Heading out in two days and need a place to go. Live I Los Angeles, brothers down by Disneyland who is coming. Where looking for a place that preferable within 2 or 3 hours that would be a nice location for a 2 night trip. Doesn't have to be a long hike. Hope to find something with trees for hammock sleeping and water that we can swim in.

Thanks!

Water you can swim in is asking a lot in an arid place that gets most of its rain in the winter. Usually, this time of the year, its too hot to hike in the lower elevations. The best hiking in SoCAL would be in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, south of Big Bear, and the San Jacinto Wilderness, west of Palm Springs. Both offer mountains going over 10,000ft and plenty of trees. Both offer some excellent 2-3 day trips. If this had been a wetter year, you'd have a chance to get wet at either Dollar or Dry Lake in San Gorgonio. Maybe next year.

Edited by Miner on 08/03/2012 11:26:08 MDT.

SEKI (Sequoia) is just slightly out of your drive range but IMO is worth it if you value trees and water. Really need to get up towards the Sierra for that this time of year.

Yah it's been pretty dry do maybe asking to much for swim water.

Heading up to the Sequoias in two weeks! Can't wait.

What about any lakes to hike to? I was looking some up but it seems that all of them are surrounded my roads now...

Was just reading about Vivian Creek? Anyone have any experience hikin here? Would you recommend it?

...

Could backpack to Sespe Hot springs from the Piedras Blancas TH in the Sespe Wilderness.

Also, more of a one-nighter, but you could backpack to the Bridge to Nowhere above Azusa. Plenty of trees and flowing water but short hike and a fair amount of people.

I am sure there are more options with water, cmon people!

"Hope to find something with trees for hammock sleeping and water that we can swim in."

SC isn't exactly known for lakes and forest. You can't do hammocks at our beaches that I know of. And bodies of water away from beaches... we have Salton Sea, but it's hot as hell out there this time of year...

I would second San Gorgornio.

You could also hike up to the Fishbowls from the Piedras Blancas trailhead in the Sespe Wilderness. The Fishbowls are deep rock pools in a creek. You can jump in. Lots of nice trees, too. Probably a longer drive than you want, though.

What about Devils Punchbowl near Littlerock? Are there pools to jump in there?

Not sure if Fishbowls is a good idea since there was a fire yesterday at Lake Piru, and the fishbowls are on Piru Creek. Not sure how close they are but I wouldnt chance it.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/aug/05/fire-reported-in-los-padres-near-piru/?partner=yahoo_feeds

Piru Fire is a non-issue for the Fishbowls area; they're at opposite ends of Piru Creek (~70 miles apart), although I'd agree with Diane that getting to the TH for the Fishbowls is probably farther than the OP wants to drive. There's no easy direct route there.

As a further hindrance to local summertime Socal hiking, like others have said, temps get high and water levels get low. Even the larger, more reliable creeks and streams in the Southern Los Padres are drying up (in places). You will still find pools and sections with running water, but it's hit or miss.

The southern Sierra, entering from either the west side (near Poterville, Springville or Kernville) or from the east side around Olancha keeps you in pretty close to LA/OC and should be a lot more pleasant this time of year. Plenty of water in the Kern and Little Kern. No permit hassles for Sequoia NF (as opposed to Sequoia NP) either...

The lakes in SoCal are either private property or part of a state park system, they have boating and jet skis, but I would not swim in them. they have viral things that swim up your woohoo. Lake Elsinore, Lake Hemet, Lake Fulmor, Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Piru Lake. Nice to photograph and hike around, but gross to get in the water.

Hammocks, you probably can, but I just don't see any body doing it in the national forests. probably our trees are either burnt, weak from the fires, or bark beetle diseased, and the hammock roping will probably strip the bark and expose the tree to further disease. Just my thoughts.

National Forest:
you need a free entry permit usually, and an adventure pass (parking $5 per day / $30 annual)

Some state parks are connected to the national forest. the SP charges a lot of money, the NF is close to free. same mountain, different entry points different costs.

if you want to drive 3 hours, you might as well drive 5 hours and head up to Sequoia / Kings National forest - eastern Sierras. now that is a different experience, a different California.

Vivian creek to San G, the first 2 miles of the trail are loose gravel and a vertical mile. its even worse on the way down. This is a bad boy hike of So Cal. a knee buster and an elevation experience, be ready of altitude sickness.

although permits for Vivian creek are hard to come by on the weekends, and its heavily patrolled by the fuzz. also POS thieves regularly break into parked cars, smash windows.

Thanks guys for all your help!