• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TotalHiker

Your Hiking Guide

  • Apparel
  • Gear
  • Hikes
  • Info
Total Hiker > Hiking Info > Beginner > 5 Best Hiking Trips for Beginners in Southern California

5 Best Hiking Trips for Beginners in Southern California

Southern California is rich in beautiful scenery and the perfect landscape for single or multi-day hiking trips.

Whether it is 10,000-foot peaks, lone bridges, slot canyons, or waterfalls, there are some great sights to explore in Southern California.

Here are five of the best hiking trips for beginners in SoCal:

Franklin Canyon (Hastain Trail)

Franklin Canyon is a stunning and uncrowned park located in the Santa Monica Mountains. There are several options for hiking in the region with Hastain Trail one of the more adventurous.

It stretches about 2.3 miles (round trip) and is rated moderate to advance. The trail does rise steadily as you progress on the path. This allows you to enjoy beautiful views of the scene below include the Pacific Ocean, west Los Angeles, and the lower canyon.

Other worthwhile trails in the region include Discovery Trail and Berman Trail.

Fryman Canyon

Fryman Canyon is situated on the northern side of Mulholland Drive in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains and gives access to the Betty B. Dearing Trail.

This trail makes it possible to traverse the parkland and is one of the best hiking trips for beginners in the region. It has both dirt tracks and paved paths and isn’t too crowded and quieter than the Runyon Canyon. Fryman Canyon is rich in deep wooded canyons, year-round springs, and native chaparral.

Hiking the park will also give access to Coldwater Canyon Park, Franklin Canyon, and Wilacre Park. Plus, the park is dog-friendly (provided the dogs are kept on a leash).

  Top 5 Must-See Oregon Hiking Trails

Temescal Peak

A visit to Topanga State Park gives access to one of the longest hiking trips for beginners and access to Temescal Peak and Eagle Rock.

The entire length of the hike is in the region of 7.4 miles and because the path is mostly flat fire roads; the path is rated low to moderate. Temescal Peak gives a perfect introduction to hiking before progressing to the more difficult terrain in the Santa Monica Mountains with its rugged terrain.

Plus, it isn’t necessary to complete the entire length of the hike, with an option to shorten the trail to match the personal abilities.

Mount Hollywood

A hike to Mount Hollywood is perfect for the beginners and stretches some 3.8 miles to give a quiet and peaceful trip, which is able to introduce several other hiking paths within close proximity to Griffin Park.

Mount Hollywood trail is rated at a moderate difficulty and you can expect to complete it within 2 hours.

Switzer Falls

Switzer falls takes the hiker into the San Gabriel Mountains that includes a hiking path that lasts about 3 miles (round trip) and gives a perfect opportunity to admire to local sights including historic ruins.

Plus, this hike makes it possible to reach the outer edge of Bear Canyon. On the warmer days, the waterfall is a perfect destination to relax and cool off.

The difficulty rating for this beginner’s hiking trail is moderate but is certain to provide one of the most popular trails in the entire region.

Summary

Southern California has more than its fair share of stunning scenery. The good news is that much of it is within the range of even the newest hiker. Allied to California’s enviable climate, it makes it a great place to go…just make sure you stay hydrated in that warm California sun!

Matt Green

Matt Green, is an avid hiker and lover of the great outdoors. He is always planning his next big trip or hitting the trails for a solo hike.

  Beginner Backpacker Tips & Advice To Get You Safely On The Trails

He’s traveled extensively to many remote regions and has plenty of experience exploring various terrains, and stories to tell.

Contents

  • 1 Franklin Canyon (Hastain Trail)
  • 2 Fryman Canyon
  • 3 Temescal Peak
  • 4 Mount Hollywood
  • 5 Switzer Falls
  • 6 Summary

April 15, 2020

Primary Sidebar

Footer

  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • About Total Hiker
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2025 Total Hiker

Affiliate Disclosure

We believe in being as transparent as possible when it comes to this site. With this in mind, please be aware that we may receive remuneration for some of the products we review on this site.

Total Hiker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com (and other Amazon programs).

We will also list ads from time to time. You should be able to see these as text links or blocks of ads which have a small notation indicating “Ads by Google” or “AdChoices”.

Our mission is to help our visitors, but this is also very clearly a for-profit site and you should realize as much. We include only those products that we believe could benefit you, some of which we may get a commission if you purchase them. However, we also provide links on the site to information resources for which we receive no compensation.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact us using the "contact" option on the site menu and we will be happy to answer any questions.

Being Social

FaceBook

Twitter

Trademark Dislosure

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

In addition, any other trademarks and logos we mention on this site are also the property of their respective owners.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
SAVE & ACCEPT