As a New Englander who made his way to Los Angeles, I admit that I fell into the trap of assuming Southern California had no seasons. But paying attention to my natural surroundings on hiking trails opened up a new framework for me. We don’t have the traditional “spring, summer, fall and winter” but our own unique SoCal versions of the seasons.
What I call endless summer — hot, dry days punctuated by Santa Ana winds — can sometimes stretch into December, so the cooler temperatures last week and the heavy precipitation this week were a welcome respite.
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Rainy season, which ideally will last from now through around April (emphasis on “ideally”), is my favorite time to hike in Southern California. The air is cleaner, crisper and cooler. The views seem to stretch on forever. The dew and rain activate the terpenes in our sage scrub and chaparral, bringing that iconic “cowboy cologne” scent back into our lives. And unlike many other parts of the country that experience a more traditional winter, we can get out and hike pretty much all year and not really have to worry about switching up the gear we’re using.
You might want to use this time to revisit some trails and parks you’ve enjoyed during the summer months just to see how much they’ve changed. You don’t need to travel that far for what I consider some of the best post-rain views in Los Angeles — both Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area and the trails in the Puente Hills are true stunners, and the trail network in both places has options for every hiker.
There are a few things to keep in mind, though:
- Don’t hike when it’s actually raining. Although it’s dependent on our various local microclimates, when it does rain here it can come down in short, heavy bursts. This can be especially dangerous in the mountains, where weather can be much less predictable, as well as in canyons and deep valleys where flash floods may appear without warning — even in canyons far away from any falling rain.
- Wait a day or two before hitting the trails. Although it’s tempting to go for a hike as soon as the clouds clear, it’s best to give the trails some time to dry out a bit. Especially on popular routes, hikers stomping their boots into muddy trails can do some real damage. Some park systems, like those in the Puente Hills, are even closed for 48 hours following a rainstorm.
- Check forecasts and road conditions: The weather at your apartment in Culver City is not the same as the conditions up on Pleasant View Ridge in the San Gabriel Mountains. I always like using the National Weather Service because you can see active warnings and click around on a map to find an exact location for a weather forecast, but users on the SoCal Hiking subreddit have compiled a great list of resources and live webcams too. If you plan on spending any time in the San Gabriels or San Bernardinos, you’ll also want to bookmark the CalTrans Road Info site. Just put in the state highway number and you’ll get the current closures and conditions for California state highways. The Angeles Crest Highway is CA-2; the Rim of the World Drive is CA-18.
It won’t be too long before all those cozy warm layers of clothing get stuffed in the back corner of your closet again, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Things to do
1. Hike by moonlight in Griffith Park. If you’ve never done a night hike before, there is no better way to try it than by joining the Sierra Club for one of its world-famous Griffith Park moonlight hikes. (OK, if they’re not world-famous already, they should be.) On Saturday, the moon…
Read More: Safety tips for hiking after it rains