Filled from feasting? Stuffed with stuffing? Had it with the holidays? Never fear, your guides
to healthy coastal hiking are here! Improve your strength, your figure, or just your mood—we
encourage everyone to get moving outdoors this holiday season and enjoy some beautiful ocean views.
Winter is actually a great time to visit the California coast because you could see migrating
gray
whales or monarch
butterflies, enjoy some stretches of beach before they're closed for snowy plover
nesting, or even catch a
holiday boat parade. Whether you're near the Santa Monica Mountains, Mount
Tamalpais, or Humboldt Bay, the following resources will help you pick a place to go:
- The California
Coastal Access Guide (Seventh Edition) authored by the Coastal Commission and recently
published by UC Press. The bible (well, we think so!) of what to see along the California
shoreline and how to get there, this updated edition emphasizes activities to enjoy on your visit.
Want to focus in on a particular region of California? Maybe one of the
northern,
Bay Area,
central coast, or
southern California
guides is for you.
- The Coastal Commission's website has free maps to
navigate some tricky coastal spots including Broad Beach, Carbon Beach, Malibu beaches, and Capistrano Beach.
- Also on the Coastal Commission's website are more free maps highlighting beaches in
Orange County
and hiking trails in coastal Mendocino.
- A Malibu beach app produced by
Escape Apps is available for people who want help finding publicly accessible beaches in the Malibu area.
- The California Coastal Trail is a network of public trails being connected up and down
the length of the state. You can check out some detailed "Favorite Hikes" on Coastwalk California's website. And for the serious enthusiast,
there is a two-volume guidebook
available for the entire trail.
- Coming soon: the Coastal Commission will be hosting an online resource displaying
over 1,200 coastal points of interest statewide. (And for those of you who want even more to look
forward to, in the future this information will also be available as an app.)
So there you have it. Now walk away!
