🥾 Easy & stroller-friendly
Kid-friendly hikes
Curated by Simir Shah
15 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Woodland Interpretive Trail
Big Bear Lake · Easy hike
An easy ~1.5 mi mostly-flat loop with 16 interpretive stops and climbable boulders; grab the free brochure at the Big Bear Discovery Center.
🗓️ Open daily, daylight
💵 Adventure Pass required
Cowles Mountain (Mission Trails)
San Diego
A ~3 mi round trip, ~900 ft of gain — steep and rocky near the top, not stroller-friendly — rewarded with 360° summit views of downtown, ocean and Mexico.
🗓️ Open daily, daylight
Cabrillo Tide Pools
San Diego · Easy hike
A short coastal walk to a rocky intertidal zone with crabs and anemones; best at fall/winter low tides. The pools need some rock scrambling.
🗓️ Open daily (tidepools close 4:30pm)
💵 $20/vehicle; kids 15 & under free
Solstice Canyon
Malibu
A ~2.6 mi round trip along a shaded creek to a small waterfall and ranch ruins; the first ~0.5 mi is paved. Reopened 2025 after the Palisades Fire — verify day-of.
🗓️ Open daily, daylight
Obern Trail (Atascadero Creek)
Goleta
A ~3.8 mi paved, nearly flat creekside path — do any length out-and-back. Fully stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, with good birdwatching.
🗓️ Open daily, daylight
Nojoqui Falls
Solvang
A very easy ~0.7 mi round trip (~20 min) to an 80-ft fern-lined sandstone waterfall; best flow after winter rain.
🗓️ Open daily, daylight
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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.)