Southern California might be better known for its beaches and famous people, but we have pretty good skiing too. You can generally find decent conditions from November to March, as long as you're willing to ski on manmade snow. The main ski areas are the San Bernardino Mountains, Mount Baldy and Wrightwood.

San Bernardino Mountains: Bear Valley, Rim Nordic and Snow Valley resorts.

Mount Baldy: Mt. Baldy Ski Resort is in San Bernardino County (east of LA), north of the city of Upland.

Wrightwood: Mountain High is about an hour's drive from LA.

Hiking is popular in Southern California too. Despite the presence of a gnarled system of overcrowded freeways, Southern California still has room for some pretty amazing natural areas. If you're up for a few hours of hiking or a few days for camping, you can spend them at the beaches, in the rugged mountains or in the more civilized parks. We'll defer to the hiking and camping experts, who can help you find the best spots:

Slackpacker.com has information on popular SoCal hiking trails.

Hikercentral.com covers California camping and hiking destinations.