The AdventureKEEN Blog
Forget Summer; the Time to Hike Los Angeles County Is Now
From short nature trails to difficult peak climbs, Los Angeles County is a hiker’s paradise. The diverse topography and geology yield a variety of localized climates, and these climates make for excellent hiking conditions any time of year.
Yet there remains a notion in Southern California that summer is hiking season, even though it tends to be hot and dry. While this belief might make sense in other parts of our vast and beautiful country, it does not hold true in the Los Angeles area. For Southland residents and visitors, prime hiking conditions begin in autumn.
“Late fall brings autumn color to the oak woodlands and wet canyons of the county,” says David Harris, coauthor of Afoot & Afield: Los Angeles County (November 2019, Wilderness Press). Harris adds, “This is a time when the marine layer over the coastline and basin often lies low, while the air above can be extraordinarily clean and dry.”
The region offers plenty of trails to explore. In the updated edition of his guidebook (originally written by Jerry Schad), Harris details 259 spectacular outings. This comprehensive collection of hiking adventures is for everyone from families with small children to experienced mountaineers seeking the ultimate challenge. The guide encompasses almost all public lands within the county, including Griffith Park and the Hollywood Hills, the San Gabriel Wilderness, Crystal Lake Recreation Area, and numerous county and city parks.
Complete descriptions and driving directions are paired with easy-to-read maps with GPS waypoints. At-a-glance essential information—including distance, hiking time, elevation gain, and ratings for difficulty—help readers choose the perfect trail to fit their interests. Plus, readers need not venture far into the wilderness to find the top routes.
“Many of the best hiking opportunities start right on the edge of town, right off the freeway,” Harris says.
He would know. For the fourth edition of the book, Harris rehiked every open trail. In doing so, his field work involved more than 1,500 miles of walking and 20,000 miles of driving, over 2½ years.
Harris divides the trails into 33 regions and includes what he believes is “virtually every hike worth taking within an hour’s drive of the city.” The thoroughness of his approach makes Afoot & Afield: Los Angeles County an essential guide for anyone with an interest in experiencing Los Angeles County on foot.
With so many trails, it would be a challenge to explore them all. Luckily, Southern California’s hiking season lasts a very long time.
“More than 9 times out of 10, your outings in Los Angeles County are likely to coincide with dry weather and temperatures in a moderate register for at least part of the day,” says Harris. “Few other areas around the country, and probably no other great city in the world, can offer such good odds.”
Afoot & Afield: Los Angeles County ($24.95, paperback) is available wherever books are sold, including bookstores, gift shops, and online retailers.
About the Authors
David Harris is a professor of engineering at Harvey Mudd College. He is the author or coauthor of seven hiking guidebooks and five engineering textbooks. David grew up rambling about the Desolation Wilderness as a toddler in his father’s pack and later roamed the High Sierra as a Boy Scout. As a Sierra Club trip leader, he organized mountaineering trips throughout the Sierra Nevada. Since 1999, he has been exploring the mountains and deserts of Southern California. David is the father of three sons, with whom he loves sharing the outdoors.
Jerry Schad (1949–2011) was Southern California’s leading outdoors writer. His 16 guidebooks, including those in Wilderness Press’s popular and comprehensive Afoot & Afield series, along with his “Roam-O-Rama” column in the San Diego Reader, helped thousands of hikers discover the region’s diverse wild places. Jerry ran or hiked many thousands of miles of distinct trails throughout California, in the Southwest, and in Mexico. He was a sub-24-hour finisher of Northern California’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run and served in a leadership capacity for outdoor excursions around the world. He taught astronomy and physical science at San Diego Mesa College and chaired its physical sciences department from 1999 until 2011. His sudden, untimely death from kidney cancer shocked and saddened the hiking community.
Five Things to Do on a Weekend Trip to Denver, Colorado
I’ve visited Colorado before, but I’d never been to Denver until last weekend. I was in town promoting my new book, Phillip Lindsay: Rise of a Hometown Football Hero. It seemed like a perfect excuse for a mini vacation, so my wife and a few friends decided to tag along. If you’re looking for things to do this weekend, here are five itinerary ideas that we loved.
1. Drive the Lariat Loop
When my wife suggested Colorado’s Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway, a few miles west of Denver, I imagined a terrifying white-knuckle drive at the edge of a cliff. I’m happy to report it isn’t that! It’s a scenic drive along 40 miles of well-maintained roads.
A person could make the loop in an hour or so. But there are so many points of interest that you could also spend a day or more traversing it. Because time was short on our Colorado vacation, we only stopped at two spots outside Denver. We spent a few minutes at the Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum, largely because the view of the city from there is not to be missed. We also explored the next item on the list:
2. Visit Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
This place took our breaths away—in more ways than one. Even before you get to the amphitheatre, the setting is spectacular. The Colorado landscape, where plains meet mountains, is a sight to behold. As for the amphitheatre, it is by all accounts a perfect place for a concert. We didn’t get to see a show, but we were thrilled even just to walk down to the stage area. We were much less thrilled when we had to walk back up!
3. Go to a Denver Broncos Football Game
Admittedly, this option isn’t for everyone. It is expensive, and if you aren’t a football fan, you might instead opt for a self-guided tour via Walking Denver. (That’s what half of our party did.) Those of us who visited Empower Field at Mile High enjoyed a beautiful Colorado day at one of the best stadiums in the country.
4. Take a Ghost Walk
For a fun blend of local history and macabre storytelling, you can’t go wrong with a ghost walk. We booked ours through Nightly Spirits. The 2.5-hour tour was less than a mile of walking. The time was mostly spent sitting in private rooms at four different bars. There, our guide regaled us with tales of reported hauntings. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, a ghost walk definitely qualifies as a unique experience worth trying.
5. Enjoy the Food
I don’t have fancy tastes (I’m a fussy eater), but I take my dining out seriously. The meals in Denver were consistently amazing. It started with a home run at Jabo’s Bar-Be-Q in Greenwood Village. We also, of course, had to try the famous Colorado-style pizza at Beau Jo’s (along the Lariat Loop). Other favorites included dinner at the Blue Moon Brewing Company and breakfast at The Cow Eatery (also on the Lariat Loop). If the weekend’s first meal wasn’t my favorite, it had to be the last: a pizza place called Two-Fisted Mario’s.
You’ll find a variety of things to do this weekend in the Mile-High City. You can also grab a copy of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder. And if you aren’t in Colorado, today’s a good day to start planning your next trip.
Find the Best Hikes in Tucson, Arizona, Year-Round
Don’t be fooled by the temperature in Tucson. The thermometer might read 100 degrees in June or 50 degrees in December, but almost any day is ideal for a hike, regardless of the weather. Encircled by mountains, blessed with desert scenery, and flanked to its east and west by Saguaro National Park, Tucson is a hiker’s paradise.
In the new edition of Five-Star Trails: Tucson (December 2019, Menasha Ridge Press), local author Rob Rachowiecki presents 38 five-star hiking trails, for all levels and interests. Divided into six distinct areas in and around the city, the trails provide plenty of opportunities to explore. Readers can bag a peak, take a dip in a swimming hole, or wander among towering rock formations. The nearby mountains are temperate in summer, and the desert is gorgeous during winter. So there is always a trail to suit anyone’s needs.
“Perhaps the area’s greatest attraction is being able to hike year-round in superb scenery,” says the author.
As an example of Tucson’s diverse beauty, Rob cites Mount Lemmon. “Driving [there] is the equivalent of driving from the Mexican border to the Canadian border in terms of ecosystems. It takes just an hour to drive Mount Lemmon Road from saguaro cactus lowlands through high desert grasslands, and on to oak and mesquite woodlands, ending in pine, fir, and spruce highlands. Meanwhile, the temperature drops by 20 to 30 degrees. It’s no wonder, then, that Tucsonans enjoy picnicking and hiking in the mountains to get away from 100-degree summer temperatures in the city.”
In the guidebook, Rob includes detailed descriptions of popular routes, ranging from relaxing jaunts to full-day ascents, as well as a number of lesser-known hikes. Each featured trail is assigned one- to five-star ratings in each of the following categories: scenery, trail condition, suitability for children, level of difficulty, and degree of solitude. This helps readers find a perfect outing with just a glance.
Of course, as Rob puts it, “This being Tucson, none of the hikes have one- or two-star ratings for scenery.”
GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and directions to trailheads help to ensure that readers know where they are and where to go. Insights into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes entertain and educate hikers while out on the trails.
Those with more specific interests will appreciate Rob’s recommended hikes near the beginning of the book. For example, Rob provides curated lists that include “Best for Nature,” “Best for Mountain Summits,” “Best for Kids,” and “Best for Wheelchair Adventurers.”
Five-Star Trails: Tucson ($17.95, paperback) is an essential guide for visitors and residents alike. It helps them save time and make the most of their hiking opportunities. It is available wherever books are sold, including bookstores, gift shops, and online retailers.
About the Author
Rob Rachowiecki was raised in London and climbed his first mountain by accident while on a school biology field course in Scotland. Rob crossed the pond in 1974 and traveled throughout the Americas, from Alaska to Argentina. He has authored hiking and climbing guides to Central America and the Central Andes, as well as travel guides to Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the American Southwest. He has been an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers since 1997.
Since 1990 he has lived in Tucson, where he earned a master’s degree at the University of Arizona and where he enjoys the area’s varied ethnic restaurants, theaters, and outdoor music festivals. He is often found hiking the many desert, canyon, and mountain trails surrounding Tucson, following the seasonal changes, and usually doing a spot of bird-watching, as Brits are wont to do.
Find the Ghost Adventures in Your Area for Halloween
It’s October, which means it’s time to plan something spooky—like the ghost adventures in your city or state. Yes, there are pumpkin patch festivals, haunted hayrides, and ghost walks in all corners of the country. And those are often worth attending. But to really get your heart pumping, plan a visit to a documented haunted destination. The America’s Haunted Road Trip series by Clerisy Press is your guide to the best nearby locales.
The haunted house in your neighborhood, the one that’s privately owned, is off limits. The number one rule of ghosthunting (aside from staying safe) is to never trespass. That’s why the books by Clerisy Press are perfect references. The ghost adventures presented in these books are open to the public.
Each state-specific book presents around 30 notoriously haunted places, from churches and libraries to restaurants and hotels. For example, Ghosthunting Colorado includes the Stanley Hotel, a site that isn’t only known for its ghosts but also as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. With Ghosthunting Maryland, you’ll find a small municipal park where a haunted house—the one that provided the basis for The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty—used to be.
Of course, not every site or story is internationally famous. So the authors spend several pages on each destination, describing the haunted histories and their own ghost adventures. At the Regent Theatre from Ghosthunting Michigan, the author tells us that the cinema is reportedly haunted by a former projectionist. From Ghosthunting Southern California, we learn that the Mission Park Jail is believed to be haunted by several of the countless people who died there throughout the 1800s.
Armed with this knowledge, you can choose the haunted house or cemetery or lighthouse of your choice, based on location or based on which account creeps you out the most—or the least! Go alone, if you dare, or bring a friend, or make it party.
Ghosthunting books are available for the states of Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia; as well as San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country; Southern California; and Southern New England. You’ll also find the city-specific books Chicago Haunted Handbook, Cincinnati Haunted Handbook, Ghosthunting New York City, Haunted Hoosier Trails, Nashville Haunted Handbook, Spirits of New Orleans, Spooked in Seattle, and Twin Cities Haunted Handbook from Clerisy Press.
Find a Spiritual Escape at Kentucky’s Red River Gorge
Every day, we are crowded by people, buildings, and traffic. Our mobile devices inundate us with text messages, emails, and social media alerts. It’s no wonder that so many of us crave an escape—a quiet, peaceful place to renew our spirits and recharge our bodies. According to author Sean Patrick Hill, that place is the Red River Gorge.
In the new edition of Hiking Kentucky’s Red River Gorge (November 2019, Menasha Ridge Press), Sean presents 28 trail routes that showcase the region’s unparalleled beauty. He guides readers to lush forests, secluded waterfalls, and brilliant wildflowers within the three geographic areas that make up “the Gorge:” Red River Gorge Geological Area, the Clifty Wilderness, and Natural Bridge State Resort Park.
“The Gorge is, in fact, a spiritual place,” says Sean. “Though the Gorge is increasingly busy during warm weather, there is still an opportunity to find silence. Many times of year, if not midweek in summer, you can have a large swath of wilderness to yourself.”
To that end, Sean provides a list of “Best Hikes for Seclusion” near the beginning of the book. One such recommendation is the Osborne Bend Loop of the famous Sheltowee Trace. The difficult but exhilarating trail roughly follows the canyon of Gladie Creek on its way to the Red River. The picturesque route even includes a view of a nice waterfall.
As Sean’s other “Recommended Hikes” demonstrate, the Gorge offers more than a quiet retreat. His curated lists include “Best Hikes for Kids,” “Best Hikes for Wildflowers,” and a variety of other selections.
“There are plenty of reasons to hike the Red River Gorge: exercise, sightseeing, bird-watching, backpacking, and more,” adds Sean.
Those reasons also include the famed arches.
“It can be argued that the real draw of the Red River Gorge is the rock,” Sean says. “With the most rock arches east of the Mississippi River, this area stands alone for scenery.”
The hikes detailed in this book cover every major trail in the Red River Gorge. They allow for day hikes of varying lengths, times, and difficulties. Each of the 28 entries includes ratings for scenery, trail condition, difficulty, and solitude. For each route, there is a full-color map, elevation profile, and photography, as well as an overview, route details, and driving directions.
“For the most part, if you undertake all of these hikes, you will have seen the best the Gorge has to offer,” says Sean. “I chose hikes not only for the value of destinations but also for exploration of the various topography of the Gorge.”
Sean, a Louisville resident, has hiked some of the best trails in the country, including the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Yet he has high praise for the Gorge.
“It really takes only one good hike to fall in love with the Red River Gorge. After that, you’ll find yourself thinking about it again and again.”
Hiking Kentucky’s Red River Gorge ($18.95, paperback) is available wherever books are sold, including bookstores, gift shops, and online retailers.
About the Author
Sean Patrick Hill lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he spends time with his daughter, practices photography, and writes. As a hiker and backpacker, he has walked trails across the country, from the Pacific Crest Trail to the Appalachian Trail, including rambles in the Grand Canyon, the Delaware Water Gap, Yosemite National Park, the Rocky Mountains, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Oregon Cascades. In Kentucky, he tends to stick to the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (where he volunteers as a trail ranger) and the Jefferson Memorial Forest, though he will on occasion ramble as far as Pine Mountain, the Cumberland Gap, and, of course, the Red River Gorge.
Constellations Activity Book a Surprise Best-Seller
The Constellations Activity Book is the unexpected answer to a question I hear at every elementary school visit: “What’s your best-selling book?” The students typically think I’ll reply with something more traditional, like a picture book, chapter book, or novel. But my top title is a collection of dot-to-dots and other games centered on the joys of stargazing.
Although I have more than 50 titles to my credit, writing books is my second job. By day, I work for Adventure Publications, a publishing imprint of AdventureKEEN and the publisher of the Constellations Activity Book. Back in 2011, I was in the midst of editing a series of state-specific activity books. (I was also the graphic designer and art director for those projects.) Needless to say, activity books were constantly on my mind.
For that matter, stargazing was too. A year earlier, in 2010, Adventure Publications had produced Night Sky by Jonathan Poppele. To say it was successful would be an understatement. It was a hit. We followed it with the Night Sky Playing Cards—which soon became our best-selling item.
Late in 2011, I was looking at an illustration of Ursa Major. It featured the famous star pattern with the shape of a bear drawn around it. Of course, a leap of imagination is usually required to see the figures that constellations represent. My first thought was that it would be an impossible stargazing guessing game for children. Then something in my mind clicked. What if children were shown those star patterns—but instead of guessing, the answer was revealed through a dot-to-dot?
It was such a good idea (if I do say so myself) that I was certain it must have been done before. I scoured the internet for the bevy of books that would burst my creative bubble.
To my extreme delight, I found nothing that featured dot-to-dots of constellations.
The next day, I pitched the idea at work. The response was… lukewarm. After a bit of hemming and hawing, management gave me the greenlight—with a limited budget for illustrations. They were not confident that it would sell.
Luckily, my friend Shane Nitzsche was a talented artist and a stargazing nut. I begged a favor off him, and he agreed to do the project—mostly because of the subject matter.
With him on board, I was left to create the book. I chose 26 constellations, wrote the manuscript, and put the book together—with a huge assist from the design team.
The end result is a fantastic, educational product. Each entry includes a dot-to-dot, a supplemental activity or game, a description of the mythology, and simple instructions on how to locate the figure in the night sky.
More than 7 years later, the Constellations Activity Book is still going strong. The interactive introduction to stargazing is available wherever books are sold.