For those desert wanderers really looking to get away from the crowds, the Anza-Borrego region should be on your bucket list. Located 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles (and only 80 miles northeast of San Diego), come for the quirky town of Borrego Springs and make it your launching point to further explore the natural offerings of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Two hours from Los Angeles in the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild’s small-mountain-town vibes are the perfect escape for a laid back weekend in the woods. Set among tall pine trees, surrounded by rocky mountains, and with miles of hiking trails, Idyllwild is sometimes described as a mini-Yosemite — an alpine paradise without the crowds.
At six million acres large, the Adirondack Mountains are the largest protected natural area in the lower 48 states. The park is bigger than the Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined — and it’s right in our back yard! Many New Yorkers think the Adirondacks are too far for a weekend; but at 215 ...