Overlooks
16 places · Summit views & high vantages
Borrego Springs, CA
Font's Point
A dramatic overlook in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offering views of the Borrego Badlands, an eroded landscape resembling a miniature Grand Canyon. The viewpoint sits at the edge of steep cliffs dropping into deeply furrowed sedimentary formations. The badlands stretch to the Salton Sea in the distance.
Dana Point, CA
Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area
A 121-acre conservation area on the bluffs above Dana Point Harbor offering panoramic ocean views stretching from San Clemente to Laguna Beach. The headlands feature native coastal sage scrub habitat and a network of trails along the cliff edges. During winter months, it serves as an excellent whale watching vantage point.
Laguna Beach, CA
Crescent Bay Point Park
A small clifftop park overlooking Crescent Bay, offering elevated views of a crescent-shaped beach framed by rocky headlands. The park provides unobstructed views to the north and south along the Laguna Beach coastline. Seal Rock, a small offshore island frequented by sea lions, is visible from the overlook.
Joshua Tree, CA
Keys View
An overlook at 5,185 feet elevation in Joshua Tree National Park providing panoramic views of the Coachella Valley, Salton Sea, and San Andreas Fault. On clear days, Signal Mountain in Mexico is visible. The paved viewpoint is wheelchair accessible and is one of the most visited overlooks in the park.
Joshua Tree, CA
Ryan Mountain
A 3-mile round-trip trail ascending to a 5,457-foot summit offering 360-degree views of the Joshua Tree National Park landscape. The summit panorama includes Lost Horse Valley, Queen Valley, the Pinto Basin, and distant mountain ranges. The elevation gain is approximately 1,050 feet.
Newport Beach, CA
Newport Beach Back Bay Drive
A scenic 3.5-mile road along the eastern shore of Upper Newport Bay that is closed to cars on select days and open to pedestrians and cyclists. The route passes through coastal bluffs with panoramic views of the estuary, mudflats, and surrounding hillsides. Great blue herons, egrets, and raptors are commonly observed from the elevated roadway.
San Diego, CA
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
A 68-acre linear park along Point Loma's western edge featuring eroded sandstone bluffs that drop into the Pacific Ocean. Sea caves, arches, and tide pools line the coastline below the cliffs. The unobstructed western exposure provides dramatic sunset photography opportunities year-round.
Del Mar, CA
Del Mar Bluffs and Powerhouse Park
Coastal bluffs overlooking the Del Mar beach with the historic Powerhouse community building and a grassy park at the base of 15th Street. The Amtrak railroad runs along the bluff edge, and passing trains add dynamic elements to coastal compositions. Views extend north to the Torrey Pines bluffs and south toward La Jolla.
San Diego, CA
Broken Hill Overlook at Torrey Pines
An overlook along the Broken Hill Trail in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve that reveals deeply eroded badlands-style formations descending to the beach below. The exposed sandstone layers display warm ochre, rust, and cream tones. The overlook provides an elevated vantage point rarely seen in coastal San Diego landscapes.
San Diego, CA
Razor Point at Torrey Pines
A dramatic overlook at the end of the Razor Point Trail in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, where narrow sandstone ridges extend toward the ocean. The deeply eroded ravines below the point reveal colorful sedimentary layers. The vantage point offers views both north and south along the coastline.
Big Bear Lake, CA
Castle Rock Trail
Castle Rock is a prominent granite formation on the south side of Big Bear Lake reached by a short but steep 1-mile trail. The rock offers panoramic views of the entire Big Bear Valley and surrounding San Bernardino National Forest. The formation itself serves as a dramatic foreground subject against expansive mountain vistas.
Lake Arrowhead, CA
Rim of the World Vista Point
This scenic viewpoint along Highway 18 provides sweeping views south across the San Bernardino Valley and out to the distant ridges of the Santa Ana Mountains. On clear days, visibility can extend over 100 miles to the Pacific Ocean. The overlook sits at approximately 5,100 feet and faces south-southwest.
Riverside, CA
Mount Rubidoux
Mount Rubidoux is a 1,337-foot granite hill in western Riverside with a paved loop trail to the summit. The top features a cross, a Peace Tower pagoda, and the Father Junípero Serra statue with 360-degree views of the Santa Ana River valley and surrounding mountains. The site has hosted the nation's first outdoor Easter sunrise service since 1909.
Palm Springs, CA
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Mountain Station
The world's largest rotating aerial tramway ascends over 8,500 feet from the Coachella Valley floor to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet on Mount San Jacinto. The 10-minute ride traverses multiple climate zones from Sonoran Desert to alpine forest. Observation decks provide sweeping views of the valley below.
Redlands, CA
Prospect Park and Smiley Heights
Prospect Park sits atop a hill in Redlands offering panoramic views of the surrounding citrus groves, San Bernardino Valley, and the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. The park contains the historic Redlands Bowl outdoor amphitheater, established in 1924. The elevated vantage point provides layered compositions of urban landscape against mountain backdrops.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Cucamonga Peak Trail
Cucamonga Peak stands at 8,859 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains and is reached via an approximately 12-mile round-trip trail from Icehouse Canyon. The summit provides panoramic views stretching from the Inland Empire valleys to the Pacific Ocean and across the Mojave Desert. The trail passes through diverse vegetation zones from oak woodland to subalpine forest.