, but campgrounds remain closed as well as some restrooms. 

There is a giant, snow-covered mountain peak rising above the Los Angeles skyline. You’d be forgiven if you didn’t realize this, as on most days, Mount Baldy is obscured in the city’s ever-present smog.

Mount Baldy is the highest point in Los Angeles County at 10,064 feet. Accessing the summit will give you miles of views – from the ocean to the desert – on a clear day. Climbing almost 4,000 feet in elevation over 11 miles isn’t an easy feat, but if you’re looking for an all-day hike near Los Angeles, it’s well worth the journey. 

For those who are looking for a serious hike, one of the more difficult hikes in Southern California is hiking Mount Baldy on the Devil’s Backbone Trail and the Baldy Bowl Trail. 

Hiking Mount Baldy, also known as Mount San Antonio, is a rite of passage for any outdoorsy Los Angeles local and anyone looking for a hiking adventure near the city. Because it’s such a popular hike in the Los Angeles area, it’s best to leave at sunrise or tackle it on a weekday when there are fewer crowds. 

The hike is conveniently located in Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, about an hour outside of Los Angeles proper (and still in Los Angeles county because LA is sprawling, to say the least). 

Also, if you’re looking for a difficult but manageable mountain hike, Mt Baldy is a good one to start with. In fact, it’s a popular training hike for those who want to eventually hike Mount Whitney and other more intense peaks in California and beyond. 

There are numerous trails to get up to the summit of Mt Baldy. I recommend starting on the scenic Devil’s Backbone Trail from Manker Campground and then coming back down on Baldy Bowl Trail for a nice 11-mile loop. 

• Hiking tip: Hikers die every winter up on the Mt Baldy trails. If you’re not comfortable and experienced with crampons and hiking a mountain in the snow, please only hike this trail in the summer to early fall (June-Oct). 

Day Hiking Essentials for Southern California

Before you hit the hiking trails in Southern California, there are a few things to be aware of Southern California is hot and sunny, and it’s important to be prepared – heat and sunstroke are no joke!

Packing these essentials will help keep you safer, as will paying attention to the weather forecast before your trip. Hiking between October and May is the best time to take advantage of cooler weather as well as enjoy waterfalls, wildflowers and greenery from California’s seasonal winter rains!

• Hydration Daypack: When you’re hiking in the dry desert heat of Southern California, it’s worth it to pack extra water for day hikes. Dehydration is a common problem, especially if you’re not used to the dry heat of California deserts. Carry a comfortable hydration daypack filled with at least 100oz of water and sip from it frequently!
• Hiking Shoes: Having proper footwear when you’re climbing over boulders or avoiding cacti needles is key. Make sure you have a solid pair of hiking shoes, like trail runners, or boots will help you on rough terrain and to get more grip on dusty trails. 
• Hiking Clothes: Although Southern California tends to be mostly hot year-round, parts of the coast can also be cool and breezy – particularly mountain summits. Depending on where you’re hiking, it’s important to have breathable layers that keep you cool, warm, and comfortable.
• Hat / Sunscreen / Sun Shirt / Sunglasses: Southern California weather is gorgeous but it can also be very HOT! Make sure you have the proper gear to protect you from the harsh sun rays, like a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and consider wearing a lightweight, longsleeved white shirt. It’s also usually good to avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day – or for some of these trails at the height of summer – to protect yourself from heatstroke, which is a very real thing in Southern California. If you’re prone to bad sunburns like me, it’s also worthwhile to make sure you have aloe vera or some sort of after sun care handy as well. 
• Snacks: Regardless if you’re hiking for a few hours or a whole day, it’s good to bring snacks with you to keep your energy up on the trail. Plus, you never know what might happen. In case you get lost, it’s important to have some sustenance to keep you going longer than you originally planned.  Look for snacks that are heat-proof and will keep you full and energized, like dried fruit, energy bars, peanut butter pretzels, or beef jerky. Just be sure to pack out all of your trash!
• Headlamps / Flashlight: Many of these hikes, especially up to beautiful viewpoints are stunning at sunset. This also means that it’s worthwhile to bring a headlamp or flashlight for when you’re coming back down the trail. And even if you don’t plan on doing a sunset hike, hikes sometimes take longer than expected or you might get slightly lost. A flashlight or headlamp is lightweight and easy to throw in your pack just in case. 
• Trekking Poles: It’s good to have a solid pair of trekking poles for those strenuous inclines and, most importantly, declines if you’re tackling one of the many mountain hikes in Southern California. 
• First Aid Kit: It pays to be prepared! It’s SO important to hike with a small first-aid kit just in case you run into trouble on the trail, or you find another hiker who has been injured. This is another thing that’s easy to throw in your pack and makes all the difference if you end up needing to use it. 
• Compass: Just in case you’re sometimes directionally-challenged (is that just me?), your phone doesn’t have service, or you need some help finding the trail again if you go off track. 
• Hand Sanitizer / Face Mask: These days, it’s more important than ever to sanitize and stay safe on the trails. In California, it’s currently required statewide to wear a mask when you’re within six feet of another person who’s not in your household. 

Contributor Bio: Mimi McFadden is a travel blogger, avid hiker, and paneer enthusiast. Originally from California, she has been slow traveling the world and blogging since 2013. After living abroad for five years in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Greece, and Portugal she has finally found a home in San Francisco, California. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog, The Atlas Heart.

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Ready to lace up your hiking boots, slather on some sunscreen and hit the trails? Which Southern California hiking trail is at the top of your list? Drop us a comment below!

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Encircled by two looming mountain ranges – the Wasatch Mountains to the east and north ranges and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west – Salt Lake City is an outdoor paradise within a state full of natural beauty! Just minutes outside of the bustling city center, you can find peace, quiet, and absolutely stunning wilderness.

In the winter, these mountains are one of the best places to go skiing and snowboarding in Utah; but in the spring, summer, and fall, they’re a hikers paradise. From gushing waterfalls, to gurgling streams, to mirrored lakes, to rock formations that resemble furniture and snacks, to sweeping views of the city, the valley, and even the Great Salt Lake itself – these 8 hikes near Salt Lake City showcase the best that SLC has to offer.

This post was created for us by Salt Lake City local Janiel from Culture Trekking. Take it away, Janiel!

Planning to explore more of Utah? Take a look at some of our other posts to help you plan your trip:

Tips for Salt Lake City Hiking

Utah is an outdoor playground, but it also has some perils for outdoor adventurers. Make sure you are setting realistic expectations for yourself given the starting altitude of these hikes and dry desert climate. Here are a few tips for Salt Lake City hiking:

• Bring lots of water! Higher altitude and a dry climate means you will need to drink more than you’re used to. I love this well-insulated Camelbak, and I always bring 100oz of water – just in case.
• Bring hiking poles to protect your knees and ankles, especially on steep downhills. They allow you to use the bigger muscles in your back to distribute the weight on ‘all fours’ – without bending over and giving the guys behind you a booty show. While many experienced hikers feel that hiking poles are reserved for old people or inexperienced hikers, I beg to differ. I work in an Osteoporosis clinic, and after the age of 30 you lose 1% of your bone mass every year, so if you want to take a risk on unsteady rock and snapping your ankle or spraining it and having to have the volunteer rescue workers haul your ass down the mountain – then keep hiking without them 😉
• Hiking shoes that will protect your feet! If you’re hiking on a hot day, these trail-runners have the perfect balance of breathability and terrain grip.
• Watch out for wildlife. On some of the hikes included below, you might see some elk, moose, and if you are lucky, a bear. Never startle, disturb or approach wildlife, and keep as much of a distance as possible. Don’t touch or feed wild animals, and stay at least 2 bus-lengths away from them. For more specific tips on wildlife safety, read REI’s wildlife safety guide.
• Pack out what you pack in. People leaving trash, dog poop, and other paraphernalia on trails in Utah is becoming an increasing problem to the point that they are closing entire sections of the mountain areas that people are legally allowed to hike. This problem isn’t just in the Rocky Mountains – it is throughout the whole state of Utah. Do the right thing: always practice Leave No Trace principles!
• … That includes snakes. Be aware that we are a desert and some hikes may have snakes such as garden snakes and even rattlesnakes on the trail. Oh – we also have ticks, so creating your own trail is not a good idea. There are plenty of hikes along the Wasatch front near Salt Lake City that have ready-made trails maintained by the forest service to keep both wildlife and humans safe!
• Check the weather & trail conditions before you go! Utah weather is very fickle. There is a joke here that you can have rain on one side of the street, hail on the other, and go two blocks down and you get blazing sunshine. This is why wherever you travel in Utah there is typically some kind of weather reporting – many of the nearby Salt Lake City ski resorts have weather cameras you can check as well. If the forecast says rain, stay home: intense rainstorms can blow throw a canyon with crazy speed!

When to go Hiking in Salt Lake City

Because Utah gets quite a bit of snow in the winter months from November to March, hiking here is best in spring or fall.

• In the spring, you can see roaring waterfalls and red, pink and white, purple wildflowers of all shapes and sizes.
• In the fall you will have the brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges on the leaves (depending on the year, the trees, and how cold it gets in the mountains before the snow).
• If you’re eager to get outside in the summertime, I recommend going up to the high Uintas where the elevation of the mountains will not be as hot as the city hikes – but make sure you prepare yourself for the higher elevation. Summertime hikes near Salt Lake City should be started very early in the morning, around 6-8 am at the latest. I don’t recommend hiking low elevation hikes with a lot of sun exposure in the summer – that’s a recipe for heatstroke and dehydration.
• There are a few places where you can do some snow-shoeing here in Utah in the wintertime, but it isn’t generally advisable to hike in the Wasatch-Uinta National Forest unless you have a local guide because of avalanche danger. Fun-ish fact: Alta Ski Resort actually has the most avalanches in the State of Utah, which is right up Little Cottonwood Canyon-and with a major snowstorm, often shuts down parts of the ski resort for safety reasons. 

Brief History of Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is built on the ancient banks of a massive freshwater lake (now referred to as Lake Bonneville by geologists) that used to cover much of present-day Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. The Great Salt Lake, the largest inland body of saltwater in the Western Hemisphere, is just a small remnant of this prehistoric lake and used to comprise the deepest part of the lake (around 1000 feet deep!). You can explore the ‘shoreline’ of ancient Lake Bonneville on foot on the 100-mile Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which you can access from the Natural History Museum of Utah.

When the earliest humans arrived in the area around 13,000 years ago, they thrived off the vast array of fish and animal in the area – stories of this abundance of wildlife have been passed down through the generations of Ute, Paiute, Goshute and Navajo people present today.

Many Native American tribes called the Salt Lake City region home and eight distinct Native American tribal nations call Utah home. In fact, the state of Utah gets its name from the Ute Nation, which was displaced and forced onto reservations in Utah and Colorado. One such reservation, the Uintah and Ouray reservation,  is located approximately 150 miles east of Salt Lake City and is the second-largest Indian Reservation in the U.S.

Many of Utah’s Indigenous tribes gathered and hunted along the shores of nearby lakes and the surrounding mountains. They were – and still are – known as talented artists, specifically with beadwork and leatherwork (You can check out handcrafted Native American art at the annual Indian Art Market in SLC).

Their way of life was disrupted by the arrival of the Spanish, who brought disease, claimed the land as their own, captured many Native Americans to be used as slave labor.

Salt Lake City itself was founded in 1847 by just 148 Mormon settlers when the area we now think of as Utah was still part of Mexico. They were the first non-native settlers to arrive in the basin, but were quickly joined by other settlers once Mexico ceded the area to the U.S. and gold was discovered in nearby canyons.

The arrival of Mormon settlers further pushed Native American tribes off their ancestral lands and competed for their natural resources, eventually causing armed conflicts between the two groups including the bloody Mountain Meadows Massacre.

In 1865, many Native Americans were forced to move away from Salt Lake City region into the drier lands to the east, making their traditional way of life impossible. While some tribes have successfully won reparations for their land losses, many have not.

The Best Hikes near Salt Lake City

Let’s explore some of my favorite hikes near Salt Lake City that will challenge you as a moderately experienced hiker, or introduce you to enjoying hiking even if you’re just getting started. Many of these hikes offer a satisfying payoff at the end with a lake or waterfall, and are extra special to me also because of the challenge they pose for me physically!

Speaking of which: I want to make it clear that I’m not your typical avid hiker. I have a more than healthy cushion on my booty. I’m made more for snuggles than I am for speed. I have reactive asthma, and am pretty much allergic to everything outside. And since I work in healthcare with armed-forces veterans who love it when I give them attitude, I also swear like a navy sailor the whole way up! 

YET, I still bust my ass to get up those easy to moderate hikes near Salt Lake City almost every weekend. There is a part of me that feels if I can prove I’m not the weak link, or that in doing this hike I can prove to myself that I have control over my own mind and thoughts, then I am a worthwhile human. I have also been recovering from Rape, and my brain has a tendency to think everything around me is a threat: going into the woods alone, on a trail alone, or pretty much anywhere alone is perceived as a natural threat.

So for me, getting myself out hiking every weekend is a major mental battle (I think more than most people). When you’re able to reverse the natural tendency for the brain to try and protect you from hard things, or something that will cause pain – you train it to enjoy those things more. 

All that to say: if I can do these hikes, you can too. And all that pain on the way up will pay off: It really is like a little bit of heaven to see some of the sites, clouds, hear the sparrows, see the chicory, showy milkweed, and curlycup gumweed in July, and just feel connected to Mother Earth. 

There is nothing better than swearing all the way up at how hard the hike is, and how out of breath you feel because of the elevation – shocking local Utard’s, as we locals call ourselves, all the way up – to get to the top and then seeing the views. (Heads up – although it’s a self-appointed local nickname, Utard is not something out-of-towners can refer to us as without us taking offense!). 

So with that in mind, let’s dive into the best hikes near Salt Lake City.

Waterfall Canyon, Ogden

• Length: 2.4 miles |Elevation Gain: 1,024 feet  | Hiking Guide

The Ogden Waterfall Hike leads to one of the few waterfalls in the Rocky Mountains of Utah you can actually climb into! In the spring, the trail is crisscrossed by a burbling stream leading to a gushing waterfall; in the fall, the trees along this trail burst into vivid colors of orange, yellow, and red, making the mountains seem like they are lighting on fire. 

The waterfall is tucked into a canyon in Odgen, on the northern end of the Salt Lake City Valley about a 40-minute drive from the city. If you haven’t read Lia’s Salt Lake City brewery guide which talks about how liquor and beer were outlawed here for a long time and there was a secret bar up Ogden Canyon, which is still there… you should. 

The trail begins off the end of 29th Street in Ogden and crosses over into private land that the owners gratefully allow hikers to enjoy. The first part of the trail is on public lands and in full exposure to the sun with a few shady spots to stop and rest. 

Once you get to the moderate-to-hard portion of the trail, which is really the halfway point, there is a moderately swift stream. The stream is wide enough you cannot jump over it, but is perfectly shaded by trees that allow for rivulets of light to shine through making it feel a bit like the setting for a children’s story. It is also a great spot for your dog to take a drink, or, if you’re brave enough, sit in it yourself and cool down for a bit. 

After about 1,000 swear words (aka 25 minutes of stair climbing rocks and boulders), you do have to scramble up the last section on your hands and feet. BUTTS IN THE AIR, PEOPLE!

• Hiking Tip: I would definitely bring some hiking poles to keep your balance on this last stretch. They are also good for on the way down when your ankles are tired from the climb and can help steady you if you are on unstable rock.

Once you reach the waterfall, there are plenty of places and spaces to sit in your own little corner of awe, relishing in the fact that you actually made it. The waterfall itself is 200 feet high and gracefully bounces from rock to rock on its way down from the mountain.

No matter where you sit near the waterfall, there is a small refreshing mist that coats your skin and cools you down. If you make your way to the base of the waterfall, you can bask in its gloriously cool mountain runoff temperature. 

The first time I did this hike, I was on my period and I didn’t think I could make it up the first section because I felt bloody awful (pun intended). But I went anyway, knowing that it was better to do this hike alone because I knew I would be complaining the entire way. 

Alltrails says to give yourself about 2.5 hours to complete the hike, but I think I took about 3.5 hours. It was a bit of a doozy for me to be honest; it definitely is worth the effort though, I promise!

To see exactly how it went and what to expect on this hike, watch this video of me and my adorable hiking buddy, Zoey:

Tips for the Ogden Waterfall Hike

Here are a few tips for this trail before you go:

• Before you head out to hike Ogden Canyon waterfall trail, check Alltrails because trail conditions often change.
• There are bathrooms at the trailhead, but parking is limited and it is quite a popular trail, soooo I suggest going on a Sunday or Monday if you are in the area (Sunday is when many locals are in church).
• There are rattlesnakes and lizards in the area at times and locals often put up warnings and recommendations there.
• You may also see some helpful warnings if the water is too high, as there are 2-3 stream crossings.
• Be sure to bring a swimsuit and a small towel – this is one of the few waterfalls in the Rocky Mountains of Utah you can actually get into! 
• You can bring your dog on a short leash, but make sure you bring bags to pack out their waste. This trail has closed before because hikers were leaving so much trash the owners had to hire someone at their own expense to clear up the trail. Don’t be part of the problem!
• Remember: never go off-trail, climb near the waterfall, or leave trash for the property owners to clean up.

Ensign Peak Trail

Located at the furthest outcropping overlooking the Salt Lake City valley at Ensign Peak in the Wasatch Mountain Range, this classic local trail is the perfect place to watch the twinkling city lights spread out across the valley at sunset. From the Ensign Peak overlook, you can see all the way across the city to the Oquirrh mountains on the other side of the Salt Lake Valley. Ensign Peak is one hike EVERYONE does; consider it a right of literal passage!

Now, I know an elevation gain of 374 feet doesn’t seem like much, but all gain happens all at once over a quarter-mile incline- so make sure to take that into account when starting this hike! This hike is steep, so if you have bad knees or a bad back, make sure to bring some hiking poles.

It’s about a mile to the overlook of the Salt Lake City Valley, which is the halfway point of the hike. And with the full hike being only 1.8 miles, you can do this at any time of day, or in conjunction with the Living Room hike (see below).

That said, the hike has full exposure to the sun, so I recommend doing this hike at sunset for the rewarding, sweeping views of the city.

If you are up to it, pack some cheese and wine and bring a date – this is the perfect hike for the outdoorsy boujie type because of the relatively short distance to the top and the sparkling lights of the city displayed before you at night. 

Oh, one more thing to know before you go: Ensign Peak also has a historic significance of this hike for Utah. Its story begins as most Salt Lake City stories do, with Brigham Young – the controversial, storied leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka LDS, aka Mormon) settlers – who came to this peak only two days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley from Nauvoo, Illinois to survey the city.

While it isn’t considered the initial spot where Brigham Young famously declared “This is the Place,” Ensign Peak it is the place where they did something even more exciting: efficient city planning! Ooooh, ahhh.

From this vantage point, the Mormon leaders carefully mapped out the city in a grid-like way to be able to easily navigate and keep the community organized. Honestly, a simple city grid is just one of those things you don’t really appreciate until you’ve walked around in a city like San Francisco or New York, which is constantly bisected. with random, obnoxious diagonals and dead-ends. The Mormon’s ingenious city planning is one of the few things about the LDS Church that everyone can agree on.

• Salt Lake City Tip: If you want to visit the exact spot where Brigham Young declared Salt Lake City the promised land for religious freedom from the angry, murderous mobs and pesky Government officials and Extermination Orders that plagued the Mormons in Illinois, then you should go to This Is The Place Heritage Park. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, WOOO you are in for a treat! The history of Salt Lake City is FASCINATING, and that’s putting it mildly. If you’d like to spend a fun Friday night learning about it, we recommend this podcast series and this book.

The Living Room Hike

Located on the furthest outcropping of Mt Wire Peak in the Wasatch Mountain Range on, the Living Room Hike is so named because of the rocks that are in the shape of loveseats, couches and lounge chairs at the top.

While it doesn’t have my favorite waterfall or beautiful lake payoff at the end, it does give you a view comparable to what you would see when viewing Salt Lake City from an airplane or helicopter ride! I personally think this is the best place to see the entire valley, from the pointy towers of the Mormon temple to the shining dome of the capitol building, all the way out to the shimmering Great Salt Lake, the Kennecott Copper Mine, and Antelope Island off in the distance.

This is an iconic hike if you come to Salt Lake City. It is very close to the city, and frequently used for trail running and photos ops The trailhead is also right up by Red Butte Gardens, another favorite local hot spot. 

It’s also the same trail used to summit Mt. Wire, a 7,146-foot mountain named for the policeman who developed the first electric red-green stoplight. 

To get to the trailhead from I-15, you take the exit for 400 South and follow that all the way up to Red Butte Gardens near the University of Utah. If you are punching it into Google Maps, make sure you are going to the hiking entrance with an official-looking sign. Otherwise, you will end up adding 0.75 miles to your hike and can get lost a lot easier. 

I highly suggest downloading the AllTrails app for this hike because there are several popular trails that intersect this one. If you go to the correct entrance, then it is a straight shot to the top. Keep to the right the whole time, until you enter into the canyon and then take a sharp left at the tree coverage. 

You will go past some bushes, and just when you think your body is going to go into full-blown cramping revolt, you’ll reach the first payoff view of the Salt Lake City Valley and see sweeping views of the city all the way to the Oquirrh mountains on the other side of the Salt Lake Valley, clear down to the point of the mountain where you enter into Utah Valley (where Provo and Orem are located).

You aren’t done yet though; you have to head to the right again, and go up another steep incline to a patch of flat rocks strewn about from falling after a mini avalanche or heavy snowfall creeping down the mountain with boulders in tow. It’s easy to see once you get past the bushes that are crowding the trail a bit.

The traditional end of the hike is marked by flat slabs of rock that are set up (in a very makeshift way) to look like couches and lounge chairs for you to enjoy the aforementioned views of the city. This ‘ending’ is the farthest point that juts out from the mountain you are hiking.

• Hiking Tip: If you want to challenge your hiking skills, there is an option to keep heading up to completely summit the mountain, but most people stop at the manmade rock living room. 

Psst: I’ve created a video guide all about hiking the Living Room Trail! Take a look:

Tips for the Living Room Hike

A few things to know before you go:

• I recommend bringing hiking poles because there is quite a bit of loose rock with steep edges nearby, and I found myself unsteady on my feet a few times. 
• Dogs are allowed on this trail.
• There is no water along the hike so make sure to pack it with you, for you and your pooch. 
• The best time to do this hike is in early spring or fall to avoid the desert heat. In the spring you will also get purple, yellow, and tiny white daisy-like wildflowers. In the fall, the juniper trees and surrounding foliage will turn brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. You can do the hike in the summer, but heatstroke is quite common for those not used to the desert sun and dry heat; and in the winter, the hike is covered in snow – so unless you are an experienced snowshoe aficionado and don’t get scared about falling down the mountain, steer clear.
• People will often trail run this route, but there are plenty of places to let them pass and enjoy the view of their rippling pectorals as they do.

Donut Falls Trail

Another waterfall trail, yay! Hang on though – why is this hike called the Donut Falls Trail if you don’t actually get a donut at the end? It’s actually because the way the waterfall runs down the mountain has worn away a hole at the base of the waterfall, so that from a certain angle, it looks like water is exiting through a donut hole.

If you know anything about Utahns, we LOVE our unique rock formations. (Ahem: Kodachrome Basin, Goblin Valley, Mexican Hat, Moab). 

I recommend doing the Donut Falls hike around mid-afternoon so that you can scramble over to the waterfall and see the donut with the light shining through it perfectly. You’ll meet many friendly locals on this popular trail, so it won’t be hard for you to ask about how to position yourself correctly to see it!

I would also bring some water shoes with good traction on them as the rocks do get slick, and to see the donut portion you have to traverse on to the slippery rocks and peer underneath the rocky overhang in order to see what the donut actually is.

Donut Falls is a very popular trail, especially for families, so be prepared to be patient when you get to the top in order to get your photos of the donut portion of this waterfall. The rocks are slippery and the water is cold, so please be careful if you are an inexperienced hiker. 

A few more things to keep in mind as you hike this trail:

• Please be kind when you get to the top—don’t push. It is ok to ask if you can take a picture with just you in it.
• Do NOT go on a holiday weekend or you could be waiting for a good hour to get to the falls.
• If you go in the spring or late fall it will be beautiful with wildflowers like Indian Paintbrush, or the fiery colors of the Fall. However, this is also the time of year that the water level will be too high and dangerous for you to get to the donut portion of the waterfall!
• This is a great hike to do in the summer though because the water levels are lower, and it won’t be as dangerous to traverse the slippery rocks in order to see the donut portion of the waterfall. 
• There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, as well as bathrooms. There are also forest rangers that regularly patrol the parking area, so make sure you don’t park illegally, either. 
• Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on this trail since it is considered a watershed area, aka where people in the city get their water from. So do not try to sneak them with you, or you might get stopped by a local or a ranger and receive a massive fine.

How to get there: The Donut Falls trail is located between Kessler Peak and Reed and Benson Ridge Right off of Big Cottonwood Canyon Road on your way to Brighton Ski Resort in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. To get to the trailhead of Donut Falls, drive down a three-quarter-mile dirt road off of Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, which most low-clearance two-wheel drive vehicles can use.

Willow Lake Trail

Willow Lake gives the kind of National Geographic-worthy reflection in the lake that fills the soul with all sorts of warm fuzzy goodness. The Willow Lake Trail is a favorite for backpackers, as you can pack in your camping gear and camp near the lake. There are plenty of places for hammocks and tents once you get to Willow Lake where you can laze about and assign animal shapes to the clouds.

You’ll find the trailhead right across from Brighton Ski Resort up Big Cottonwood Canyon Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Just make sure as you go up the trail you stick to the left; the trail on the right gets you into some pretty steep territory that can be hard for hiking beginners!

The first half-mile of the trail is quite steep, making this a moderate trail for most hikers. But after that first half-mile, the trail levels out and you have gorgeous views of fields, birch trees, and snow-capped mountains.

• Note: you will see loads of offshoot trails, but don’t worry – they all still lead to the same place. The trail to the right is slightly shorter with no stream crossings. The trail to the left does have a few stream crossings and is a bit longer but is better suited to the moderate trail rating. So basically what I’m saying is…..choose your own adventure with this one. 

Once you get to the lake, there will be some mosquitos (at least until the first frost hits in late fall), so be sure to bring some bug spray!

If you hike this trail in mid-Summer (July/early August), you will catch the wildflowers blooming like the brilliant red of the Indian Paintbrush (my favorite). In the Fall though, the brilliant yellow of the birch trees is well worth waiting to hike, but then you also are risking your hike being thwarted by snow.

There are a lot of people who use this trail so it isn’t hard to find your way to the lake. If you want to make it a truly special experience, you can backpack in with your camping gear and set up your campsite by the lake for the night.

If you don’t have time to camp overnight, I recommend bringing a hammock to string up between some trees, and a little picnic. 

• Hiking Tip: This hiking trail is part of a watershed area so you cannot go swimming in the lake or bring dogs. Also, keep an eye out for elk, moose, and bears. And whatever you do, don’t head up the canyon during a rainstorm……the thunder and lightning can be extremely dangerous and blow in quickly!

Cecret Lake Trail  

• Length: 1.7 mile   Elevation Gain:  459 feet | Hiking Guide

Yes: the name of hike is spelled correctly! It’s pronounced. like”Secret,” but named for Cecret Lake.

Despite its name, it’s actually a highly trafficked area (which in hiking just means the trail is easy to follow), and for good reason – the payoff at the end is this gorgeous little lake tucked right up against the mountain. This area was once a glacier (many moons ago) and so has a rich soil perfect for high Uinta Mountain flowers that reach their peak season of blooming in late July to early August.

The trail is easy, up until the last third of the trail, then it gets a bit steep and rocky at the end. The trail is fairly short and it does have some great foliage cover making it a great hike for those less experienced or not wanting a major workout trying to get up the trail.

Be sure to bring a snack, a blanket, and very importantly, BUG SPRAY (or even better, bug reppellant lotion)! The mosquitos are pretty bad by the lake, but with bug spray, you can have a nice little picnic here. 

• Photography Tip: Make sure to bring a wide-angle camera lens (16-24mm) with a polarizing filter so you can capture AMAZING reflections shots of the surrounding mountains in the lake.  

This trail must be done in the summer months due to its high elevation at 9,875 feet. The trailhead’s parking doesn’t even open until late July, when the snow finally melts. You’ll need to check the Alta Ski Area website for exact opening times. The best time to hike to Cecret Lake would be late July/early August–it’s usually packed during Pioneer Day (July 24th), which is a State holiday in Utah. 

The trailhead is located in the Wasatch Mountains up Little Cottonwood Canyon right above Alta Ski Area right near Alta Ski Resort – to avoid traffic issues, I highly recommend bringing $5 cash with you and riding the resort’s shuttle bus up to the trailhead.

If shuttle buses are not running, park at Wildcat Base Area parking ($8 per car) and hike the lower Albion Basin Meadows with beautiful wildflowers up to the Cecret Lake Trailhead.

Bell’s Canyon Hike (Lower Falls) 

• Length:  4.6 miles  | Elevation Gain:  1,453 feet | Hiking Guide

There are a few options with the Bells Canyon Waterfall hike: you have the option of going just to the reservoir, taking the grueling 10-mile route through the Upper Bells Canyon, or hiking the moderately rated Bells Canyon Trail to Lower Falls. Even talking about all these hikes in the sequence is making me tired!

Once you get to the Bells Canyon Waterfall, you’ll be treated to a roaring waterfall around 30 feet tall coming off the mountain like nature is dumping a bucket of water on the trees below after the last football game of the season. 

This hike starts out fairly easy until you get to the reservoir, and you can choose to continue up to the waterfall or not. If you choose to hike to the waterfall, you want to continue up the dirt road until you see a sign on the left of the trail for the waterfall. 

The last mile of the hike is pretty steep with lots of boulders to climb over. It is a tough trail, aka exercise bootcamp type hell – but still considered moderate for Utah standards. 

You do have shade most of the way up the canyon, so although this hike is low elevation, it’s a great hike for spring, summer or fall.

Give yourself about 3 hours or 4 to complete this route if you are planning on taking your time to enjoy the scenery of the Utah Rocky Mountain woods on the way up, so you can spend more time enjoying the waterfall and letting yourself be entranced by the falling waters.  

Unfortunately, this trail is not dog-friendly, and you cannot swim in the waterfall. If you do either of these things, be prepared to be verbally harassed and scolded and maybe even stopped or reported to the forest service.

Why so aggressive? Well, Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon are considered watershed areas. Because Bell’s Canyon is so close to Little Cottonwood Canyon, they still consider it a watershed area as the creek leads right into a water reservoir. Meaning that you would be swimming or letting your dog mark their territory in the water that people drink in the city! We’re out in a desert, so ample resources for water here are not plentiful—if the water gets contaminated, the city has to shut down the supply which means bills go up. So don’t swim in the water or bring your dogs….sorry. 

Little Cottonwood Canyon also has historical and spiritual importance as the source for the Granite that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Temple is made from. They used oxen carts to haul out 5-ton chunks of granite at a time to build this historic and pivotal landmark that is still a defining symbol for Salt Lake City today. 

• How to Get There: The trail is in The Canyon immediately South of Little Cottonwood Canyon above Bell’s Reservoir, following Bell’s Canyon Creek up to the waterfall.  There are two entrances to get to the Lower Bells Canyon route: one entrance is off Wasatch Blvd (a super crowded and busy street); the other is via 9800 S, which is my preference because the road you park on at 9800 S isn’t as dangerous to get out of your car to start the hike, because of traffic. 

Stewart Falls Trail

• Length:  3.4 miles | Elevation Gain:  646 feet | Hiking Guide

Location: Right off of Utah State Route 92, next to Aspen Falls Camp Center, and near the Mount Timpanogos Trailhead

Steward Falls is the furthest hike on this list from Salt Lake City, Utah, but it is also my favorite hike and a real classic for Utahns. This hike is incredible to do in the fall—you are surrounded by deep green pine trees and have tunnels of birch trees that turn a brilliant yellow; they swirl around you like the forest is giving its magical blessing to you along the way. 

Before I introduce you to this one, a very important safety note: please DO NOT try to climb down to the falls unless you are roped up and know how to rock climb safely. We had someone rescued this summer who had been trying to do this and it took rescuers 8 hours to get them out!

The trail to Stewart Falls is wide enough that groups can pass each other without giving the awkward body odor whiff at every passing. Dogs are also allowed on this trail, but must be leashed at all times. 

Along the Stewart Falls Trail watch out for big tree limbs along the ground; there are also a lot of big steps (short person problems—I’m 5’4”). There are some areas that are steep, but also areas where it levels out and you can easily enjoy your time without feeling like you’re about to die of a heart attack. I only swore about 10 times right before getting to the actual waterfall, which tells you how enjoyable this trail is!

But the payoff is a gorgeous 200-foot waterfall seen from above, with a perfectly positioned rock to take photos. Do not be surprised either if you see some ‘extra’ brides up there taking photos on that rock.  It is truly. a perfect photo op.

I have done this hike about 3 times now, and if you want to do something really exciting, try hiking this route in the dark. Just bring a headlamp and make sure your shoelaces are tied so you don’t trip over yourself (not that I would know what that would feel like *ahem*). 

• Hiking Tip: Make sure you bring cash to pay the toll to the forest trolls. No really, bring $6 cash (no change provided, so be exact) per car to put in the envelope at the sign near the trailhead and the tag on your dashboard. It’s based on an honor system, but the rangers routinely give tickets up here. Also, don’t be a d*ck.

Map of the Best Hikes Near Salt Lake City, Utah

We’ve created a map of all the hikes mentioned in this post! Bookmark this post or save the map to your phone to come back to it later.

Where to Stay in Salt Lake City, Utah

Out-of-towners Lia & Jeremy here: we’ve visited Salt Lake City several times, and our favorite place to stay is downtown. It can be mildly jarring to travel from sunny 50-degree spring weather into blizzarding mountains every day, but we love the ability to enjoy the big city and all of its perks – and restaurants, and fancy coffee, etc – while spending our days exploring the mountains.

• For a budget-friendly hotel, the Hotel RL by Red Lion is centrally located in downtown Salt Lake City. Prices start from just $94 a night and include perks like a free airport transfer, complimentary artisanal Victrola Coffee Roasters coffee and espresso drinks (YASSSS sold), and free bike rentals. They also have a philanthropic initiative, Project Wake Up Call, in partnership with The Road Home, which works to provide shelter to homeless individuals and families in Salt Lake City. You can get a free night at any Hotel RL location by making a donation of $100 or more to one of their partner charities (terms and conditions apply). How amazing is that?!
• There are lots of fantastic Airbnbs in Salt Lake City. We recommend staying downtown, and this beautiful, centrally located studio is budget-friendly but looks luxurious. This central downtown apartment is pricier, but like … those VIEWS and those WINDOWS. We also love this 1892 Queen Anne in The Avenues, complete with clawfoot baths, a hot tub in the garden, gorgeous historical features, and an upstairs deck connected to the master suite. It is a little gem in Salt Lake City’s most historical neighborhood!

Note: If you stay downtown you’ll need a car to get around and reach the hikes. Downtown itself is spread out but some areas are quite walkable! Reserve a car in advance using rentalcars.com or Kayak and pick it up at the Salt Lake City Airport.

Contributor Bio: Janiel Green is a Physician Assistant, writer, photographer, videographer, dog lover, and scuba diver. She started Culture Trekking as a way to share sustainable adventures from around the globe, and highlight the beauty in all the small moments of life that are often overlooked. Head over to CultureTrekking.com for more in-depth local tips and Utah’s best hidden gems (like Fishlake National Forest, and Bear Lake). And check out the Culture Trekking YouTube channel where you can see these hikes and more Utah coverage!

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Are you ready to lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails? Which of the best hikes in Salt Lake City are you most excited to tackle? Drop us a comment below!

Psst: Looking for more things to do near Salt Lake City? Take a look at some of our other posts:

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