Get Your Workouts in on the Weekend with a Hike

So the October Challenge starts today!
30 work outs in 30 days!
I know you are all planning to make it to class 6 days a week, right?
There are so many class options that you can always find a place and a time to work out.
But what about Sunday?
Or what will you do on the off chance that you miss a class during the week or on a Saturday?
Don’t worry!
Your helpful Living Fit blogger is here with a list of hikes to help you get in at least 45 minutes of exercise on those days when you miss a Boot Camp class.
The best part is, you can bring along your family, your dog, your Boot Camp pals, or your binoculars for some bird watching.
There are hikes here for everyone!

Hiking is a great way to be active.
It gets you out of doors, away from a screen or ear buds, and allows you to connect with nature. If you are looking for a garage door repair salt lake city utah, visit affordablegaragedoorfix.com for more information.
Those are things that our bodies and minds need to recharge and feel peace.
Hiking is also a wonderful way to encourage the little people in your life to get exercise.
For people without a strong fitness base, hiking is a good place to start building.
And lest you think that hiking won’t give you a good workout, try power walking, or trail running up some of these hilly hikes.
You’ll get all the workout you need.
Like I said, there is a trail here for everyone, from right here in Long Beach, to further afield.
You can plan a hike for every weekend this month.
Now there are no excuses for getting in those 30 workouts!
You’re welcome.

I’m listing these hikes in order of proximity to Long Beach and then going out from there.
If there is a link with more information for the hike, I provided it.
If not, google the hike’s name to get location and directions.

1. El Dorado Nature Center.
Close to home in lovely Long Beach, you can hike the 2 mile trail once or twice to get in a work out. The trail is mostly flat, with a few small hills. This is a good spot for little hikers because they’ll love to see the turtles and water birds in the ponds. Pay to park.
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2.  Bolsa Chica Wetlands
This is a beautiful spot for an early morning or late afternoon hike.  You can follow trails all over the wetlands and see so many beautiful birds you won’t even realize you are hiking.  The trail is almost completely flat, so it’s a good place to try a trail run.  You can park at the small lot on PCH, or park at the nature center on Warner.
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3.  Hellman Wilderness Park
This is less than a half hour drive from Long Beach, in the hills above Whittier.  This hike gets crowded on the weekends, so arrive early if you want quiet trails.  No matter which direction you start on this trail, you are going uphill.  This hike is great for getting a good booty burn.  And once you get to the top, you can hike down a hill and up another one.  The options are almost limitless.
Parking in the very small lot fills up fast.  After that, park in the neighborhoods near the trail head.
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4.  Laguna Coast Wildernss Park –Laurel Canyon Trail
This is a great spot for a long hike.  There are a lot of long, steep uphill spots, so you can get in a good workout.  But it is also a really beautiful spot, so you won’t mind the burn as you hike up the hills.
There are a lot of different trails in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.  One of my favorites is the Laurel Canyon Trail.  It starts off with some small climbs and then goes through a beautiful meadow.  After that, you’ll climb a long, steep hill, and then another one before you reach the top of the “mountain”.  The views are spectacular!
Some of the trails at the top are for mountain bikers too, so be ready to share the road.
Pay to park in the smallish lot right off the road. It gets crowded on weekends, so go early to get a spot.
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5.  Limestone Canyon
Limestone Canyon is a hidden gem in Orange County.  It’s in the Santa Ana mountains and is a beautiful, wild spot.  It is home to a spectacular natural wonder called the Sinks.  They are large, deep canyons that are worth the 8 mile hike to see.  The hikes here are long and hilly.  But it is quiet and the scenery is stunning.  Limestone Canyon has restricted access, which means it is only open to the public for hiking a few times a month.  Check the schedule here, to find out when you can visit in Oct.  And if you can’t make it this month, be sure to try another time.  It’s a gorgeous spot!
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6.  Monrovia Canyon Park
It’s going to be hot this weekend, which means it might be a great time to hike to a waterfall.  Monrovia Canyon is home to a year round waterfall.  It may be pretty small after our dry winter and summer, but it will still be a great spot to cool your feet after your uphill hike to the waterfall.
To get more of a workout, you can park at the bottom of the park, and hike up to the Monrovia Falls trail.
Or you can drive up to the trail head and park there.
Pay to park
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7.  Chantry Flats
This is another waterfall trail with lots of creek crossings and shade to keep you cool.
The start of the trail, and the finish, since it is an out and back trail, is in full sun and a long uphill climb on the way back, so save some water for the end.
This trail is beautiful and lots of fun with a big pool and waterfall at the end as a reward.
It does, however, get very, very crowded on the weekend and parking can be a real challenge.
So go early and enjoy the cool and the quiet.
Wilderness pass required to park.  You can purchase it from the pack store at the trail head.
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8. Temescal Canyon
This hike is all the way up in Malibu.  But it would be a great way to spend a weekend day…an early morning hike, then some time at the beach, or having a healthy brunch at some sweet Malibu spot.  (the Malibu Farm on the Malibu pier is fantastic.) The hike starts off easy through a lovely, live oak grove.  Then is gets going and you are hiking uphill on a rough, rocky trail.  You can follow the loop to get in a 4 mile hike.  There are great ocean views from the top.
Pay to park in the lot, and be sure not to run any stop signs in the park as there are cameras and they give out tickets pretty regularly.
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9.  Mt. Baldy — Ice House Canyon Trail
This is another day trip sort of hike, but totally worth the drive.  It’s about an hour and 15 minutes from Long Beach (without traffic of course) but it feels worlds away.  Drive past  Mt. baldy Village to get to the Ice House Canyon trail head.
You’ll hike uphill the whole way, all the way to the saddle if you want to go that far.  There are lots of options for you to get home remodeling minneapolis as much distance as you want.  But remember, this is a high elevation, so you’ll tire a lot faster.  You’ll get thirsty too, so pack lots of water.  At this time of year, the temperatures are cooler on the mountain, and you’ll even see signs of autumn.  It’s a great hike, and one of our favorites.
You need a wilderness pass to park here, which you can get at Big 5 or at the Mt. Baldy Nature Center
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I hope you find a hike or 2 from this list to try this month, or in the months to come.
And I hope you are excited to get in your 30 workouts this month!
Remember, keep on Living Fit!
Greta