Outdoor Adventure in California

With oceans, mountains, deserts, forests and more, California’s great outdoors unlocks all kinds of adventures for thrill-seekers. Across all of its 12 regions, the Golden State is a playground waiting to be discovered.

LAND ADVENTURES

Trail Time

With over 225 miles of trails, and more being added, hikers, bikers and runners will find plenty of paths to adventure in Redding. Redding also hosts the annual Lemurian Classic mountain bike race every October, as well as the wild Chainless Downhill, where chains are removed from the bikes resulting in a mad dash down the mountain.

Get Your Glow On

Family fun at the new Desert Glow Entertainment Zone at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. Offering the ultimate gaming and lounge experience, get the whole family involved with virtual reality games, classic arcade games, an escape room or duckpin bowling.

Sidecar Sidewinder

What could make a tour of Temecula’s wine country better? Doing it by sidecar. Jump in the tandem sidecar for a motorcycle wine tour, or opt for a food, brewery or scenic tour of the area. Sidecar Tours is the only tandem sidecar experience in Southern California.

OMG OHV Trail

Recognized as the premiere OHV route in the United States, the 22-mile Rubicon OHV Trail cuts across the Sierra Nevada, between the gold rush town of Georgetown and Lake Tahoe. Considered the crown jewel of all OHV trails, it features stunning panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada, fields of boulders and interlocking flat stone, and sweet-smelling pine and fir trees.

Equine Adventures

Get a new perspective on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, near Visalia, seeing it from the saddle on a mountain trail ride. Whether riding through the giant sequoia trees, exploring the Kings River, trotting through bucolic meadows or ambling in the foothills there’s an adventure for every rider.

The Climb

Popular in Europe, you can now experience a Via Ferrata climb in North Lake Tahoe. The Via Ferrata combines climbing, hiking and scrambling in a way that makes it possible for even novices to scale an 800-foot vertical cliff.

WATER ADVENTURES

Rapid Adventure

Grab a kayak or a raft and prepare for the adventure on the Smith River in Del Norte County. With over 300 miles of runnable whitewater, the Smith is California’s only undammed free flowing river. The annual BoatSmith Whitewater Festival challenges experienced paddlers to tackle the class 4 and 5 rapids every February.

Hang Ten

Huntington Beach is all about surfing, and through a new Adaptive Surf Program everyone can experience the thrill of riding a wave. Local board shaper and surf instructor Rocky McKinnon designed a carbon fiber 15-foot “chair board” to give those with mobility issues or cognitive function disabilities a chance to experience surfing. Hour-long adaptive surfing lessons take place year-round at the Huntington Beach Pier and are accompanied by a safety escort.

Shark Dive

Thrill-seekers dreaming of diving with sharks can tick the bucket list with a five-day adventure by San Diego Shark Diver. Offered seasonally for both certified and non-certified divers, the experience lets the brave cage dive with great whites off the volcanic island of Isla Guadalupe.

SKY ADVENTURES

Soaring High

Get a bird’s eye view of California’s stunning Central Coast on a Skyrider Ultralight ride. Soaring above the ocean you’ll glide low and slow to soak up the views of the Camarillo and Ventura County coastline.

Circus City

Remember watching the high flyin’ trapeze artists at the circus when you were a kid? Now thanks to the Trapeze School New York at the Santa Monica Pier, anyone can live out a childhood fantasy to soar through the air with their flying trapeze class.

Hanging Around

If you’re an experienced hang glide pilot, soaring over iconic Mt. Diablo is a must-do experience when staying in the Northern California town of Concord. As you soar over the area, you’ll enjoy vistas of Mt. Diablo while nimbly maneuvering its rocky peaks, deep canyons and more.