National Parks Too Crowded? Visit These Nearby National Forests Instead

Hiking back to the parking lot from Bullet Cave on the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Austin caving enthusiast Phil Kearney gets philosophical when asked why he likes caving: "Outside of deep-sea diving and high-altitude mountaineering, caving is the closest that we mere mortals can come to visiting another world." I’m sure many would agree. While Austin, TX can’t claim to have any of its caves on the cover of National Geographic, our city and surrounding areas offer up plenty of surreal experiences for those who like to crawl under the earth in search of rarely seen spaces. Austin caver Phil Kearney exits Bullet cave. Dave Brown Millions of years ago, the place we now call Austin was underwater, and what was then home to beds of coral and mollusks became limestone bedrock and karst, tunneled throughout with ancient underground waterways and other passages. These passages – many of which have surfaced at the Balcones Fault line, which today is followed partially by Barton Creek – became caves, and although surely thousands remain undiscovered, a handful have been mapped by the experts. Most of these caves are either secret or too difficult to access by anyone else, but a few are available for public wandering, and of them, some of the most easily accessible ones lie just minutes from downtown, along the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The easiest to reach is still not known to everyone, but it’s not too sacred to talk about. It’s Bullet Cave, just a ten minute hike from the parking lot at the Highway 360 entrance to the Greenbelt. It’s not difficult or very long, but it's a great initial exposure to caving in Austin and it gets you into near total darkness. Only thing is that it’s just about a 40-foot crawl through a narrow, two-foot-high tube into a standing-height room. At the back of that room is another, narrower loop passage that leads back another 20 feet or so. Author Dave Brown exits Bullet cave's cliff-face opening Dave Brown Also in the Greenbelt is Backdoor Cave. And other caves around the city include Whirlpool and Maple Run, among others. To find out exactly where the entrance to Bullet Cave is and to learn about the others and possibly schedule a guided visit, contact the same people who can show you every other must-see cave in the Austin area – the  Underground Texas (UT) Grotto organization. They can also hook you up with a visit to the one Greenbelt cave that’s a hallmark site for every Texas caver, Airmen’s Cave. For good reason, Airmen’s was restricted for public use (but not banned, thanks in large part to UT Grotto) a couple years ago. It was getting abused and needed protection, and too many people were not caving responsibly in this precious cavern, so it’s now gated. At about 2.5 miles long, it’s been hailed as one of the longest caves in Texas, and harbors such scenes as the Aggie Art Gallery with its anonymous clay sculptures scattered throughout, the Crystal Room and other highlights. This cave is only open occasionally, so contact UT Grotto to schedule a visit, including beginner’s instruction. Aggie Art Gallery in Airmen's cave. Patrick Lewis In the meantime, while you’re waiting for Airmen’s to open, wander around the Greenbelt, especially around the cliffs on the southeast side of the Horseshoe Bend area of the creek, and see if you can find the Bullet. I won’t give away the exact location here (although you can probably find it elsewhere on the Web) because exploring is what caving is all about. And like caver Phil Kearney says, “I love just getting out to these hidden, otherworldly spots, exploring, and appreciating the utterly natural state of things in caves.” Take your time to enjoy all the nature around you... above you and below you.

The national parks of the United States account for some of the world’s most glorious landscapes: ice-whittled peaks, abyssal gorges, primeval seashores, towering forests, kaleidoscopic deserts—well, you probably don’t need us to repeat the litany of superlatives, now do you? Tens of millions from all over the globe partake of the National Park System’s majesties every year—from the Everglades to Denali, from Death Valley to Congaree. Amid this thoroughly well-deserved adoration for these sacred places, it’s also worth exploring the national forests that often border the parks—especially if you’re looking to duck at least some of the crowds. Taking a gander at adjoining Forest Service lands lets you see the topographic and ecological whole of which a given national park is just a component of. After all, it’s easy to mistake Arches or Shenandoah as standalone chunks of natural majesty, forgetting that mountain ranges and rivers and animals and weather don’t abide by sharp jurisdictional boundaries. And on the other side of the coin, crisscrossing the national park/national forest borders helps you better appreciate how different management strategies cooked up on paper actually make their physical mark on the landscape. (The National Park Service and the USDA Forest Service, after all, have distinct, if overlapping, guiding principles, and it’s illuminating for any outdoors-person to consider the on-the-ground differences.) Here’s a broad-stroked roundup of the national forests shouldering 10 of the most-visited national parks in 2015. (Two popular parks, Maine’s Acadia and Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley, which both saw more than two million visitors in 2015, aren’t part of this list, as they don’t have adjacent federal lands.) The forestlands profiled here serve as promising options for finding some elbow room near some of America’s best-loved outdoor playgrounds, and they’re home to some truly world-class scenery and recreation all their own. 1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Cherokee, Pisgah, & Nantahala National Forests Mountain biking in the Cherokee National Forest's Chilhowee Recreation Area. Jeff Bartlett Home to some of the world’s richest temperate forests and some of the East’s highest peaks and most extensive backcountry, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a marvel—one appreciated firsthand by more than 11 million people in 2015. More Southern Appalachian magic awaits, though, in the national forestland bordering the park to its west, south, and east. Bliss out among giant tulip trees and other barrel-trunked ancients in the old-growth cove-hemlock forest of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. Run the whitewater of the Nantahala, mountain bike the Tsali Recreation Area along Fontana Lake, or goggle at Bald River Falls in the Bald River Gorge. Wherever you go, keep an eye peeled for the fat and sassy black bears and feral hogs that both prosper in these rugged, fertile highlands. 2. Grand Canyon National Park | Kaibab National Forest The view from Crazy Jug Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Kaibab National Forest Set the head-spinning gash of the Grand Canyon in its full context by rambling around the Kaibab N.F. bracketing both the north and south sides of Grand Canyon National Park (which welcomed more than 5.5 million last year). From pinyon-juniper scrub to ponderosa parklands to subalpine spruce-fir timber, the Kaibab, split among three districts, encompasses some awesome Colorado Plateau ecology—and downright limitless recreational possibilities for experiencing it firsthand. In the Kanab Creek Wilderness, trek into the redrock depths of the Kanab Creek Canyon gouging the Kaibab and Kanab plateaus as it drains to the Grand Canyon. On the Kaibab Plateau north of the Canyon, scout for the resident (and controversial) bison herd and dark, high-soaring California condors. Beyond the South Rim, journey across the Coconino Plateau to the Kaibab’s southernmost sector, where you can survey 10,418-foot Kendrick Peak’s dizzying summit panorama. Or mountain bike one of the most scenic rides in the country along the Rainbow Rim Trail, the only place to mountain bike along the Grand Canyon. 3. Rocky Mountain National Park | Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Camping in the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Pawnee Lake. Jake Wheeler More than four million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2015, and it’s no surprise why—with more than 70 Front Range summits above 12,00 feet, oceanic tundra, glassy tarns, and huge wapiti herds on tap. But don’t overlook the flanking Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests. Four National Forest wilderness areas directly border the park, and they’re just as stirring: from the litter of 13,000-plus-foot horns in the Indian Peaks Wilderness (which includes part of Colorado’s biggest glacier, the Arapaho) to the granite benches in the pint-sized Neota Wilderness. You can also drive America’s highest paved road up to 14,264-foot Mount Evans, an iconic Front Range 14er, which harbors some of Colorado’s northernmost groves of tough-as-nails, crazy-long-lived Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines. Meanwhile, Boulder Canyon calls to rock climbers as irresistibly as the Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River does to whitewater kayakers and rafters. 4. Yosemite National Park | Sierra, Inyo, Humboldt-Toiyabe, & Stanislaus National Forests The otherworldly landscapes on Mono Basin, in Inyo National Forest, bordering Yosemite National Park. Jake Wheeler In 2015, more than four million people clapped eyes on the near-mythic landscapes of Yosemite National Park, epitomized by the granite-walled glen of Yosemite Valley. If this world-famous park’s throngs (and car-burglarizing black bears) have you down, consider embellishing your Yosemite visit with some High Sierra adventuring in the adjacent national forests. The scenery’s certainly Yosemite-caliber, whether you’re talking Thousand Island Lake beneath Banner Peak in the Ritter Range or the prospect of the otherworldly Mono Basin from the scoured heights of the Dana Plateau. And you can wander a colony of godly giant sequoias, the Nelder Grove, that’s typically much quieter than Yosemite’s three sequoia stands. 5. Yellowstone National Park | Gallatin, Custer, Shoshone, Bridger-Teton, & Caribou-Targhee National Forests Daisy Pass in the Gallatin National Forest near Yellowstone National Park. Forest Service Northern Region With its epic geyser basins and plentiful wildlife, the world's oldest national park—which hosted some 4.1 million in 2015—is, it goes without saying, a must-see. So, too, though, is the vast and wild Forest Service acreage nestling Yellowstone: critical public lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem framework. For one thing, it’s in these national forests of its hinterland where Yellowstone’s mountainscapes crescendo to all-out alpine grandeur—from the matterhorn tooth of Pilot Peak in the Absarokas to the high, weather-beaten rockland of the Beartooth Plateau. You’ve got primo day hikes and world-class backcountry that feels just as primal as Yellowstone’s roadless (and grizzlied) depths, not least in the Teton Wilderness, which encompasses the corner of one of the Lower 48’s largest roadless areas. And awesome Greater Yellowstone water awaits: on the Madison River through Bear Trap Canyon and on the Yellowstone through Yankee Jim Canyon in the Gallatin N.F., and on the North Fork Shoshone in the Absarokas of the Shoshone N.F., to name a few standouts. 6. Zion National Park | Dixie National Forest Early autumn in Utah's Dixie National Forest, near Zion National Park. John Buie Okay, so the Dixie—Utah’s biggest national forest, straddling the physiographic frontier of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau—doesn’t directly abut Zion National Park (3.65 million visitors in 2015), but it’s mighty close by, and it claims scenery to stand proudly alongside the national park’s sublime canyonlands. Tramp the Summit Trail through the wilderness-protected high country of the Pine Valley Mountains, with their shadowy spruce woods, sculptured bristlecone pines, and fine prospects of Zion’s colorful geology. Or bushwhack the wild canyons of the Cottonwood Forest Wilderness, where ephemeral streamers and hanging gardens pattern sandstone walls. Solitude ain’t hard to come by in the Dixie. 7. Olympic National Park | Olympic National Forest The Olympic National Forest in all its lush glory. Miguel Vieira Olympic National Park, experienced by some 3.26 million in 2015, is famously diverse: from a raw, stormy seacoast and some of the world’s standout temperate rainforests to high-country glaciers and drier rainshadow conifer woods. Olympic N.F.—home to five wilderness areas—partly buffers the park on all its aspects, offering something of a similar variety pack. Near national forestland on the south shore of Lake Quinault grows some of the world’s mightiest trees, including among the very biggest Douglas-firs and Sitka spruces anywhere. On the other side of the Olympic Peninsula, Seal Rock offers a rare Forest Service developed campground on saltwater: a serene Puget Sound counterpart to the camping available across the mountains along Olympic National Park’s outer coast. And if you’re a hardcore mountain lover, the Olympic National Forest wildernesses on the park’s eastern boundary include some of the signal peaks of the Olympics: the Brothers in the Brother Wilderness, for example, and Mounts Skokomish, Cruiser, and Pershing in the Mount Skokomish Wilderness. 8. Grand Teton National Park | Caribou-Targhee & Bridger-Teton National Forests Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail in Caribou-Targhee National Forest's Jedediah Smith Wilderness. Jake Wheeler More than three million people basked in the glory of Grand Teton National Park in 2015, meditating on those iconic snarled Teton fangs, boating on the Snake River or the big foothill lakes, oohing-and-aahing over moose and black bears and white pelicans and coyotes. Two of the same national forests that buttress Yellowstone rub shoulders with Grand Teton as well: the slender Caribou-Targhee (mostly in Idaho) and the 3.4-million-acre Bridger-Teton (in Wyoming), one of the biggest national forests in the country. The Caribou-Targhee’s Jedediah Smith Wilderness offers sublime backcountry approaches to the Teton high country. Hike up Teton Canyon to the rock garden of Alaska Basin, for example, which is also reachable by the outstanding Teton Crest Trail. And the portion of Bridger-Teton N.F. nearest Grand Teton National Park includes the sweeping limestone heights of the Gros Ventre Range, a critical corridor between the Greater Yellowstone and the Wind River Range and the summer pasture for many of the wapiti that winter in great number in the National Elk Refuge. The Gros Ventre Slide National Geological Area presents the scene of a massive 1925 landslide that dammed the Gros Ventre to form Lower Slide Lake. 9. Glacier National Park | Flathead & Lewis and Clark National Forests Views of the Rockies from Near the Ford Cabin, Flathead National Forest.Views of the Rockies from Near the Ford Cabin, Flathead National Forest. Forest Service Northern Range With its layer cake Canadian Rockies-style peaks, Glacier National Park (2.37 million visitors in 2015) marks one of America’s great mountainscapes, and it anchors a globally significant wildland complex: the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. Some awesome Crown of the Continent vistas—and some raw Rocky Mountain backcountry—await you just outside the park, too. The Flathead N.F. contributes most of the national-forest acreage fringing Glacier, although the Lewis and Clark N.F. borders its southeastern segment along the Rocky Mountain Front. One of the treasures of the Flathead is the 287,00-acre Great Bear Wilderness, headwaters of the Middle Fork Flathead River and major component of the massive Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex—one of the biggest roadless chunks in the Lower 48. The wilderness is aptly named, too: You’ll be sharing the river bottoms, avalanche chutes, and high meadows with lots of grizzlies, which find one of their standout refuges in the Crown of the Continent backlands. Then there’s the Jewel Basin Hiking Area in the Swan Mountains, open only to foot travelers and glinting with more than two dozen high-country lakes. 10. Joshua Tree National Park | San Bernardino National Forest The Dr. Seuss-like desert vegetation of San Bernardino National Forest. Bureau of Land Management With its yucca savannas and bouldery inselbergs, Joshua Tree National Park, sprawled along the messy seam between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, presents as ethereal a landscape as you’ll find in North America. In terms of bordering federal acreage, the most extensive is managed by the Bureau of Land Management—including the vast, newly minted Mojave Trails National Monument that links Joshua Tree with Mojave National Preserve to the north. (No question: The epic BLM holdings within shouting distance of national parks deserve their own treatment.) But you don’t have to travel far from Joshua Tree (roughly two million visitors in 2015) to hit national forest: specifically the San Bernardino N.F. to the west, spread across the easternmost Transverse Ranges of the San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and Santa Rosa mountains. These are major uplifts. The San Bernardinos swell to Southern California’s loftiest peak, 11,503-foot San Gorgonio Mountain (aka Old Greyback). For tracing the gradient between desert lowlands and Tranverse Range crests, you can’t do better than the Sand to Snow National Monument, established (along with Mojave Trails) in February 2016 and jointly managed by the BLM and the San Bernardino N.F.; it includes Old Greyback in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Next time you visit one of America's national parks, consider making a side trip to one of its equally spectacular (yet far less-crowded) public lands cousins. You'll be glad you did. And as always, be sure to share your adventures with us by tagging #RootsRated. Written by Ethan Shaw for RootsRated.

Backpacking season may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean it’s over yet. While we’ve now lost summer’s long days and t-shirt temperatures, fall camping trips have benefits of their own: scenery speckled with red and gold trees, fewer crowds, and more permit availability. But with winter just around the corner, you’ll want to get on one of these trails soon (and don’t forget to bring that extra layer and rain cover for your pack). Here, five of the best late-season backpacking trips in Washington —because there's still time to get in one last hurrah before you have to wait for next season. 1. The Enchantments The Enchantments offer some of the best scenery in Washington. Nate B With sparkling blue-green alpine lakes, granite peaks, waterfalls, and mountain vistas, the Enchantments are filled to the brim with some of the most inspiring scenery in the Pacific Northwest. Which is exactly what makes winning a permit via the lottery system to visit during the high season so competitive. But there is a way around the whole permit hassle: Visit between mid-October and mid-June, and you won’t need one. Going to the Enchantments in autumn also means the forests will be all the more spectacular thanks to the larch trees, which are conifers with a deciduous-esque twist. Around mid-October the larch pine needles turn from green to gold, before they are blown off by winter’s storms. 2. Iron Peak Loop The view of Mount Stuart from Iron Peak is impressive. brewbooks Even when fall's showers drench Seattle, it is sometimes possible to find drier ground just on the other side of the Cascades. The 14.5-mile Iron Peak Loop , near Salmon La Sac, is a great option for a weekend backpacking trip when other hikes closer to the city seem too drippy. The trail ascends to a rocky ridge, from which you’ll be able to take in mountain views as you scramble along, including ones of Mount Stuart. Or, if you’re looking for something shorter in the same area, try the 9-mile hike to Lake Ingalls , one of the most popular treks in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. 3. Navajo Pass Also on the other side of the Cascades by way of Snoqualmie Pass, Navajo Pass is another good option if you’re looking for clearer skies. The 11-mile hike will take you alongside the bubbling Safford Creek, up a series of steep switchbacks, and through forests flavored with red and yellow fall foliage. And then comes the views from the top of the pass, of Mount Stuart and the surrounding Stuart Range. The best place to camp is the large meadow about five miles from the trailhead, from which you can scramble up other peaks in the area if you want an additional challenge the next day. 4. Blanca Lake Blanca Lake's turquoise waters draw quite the crowd in the summer. For a more peaceful experience, try visiting in fall. Amy Salowitz Blanca Lake ’s turquoise-blue water is no less than stunning. In summer, its beauty attracts some of the biggest crowds found on any trail in the area, so if you prefer a little more solitude while on the trail, try visiting in fall instead. The 7.5-mile hike is easily done as a day trip from Seattle, but the area is so pretty that it also makes for nice weekend retreat. There are camping sites all around Virgin Lake, which is about 0.6 miles from Blanca Lake. Just keep in mind that the trail’s high point is 4,600 feet, so you’ll want to get out here before the winter’s snow hits. 5. White Pass to Chinook Pass Soak up fantastic views throughout this 28-mile excursion. Robert Ashworth These two mountain passes are two of the prettiest in the state, and the 28 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail that connect them are among the best of the whole route. Hike from White Pass to Chinook Pass in the autumn and the fiery maples and cottonwoods you’ll encounter along the way will add to the visual splendor. While 28 miles is quite a lot to pack into one weekend, the trail is relatively flat and well marked, and there are plenty of places to camp along the way. Plus, you’ll be treated to glorious alpine vistas, including views of Goat Rocks, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier, which is sure to keep the stoke running high. The National Forest Foundation promotes the enhancement and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. By directly engaging Americans and leveraging private and public funding, the NFF improves forest health and Americans’ outdoor experiences. The NFF’s programs inform millions of Americans about the importance of these treasured landscapes. Each year, the NFF restores fish and wildlife habitat, plants trees in areas affected by fires, insects and disease, improves recreational opportunities, and enables communities to steward their National Forests and Grasslands. Learn more at www.nationalforests.org. Written by Samantha Larson for RootsRated.

Los Angeles. City of Angels, City of Dreams, and for the West Coast, City of Cities. Los Angeles is an old city, a new city, and a large city. Almost everyone in the United States, and the world, has an opinion about the second largest metropolis in the United States. With big names, bright stars, bright lights, and dusk-to-dawn energy, Los Angeles is a city that defies description. It is, however, more than just the Hollywood sign, Disneyland, movies, music, celebrities, and fine weather. It is is a melting pot of history, culture, and wilderness. Yes, wilderness. While LA will presumably never be primarily known for its outdoor possibilities, it does in fact have miles of stunning beaches, tons of fantastic hiking trails, and a number of high peaks that ring the Los Angeles basin. Considering the size of the city (did we mention it's the second largest metropolis in the country?) it would take much more than a weekend to explore all of its secret and well-known spots, but if you’re visiting, there’s no harm in trying to live large and see it all, just as the locals do year-round. Here’s a “best of” list that will provide a great start to experiencing all that the city has to offer. Where to Get Caffeinated Tierra Mia Cafe makes a mean Horchata Latte Ray Bouknight Above all else, Los Angeles is a town that does not sleep. From sun-up, to sun-down, the city works normal hours just like every other town in America. But, unlike every other town in America, the pace of life in Los Angeles does not slow. Since sleep is at a premium in LA, having a quality cup of coffee is a necessity for much of the city. The best thing about the coffee scene in Los Angeles is the variety. One of the more recent coffeehouses to open in Los Angeles is Go Get Em Tiger. This unconventionally-named establishment provides a hip environment where craft coffee lovers can enjoy unique spins on traditional espresso drinks and breakfast waffles. Just try pairing a Macadamia Almond Milk Latte with a Ricotta Waffle topped with fresh berries, honey, and a pinch of salt. You won't regret it. If you’re looking to try a coffeehouse that doesn't feature the standard American fare, one of the best places to start is Document Coffee Bar, which is located in the Korean section of Los Angeles. Document Coffee has perhaps the best iced coffee in the city with their signature drink, the decadent Document Cold. Document also offers a number of other great drinks, including the Document Affogato and the Document Hot Chocolate. Another great option with unique drinks and pastries is Tierra Mia Coffee. Tierra Mia has a number of locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area, and features one of the top coffee concoctions in the Los Angeles basin, the Horchata Latte—an unfathomably delicious blend of rice, almonds, cinnamon, and sugar, which pairs perfectly with a Tres Leches muffin. Finally, if you’re looking for a place to rest from the non-stop motion of Los Angeles, Bricks and Scones is the place to visit, because it has “the study.” The study is a non-talking room, dedicated to reading, writing, and well, relaxing with your scone of the day, or a cup of whatever catches your fancy. Where to Hit the Trail Exploring Griffith Park—one of the largest urban parks in America Chris Sonnen Although the song asserts that “ nobody walks in L.A .", Los Angeles is actually an area with a plethora of trails. From the beaches, to the foothills, to the city greenways, to the canyons that honeycomb the city, there are plenty of hikes that are readily accessible for walkers and hikers alike. Los Angeles also has a number of longer trails for slightly burlier hikers, which crisscross the San Gabriel Mountains to the East and the Santa Monica Mountains to the West. With over 280 days of sun yearly, the weather in the Los Angeles basin is perfect for hiking year-round. The most popular hike in the city is the iconic Hollywood Sign Hike. Comprised of three separate trails in Griffith Park—the Wonder View Trail, Hollyridge Trail, and the Brush Canyon Trail—and ranging in distance from three miles to six miles roundtrip, the Hollywood Sign Hike is a classic jaunt for obvious cinematic reasons. Across Highway 101 to the West, is LA's second most popular hike: Runyon Canyon, which has great views of the Los Angeles Basin and is a great place for people watching (famous and regular alike) on weekdays and weekends. Taking in the view of the Hollywood Sign Chris Sonnen If you're looking to get out of the city, however, the Santa Monica Mountains to the west provide a large swath of wilderness expanse along the scenic Pacific Coast. One of the best hikes here is the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail . This 4.6 mile trail can be made into a loop route, or can be done as an out-and-back as well. Either way, hikers will be treated to uninterrupted views of what Southern California must have originally looked like, replete with rolling hills and groves of coastal and valley oak. On the Eastern side of Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Mountains provide a number of wilderness opportunities. One of the more popular hikes is the Vivian Creek Trail, which over the course of 9.3 miles ascends to the summit of Southern California’s highest mountain, San Gorgonio. The most extreme hike in the San Gabriel Range is the Bridge to Nowhere, which crosses the San Gabriel River several times before arriving at the bridge itself. Constructed in 1936 as part of a planned road that was later abandoned, the bridge is now used as the only location for bungee jumping in Southern California. Hikers can either elect to jump off the bridge themselves, or simply opt to watch others risking life and limb for potential Youtube fame, before heading back to the trailhead safe and sound. Where to Go Climbing In addition to the great hiking that Los Angeles possesses, it's also home to a number of great places to climb. One of the oldest—and most historic of these places is Stoney Point Park . Stoney Point is a spot where climbing legends like Royal Robbins, Bob Kamps, and Yvon Chouinard first got their start, and it remains one of the most popular and accessible areas within the city for climbers of all ability levels with over 150 official routes. Similarly, the Devil’s Punchbowl, an area that rests on top of the San Andreas Fault to the North of the city, provides great bouldering and traditional climbing opportunities from beginner to intermediate. Along the coast, Point Dume State Beach provides some of the most stunning scenery that beginner and intermediate climbers can find anywhere. These rock walls overlook the beach and the blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean, giving climbers a stellar view as they hone their craft under the Southern California sun. Although Stoney Point and Point Dume provide excellent climbing in the Los Angeles basin, hands down the best climbing in the area can be found slightly outside of Los Angeles at the world-renowned Joshua Tree National Park. With thousands of official climbing routes, and even more unofficial bouldering routes, Joshua Tree is a destination that lives up to the hype, and it's a can’t-miss spot if you have the time to make the two-hour drive east of the city. Where to Paddle A common sight at Venice Beach Ryan Vaarsi Paddling in Los Angeles in 2015 has one meaning and one meaning only: surfing. After all, Los Angeles is one of the historic homes of surf culture world-wide. Out of all of Los Angeles’ beaches, the best locations can be found in an arc from the southwest to the northwest. Starting on the southwest end, Venice Beach provides the best locale for novices to learn. With a small, consistent break, the surfing here isn't the most challenging, but it is the friendliest location in the greater Los Angeles area. And after your lesson or introductory set, Venice Beach is a prime spot to relax and observe the bronze-skinned, beach bum locals skateboarding along the boardwalk and pasty tourists fumble in their fanny packs at one of the many beach stand restaurants. Slightly further north, Manhattan Beach provides a larger, faster break during the winter months for aspiring intermediate surfers. It's also a great spot for afternoon drinks while watching some of the more experienced surfers catch air on the larger waves. Up the coast from Manhattan is Topanga Beach. With its long, sandy beaches, Topanga provides another classic location for beginners and intermediate surfers that is buzzing day in, day out all year long. And just a little further north is one of the best breaks in Los Angeles County—Surfrider Beach in Malibu. Surfrider is an aptly named spot where professional—and aspiring professional—surfers go to test their mettle under classic Southern California conditions. Even though surfing is the reigning king in LA, all of these spots also offer sea kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and even stand up paddlesurfing, for the best of both worlds. Where to Unwind The famous Office Burger at the Father's Office Memphis CVB Los Angeles is a world-class city for food. From the chic to the bohemian, another moniker this city could add to its long list of monikers might be the "City of Unbelievably Diverse and Exceptionally Delicious Dining." (Although, something tells us this one might not stick.) With easily some of the finest restaurants on the West Coast, and a price point for everyone, there's essentially an endless supply of food and drink destinations for LA adventurers. One of the best “newer” restaurants in Los Angeles is Bestia, located on the outskirts of the downtown core of the city. With a unique industrial design, Bestia pleases both the eye and the palate with its rustic Italian style of food. While all of the meals on Bestia’s menu look good and taste good, the top three items could be the kale salad, cavatelli alla norcina, and the butter poached lobster chanterelles. And of course, saving room for dessert is essential. Bestia impresses in this arena with a homemade "Coffee & Donuts" with spiced chestnut zeppole, whipped cream, and coffee ice cream. For something a little more low-key in the Los Angeles Basin, Father’s Office is the place to go. With an impressive selection of beer on tap, a number of delectable appetizers like sweet potato fries and even sea urchin, and literally the best burger in all of Los Angeles (it was voted as such), Father's Office tops the charts for must-visit food stops in Hollywood. One word of caution for potential visitors: the restaurant does not do substitutions (the food comes as it is described on the menu), including no ketchup! But trust them; they're burger wizards! No list of Los Angeles restaurant recommendations would be complete without a “secret” location. In this case, the best “secret” is Versailles Cuban Restaurant. With four locations now, this restaurant has been serving the best Cuban food in the city for almost thirty-five years and has a famously unparalleled garlic chicken and a fantastic tres leches cake. Where to Get a Good Night’s Rest The sun sets over Dockweiler State Beach Rick Cooper Although Los Angeles is many things, it is not usually cheap or easy on the wallet. Having said that, if you plan your visit in advance, you can find a deal or two if you are, in fact, planning to sleep in the city that never rests. The cheapest alternative in the Los Angeles Basin (with the best view too) is Dockweiler State Beach. With beachfront camping and bonfires allowed, this is a popular destination for people looking to relax, save, and witness exceptional Pacific sunsets. For visitors looking for a room with an old Hollywood vibe, the Hotel Hollywood is a boutique location near the Hollywood sign as well as many other famous Hollywood sights. Finally, the current hottest destination in the city is the Ace Hotel Los Angeles, which also has reasonable rates, a great location, and a new redesign that will leave anyone feeling like a star. And the Ace also has one of the best breakfasts you'll ever have. Written by Chris Sunnen for RootsRated.