You might be used to Black Friday shopping after indulging in your Thanksgiving meal, but it might be better to hit the trails this weekend. Plus, the weather is ideal right now for enjoying the outdoors, says Cris Hazzard, a southern California hiking aficionado whose nickname is “The Hiking Guy.”
“If you want that real fall feel, that real Thanksgiving type feeling … the mountain’s where it’s at,” he says.
You can see views of Mt. Baldy from the Big Horn Mine Trail. Photo by Shutterstock.
For beginners, Hazzard recommends the Big Horn Mine Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains. It’s four miles with views of Mt. Baldy, and includes an old mine in the middle of the trail.
A view from the Pacific Crest Trail shows Big Bear Lake. Photo by Shutterstock.
More seasoned hikers can head to Big Bear Lake and take on a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. The eight-mile stretch offers a beautiful landscape with a view of the lake, Hazzard says.
Mt. San Jacinto State Park is located in Palm Springs. Photo by Shutterstock.
For those who don’t have plans on Thanksgiving Day, they can head to Palm Springs and traverse a challenging, 11-mile trail to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto –– and reward themselves with a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Pine’s Cafe, which sits atop the Palm Springs Tramway.
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