In Southern California, you just can’t beat the mountain ranges.
Whether you’ve got your eye on the peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Susanas, the San Bernardinos, the Sierras, the Verdugos or the San Gabriels … the Simi Hills or the San Rafael Hills … or the Temblor Range or the Coso Range (just to name a few) … these are some of the best (and the highest) ones to summit.
But sometimes you don’t want the undertaking of climbing a mountain. Sure — climb every mountain, as they say. But you don’t have to only climb mountains. Because sometimes, a nice hill will do just fine.
And so, enter the great valleys of Southern California, which straddle the line between urbanity and wilderness — easier to get to, quicker to conquer, and with all their own unique habitats, species and histories to explore.
The San Fernando Valley (north of the Santa Monica Mountains) may hold the honor of being THE Valley, but in SoCal, there is more than one great valley — and if you head just 15 miles east of downtown L.A., you will discover the canyons and rolling hills of the San Gabriel Valley, just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
Here are five great places to explore on foot in the San Gabriel Valley that aren’t too far afield, yet have plenty of fodder for your sense of adventure.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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