Not sure what the categories mean? We break down our difficulty ratings for you here.
Unsure about the different registration options? We explain what driving for our trips actually involves here.
Sign ups are first come first serve! Links will be live at 9PM sharp on Sunday, October 19.
If you need a nature-filled boost in the morning to get ready for Halloween night two - this trip is for you! After a (most likely) long night out, we are going to be hiking 7 miles up to Strawberry Peak to see some wonderful views and reset before returning to the USC craze.
Itching to get off of campus after midterms? Want to make the most of the chilly fall weather? COME HIKE WITH US! This 7.7 mile long loop will feature some stunning views of the Santa Monica Mountains (maybe even the beautiful California coast if the weather permits) and some rock scrambling on the way in to the trail. Elevation will get up to around 2,000 ft. above sea level, so come well rested and ready to think outside! We’ll meet EARLY in the village to get to the trailhead around 8; the hike will take around 4-5 hours and we should be back to campus by mid-afternoon!
If you’re looking to start your Saturday morning off with a relaxing stroll around a large(ish) body of water then join us for a 3.3 mile, 150-foot elevation gain hike around the Hollywood Reservoir with professors Maria Mercedes Fages Agudo and Leah Kemp from the Spanish Department (no Spanish knowledge necessary to have a good time)! Enjoy greenery after the recent rains and a great view of the Hollywood sign!
Come with Peaks to Mandeville Canyon! Get ready for Halloween with this hike in Santa Monica with views of the greater LA area and the beautiful coastline! Professor Avi Glick from SCA joins us for a hike full of good vibes and great vistas!
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU LOVE THE OCEAN 🙋 JOIN US FOR A FUN DAY OF SNORKELING AND KAYAKING IN CATALINAAAAA!!!
Join us on our second annual Peaks x Price faculty hike with Professors Elizabeth Falletta and Kate Nelischer, and Price Advisor Russ Sommer! Don't miss this amazing opportunity to learn from three Price faculty while exploring Cherry Canyon!
Looking for a hike that’s equal parts beautiful and iconic to Los Angeles TV history? Join us for a 6-mile round-trip adventure through Chilao in the San Gabriel mountains, complete with shaded trails, sweeping views, and plenty of opportunities for laughs along the way. This hike is inspired by one of TV’s most memorable stunts: in Nathan for You Season 1, Episode 4, comedian Nathan Fielder designed a gas station rebate that could only be redeemed after a grueling mountain trek, turning a simple promotion into an unforgettable outdoor challenge. While we’ll skip the paperwork and we definitely won’t make you camp overnight to get your rebate, we’ll keep the same spirit of fun and determination alive on the trail. Drivers get priority spots, so if you’ve got a car, you’re extra valuable to our rebate-claiming crew.
We are going to send it up this mountain a full 4000 feet over 7 miles! On the 14-mile round-trip journey, we will be scrambling, taking in some crazy views, and having lots of great conversations. Come join us to test your limits and escape to the wilderness!!
Wow! This is so cool!! Amazing!! These are all phrases YOU, yes YOU! will be saying on this gorgeous 2.5-mile hike in Palos Verdes with Physical Education Professor Diana Ordorica!!! With minimal elevation gain, fantastic views, and a finish line at the beach, this hike is quite literally calling your name!! You will even get to meet 6 or 7 new friends. So hit that sign up button!!!!!
Need a study break before finals? Join us on an easy 2.6 mile hike around the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area. We’ll see great views, a lake, and a Japanese garden. Then, to rest after that exhausting journey, we’ll end with a snack/lunch in the park’s picnic area!
Have you ever thought to yourself: Wow, I am free on May 3 from 8AM to 3PM and would LOVE to hike 5.7 miles with 459ft of elevation gain along Point Vicente? Well, do I have some news for you. Expect Gorgeous views, Lovely wildlife, and Amazing conversation with new friends, featuring USC’s very own Dr. Kayla Reardon!
It’s the last tuesday of Spring 2025! Who cares if you’re tired for classes today, you’re probably tired by now anyway? Come join Dr. Broyer and I on an awesome (hopefully beautiful — weather permitting) Los Angeles sunrise hike to Griffith Observatory :)
Come escape the Sunday scaries with us! Together we will enjoy the sites of the Hollywood Reservoir and put off our work for just another half day. Or maybe everyone around you is celebrating Easter today and you need something to do! Hey, if we weren’t in an egg-cession maybe I would’ve hid some eggs along the way (jk.) :-)
Come join Ulu, who just recently successfully defended his PhD, in the beautiful oases of Palm Springs! Expect amazing palm trees, a picnic under the shade, and excellent vibes. Rumor has it that Ulu is also bringing a small “secret gift” to give to everyone…
Join us for a lovely 5.1-mile (1,259 elevation gain) hike around Griffith Park on Saturday, Feb 17! Views of LA and the San Gabriel Mountains are in store, and we promise it’ll be a great way to spend your Saturday. We’ll also be joined by Popular Music and Studio Guitar Professor (and Peaks legend in the making) Tim Kobza!
Looking for some sick views of the city? Big fan of peaks? We’ll be heading out to Cahuenga Peak via the 3 mile Burbank Trail hoping to catch some nice views on a sunny day! Come out and chat with us as we explore one of the best spots to see Los Angeles from a distance.
¿Quisieras mejorar su español? ¿Buscando para oportunidades de salir a los senderos? ¿Has querido caminar por el letrero de Hollywood? Acompaña Peaks y SUSA (Spanish Undergraduate Student Association) para una caminata de colaboración especial con el profesor David Zaraza para practicar sus habilidades conversacionales y “pensar afuera!” Vamos al letrero de Hollywood por el camino Canyon Drive. Es una caminata intermedio que dura 6 millas y pasa por las colinas de Hollywood y al final uno de los lugares mas famosos de Los Angeles!
Nota: No hay una requisito de idioma - todos son bienvenidos sin importar el nivel de su español. Pero debería estar preparado para una caminata completamente en español.
Come unwind on this beautiful day trip to Cooper Canyon Falls. This scenic 5.2-mile hike offers great views and a peaceful escape into nature, ending at a picturesque waterfall.
Come KAYAKING and (maybe) SNORKELING on the beautiful Catalina Island with Professor David Hutchins! We’ll be going on a guided kayak tour at the Wrigley Institute, with possible opportunity for snorkeling in the nearby bay. Then, we’ll eat lunch and walk through the Wrigley Marine Institute on the island for a guided tour of the lab! We’ll also be taking the exclusive SC boat over!
Do you enjoy beautiful views and a refreshing ocean breeze? Join us for a sunset stroll along the Palos Verdes coastline with Professor Egan! Bring a little snack to enjoy with the scenery and, if we’re lucky, some ocean wildlife!
Join Professor Matthew Manos for a sunny Sunday on the beach! With an easy 2 mile out-and-back hike along the Malibu coast, this trip will be one you won’t want to miss. And once we get to the beach… we’re gonna have a beach picnic so be sure to bring a lunch or snacks.. and maybe some to share too :) We’ll take in the scenery, hang out by the water, and have some good convos!
Do you enjoy contemplating the nuances of religion and intentional design? Do you like scenic hikes and connecting with nature and like-minded individuals? Do you simply want to escape USC’s city-locked campus? Yes? Then join us for a lovely 7-mile hike to Strawberry Peak with Professor Matthew Peterson! With 1,771 feet of elevation gain, some light rock scrambling, and a short meditation led by Professor Peterson, you will end this trip feeling accomplished, refreshed, and ready to continue thinking outside.
Whether you’re interested in theology or simply want to broaden your intellectual horizons, this is a great opportunity to explore religious thought with a master of the subject… all while enjoying the wonderful natural beauty of Southern California.
Looking for a nice hike right outside of LA? Or curious to see a Catalina Marisa lily? Maybe even hoping for a way to unwind from a (biology) midterm? Join us on April 12 from 8:00AM to 2:00PM for an exciting 5 mile hike through Turnbull Canyon with the one and only Dr. Rita Barakat! Enjoy some stunning views alongside riveting conversations about biology, life, and everyone in between.
Happy Earth Month y’all! Come celebrate with a stunning Malibu beach hike with the USC Office of Sustainability’s own Chief Sustainability Officer—Mick Dalrymple! This mild 2.7 mile hike features expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and rolling hills covered in the greenery of California native plants. Let’s chat about how to protect our ocean while looking at it!
Join Professor Uzquiano for a hike unlike any other—where the conversation is as mind-expanding as the views! A world-renowned expert in metaphysics and philosophical logic, he’s taught at Oxford, St Andrews, and MIT, tackling deep questions about existence, paradoxes, and the limits of thought. Ever wondered if something can be in two places at once? Or how to solve the hardest logic puzzle ever in just two questions? Here’s your chance to get outside and get thinking!
Whether you're into philosophy or just love a good thought experiment, this is a rare opportunity to walk and talk with one of USC’s most fascinating thinkers.
Do you have the Sunday Scaries? If so, take a break and join us on an amazing hike with Professor Calabrese. Join us on this 6.1 mile loop hike along the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula where we will hike alongside the majestic Pacific Ocean and cool lighthouses. (and maybe WWII bunkers??)
Feeling like your week could use a refresh? Craving some nature, ocean breeze, and wagging tails? Come join the one and only Professor Charlie Hannigan (and his adorable dog Smiley!) for a laid-back, soul-filling hike to the waterfall in Placerita Canyon — a scenic trail that winds through oak woodlands and chaparral-covered slopes, culminating at a charming 15-foot seasonal cascade.
Welcome in Spring with a Saturday morning paddleboarding sesh in Alamitos Bay! Join us in basking in the water and getting our pull day—courtesy of 90 minutes of paddle boarding. IMPORTANT - You must be a strong swimmer to participate in this trip, if you are not completely comfortable in the water our other phenomenal trips are a better fit for you!
Sign up for this awesome day hike to learn some cool history from Professor Lerner while exploring Malibu State Park. Be there or be ⬛
Brain still on break mode? Feeling slightly unproductive? Need an awesome getaway from campus? Reward yourself with this fun, super easy 4.5-mile hike to THE Rock Pool of Malibu Creek State Park — joined by THE one and only Business Economics professor, Matthew Hill! Enjoy your afternoon adventure by lounging by THE Rock Pool, climbing on volcanic rock, and simply chatting up a storm with THE Matthew Hill (and some new friends)!
Join Lily and Professor Alexandra Brewer for a 4.6-mile hike in the Angeles National Forest. We’ll hike through the forest: crossing streaming, petting moss, observing lichen, and enjoying the sun. After climbing down a rope, we’ll arrive at a beautiful waterfall! If you so choose, you can take a dip in the water :)
Looking for a great way to fight the Sunday scaries? Join geology expert and iconic Peaks Professor Vicky Petryshyn to hike in Malibu Creek State Park on the Malibu Lake Trail. This 6.4 mile hike will be a great way to get outside and explore a well loved filming location.
![[SUSA x PEAKS] Hollywood Sign via Canyon Trail Drive w/ David Zarazua {Spanish}](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a42a629a8b2b05e5cf25608/1744391060897-QRN6KQ0XKLU6ZPY1TDY0/Screenshot+2025-04-11+100117.png)
