I was walking my dog Saturday evening when I started to feel a slight drizzle overhead.

“Oh, it’s raining,” I thought in passing. Then it clicked, and I actually screamed with delight. “It’s raining!”

Thankfully, after three weeks of hellish mayhem, L.A. got mostly lucky with a rainstorm that caused limited damage and brought much-needed nourishment to our bone-dry hillsides.

The rain for me signaled the start of my freedom to explore again. We’ve been mostly trapped indoors since early January, first because of fires, then over continued concerns about air quality, and then because every place we could hike was closed in response to continued red flag warnings.

Obviously, one of the joys of hiking is breathing fresh air. No one wants to be distracted by lingering thoughts of whether that crisp, cool breeze is actually safe to enjoy. Thankfully, even for the most cautious among us, there are still trails that are safe to hike.

I chose the hikes below because they are far enough away from burned hillsides that you don’t have to worry about the effects of blowing ash. I picked hikes at least 14 miles from the burn perimeters after hearing from experts on KCRW who weighed proximity to the fires with risk to our health. (Others have shared how, if air quality is good and blowing ash isn’t visible, you are OK to be outdoors.) I also checked the air quality forecast for this upcoming weekend to ensure that good conditions will persist.

(I had originally thought to recommend trails in Angeles National Forest that are very far away from the Eaton and Hurst fires. However, given the recent snow, that list is on pause. That’s not to say that it is or isn’t dangerous — if you want to go to those areas, you should check what road conditions are like and whether you will need snow chains.)

Now, on to the hikes where you don’t need to mask up to get out.

1. Point Mugu State Park

This 14,000-acre expanse in the western Santa Monica Mountains is 20 miles as the crow flies from the Palisades fire, which started Jan. 7 and is at 95% containment.

Point Mugu is forecast to have good air quality this weekend. Although you should still check again before heading out, it seems this weekend would be a great time to explore more than 70 miles of hiking trails the park offers, including its scenic and overlook trails loop, rated easy, and the Chumash Trail to Mugu Peak.

Along with its iconic bluffs, Point Mugu also has two river canyons. That includes Sycamore Canyon, which my former colleague Charles Fleming wrote about in 2018. The three-mile jaunt through the area he highlights offers “a gentle canyon approach, a moderate climb through switchbacks and a series of breathtaking ocean views.” Yes, please.

A spot of rain pools at the base of the iconic Vasquez Rocks.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

2. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area

This is a rocky natural playground for young and old. It is about 14 miles from the Hughes fire footprint and 20 miles from the Eaton fire. Air quality in the area is expected to be good this weekend.

It has a robust network of trails navigating through its mystical rock formations. That includes easier routes like the Geology Trail near the park’s entrance, or the accessible Juniper Meadow Walking Loop southeast of the park’s iconic rocks. Those feeling particularly adventurous should try the route that leads to the Pacific Crest Trail, which takes you beneath the 14 Freeway and past Three Sisters Rock.

Bored with Vasquez? I get it. Perhaps you went there recently. Devils Punchbowl Natural Area, a 1,310-acre rocky wonderland, is another desert-esque escape in the Antelope Valley that’s worth exploring. It’s about 18 miles from the Eaton fire burn scar (and also has an entire mountain range between). I personally love the epic Devil’s Chair hike. The area did recently get snow, so if you do go there, be sure to check road conditions. (Per webcams, it appears that California 138 is clear.) The air quality here is also expected to be good this weekend.

Allan Shen, 60, relaxes on a park bench waiting for fish to take the bait at Puddingstone Lake at Frank G Bonelli Regional Park, San Dimas, CA.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

3. Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park and nearby Walnut Creek Community Regional Park

Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, which features a 250-acre lake and 14 miles of trails, is about 14 miles from the eastern flank of the Eaton fire.

Along with the 9.5-mile Bonelli Trail, which loops around the lake, you can also check out the nearby Antonovich Trail. About 4 miles long, this trail meanders along Walnut Creek and, once you descend into the canyon, is mostly flat and shaded. For a flatter, more accessible option, try the paved loop past the southern end of the lake, where you should be able to spot some waterfowl.

Regardless of where you go this weekend, I hope you find a peaceful place that ticks all the boxes you desired after such a stressful January.

3 things to do

A jogger runs along the trail that hugs the hillside a ways past the sign for “Fern Canyon Trail Amphitheater.”

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

1. Race through Griffith Park
The Griffith Park Run Half Marathon & 5K will be Sunday morning in Griffith Park (4730 Crystal Springs Drive). Money raised will benefit the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Los Angeles City Parks. The race is open to athletes of all abilities, as well as racers’ dogs. Half marathon participants will meander through the park on a path with minimal hills, taking them past the merry-go-round, L.A. Zoo and more. The 5K follows the perimeter of the golf course. All finishers will be awarded medals. Registration for the 5K run/walk is $59.30, and the half marathon is $101.70. Register at rungpr.com.

2. Kick back and journal in Elysian Park
Join hosts Adam Weiss and nonprofit We Explore Earth at 10 a.m. Sunday in Elysian Park for the “Slow Mornings for Fast Times” gratitude group and a pizza party. Participants will enjoy a sound bath and journaling, followed by nonalcoholic drinks, food, games and a DJ-led party. Donations welcome, but the event is free. Register at eventbrite.com.

3. Volunteer at the poppy preserve in the Antelope Valley
Volunteers are needed for this spring’s blooming season at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Those who volunteer at least 40 hours will be rewarded with a Great Basin District Parks day pass. Those who complete 200 hours will receive a California State Parks day pass. Plus, volunteers get to spend ample time around the gorgeous orange state flower. New volunteers must attend two training sessions this Saturday and Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more at the park’s Instagram page, or register to volunteer here.

The must-read

Citizen scientists Rebecca Ramirez and Bernard Yin, from left, join federal, state and local agencies including Alyssa Morgan, conservation biologist with the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, right, to rescue federally endangered tidewater gobies that inhabit the Topanga Lagoon in Malibu and are threatened by effects of the Palisades fire.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

I am a sucker for a good animal story. And this piece by Times staff writer Lila Seidman about a group of biologists saving hundreds of tidewater goby reminded me how cute fish can be. As Seidman reports, these fish are resilient little guys that “can even slurp air from the water surface if the conditions force them to.” Even still, this past week’s rainstorms threatened to send loads of sediment down the mountains into the waters where the little gobies live. So a rescue team rushed in and gently pulled more than 750 endangered little fishies from a lagoon, relocating them to safer waters. (Sounds like the plot of the next Pixar film to me.) I am grateful to the scientists who continue this thankless work, even as the goby’s habitat continues to shrink because of farming and housing developments. I especially appreciated the observations like “They’re so cute.” This from Luke Benson, a field technician biologist with the Santa Monica Mountains resource conservation district. “The little eyes on top really get me,” said Jelly Kahler, community engagement manager for the district. Me too.

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

In a recent (and pup-filled) video, the Mojave Desert Land Trust reminded everyone that now through March is coyote mating season. Coyotes often mate for life and are good parents, a contradiction to popular culture’s idea of the desert wolf as mischievous and cunning villain. Coyotes aren’t more aggressive during this period but might instead be more vocal. It’s a good time to brush up on how to respond if you do see ‘yotes on the trail. Have a howling good time.

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.