There are seasons, and then there are seasons.
Across much of the country, Baseball’s Opening Day signals the long-awaited return of spring—and for hikers, the start of getting back out on the trail. Snow melts, boots come out of the closet, and winter loosens its grip.
Here in California, we don’t wait for permission.
We hike year-round. Desert in winter, wildflowers in spring, coast in summer, mountains in fall. Still, there’s something about the crack of the bat and the first pitch of the season that feels like an invitation—to get outside, to stretch the legs, to wander a little farther down the trail.
And yes, to argue a little baseball.
The Dodgers and Giants brought their rivalry west from New York in the 1950s, and California has never been the same. I’ll confess: I bleed Dodger Blue. But I’ve happily bundled up for a cold night at Oracle Park, where the wind off the bay reminds you that baseball—and hiking—are best experienced in the elements.
These days, that spirit carries onto the trail. The Dodger Blue Hiking Crew has turned postgame passion into pregame miles, drawing hundreds of fans to hikes like their World Series celebration in Griffith Park and the recent “Road to 3-Peat.”
This week, we take that idea a step further.
We’ll hike above Dodger Stadium to Angel’s Point—yes, that Angel’s—and wander the ghostly edges of Candlestick Point, where the wind still tells Giants stories.
Because in California, the season never really ends. We just keep hiking.
Elysian Park
Let’s be clear: Elysian Park is Dodgers territory. Vistas of Dodger Stadium and downtown L.A. and an unexpectedly rugged trail traversing hillsides high above the Golden State Freeway are among the highlights of a 3-mile loop hike through the northern environs of the park.
You’re hiking above Major League Baseball’s most beautiful ballpark—Dodger Stadium, a mid-century masterpiece that’s somehow both retro and timeless, like Vin Scully’s voice on a warm summer night. From Angel’s Point, those iconic hexagon scoreboards, the outfield pavilions, and the sweep of Chavez Ravine all lie below you like a postcard. On game days, you may hear the crack of the bat or the crowd’s roar drifting up the canyon walls. No team in baseball has fans this loyal, loud, or ready to talk postseason math with a stranger on the trail.
This route also showcases Bishop Canyon, a hidden world tucked between freeways and ballparks. For decades it was a neglected landfill. In the 1990s, thanks to passionate neighbors and persistent activists, it transformed into an urban oasis—a place where soccer balls bounce, oak trees stand their ground, and joggers loop the fields below the Academy where generations of LAPD recruits have sweated through drills. A classic L.A. twist: the landfill that became a park is now one of the most pleasant green pockets in the central city.
The star of this hike, of course, is Angel’s Point, where a whimsical sculpture—part weather vane, part lookout perch, part Home Depot color experiment—sits beside a living palm tree, offering one of the best sunset-viewing balconies in L.A. The panorama stretches from downtown’s shimmering skyline to the far-off summits of the San Gabriels.
And because we’re in Elysian Park, that wild wedge of land older than the City of Los Angeles itself, expect everything from fragrant coastal sage scrub to the occasional coyote trotting confidently through this patchwork of urban wilderness. Elysian Park may not be top of mind for hikers, but it’s one of L.A.’s most surprising escapes.
Candlestick Point
To San Francisco baseball fans, Candlestick Park on Candlestick Point was the longtime home of their beloved Giants. The team relocated to more upscale digs in 2001, leaving the wind, the fog, and a lot of memories behind. The 49ers held on a bit longer, but by 2014 they too had moved on, and in 2015 the Stick was gone—demolished, as if trying to erase decades of cold nights and colder bleachers.
Ah, but you don’t erase Candlestick that easily.
From 1960 to 1999, Giants fans braved conditions that bordered on heroic. This was baseball played in a wind tunnel. Fly balls didn’t arc—they wandered. Flags snapped like they were trying to escape the peninsula. Pitchers adjusted their caps, their footing, and occasionally their dignity. And yet, this was where Willie Mays patrolled center field, where Juan Marichal dueled Sandy Koufax, where the Bay met the game in its rawest form. The last out of the 1962 World Series fell here, heartbreak carried off by the wind. Even near the end, when nostalgia outweighed comfort, fans came back for one more freezing night, one more stubborn cheer. Candlestick wasn’t pretty—but it was the brave heart of San Francisco.
Long before and after the stadium years, this shoreline lived a rougher life. For decades, Candlestick Point was a kind of forgotten edge of the city, used as a dump and windswept afterthought. The State of California stepped in, and in 1977 created its first urban state recreation area—a bold idea at the time: bring open space to the city rather than expect the city to come to nature.
Today, the park hums with activity. Windsurfers lean into those same legendary gusts, turning challenge into sport. Kayakers slide into the bay. Fishermen cast lines from the piers. Walkers and cyclists follow the Bay Trail, part of a grand vision to ring the entire bay with a continuous path.
There’s art, too—most notably Orchestra for Natives of the Future, where you’re encouraged to make a little noise of your own. Appropriate, given the setting.
And yes, the wind still blows. Hard. The same gusts that once humbled big-league outfielders now test hikers moving toward Sunrise Point.
Candlestick has changed. But the edge-of-the-city feeling remains—raw, open, and very much alive.
Footnotes
The nearest, most accessible hike to Oracle Park is the Embarcadero Waterfront, a flat 1.5-mile walk to the Ferry Building. Giant fans (and not) can view the stadium from on high from Twin Peaks. A very short hike reveals a 360-degree panorama of the city, including the Mission Bay neighborhood where Oracle Park is located.
For a glimpse of Angel Stadium, Halos fans need to head for the hills—the Anaheim Hills. Santiago Oaks Regional Park features several trails (Mountain Goat Trail comes to mind) that offer westward views toward Anaheim and the stadium.
Nearest hiking to Petco Park, home field of the Padres, is on a couple of urban trails, including the 0.75-mile Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade and the1.75-mile Bay to Park Paseo.
Ah, the Oakland As, soon to leave California (sigh) for Las Vegas (gasp). If you want to take a hike near Sutter Health Park, the team’s temporary home in West Sacramento, I suggest the 2.9-mile Sacramento River Walk located directly across the river.
Hike On,
John McKinney
The Trailmaster
“Every trail tells a story.”
From the Trailmaster Library
If you’d like to explore more California trails:
Other regions have tall mountains, forests, deserts and an awesome coastline, but only Southern California has all of them – and four-season hiking! You’re guaranteed to find a hike (many hikes!) you’ll like in this “greatest hits” collection. Every Trail Tells a Story. Hike On!
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