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🥾 Easy & stroller-friendly

Kid-friendly hikes

15 easy, family-friendly hikes across SoCal — flat, stroller-friendly trails and gentle waterfall walks, each with difficulty, distance and the payoff. Find the closest to you.

Curated by Simir Shah

Your area

9 spots near 92692 add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you

Free2 mi

Oso Creek Trail

Mission Viejo

Easy, flat, fully paved (1–2 mi near the Character Garden) with a creek, art-sculpture garden, tunnels and slides. Stroller-friendly.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

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Easy hike3 mi

Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park

Coto de Caza · Easy hike

An easy ~2 mi flat dirt loop through oak groves with a seasonal butterfly garden and a nature center. Jogging-stroller OK.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

💵 Parking $3/day

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Easy hike7 mi

Aliso Creek Trail (Aliso & Wood Canyons)

Aliso Viejo · Easy hike

A flat paved creek path from the Alicia Pkwy entrance — go 2–4 mi out-and-back through a sycamore canyon. Stroller-friendly on the paved section.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

💵 Parking $3

Visit site →
Easy hike24 mi

Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove Trail

Brea · Easy hike

A mostly flat ~2.5 mi round trip to OC's only coastal redwood grove. Start from the main park lot for the stroller-friendly route.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

💵 Parking $3–5

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Easy hike45 mi

San Antonio Falls Trail

Mt. Baldy · Easy hike

An easy ~1.5 mi round trip on a paved/dirt fire road to a view of the ~80-ft falls; best flow late winter/spring. Sturdy strollers OK.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

💵 Adventure Pass $5/day

Visit site →
Free51 mi

Kenneth Hahn — Moore Lake Loop

Los Angeles

An easy paved loop around Moore Lake with LA skyline and San Gabriel views; flat and fully stroller-friendly. Closed Mon & Tue.

🗓️ Wed–Sun, daylight

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Easy hike52 mi

Guy Fleming Trail (Torrey Pines)

La Jolla · Easy hike

A ~0.7 mi flat loop with two ocean-view overlooks, rare Torrey pines and wildflowers. Dirt with some steps — not stroller-friendly.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

💵 Parking $12–20; free to walk in

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Free57 mi

Lake Miramar Loop

San Diego

A ~4.9 mi flat paved loop around the reservoir (shorten as an out-and-back). Excellent for strollers, bikes and wheelchairs.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

Visit site →
Free57 mi

Franklin Canyon Lake Loop

Beverly Hills

A very easy ~1 mi flat, shaded loop around the reservoir (the Andy Griffith Show lake), with ducks and turtles. Stroller-friendly on main paths.

🗓️ Open daily, daylight

Visit site →
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Frequently asked questions

What are the easiest hikes for kids in SoCal?

Flat, short, often paved trails work best with little legs: Oso Creek Trail (Mission Viejo) with its sculpture garden, Franklin Canyon's ~1-mile lake loop, the paved Aliso Creek and Obern trails, and Lake Miramar's flat loop are all easy and mostly stroller-friendly. Each listing notes difficulty, distance and whether strollers can manage it.

Which kid hikes have a waterfall?

Gentle waterfall walks include Solstice Canyon (Malibu), San Antonio Falls near Mt. Baldy, and Nojoqui Falls near Solvang — all short with a satisfying payoff. Waterfalls flow best in late winter and spring after rain. (Note: some popular falls like Eaton Canyon and Escondido Falls are currently closed.)

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