In memory of Jerry Schad, 1949–2011
101 Hikes in Southern California
1st EDITION 1996
2nd EDITION 2005
3rd EDITION 2013
Copyright © 1996, 2005, and 2013 by Jerry Schad and David Money Harris
Cover photos copyright © 2013 by David Money Harris
Interior photos: Jerry Schad and David Money Harris
Maps: Jerry Schad, David Money Harris, and Steve Jones
Cover and interior design: Larry B. Van Dyke
Editor: Laura Shauger
ISBN 978-0-89997-716-4; eISBN 978-0-89997-717-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
| Published by: | Wilderness Press |
| c/o Keen Communications | |
| PO Box 43673 | |
| Birmingham, AL 35243 | |
| (800) 443-7227; FAX (205) 326-1012 | |
| www.wildernesspress.com |
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Distributed by Publishers Group West
Cover photos: Palm Canyon (Hike 51)
Frontispiece: Devil’s Backbone (Hike 32)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.
SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions and know your own limitations.
Preface
Just beyond the limits of Southern California’s ever-spreading urban sprawl lies a world apart. In snippets of open space here and in sprawling wilderness areas there, California’s primeval landscape survives more or less untarnished. In hundreds of hidden places just over the urban horizon (and sometimes within the cities themselves), you can still find nature’s radiant beauty unfettered—or at least not too seriously compromised—by human intervention.
Our purpose in writing this book is to entice you to explore some of these hidden places. In the pages ahead you will find updated versions of trips previously published in Jerry Schad’s Afoot & Afield series of guidebooks on Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties, plus additional trips from eastern Ventura County, western San Bernardino County, and western Riverside County—a total of 101 hikes described in detail. The overview map on pages x–xi reveals how the majority of hikes chosen for this book cluster around the major urban areas of Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. As a result, no matter where you live within Southern California, you can likely access 50 or more of these hikes in less than a two-hour drive.
Users of the Afoot & Afield books will already be familiar with the format and layout of this book. Each hike description includes a capsulized summary. Each trip is plotted on an easy-to-read sketch map. Photos of scenery and interesting features on or near the trails are sprinkled throughout the book.
The book was originally written by Jerry Schad, the grandmaster of Southern California hiking guidebooks. Unequaled in his knowledge of the region’s wild places and in enviable physical condition, Jerry was abruptly diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2011 and passed away in the same year. At his request, I have revised this book to keep it up to date with changing conditions. I have endeavored to retain Jerry’s lively writing and insightful descriptions while reflecting recent changes, rendering the driving directions as unambiguous as possible, and adding GPS coordinates for the trailheads.
I physically walked every trail in this book to ensure that the information contained herein is up to date. Based on this fieldwork, I have replaced 17 of the hikes covered in the second edition with outstanding substitutes. Seven of these hikes were closed or rendered inaccessible by fire. Two had access issues due to private property. The road to one had deteriorated to the point that it was impassable by stock four-wheel-drive vehicles. The others had become brushy, poorly defined, or simply less interesting than nearby trails. I have enjoyed all of the hikes in this book and hope you will enjoy them too.
I would like to thank the team at Wilderness Press for making this book possible. My editor, Molly Merkle, envisioned the new edition. Laura Shauger’s exceptional copy-editing has made the book clearer and more consistent. Amber Henderson skillfully assembled the pieces into the final layout. The remaining errors are my own.
Roads, trailheads, and trails continue to change every year. You can keep me apprised of recent developments and/or changes by writing me in care of Wilderness Press at [email protected]. Your comments will be appreciated.
David Money Harris
Upland, California
June 2013
San Gorgonio from Joshua Tree National Park (Hike 44)
Contents
Southern California’s Wilderness Rim
Wildwood Park, City of Thousand Oaks
Near Moorpark and Simi Valley
Point Mugu State Park