Start your weekend off with a refreshing hike on the “JPL Trail”! We’ll be doing 4 miles of the Gabrielino Trail, with 950 ft elevation gain. Joining us is Communcation professor Jillian Pierson, an expert in the social sciences aspect of the field who has a particular interest in intercultural communication. Break up those Halloweekend festivities with some movement, we’ll see ya soon!

Join us for a very chill 3 mile hike in the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park with Professor Alvarez. This site is full of large, unique rick formations that have been featured in many different TV shows. We will also be doing rock scrambling! This is a perfect hike to end your midterm season on, enjoy breathtaking rock views, and hear about all the dance shows Professor Alvarez has been on.

Join us for a trip to Inspiration Point and Mt. Lowe with avid hiker and Astronomy Professor Kris Pardo! We will explore the scenic Mt. Lowe Trail to Mt. Lowe Peak & Inspiration Point. This 5.4 mile loop trail will be a fantastic way to end your weekend!

Shake off the Sunday scaries with a beautiful hike in the Malibu Creek State Park. Join avid hiker and PhD student Rachel Newman for this 3.3 mile hike that ends with beautiful ocean views.

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!!

Views of the ocean, rolling green hills, and good conversations (maybe in Spanish??). Join us for a mellow 3-mile hike on a cool fall morning in the hills of Malibu with Professors Mercedes and Uzquiano! Chances of seeing ruins, waterfalls, and wildflowers.

Join us for an afternoon hike in the glorious Red Rock Canyon Park! We’ll be exploring some small caves and hiking through giant red rock formations, all the way up to Calabasas Peak. Joining us will be surfing professor and SoCal nature expert Ian Culbertson for hours of ocean views. This trail starts in a valley near Malibu and climbs all the way up to the top of Saddle Peak so be ready for a climb!

Come spend your Sunday morning hiking through the Angeles National Forest with geology expert and iconic Peaks Professor Vicky Petryshyn. This 8.5 mile hike will take you through Brown Mountain and will finish at a waterfall.

Join Professors Alison Trope and Tom Kemper for a 7 mile out-and-back hike up Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. There will be strawberries provided when we reach the summit!

Join us on a wonderful hike through the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. We’ll climb some hills, cross some streams, and talk with everyone’s favorite Pop Musicology professor, Nate Sloan!

Join us for a 6.8 mile (1,145 ft elevation gain) in the Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park to the Parker Mesa overlook with Professor Victoria Chonn-Ching! We will meander through a vital lovely oak grove with luscious green grass, and at the vista we will witness the San Gabriel Mountains to the east, Catalina Island to the south, and the crescent shaped coastline of Santa Monica to the west to rise above the October depression pummeling towards us.

Rock scrambling! A great view of the grassy valley! Come along and explore the Cave of Munits! This hike will take us on a 2 mile loop to a great spot for some light cave climbing and exploration, with a great view from the top of this small peak!

Join us for a 9.5 mile hike (1250ft elevation gain) out-and-back in the San Gabriel Mountains with Professor Ronald Osborn. We will traverse several stream crossings, go through scrub bush, and end at a mysterious bridge. This is a perfect hike to start your semester on, enjoy breathtaking river views, and hear about the many places and wonderful work Professor Osborn has done around the world.

The early bird gets the worm 🪱! Join us for a sunrise hike with (weather permitting) breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. This is a popular 5.3 mile out-and-back, so let’s beat the crowds together and get back just in time for your 9am 🙈.

Whether you’re interested in environmental engineering or just enjoy 2,000 feet of elevation gain on a Saturday morning, we’d be thrilled to have you on this 5.7-mile hike in the Angeles National Forest. This steep jaunt into the mountains is the perfect way to get your blood pumping and your heart skipping beats about wastewater research. Join us!

Join ITP Professor Kristof Aldenderfer for a moderately strenuous 8 mile, 1300ft elevation gain hike up to Sunset Peak. We’ll get a great workout and 360 views of the San Gabriel Mountains! Expect great views, great conversation, and maybe a stop for Kristof’s (and mine) favorite food, pho! on the way back.

Unwind before finals with a quick morning jaunt through an urban “forest.” This 3 mile hike captures views of LA, a serene pond, and rumors have it there are turtles… 🐢

SIXTH SEMESTER IN A ROW… LET’S SEND IT! Join psychology professor Bryan Shilowich and special guest Leslie Berntsen as we climb Point Dume and enjoy some well-needed beach time before finals. When it comes to activities (besides climbing), the sky’s the limit—possible moves include watching Bryan juggle, body surfing, scavenging for some sick shells, throwing frisbees, playing Go Fish, and making new friends.

Come dissect your past relationships with the one and only Sociology of Love professor, Elisabeth Shimada! We will embark on a chill 2.5 hike in Malibu where we will see lovely ocean views and wildflowers, giving us a lovely environment to analyze USC’s dating scene. We will return early afternoon so y’all can get back to studying for finals !

Come along on this quick hike near Griffith Park. We should see some beautiful views of the city, mountains, and the ocean. Speaking of the ocean, the professor joining us is Cameron Thrash, a professor in marine microbiology. Ask him about marine bacteria, waste-water treatment, and other microbes!

Join us for a morning hike to Los Leones. There will be no lions, but there will definitely be super cool views of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Join us for a 4.5 mile, 2 and a half hour hike!

This 3-4 mile hike is pretty flat and relatively easy, with the highlight being the big picturesque rock pool shaded by sycamores and bays, with views of the Santa Monica mountains all around!

Stunning ocean views, vibrant wildflowers, and a sneak peak of Catalina in the background? What better way to start off your weekend? Come join us with Professor Rita Barakat for a gorgeous 4.4-mile scenic hike!

Join Professor Ashley Uyeshiro Simon on a lovely Sunday morning hike in Malibu at Mugu Peak Trail! While this hike is only 3 miles, be prepared for a steep climb with lots of elevation gain (1,253 ft). As a reward, we will enjoy some of the best ocean and mountain views in the area.

Join us for a 9.5 mile hike (1250ft elevation gain) out-and-back in the San Gabriel Mountains with Professor Ronald Osborn. We will traverse several stream crossings, go through scrub bush, and end at a mysterious bridge. This is a perfect hike to conclude your semester on, enjoy breathtaking river views, and hear about the many places and wonderful work Professor Osborn has done around the world.

Join us on this 2.1-mile, 400 feet elevation gain hike with Communication professor Jillian Pierson! We’ll see some wildflowers and views of the San Gabriel Valley mountains along the way and be back just in time for the spring football game!

Join us for a lovely 4.9 mile hike at the Cedar Glen Camp Trail on Mt. Baldy with Dr. Diana Blaine. This hike will offer snowy paths and beautiful mountain views.

As we look to the end of this year, this may be the end of another year for school. But for us seniors, this is also the end of our school experience, or at least, our undergraduate experience, our school is for the journey experience. So, this hike is for us seniors to discuss with a winner of the USC Mentorship year to look into the future, intention set, and discuss our hopes, dreams, and worries. And most importantly, have fun and hike!