Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen
Podcasts Take Two
How to be smart and stay safe when hiking in Southern California
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Apr 9, 2013
Listen 7:20
How to be smart and stay safe when hiking in Southern California
Why are so many people winding up fighting for their lives on Southern California hiking trails?

Why are so many people winding up fighting for their lives on Southern California hiking trails?

Here in Los Angeles, finding a place to go hiking is easy. From Griffith Park to the Santa Monica mountains, trails with varying degrees of difficulty are available for people of all ages. 

RELATED: Going hiking? Don’t forget to bring 'The Ten Essentials’

So it may be hard to believe how many get themselves into dangerous situations by making some simple mistakes. Last week, Nicolas Cendoya and Kyndall Jack wandered off-trail in Cleveland National Forest on Easter Sunday and had to be rescued days bruised and dehydrated. 

RELATED: Safe hiking in Southern California

According to the L.A. County Sheriff's department, a record 560 similar rescue efforts were made last year in L.A. County. Why are so many people winding up fighting for their lives on Southern California hiking trails?

RELATED: How can we prevent the need for wilderness rescues?

Here to answer that question is Greg Miller, president of the American Hiking Society and a southern California native.

Ten Essentials of Hiking