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- Southern CA & Northern CA
Let the Adventures Begin!
The Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge is back for its sixth year! Don’t let the name intimidate you: it’s free and easy to participate. Just get outdoors over the next few months and take a photo of yourself in action! And we’re excited to be teaming up with Line 39—their wines are the perfect partner to weekend adventures.
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Secluded Sunday
Sunday funday … how about just Sunday seclusion? Here are three less-known spots across the Bay Area for enjoying a hidden beach, canoeing to a middle-of-the-lake island for a picnic, or climbing to views on a trail less traveled.
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Better Than Brunch
In a pinch for a Mother’s Day plan? Three of our Los Angeles based writers took their moms on Weekend Sherpa explorations—a cruiser bike ride with wine tasting...a coast-hugging hike...a whole garden instead of a bouquet. Each adventure has been Mom-tested and approved. Cheers to you, Mom!
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SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
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Mojave Mojo!
Ready to get your mojo working? Hoodoos, tortoises, and a hermit’s tunnel to nowhere—they’re all part of the wondrously weird, easy-to-explore high desert just beyond the town of Mojave.
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As You Lake It!
This year’s rains brought many of our reservoirs back to 100 percent full! See some of the sparkling and refreshing beauty on three great North Bay hikes. They’re all dog-friendly, too. Time for a lake break!
VIEW - Northern CA
Going Wild for Flowers!
What’s wild and has wildflowers? Three East Bay hikes: one on Mount Diablo, one in Coyote Hills, and one across Pleasanton Ridge. It’s the call of the wild ... and the wildflowers!
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San Diego Rechargers
Jump in a brisk waterfall pool, hike the coast among rare Torrey pines, or savor a sunset from the city’s best viewpoint—you’ll dig these Diego adventures!
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Date with the Outdoors!
Go out this summer and do any activity we've ever written about in Weekend Sherpa (seriously, there's 10 years' worth of outdoor activities!) and earn yourself some excellent gifts, including a Weekend Sherpa t-shirt and travel wine glasses from our "partner in wine," Line 39. Here are few ideas to get you going!
VIEW - Northern CA
Will You Go Out With Us?
Go out this summer and do any activity we've ever written about in Weekend Sherpa (seriously, there's 10 years' worth of outdoor activities!) and earn yourself some excellent gifts, including a Weekend Sherpa t-shirt and travel wine glasses from our "partner in wine," Line 39. Here are few ideas to get you going!
VIEW - Southern CA & Northern CA
Free and Wild in Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park in spring is full of color, and visitors! But these three hikes in the heart of the park take you away from the crowds and into the park’s solitude, where signature trees grandstand, boulders are bountiful, and wildflowers paint the landscape like a rainbow. Bonus: Free admission this weekend for National Park Week!
VIEW - Northern CA
Waterfall Rager!
The more it rained, the harder they fell … and they're still falling … waterfalling. Hit the trails this spring on any of these Bay Area flows that are all the rage right now!
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Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wow!
Wanna make a colorful splash this Easter weekend? Here are some hikes with waterfalls, wildflowers, or a brilliant combo of both. Hop to it!
VIEW - Northern CA
The Great Urban Outdoors!
Who said getting into the great outdoors meant getting out of the city? Get your nature fix in city limits by hiking a secret stairway in Oakland or exploring a couple of handsome parks in San Francisco.
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SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
View- Southern CA
Springtime Stairway Walks
Who's game to take the stairs? Put a spring in your step this season by hiking any of these SoCal staircases leading to hidden wonders!
VIEW - Northern CA
Hidden Forests
Can't see the forest for the trees? Sure you can! Take some time this weekend to walk through one of these hidden forests. It's like a cleanse for your mind!
VIEW - Southern CA
Call of the Wildflowers!
It's our best wildflower season in years! Here are three SoCal hikes for seeing a dazzling array of color and blossoms.
VIEW - Southern CA
Last Chance Waterfalls
Ah, what a little rain will do for Southern California. Early spring is our time to savor storm-fed streams tumbling into seasonal waterfalls that are often dormant due to droughts. Drink up on these three see-them-while-you-can hikes!
VIEW - Northern CA
South Bay Spring Trailing!
Some hikes just know how to spring forward, especially after plentiful rains. From a hike to a hidden redwood grove to epic green hills and stunning panoramas, here are three South Bay ramblers to jump-start your spring trailing. Tip: Look for blooming wildflowers too!
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Green Hikes & Guinness
There’s something about a verdant landscape that lightens hearts and makes Irish eyes smile. We salute St. Patrick’s Day and the spirit of Éire with three hikes in this greenest of seasons—plus a suggestion for a post-hike beer (or two!) to cap off the end of each outing. Sláinte!
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Hikes & Beer!
You know what's better than a beer on sunny spring day? A hike and a beer! Here are some local adventures with a refreshing reward.
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Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
Winter's Best Activities in Reno Tahoe
Your Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.
Trending Stories NorCal
View all Stories![A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas]()
Dragon Quest
The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.
ViewSoaking Up History
When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.
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Buck Wild!
Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.
ViewState Park Soaker
Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.
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Trending Stories SoCal
View all Stories![A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.]()
Sunset Hike at Dante's View
It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.
ViewHot, Wet, and Wild!
At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away.
ViewIt's a Waterfall Life
Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.
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Oh Snow Nice
Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.
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