The Times Debuts Hiking Guide

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times debuted a special 24-page hiking guide. The issue includes stunning photography and features 50 of the greatest hikes in Southern California, as well as stories about historical destinations.

An introduction to the issue explains the many reasons Angelenos hit the trails. “Southern California’s mountains and forests can serve as an outdoor gym, a sanctuary from the urban buzz, a spiritual space to heal and reflect, a place to pose and be seen (especially on Instagram), an entry to the natural world of tarantulas and newts, and a place to scale an unthinkably high peak.”

“The whole idea [of the project] is to talk about L.A.’s biggest secret hidden in plain sight: It’s a fantastic hiking city,” said Mary Forgione, Times assistant travel editor. “No one comes here to go hiking in the mountains, but they should. The differences in habitats, elevations, from the desert floor to 10,000-foot peaks, makes it an ideal place to train, play and be in nature.”

Sponsored by Yeti, the print guide provides a tutorial on how to complete all 67.5 miles of the Backbone Trail across the Santa Monica Mountains by breaking it down into eight day hikes.

The digital version is a streamlined presentation of the entire print issue. It features a map-based points-of-interest list, developed for the 50 greatest hikes, that enables readers to view the hikes on a map and filter them by location, difficulty level and distance.

The guide is available online now with the print version available for purchase through Shop L.A. Times.