By: Lauren Brose ‘15

Hikes are a great way of toning your body (a natural lift for your backside, ladies!), getting your suggested 30 minutes of cardio in, as well as simply venturing outside the concrete confines of USC and downtown. The best part: you get to chat to your friends throughout the entire trail and be close to nature. One of my biggest accomplishments was hiking the tallest mountain in South Lake Tahoe called Mt. Tallac. It took me nearly the entire day and I was gasping for oxygen as I literally crawled the last quarter mile. In my defense, oxygen was becoming sparse considering the increased elevation and change in altitude but I felt the greatest surge of endorphins imaginable when I finally reached the top. Never had a PB&J tasted so heavenly. Maybe you’re not about that 12.5 mile hike. Instead, I outlined a handful of hikes around Los Angeles that range from less than two miles to up to seven miles.