Beyond LA: the Most Beautiful Places in California

The dramatic Joshua Tree National Park, about two hours’ drive east of LA, sits at the intersection of the Mojave and the Colorado deserts and spans two distinct ecosystems. In the west is the high desert, where you’ll find the emblematic Yucca brevifolia trees amid boulder-strewn hiking trails, while the low desert to the east offers cacti gardens and birdwatching. Don’t forget your hiking boots – there are over 480 kilometres of trails in the park, ranging from a quick 10 minutes to a challenging six hours. Our pick for beginners? The achievable 650-metre Cap Rock trail, where you’ll spot more than your fair share of yuccas.

America’s lowest, hottest and driest national park is Death Valley. Depending on the season and the spot you explore, it can be a place of parched, puckered landscapes or abundant wildflower valleys bursting with life. Much of its unique topography looks like another planet entirely – from the colourful beauty of Artists Palette lookout to the crackled surfaces of Badwater Basin – and visitors can shift between these extremes in a matter of hours. Although the park’s western border is around a 4.5-5 hour drive from Los Angeles, it’s easy to jump between highlights once you’re there – the National Park Service’s hour-based itineraries can help you whittle down your sightseeing options.

In keeping with Californian tradition, lovely Lake Tahoe sees a glorious amount of sunshine, around 300 days a year. But it’s not a beachside enclave. This celebrity magnet sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada where some 772 kilometres of skiing terrain criss-cross the snow-frosted mountains. About four hours’ drive northeast of San Francisco, it’s a worthy weekender spot; Edgewood Tahoe, a luxurious lodge on the lake’s southeastern edge, is where Travis Kelce and SNL star Colin Jost have been spotted taking a turn on the extensive golf course.

Think of iconic road trips and the meandering, oceanside route of California’s Big Sur will likely spring to mind. Skirting the Pacific Ocean from San Simeon (4.5 hours’ drive north of Los Angeles) to Carmel-by-the-Sea, the 114-kilometre journey crosses the curvaceous Bixby Bridge, skims the second largest forest in the state and delivers ample opportunity to dip your toes in the sea, with possible pit stops at beaches from the purple-sand Pfeiffer to the serene Garrapata State Park.

The pristine peaks that encircle June Lake – a year-round hotspot for swimming, hiking and skiing around 5.5 hours’ drive north of Los Angeles – are best admired on the June Lake Loop, a 22-kilometre route that takes in glacier-fed lakes, craggy cliff faces and 3300-metre Carson Peak. In summer, visitors can take to the water for kayaking, trout fishing and stand-up paddleboarding and set up camp on the surrounding banks – Gull Lake Campground offers staggering views but with just 11 sites available, you’ll have to book well in advance.

This is no ordinary, dusty canyon trail. The 25-metre-tall walls of this gorge are fringed by seven species of ferns, many of which hide salamanders and frogs under their leaves. The effect is a hanging garden of sorts that stretches for 1.6-kilometres, hidden in the folds of the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park near the Oregon border. This corner of California is best reached by scenic route: the 1.6 kilometre, lolly-pop-shaped Fern Canyon Trail Loop leads walkers over footbridges and reaches almost 45 metres of elevation. Keen hikers can opt for the 16-kilometre version, which departs from the Prairie Creek Visitor Center – in both cases, you’ll probably get your feet wet.

Channel the Land of Oz with a trip to Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, about 90 minutes drive due north of Los Angeles. This area has the most consistent blanket of the state flower, a vibrant orange poppy that bursts to life in the thousands at any point from mid-February to mid-April. Open from sunrise to sunset, the reserve has a generous 12 kilometres of trails to meander through on your visit. Want to make sure you’re arriving at the right time? There’s a live-stream to ensure you catch the flowers in blossom.

Amalfi or California? With similar terraced hotels and homes sprawling down steep hillsides, you’ll have to squint to discern this island off the coast of Los Angeles from the popular Italian holiday spot. It only takes about an hour by ferry from Long Beach to reach Catalina and once you arrive, there’s more than just luxury accommodation: the island has several campgrounds, with most nestled in bluffs overlooking the Pacific, such as the quiet sites of Little Harbor or Hermit Gulch.

American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy is particularly prominent in Los Angeles, where he designed several houses in his 1930s and 40s heyday. The intricate Hollyhock House, nestled in East Hollywood, is lauded for its celebration of what’s now termed “California Modernism” and was the city’s first UNESCO Heritage Site. It’s a stunning example of the architect’s dedication to geometric design, from detailed leadlight windows to maze-like dining suites and repetitious, right-angled exterior moulding.

You’ll feel humbled in the presence of the stoic sequoias of Redwood National Park, the oldest trees in the world. After a 5.5 hour drive from San Francisco, you can snake through the chunky, gnarled trunks that have been steadily stretching towards the sky for thousands of years on the park’s many walking trails, most of which are accessible year-round and suitable for beginners. There are longer routes, too – the Hike to the Grove of the Titans, in the park’s east, has a network of newly-added walkways that hover off the forest floor. It can take anywhere between 1-2 hours to complete.

California’s wines are legendary. In Santa Ynez Valley, just 2.5 hours drive from LA, it’s not just the drops that steal the show. With a backdrop of green, pillowed hills, the vineyard-rich region is a weekender’s dream, especially those looking for a break from the big smoke. Bunk at Skyview, a lively modern “motel” with a lounger-lined pool, pine-shaded patio for on-site dining and rooms with balconies that look out over the surrounding scenery.