I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of the best things about Southern California living is how much outdoor adventure awaits you. When the weather turns cold, you can hit Big Bear in less than 2 hours and find yourself playing in the snow and sipping cocoa. When things heat up, the beach is less than 20 minutes away for many of us for some fun in the sun while cradling an iced latte. And without much effort at all, you can enjoy sweeping city views (and much-needed exercise after sitting in traffic then at your desk 75% of the week) perched high on a mountain-top after an invigorating hike.

Last week, a colleague of mine introduced me to an amazing app to have handy on your phone called All Trails. Its aim is to help you discover hiking trails nearest you no matter where you find yourself in the U.S. Simply pull out your phone or visit their website, enter your location and sift through the over 40,000+ trails featured on the app that conveniently note the distance and how long it would take to complete. What I personally dig, is how you can search for specific outdoor needs and elements important to you – like searching for trails with lakes or waterfalls, trails that are easy or more difficult depending on your level of fitness, or looking for trails that are great to bring Fido along on. Be sure to check out the reviews, it’s like a concentrated outdoor version of Yelp to help you decide what trail is best for you.

Surprisingly, there are tons of hiking opps in LA alone (460 trails popped up when I entered zip code 90049). Admittedly, the caveat is that the popular trails are usually crowded and I’ve even seen people annoyingly gabbing on their iPhone when they should be enjoying nature!

I’m a huge fan of the Temescal Canyon Loop Trail off Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades. After a moderate hike up the mountain, you’re rewarded with the best view of Los Angeles you could ever see.

My experience with hiking in LA is not vast and as frequent as it should be. I tend to stick with the same trails. (Totally boring!) Believe it or not, I’ve never done the famous Hollyridge Trail. This 2.60 mile journey takes you as up close and personal as you’ll ever be to the beloved Hollywood Sign (legally). Naturally, this is what I’ll tackle next. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, take a hike!