Yevi and Nick were great hosts! We went camping to bridge to Nowhere and these men were so prepared…read moreand entertaining! I 100% recommended you take your next guided trip by these dudes. They will have everything from backpacking gear, water to food prepared for you. You will be taken care of really well!

I wanted to try overnight backpacking and decided to go with Adventure Mavericks. The guides were…read morevery knowledgeable and fun. It was a very unique experience and I'm really glad I gave it a shot. Looking forward to going on another trip with them.

This gym is great if you're looking to get challenged for cheap. $8/visit and $50/10 punches…read morecompared to other indoor gyms. The staff is friendly and will even let you use their equipment to practice lead climbing with no additional cost. They also rate their routes harder to prepare you for a more technical route that is similar to outdoor climbing. The only downside is that they often place the same colour holds for separate routes, so if you're not a usual it'll be hard to figure out what which route is which. Find street parking on Ethel for free or get a day pass, which is a couple bucks, to park on campus.

I couldn't much Info online or on the phone number listed so I took a chance and just showed up as…read morelisted on the flyer on yelp. Glad I did. Very friendly staff walk you through everything. It was my first time. I had a blast. Will be returning. Give it a try if it's something you've been wanting to check out.

The two things that Porter Ranch is arguably known best for are pretty homes and pretty trails. One…read moreof my favorite trails here is at Palisades Park, a 1.6 mile multi-use trail between Tampa Ave and Reseda Blvd. The "park" is essentially a hill right behind a bunch of homes. The trailhead is on Tampa Ave, 400 feet south of Braemore Rd. The trail has light-moderate inclines, but horseback riding and biking are possible. The trail weaves back and forth across the face of the hill, which causes you to notice the scenery. Dried brush and some shrubs cover the hill, but there's really nothing in terms of shade. A wood railing kindly runs along the outer edge of the trail to discourage people from taking a tumble. A couple lookout points offer a nice view of the San Fernando Valley from 500 feet above. Keep your eyes open, and you may even see a jackrabbit or two darting off the trail into the brush. There's plenty of street parking on Tampa and Reseda. I like to park on Reseda and jog to the trailhead on Tampa and back. The inclines make for a great leg workout! Cool fact: Palisades Park had a 10 second appearance 15 minutes into the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/palisades-park-los-angeles?select=FquAyFNQMfYxb0QVV9atEg#FquAyFNQMfYxb0QVV9atEg

I wish they advertised this place a little bit more! I would've never found it if I didn't do my…read moreresearch on yelp and other places. But then again, that's a good thing if you're looking for a trail that doesn't have many people. I went with my father and we saw 1 couple and 1 family. The distance is 1.5 one way (it goes from Tampa to Reseda). It's great for running because it's easier on the knees since it's dirt road. There are also many ups and downs. Inclines are what naturally tire me out, but it is the perfect amount because when I start getting really tired, it'll level out a bit or have a small decline. Since it's on higher ground, it is also pretty windy up there, but still very nice. However, I wouldn't feel very safe going by myself since it feels a little empty (although there are houses when you look down the cliff). I recommend everyone to walk/run/bike this trail! :)

Great hiking trail! It is uphill the whole time, so it's a little harder, but take breaks as…read moreneeded. Nice hike to see nature!

A great park at the north end of San Fernando Valley. So many areas to spread out and enjoy…read more O'Melvany is listed as the second-largest public park in Los Angeles(behind Griffith Park), but still seems a pretty good secret, for the most part. On any given day you may see dogs playing, or training in social skills, exercise classes, families picnicking and kids running around. BUT ALSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WILDLIFE! Coyotes and mountain lions are very common, as are rattle snakes. But also bunnies, squirrels and an array of birds, for those who take the time to stop, listen, and try to identify. There is not a playground at this large park. Instead, the draw is toward it's many, well marked, hiking trails. This use to be John O'Melvany's ranch, until he deeded the land to Los Angeles(1976), with specifics for it to be used as a park. You'll still see orchards of grapefruit as you enter, with signs requesting you not remove the fruit from the area. The fruit has not been properly tended to in decades, so it's not really yummy grapefruit, but on occasion you'll see some people plucking and tasting to quell their curiosity. Mainly, to avoid the spread of fruit flies, the city requests that the yellow spheres be left in place. BUT OH THE AROMA OF THE FLOWERS FROM THESE TREES! And so many happy bees flitting about. Quite nice. This is also a park that allows access for equestrians. A very large dirt area for trailers to park and horses to be staged and prepped before heading off into the hills on the marked Equestrian Trail. If you do take the time to hike one of the many trails, you'll be rewarded with beautiful view of SFV. If you squint, you can almost imagine what it looked like pre-WWII, before the tract homes welcomed the veterans here. Many beautiful, very old, oak trees, eucalyptus and various maple species, along with a LOT of native shrubbery are found throughout the park and the one large bathroom at the center is well maintained. Hours are dawn to dusk, with gates at both the pedestrian entry and parking lot. Plenty of free parking in the lot and along the street. If you're up for an easy, but fairly long excursion, check out Bee Canyon Park. It starts just across the street from O'Melvany and DOES have a play area for kids. Also, it's trail runs all the way to Balboa. Cheers! "CC"

This park offers a plethora of hiking trails, picnic tables in an oak grove, and a large parking…read morelot. There is a $5 parking fee requested; but it seems like most folks, including me, park on the street for free and hike up to the trailhead. This will add about a mile to your workout (round-trip), but that's good, right? I completed the loop trail this time (trail map here https://trails.lacounty.gov/Trail/1833/wilson-canyon-loop-trail ) and really enjoyed it. There is a pretty significant altitude gain, so be prepared. The trail had definitely been affected by recent rains, with a lot of ruts in the road, but nothing impassable. You'll start out in chaparral, then go up through an oak/sycamore grove near an intermittent stream, and than descend on the north side back to the trailhead. There's also a year-round stream to the north of the hiking area; not sure if it's technically part of the park but it's worth seeking out. Hiking boots with good tread, hiking poles, and water are recommended. Hat, sunscreen and shades on sunny days. And don't forget snacks and a charged phone. Highly recommended.

Your mindset is what separates you from the rest. Let's begin this new trail adventure…read more WILSON CANYON PARK is a 2.8-mile loop trail at Sylmar, California. This trail is quite popular for horseback riding, hiking, and birding. It has an elevation gain of 705 ft.; trails were well maintained, however, there were sections of the Saddle Ranch trailhead that you go through a very narrow trench-just past the water dam structure- which doesn't look like a trail but it is part of the trailhead. You start with a very sandy trail and progresses to a rocky and then smoothed out as you ever to higher elevation. This trail has rich in flora and fauna, wild animals and insects. I saw a juvenile snake (not sure if it's a Sierra Garter snake) as I descend back. YIKES! I decided to hit the Pig Ranch trail as well. Both trails deemed Easy for experienced hikers. Fellow hikers were cordial and respectful. I even saw a male hiker, wearing plaid shirt and jeans, brought his 4 lil boys on the trail. Great family bonding. Anyways, this was a nice hike with great scenery even on a slightly foggy day. Parking has a $5 honor system as you drive inside the park. Overall, WCT is a good quick hike and I recommend it.

Timothy Schepanski is the original creator of the Outdoor Adventures Program. He completed this…read moreprogram as a project for grad school! David is the current Outdoor Adventures Manager and Joey is the Outdoor Adventures Coordinator. This place has a wide selection of Outdoor Adventure (OA) activities and programs! There's 5 different programs under Outdoor Adventures. 1) Rock Wall. The rockwall is located in the Student Recreation Center (SRC) but it still apart of the OA department. Their current supervisor is Dom. Open All week, times vary. Shoutout to Shane!!! 2)Bike Shop. The bike shop is usually open 10am-3pm normally M-Th. They're closed on Friday. They do low cost repairs and sell some bike parts! 3) Outdoor Leadership Program. They go to different locations, like Yosemite, Big Sur, and more. These trips change every semester and are ONLY ALLOWED FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACILTY. Not available to alumni. If you want to sign up for a trip, go on the first day of the semester in order to snag a spot! 4) Rental Center. This is where you can rent camping gear at low costs. THIS IS ONLY ALLOWED FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY. Shoutout to Evan, Liz, and Eva 5) Camp Matador. This is a program for incoming students (freshman and transfers) to get accustomed to University life. This Camp happens a few weeks before Fall semester starts. You can apply to be a facilitator or counselor in late Fall. Shoutout Pablo, Ricky, Raelene, Evan, Eva and Liz! They are the current lead staff! Overall, great department and highly suggest checking them out!

This year I had decided to take an extension course to help with applying for masters, which costed…read more$1,052. In addition, I wanted to take advantage of signing up for the Csun outdoor trip to Alaska. I have already went to the trip to Hawaii and enjoyed. Unfortunately, I was advised by the workers over there to come to the registration day around 8 am. To my surprise, there were already students there who came around 4-6 am. I would have appreciated if someone from outdoors told me to come around that time instead. I was ALMOST late for work on that day. So I have decided to NOT keep my hopes up for next year and will probably unsubscribe csun outdoors on instagram. Hopefully I can plan my own trip to Alaska someday. I just really hate it when someone gets my hopes up. I'm only writing this bad review just to help me cope with the frustration and disappointment. Nothing else.

I'm so glad we discovered this place! With 2 kids and a dog, my husband and I are constantly…read morelooking for safe, not overly crowded places to visit on the weekends. We really like Lake Balboa because of the lake, ducks, and huge space but it gets soo busy on the weekends which makes parking such an issue. Think of this place as a smaller version of Lake Balboa but a lot less crowded. I feel like many people don't know about this place, and I hope it stays that way! We came on a Saturday morning and parking was a breeze. There's bathrooms by the parking lot and it seems like a few trails around the lake which we haven't explored yet. There seems to be a public pool which looks massive so I'm curious to see if it'll get busy during the summer. We'll have to come back to check it out. Overall, it's very clean, calm, safe, and it would be a great place for a picnic, walk, or even children's party :)

I tells ya, you live in an area long enough and one day you discover you want to know what's around…read moreyou. Today was my day for a treat at Hansen Dam Recreation Area. We often see people walking along the top path of the dam, but we decided to park at the Ranger Station and walk in the opposite direction of the norm. What we discovered was lots of beautiful trees, plenty of wildlife, and many people taking advantage of this beautiful area - even on horseback! The aforementioned Ranger Station has friendly folks working there, a nice depiction of local flora and fauna, history of the area, as well as maps and notations of various activities and trails. These trails are more walking than hiking. This area is fairly flat, unless you're moving down into the lower areas, then wanting to walk back up. But I wouldn't consider any of it a challenging walk. A paved trail around the recreation area is clearly marked for pedestrians and bike use. I was amazed at the public pool! Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted my photos whilst attempting to post, but I assume there are others already posted, showing the massive size and fun looking waterslides offered. Plenty of changing rooms/restrooms available. Check the Hansen Dam website for hours. Also impressive is the beautiful recreational lake used for paddling, kayaks, fishing and small boats. Recently, the lake was stocked with Trout. I couldn't tell if any of the folks fishing managed to catch anything, but it was nice to see plenty of families trying. Within this HUUUGE complex, in addition to the recreational lake and aquatic center are A Discovery Cube, Skateboard park, kids playground and public library. We had a very nice time wandering about and hope to return soon for a longer walk along the top of the dam for sonic views of the SFV. Cheers! "CC"

We rode here for a birthday in 2024. I would not say these horses are for beginners - this was not…read morea safe or enjoyable ride. The horse I rode jumped from my leg brushing his belly, so I had to float my legs off his body the entire time. I'm not sure he was well enough to ride that day if his belly was that tender. The other horses did not get along and fought while on the trail. This led to one horse spooking/attacking another and caused my friend to fall. She had difficulty walking, but was asked to get back on the horse despite laying on the floor in pain. After she couldn't get on, we thought the guide would call for help. But we found out later that the guide simply called her coworker and told them she'd be late for her next ride. Are you kidding me? Someone gets hurt and your first thought is your next paycheck? Our friend had to continue on foot since the guide told us we could not get off to help her. I don't think she would've made it all the way. We were lucky to run into fire authorities that gave her a ride. The authorities clarified they were NOT contacted by the guide and they were there for a separate event. We took our friend to the ER ourselves to get a spinal scan which thankfully turned out with bruising only. Afterwards, we were not offered a refund. We get it, horses have bad days and are unpredictable. But there is no excuse for having a guide that is so severely untrained and unempathetic. In a real emergency, you do not want to be caught in the middle of a nowhere with no signal and a "guide" that doesn't even know how to call for help or care about you. She just sounded like she wanted it over with. Really horrified and disappointed by the negligence here.

Best place, amazing staff! Beautiful horses and trail ride was perfect went for mother's day. Great…read moreexperience