On a Sunday morning, we made our way to San Clemente to an out-and-back, paved trail that starts at a wrought iron fence in a cul-de-sac. From end to end, it mapped out at about 5 miles.The fact that its paved gave me the impression it would be a casual walk, but there were plenty of hills to make you work a little bit.
The views are great. From high up on these hills you can see sprawling neighborhoods, freeways, train tracks, and a couple of baseball fields. We could just hear the far-away cheers of a baseball game. I know that hikes usually aim to get you away from these places, but the distance gives them a new perspective that is worth seeing.
On that note, if you are interested in hiking, I recommend this blog: http://socalhiker.net/
It is a wonderful resource for anybody looking to get out and hike, whether you are new and don't know where to start or you are an avid hiker in need of some new turf. The "Find a Hiking Trail" page is a good place to start. You can organize hikes by location, difficulty, distance, and (my personal favorite) whether or not they allow leashed dogs. If you are familiar with this blog, then you know I get many of my ideas and much of my information here!
