Every Trail Tells a Story

TALES AND TRAILS
OF CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND

Explore California’s trails through story with John McKinney, The Trailmaster—30 books, longtime LA Times columnist, and a lifetime of hiking across the Golden State.

Every Trail Tells a Story. This short video says it better than I ever could in print. It’s the idea that’s guided every mile I’ve walked and every story I’ve told.

 Every Trail Tells a Story

In my weekly Substack newsletter Hike On, I share the stories behind California’s trails—the moments, history, and hidden details that turn a walk into something more.

Start with a free guide: 10 Unforgettable Hikes in California State Parks

Welcome to The Trailmaster.

This is where hiking becomes story—where California’s trails are explored not just for where they go, but for what they reveal.

From iconic parks to lesser-known paths, each place has a character. Each walk, a story.

EXPLORE HIKES
VISIT THE STORE

Newsletter

Every Trail Tells a Story

Trails, places, and the stories they reveal.

  • Montaña de Oro State Park

    Montaña de Oro State Park

  • Opening Day on the Trail

    Opening Day on the Trail

  • Welcome to the Trail

    Welcome to the Trail

Videos

Stories in Motion

A curated collection of Trailmaster films—bringing California’s trails to life through story, landscape, and experience.

Hike California State Parks

Hiking the Holy Mountain

Father Serra and Me

Hike to the HOLLYWOOD Sign

Welcome and HIKE ON

Redwood Coastal Trail

California State Parks

Tales and Trails

From wave-washed headlands to desert stillness, from redwood groves to sunlit ridgelines, California’s state parks reveal the state in all its moods. These are not just trails, but stories—each shaped by landscape, history, and the experience of walking through it—drawn from my firsthand exploration of all 280 California state parks.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Torrey Pines State Reserve
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
SEE THE FULL COLLECTION

Hike On

Books & Merch

SEE MORE