17 Best SoCal Hikes For Kids: Safe, Easy, & Fun Trails
Not all trails are steep, sun exposed, backpack-lugging adventures. In fact, a huge portion of them are the complete opposite, and therefore, suitable for small children.
I browsed through my entire website to put together a list of the most kid-friendly hikes in Southern California. These trails will have you less worried about your child’s safety, and more focused on what really matters, fun and quality family time.
Here are a few things you can expect from this guide:
- Detailed trail stats
- Best season to visit
- Recommended gear (if necessary)
- Necessary precautions to keep in mind
- Trails listed from least attractive to the most stunning
Why I Chose These Trails For Kids
In an attempt to balance safety and adventure, I ensured each trail passed the following requirements:
- No steep ledges. If steep ledges are present, I promise you they will comprise such a tiny section of the trail that you’ll be able to carry your kids.
- Gradual incline.
- No poison oak or, if present on the hike, remains at a safe distance away from the trail.
- Relatively short. Most of these trails are under three miles.
Let’s get started!
17) Quail Hill Trail
- Total Miles: 1.8
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: Year-round
- Elevation Gain: 152 ft
- Time: 45 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? Yes!
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Quail Hill Trail
Quail Hill Trail is an easy hike located in Irvine which loops around beautiful golden hills that seem to glisten during sunset. Although it’s a short trail, there is no shade.
Hence, I highly recommend sunscreen, a hat, lots of water, and a pair of sunglasses probably wouldn’t hurt. The loops is located adjacent to the 405 freeway, so if you’re looking for an outdoor getaway, Quail Hill may not be ideal.
16) Paramount Ranch
- Total Miles: 2.53
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 272 ft
- Time: 1.5 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available
- Stroller Friendly? Explained Below
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Paramount Ranch
Paramount Ranch is not an abandoned ruin, it’s a studio set where very famous movies such as Van Helsing or American Sniper have been filmed. There used to be an entire Western Town set, but unfortunately, everything except the church and train station are left standing. Still worth it, though!
The set is located at the trailhead, which is where the loop into the dry, sunny hills begins. If you don’t wish to hike the entire 2.1 miles you can easily cut it short by creating your own shorter loop, and the same goes if you wish to extend the hike.
The area where the church and train station are located is stroller friendly. However, pushing a stroller will not be possible once you begin the loop.
15) Lake Gregory
- Total Miles: 2.3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 59 ft
- Time: 1.5 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Lake Gregory Regional Park
Lake Gregory is a little lake located in one of my favorite mountain towns, Crestline, CA. One of the things I love most about the lake is the abundant pine trees, which make you feel like you’re in a dense forest far away from home.
The loop begins at the parking lot but quickly turns into a dirt path that follows the lakeshore fairly closely. However, the lakeshore is shallow and gradually deepens, so you don’t have to worry about the kids falling in.
Once you’re done with the hike, you can head over to all the restaurants in the downtown area which begin literally one block away from the lake.
Bonus Fact: During the summer, Lake Gregory sets up an entire water park! You can expect inflatable platforms in the lake and giant water slides. Cost of entry may vary. Lake Gregory gets snow during the winter!
14) Sycamore Canyon Trail
- Total Miles: 3.3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 370 ft
- Time: 90 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Sycamore Canyon Trail
Unlike most trails, Sycamore Canyon Trail is not located in the mountains. Rather, it’s deep in the center of what I like to call, a concrete jungle, Whittier. The upside of its location is the ease of accessibility for those living in LA County.
The trail is actually a dirt road for a large portion of the hike, leaving it exposed to the sun. However, the dirt road converts into a dirt trail and the scenery radically transforms into a highly vegetated, vibrant green, adventure with water visibly flowing in the creek.
13) Woodland Trail
- Total Miles: 1.6
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: Spring – Fall
- Elevation Gain: 232 ft
- Time: 1.5 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Woodland Trail
The Woodland Trail is an interpretive trail in the most famous SoCal mountain town, Big Bear. The hike is virtually across the street from Big Bear Lake and features a wide variety of plants and animal habitats which you can learn about by downloading the guide.
I recommend hiking the Woodland Trail from Spring to Fall, as Big Bear gets snow in the winter and may interfere with some of the interpretive features.
12) Stonewall Mine
- Total Miles: 0.7 (Can Be Extended)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 75 ft
- Time: 20 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Stonewall Mine
If you want to teach your kids a little bit of local mountain history, head over to the Stonewall Mine, an easy hike near Lake Cuyamaca featuring mining relics from the 1800s.
The trail is located in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park within the Cleveland National Forest. Although the relics are fenced off, they can nevertheless be seen from outside the perimeter. The fenced-off perimeter is located at the trailhead.
Bonus Fact: The hike features a little cabin museum with vintage shots of the mines’ heydays. The trail leads you through a little woodland area and loops around until you get back to the site of the relics.
11) Oso Creek Trail: Mission Viejo’s Most Popular Hike
- Total Miles: 1.7
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 80 ft
- Time: 35 min
- Restrooms: Not Available
- Stroller Friendly? Yes!
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Oso Creek Trail
Oso Creek Trail is a scenic hike that is decorated with a wide range of exotic plants, similar to an arboretum.
The trail features unique landmarks such as a garden maze, a peace obelisk, and a celebration garden to name a few. Although it’s technically not labeled as an interpretive trail, you can learn about all these landmarks in the Oso Creek Trail Brochure.
It’s the perfect mid-week adventure, especially for OC residents who live nearby.
10) Big Dalton Canyon Trail: Bridges, Falls, & Swings
- Total Miles: 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 286 ft
- Time: 45 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Campground
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Big Dalton Canyon Trail
Big Dalton Canyon Trail is a real treat. You get the feeling of being deep in the backcountry while only venturing in the foothills.
The trail features a small set of cascades, a campground, wooden bridges, an amphitheater with a fire pit, a live oak grove, and a wooden swing at the grove, all while hiking alongside the creek.
Due to the luscious vegetation, virtually the entire trail is shaded.
Note: The trail’s end becomes very overgrown, so keep an eye out for poison oak! Leaves of three let it be. Most people turn around once they reach the permanently closed nature center.
9) Bolsa Chica Reserve
- Total Miles: 3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 72 ft
- Time: 1.5 Hrs
- Restrooms: Not Available
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
I had the privilege of living in Huntington Beach for three and a half years, and during that time Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve became my go-to nature getaway.
The trail leads you through HB’s wetlands, which are home to a lot of exotic wildlife, some of which are endangered species. While at the salt marsh, you’ll have views of the beach on the opposite side of PCH, and the Santa Ana Mts.
There is no shade on this trail, so plan accordingly. Also, the cliffs on the banks of the marsh can be dangerous, but luckily, they’re located far away from the trail.
Bonus Fact: Bolsa Chica is a pit stop for migrating birds, including the American Bald Eagle.
8) Pumpkin Rock
- Total Miles: 1.7
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 551 ft
- Time: 60 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Pumpkin Rock
The spooky season calls for a must-do hike to Pumpkin Rock in Norco, CA, a local landmark that gets tons of visitors every autumn.
Fortunately, the sunny trail is easy enough for kids to hike, and once you’ve made it to the top, you’ll have amazing views of the San Bernardino Mts.
Bonus Fact: Although Pumpkin Rock has been completely vandalized with graffiti in the image above, the locals are kind enough to give the rock a new coat of paint every year for the fall season.
7) Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
- Total Miles: 5.2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 226 ft
- Time: 2 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? Yes!
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Like Bolsa Chica, Newport Bay Nature Preserve is a saltwater marsh, but in my opinion, it’s a bit nicer. Much of the trail is a wide dirt road and a paved bike path, allowing for strollers.
Although there isn’t any shade on the trail, the temperatures are much lower than most hikes due to the proximity to the ocean. However, I still recommend a hat and plenty of water.
The hike offers views of Old Saddleback, the highest two peaks in the Santa Ana mountains, and an enormous marshland. The John Wayne airport is located very close by, which is why you’ll get up-close views of airliners flying directly overhead.
6) Old LA Zoo
- Total Miles: 2.63
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 374 ft
- Time: 2 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available By The Merry-Go-Round
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Old LA Zoo
The Old LA Zoo is one of those places kids will absolutely love, especially during Halloween Season. The trail begins at a parking lot by a park and leads up into the sunny hills before descending down into a different section of the park where all the structures are located.
The views while in the hills are breathtaking. I was able to see virtually the entire Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests.
Bonus Fact: If you have children who are too young to hike you can always drive to the parking lot that leaves you basically right at the ruins. The park where the structures are located has paved roads that are stroller-friendly. It’s the trail that leads up into the hills that isn’t stroller-friendly.
5) Vanalden Cave
- Total Miles: 2.7
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 563 ft
- Time: 1.5 Hrs
- Restrooms: Available At The Parking Lot
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Vanalden Cave
Yes, there are caves in Southern California, and some, like the Vanalden Cave, are suitable for children. The majority of the hike consists of a sunny dirt road with amazing views of the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests to the north and the Santa Monica Mts to the south.
However, the last section is a dirt trail that descends onto the canyon floor where it gets shady and green. Shortly thereafter, I saw the cave tucked into the corner up against the canyon wall.
The inside of the cave reaches a height of about ten feet.
Bonus Fact: It’s possible to climb on top of the cave. Just make sure the kids don’t fall through one of the holes in the ceiling.
4) Bonita Falls
- Total Miles: 1.28
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: Spring – Summer
- Elevation Gain: 443 ft
- Time: 45 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Campground
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Bonita Falls
Bonita Falls is a must-do hike for the whole family. The falls flow almost year-round and are located in a beautiful little mountain town called Lytle Creek. Bonita is actually the 2nd largest waterfall in all of SoCal.
However, only the bottom tier, the largest of all three, can be seen from the canyon floor. Climbing up to the middle tiers is extremely dangerous, so I don’t recommend it.
The majority of the trail requires trekking through a dry river bed which is littered with small boulders. About 75% of the way into the hike, I hopped onto a dirt trail that leads into the tributary where the falls are located.
Although it’s not too abundant, poison oak is present inside the tributary. So as long as everyone stays on the trail, poison oak shouldn’t be a problem.
3) San Antonio Falls
- Total Miles: 1.33
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: Spring – Summer
- Elevation Gain: 277 ft
- Time: 30 min
- Restrooms: Not Available
- Stroller Friendly? Explained Below
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: San Antonio Falls
75-foot San Antonio Falls is an easy hike in the Mt Baldy area. This is one of those hikes that’s surrounded by tall pine trees, making it feel like you’ve left California before you’ve even hopped on the trailhead.
The trail mostly consists of a paved road, then switches to a dirt trail for the last short section that leads down to the falls. The paved road is without a doubt stroller friendly, but the dirt trail is not.
However, there’s a viewpoint where the dirt trail begins which overlooks the waterfall. In my opinion, the hike is still worth doing with a stroller even if you turn back at the viewpoint.
Shortly after hopping on the dirt trail, I reached a roughly 20-foot-long section that was very steep and loose. I recommend carrying small children for this part.
Bonus Fact: San Antonio Falls gets snow!
2) Annie’s Canyon
- Total Miles: 1.3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: All Year
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft
- Time: 1 Hr
- Restrooms: Available At The Park
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Annie’s Canyon Trail
Annie’s Canyon Trail is a very popular hike in San Diego County which cuts through San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and ends at a stunning slot canyon.
There is one obstacle to keep in mind regarding the slot canyon. At the very end, there is a roughly 15 ft metal ladder that must be climbed in order to exit the slot canyon.
Turning back instead of climbing up the ladder is nearly impossible, especially on weekends, as the slot canyon gets full of people.
Bonus Fact: There’s a small park with a playground adjacent to the slot canyon. Hence, if you decide not to enter Annie’s Canyon, you can always hang out at the playground.
1) Millard Canyon Falls (Closed)
- Total Miles: 1.3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best Season: Spring
- Elevation Gain: 308 ft
- Time: 45 min
- Restrooms: Available At The Campground
- Stroller Friendly? No
- Map, Directions, & Full Post: Millard Canyon Falls
Millard Canyon Falls is a beautiful 50 ft cascade located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The majority of the trail lies underneath the forest canopy and is surrounded by green luscious vegetation. The beginning of the trail requires climbing a 4-foot wall, but that’s as difficult as it gets.
Expect crossing the creek a few times as well, but the crossings are neither deep nor long. Poison oak can be found in the canyon, but it shouldn’t be a problem as long as everyone stays on the trail.
The pool at the falls is only 1-2 feet deep. Millard Falls is my number one recommendation because of the greenery, the falls, and easy obstacles. It’s a complete adventure for kids.
