Finals coming up? Hit pause and trade your study spot for sunshine, salt air, and island views. We’re heading to Catalina Island for a full day of exploring, recharging, and soaking up the best of the California coast.

COME WITH US TO CONQUER EAGLE ROCK! This landscape is absolutely incredible (especially after recent rainfall) and will leave you feeling completely refreshed before finals week. It’s a 5-mile loop trail with 1000 ft of elevation gain, estimated to take around 3 hours total. We’ll stop for lunch at Eagle Rock and get back to campus around 4 PM. This is a moderately difficult trail, so come if you’re experienced!

Looking for a reset before finals? Join us for a 2.2 mile hike along the Inspiration Point Loop in Will Rogers State Historic Park. We’ll pair the hike with a short mindfulness activity to help you unplug, clear your head, and be present for a bit. Expect great views, good conversation, and a chance to step away from the stress before heading back into the final stretch.

Join Peaks and Dr. Merrick Anderson for a trip through Topanga State Park to gaze upon the majestic Eagle Rock! Enjoy the sunshine and get away from the monotony of daily life with a beautiful hike through a gem of a state park located in USC’s backyard. Spending time in the outdoors has created some of the great philosophies of the past. Who knows, maybe you’ll create one of your own on trail!

HIKING THE MOST POPULAR OF THE “LA 5 PEAKS” CHALLENGE!!! Come with us to Strawberry Peak, a 7-mile hike with 1700ft of elevation gain if you want to get some nice nature in before your finals!! We’ll start the day at 8 AM, aim to get to the trail at 9, eat lunch (provided by Peaks) at the summit around 11:00, hike back, and return to campus around 3:00 PM. This is a difficult trail, so only come if you’re experienced and ready to sweat! The mountains are GORGEOUS right now after so much rain in the last couple of months, so it’ll seem like we’re in the middle of a lush mountain on middle earth. Can’t wait to have everyone!

HIKING TO A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL!!! Come with us to Switzer Falls, a 3.6-mile hike with 600ft of elevation gain to slow-max with the coolest professor at SC! We’ll start the day at 9 AM, aim to get to the trail at 10, eat lunch (provided by Peaks) on the trail around 11:30, hike back, and return to campus around 2:00 PM. This is a moderate trail, so come if you’re experienced! We’ll have a lot of time to relax by the rushing water and learn from Professor Pardo, so it should be a very chill hike!

DISCLAIMER: Professor Pardo will be bringing his dog on the trip!! Keep this in mind and bring allergy medicine if necessary!

Join Peaks and Andrew Chater to explore this iconic SoCal trail! This hike is a beautiful 9.5 mile trek in the San Gabriel Mountains to the mysterious Bridge to Nowhere, an isolated bridge over the San Gabriel River. There are multiple river crossings on this hike, so prepare to get your shoes wet. After hiking to the bridge, we’ll be able to eat lunch and swim in the river!

NOTE: Given the mileage and challenging river crossings, THIS HIKE IS NOT BEGINNER-FRIENDLY

Spend your Saturday on a lovely 4 mile hike in Malibu with neuroscience researcher and T.A. Isaac Cohen! We will hike past the beautiful wildflowers and enjoy amazing Malibu Lake views.

Join Peaks and Dr. Merrick Anderson for a trip through Topanga State Park to gaze upon the majestic Eagle Rock! Enjoy the sunshine and get away from the monotony of daily life with a beautiful hike through a gem of a state park located in USC’s backyard. Spending time in the outdoors has created some of the great philosophies of the past. Who knows, maybe you’ll create one of your own on trail!

While this hike is only 5 miles long, it takes you to one of Los Angeles’ most iconic destinations, the Hollywood Sign. You can’t go to school in LA and not experience this landmark. Join us this Sunday for a hike filled with incredible views of downtown LA, and hear all about Dr. Gibson’s extensive knowledge on global climate regimes and climate conferences.

This 3.3-mile hike in the hills of Sierra Madre leads to a glorious waterfall — the perfect outing for a sunny day. A quick 45 min drive away, Sturtevant Falls consists of a few steep inclines, with a max elevation gain of 600 ft. The waterfall has a gorgeous pool to cool off in during the halfway point of the hike, and the whole trail is surrounded by the vibrantly green San Gabriel Mountains.

Spend your Saturday on a lovely 4 mile hike in Malibu with Writing professor Cory Nelson! We will hike past the beautiful wildflowers and enjoy amazing Malibu Lake views.

Come join the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and Peaks on a four-mile hike in the Santa Monica Mountains! We will have lovely ocean views, and AEE faculty advisor Dr. Kelly Sanders will be joining us. Come prepared for some great conversations with fellow students interested in sustainable energy infrastructure!

Spend April 5th outdoors on a scenic Eagle Rock Trail hike in Topanga State Park with Professor Christian Straka, a possible Easter Bunny sightings, and maybe some mindfulness along the way!!

Join Peaks and Rev. Jim Burklo on a scenic hike through the mountains of Ojai! There will be good views, good vibes, and maybe even a visit to Rev. Burklo’s house at the end for snacks :)

Join Peaks & Sandra Kazarian for a refreshing hike along Fryman Canyon Trail in Studio City, tucked within the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. We will leave campus at 9:00 am and drive to the Wilacre Park trailhead. The hike is expected to take about an hour and a half, following wide dirt paths with steady but manageable elevation and scenic valley views, making it a perfect weekend reset.

About halfway through, near the TreePeople overlook, we will pause for a short writing retreat. Participants will reflect on the contrast between USC’s fast-paced campus environment and LA’s urban wilderness by writing a brief poem or free-form paragraph inspired by the trail.

Looking for an outdoorsy start to Women’s History Month? Join USC’s Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment on a beautiful, easy hike with Professor Julie Van Dam to the Elysian Park West Loop!

Join Peaks & Professor Michael Petitti on this quick hike through the Santa Monica Mountains! We will leave campus around 9:30 am, then drive to the trailhead in Topanga. After hiking about 45 minutes by the creek (with some crossings), we will arrive at the beautiful waterfall, where we can hang out and enjoy the view before heading back. Perfect way to cool off your weekend!

¿Ya quieres un escape de la escuela? ¡Vente a una caminata de 8 millas en el hermoso Bosque Nacional Angeles! Sí está un poco larga, pero no hay casi subidas, ¡está perfecto para todos! En el camino, cruzaremos arroyos con sombrita hasta que lleguemos a la cascada de la presa.

Need Sunday plans? Join us for a super chill hike with a super chill professor!

3 mile hike full of breathtaking views of Los Angeles!

Midterms got you down? Missing the wind on your face and sand in your toes? Reef Point and Crystal Cove is the perfect getaway for you! On this easy 5.2 mile hike, we will spend most of our time walking along the picturesque beachfront of Crystal Cove State Park.

Come out and chat with the Vice-Dean of Thornton, Sean Holt! Stroll down the ruins of the old Griffith Park Zoo, the original location of the LA Zoo! Come explore the old exhibits and chat with one of the most insightful professors at USC!

Join us for a lovely Saturday in Ojai! We’ll start our morning by meeting up with beloved Peaks veteran Rev. Burklo at the trailhead, then hiking 4 miles through his home trails in the Los Padres National Forest. There will be lots of rolling hills and flowing water! After hiking, we’ll pop down to his house to enjoy a picnic with his DONKEYS before heading back to campus.

Join us for a lovely 4.9 mile hike (1400ft elevation) at the Cedar Glen Camp Trail on Mt. Baldy. If you are down for breathtaking views, flowing streams, and want to dive deeper into gender and sexuality topics with Dr. Blaine, come join us!!

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. 

¿Estresado por los finales? ¿Ya quieres un escape de la escuela? ¡Vente a una caminata de 8 millas en el hermoso Bosque Nacional Angeles! Sí está un poco larga, pero no hay casi subidas, ¡está perfecto para todos! En el camino, cruzaremos arroyos con sombrita hasta que lleguemos a la cascada de la presa.

Join us on Sunday, November 9 for a relaxing 4-mile out-and-back hike with Dr. Eden Goldman! Expect a fun morning hike with great views and some super interesting conversations about mindfulness, yoga, and everything in between!

Do you identify as neurodivergent*? Want to hangout in the Expo Park Rose Garden with a Psychology professor who studies neurodiversity? Join Dr. Sneha Mathur and trip lead Lily Morse for an hour-long discussion and hangout in the Expo Park Rose Garden! Dr. Sneha will be bringing some crayons and coloring pages :)

This event is FREE and is just a 2-minute walk from campus. Look out for an email from Lily on the exact meetup point.

*Neurodivergent means that your brain works differently from what society has defined as the “typical” brain! Anyone who identifies with that statement is more than welcome to join; you don’t need any sort of formal diagnosis.

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!