#197 Teutonia Peak
Teutonia Peak is an amazing trail in the heart of the Mojave National Preserve. This 3 mile round-trip hike to the top winds through the largest and densest Joshua Tree forest on Earth. Sweeping views of Mojave Desert terrain including the symmetrical Cima Dome soar for miles as this peak tops out at 5,755 feet.
#192 El Capitan
El Capitan is one of the most iconic rock formations at Yosemite National Park. This granite monolith rises 3,000 feet straight up from the valley floor. One look will leave you breathless.
#181 Panoramic Point
At 7,520 feet high in Kings Canyon National Park, Panoramic Point is a great place to enjoy a vista in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From the parking area, a quarter mile hike takes you to the breathtaking views. The drive here from Grant Grove winds through beautiful woods and meadows and is equally breathtaking.
#179 El Pescador State Beach
Meaning 'the fisherman' in Spanish, El Pescador State Beach is a great pocket beach in the Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area. From tide pools to sandy beach, this beach has something for everyone and rarely attracts large crowds. It is a slice of Malibu heaven.
#175 Twenty Mule Team Canyon
Twenty Mule Team Canyon in Death Valley National Park is a beautiful drive with colorful badlands and eroded cliffs. It was named after the famous 'Twenty Mule Team' of 18 mules and 2 horses who hauled borax in wagons out of Death Valley between 1883 to 1889. The trip was a difficult ten day, 165 mile trek across the Mojave. History lives on in this perfect symbolic spot of the Old West. *Please use caution on this dirt road in the desert
#169 Santa Cruz Island
Off the Central Coast lies Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands owned by the National Park Service and Nature Conservancy. Inhabited by Chumash Native Americans for at least 10,000 years, they called the island 'Limuw' meaning 'in the sea'. Legend has it that the Chumash found a priest's staff left behind from the Spanish Portola expedition of 1769 and returned it. The island was then named 'La Isla de Santa Cruz' or 'Island of the Sacred Cross' from this friendly gesture.
Santa Cruz Island is the largest island in California and contains 77 miles of varied coastline from sandy shores to rocky coves. More than 600 plant species dot the island while eight grow nowhere else on Earth. A highlight to the island is spotting the curious Island Fox. Hikes for every skill level can be explored in this marvelous place for solitude.
#167 Tharp's Log
Tharp's Log is a hollowed giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park. Led here by the Yokuts Native Americans, Hale Tharp was the first modern pioneer to discover the Giant Forest. He lived in this log 'cabin' in the summertime from 1861 to 1890, the year the park was established. Adjacent Log Meadow was the perfect spot for Tharp to raise his cattle. This National Register of Historic Places Landmark is a great mild hike for any visit to the park.
#161 Kelso Depot
The Kelso Depot stands brilliantly in the middle of the Mojave National Preserve. Now a visitor center for the park, the depot has been a desert landmark since opening in 1923. It was an important railroad service stop for the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad and was crucial during World War II for the war effort delivering key goods via Union Pacific. The National Park Service saved the depot from demolition when abandoned after passenger service ended in 1964 and restored it to its original glory. It continues to be a beacon of light for travelers in the desolate, yet stunning Mojave Desert.
#160 Leo Carrillo State Park
Leo Carrillo State Park on the coast of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is one of the jewels of Malibu. With its secret rocky coves and white sandy beaches, the place has it all. Named after Leo Carrillo, famous actor on the State Park Board, this beach has also been featured in many movies and television shows. It is the perfect spot to catch a sunset.
#154 Cholla Cactus Garden
The Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park is a strikingly beautiful natural garden that wraps a quarter mile. Nicknamed the 'teddy-bear' cholla, these cacti look soft and fuzzy but are extremely sharp and pointy. Cholla grow between 1 and 5 feet tall and bloom in the late spring.
