A beginner's guide to hiking

Hiking is the easiest way to get outside on a weekend, or even after work. You don’t need expensive gear or a lot of experience to start. You just need to pick the right trail, bring a few things, and know when to turn around.

Picking your first trail

Start with distance and elevation gain, and look at both. A flat 5 miles is a lot easier than 3 miles straight uphill.

• Your first few hikes: aim for under 4 miles round trip and under 1,000 feet of gain.
• How long it’ll take: a good rule of thumb is about 1 hour for every 2 miles, plus another hour for every 2,000 feet of climbing. Add time for photos and snacks!
• Read recent reviews on AllTrails. Look for trail conditions in the last week or two (mud, snow, closures, washed-out sections), and how crowded it gets.
• Check if it’s a loop or an out-and-back. On an out-and-back, you can turn around whenever you want.

Timing

• Start early. You’ll get cooler temperatures, easier parking, and fewer people.
• Check sunset before you go, and plan to be back at the car with time to spare.
• Set a turnaround time. If you haven’t reached the top by then, you head back anyway. It’s the easiest way to avoid getting stuck in the dark.

The 5 essentials

Keep it simple. These are the five things I bring on every hike, no matter how short:

1. Navigation. Download an offline map before you lose signal.
2. Sun protection. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
3. Water. More than you think you’ll need.
4. Layers. It’s colder at the top, and colder once the sun drops.
5. A headlamp. Even on a day hike, in case it takes longer than planned.

As you get more advanced and start heading into places with no cell service, a satellite messenger like a Garmin inReach is worth it for peace of mind. For day hikes near the city with plenty of cell service and people around, it’s overkill.

What to wear

It depends on the weather. In the heat, wear whatever’s comfortable and breathable, and cotton is fine. In the cold, skip cotton, because it holds sweat against your skin and you’ll get cold the moment you stop. Wool or synthetic layers are the way to go. If you’re heading somewhere properly cold, my Arctic packing list explains the whole layer system.

For your feet, wear shoes with good grip and make sure they’re broken in. If you feel a hot spot starting, stop and put a blister patch on it right away. It only gets worse.

Trust your gut, and turn back

This is the most important tip on this page. If something feels off, like the weather changing, the trail getting sketchy, or you’re more tired than you expected, listen to that feeling and head back. The mountain will still be there next time.

[Nate’s Note] I was once hiking Hesten in Norway alone and saw a huge cloud coming over. That’s when I knew I had to head back early. Five minutes later, I got caught in a blizzard. Cell service didn’t work up there, so my friends were trying to reach me over walkie-talkie from the Airbnb. I made it down fine, but only because I turned around when I did.

Mistakes I made (so you don’t have to)

Underestimating how fast it gets cold. I recently hiked in Frazier Park early in the season and didn’t think it would get that cold. On the way back down, my fingers froze. Weather in the mountains turns fast, and it’s always colder than the city. Bring the extra layer and gloves, even when it feels silly at the trailhead.

Winging it without an offline map. I once tried winging Heliotrope Ridge, expecting lots of people on the trail to help guide me. We were the only ones there. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out the route and ended up making it back to the car well after dark. Walking through the woods at night was a little spooky, but it makes for a fun story if you get out alive! Always download the map.

Wearing too many socks. In the cold, it’s tempting to double up. But you sweat a lot in warm clothes, especially sitting in the car on the way to the trailhead. That sweat soaks your socks, then turns cold or even freezes once you’re out there, and it’s miserable until you can take them off. Keep an eye on how damp your feet are.

Not bringing enough water. On a hike in Malibu Creek State Park, we got the “why not?” bug and extended the hike by an extra 3 miles. We each had one 300 mL bottle. We were pretty dehydrated by the time we got back to the car. Bring more than you think, especially in Southern California.

On the trail

• Go at a pace where you can still talk. If you can’t, slow down. It’s not a race!
• Uphill hikers have the right of way. If you’re heading down, step aside and let them pass.
• Leave No Trace. Pack out everything you bring in, stay on the trail, and don’t feed the wildlife.
• Tell someone your plan. Send a friend the trail name and when you expect to be back.

Beginner-friendly hikes around LA

These are all hikes I’ve done, and they’re great places to start:

• Escondido Falls (Malibu): about 3.5 miles round trip and 200 feet of gain to the lower falls. It’s best in winter and spring after rain, because it can be dry in summer. The upper falls are closed, so turn around at the lower falls.
• Malibu Creek State Park: the Rock Pool is only about 2 miles round trip and nearly flat. You can keep going to Century Lake and the old M*A*S*H filming site if you’re feeling good, and bring extra water if you do (see above).
• Vasquez Rocks (Agua Dulce): a short loop of under 3 miles around giant tilted rock formations you’ll recognize from Star Trek. There’s very little shade, so go early or in the cooler months.
• Tuna Canyon (Topanga): ocean views over Santa Monica Bay, with a short 1.6-mile out-and-back to the Hearst Tank overlook (and a small stone labyrinth at the end). Do the longer overlook too for about 5 miles total.
• Kenter Trail (Brentwood): about 3.3 miles and 700 feet of gain, with city views and a swing at the top. It’s my Friday after-work spot for sunset!
• Victory Trailhead (Upper Las Virgenes Canyon): rolling grassy hills and big oak trees. The full loop is long (about 8.6 miles), so pick a short out-and-back and turn around whenever you want. Gates close at sunset.
• Sandstone Peak (Mishe Mokwa loop): your first step up. It’s about 7 miles and 1,700 feet of gain to the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, so do this one after a few of the easier hikes.