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  1. Northern CA

    Going Clear Lake

    An interesting thing happens when you venture a few hours north of the Golden Gate Bridge. You start to see a whole different side of Northern California: remote, beautiful, and filled with adventures. Clear your calendar for Clear Lake!

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  2. Northern CA

    Best Views of the Golden Gate Bridge

  3. Northern CA

    Rolling Through Point Reyes

    With craggy coastal cliffs, abundant beaches, and over 80 miles of rolling shoreline, Point Reyes National Seashore is ideal for a casual coastal spin. Here are three easy bike rides that pack a scenic punch and reveal some secret spots, too. Bring your own bike or rent one in Point Reyes. Wheels in motion!

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  4. Sponsored

    Extra-Celestial Central Oregon

    Some trips promise you the moon and the stars. And this one delivers in a big way, plus throws in some extra planets for your viewing pleasure. From Bend, Sunriver, and Sisters to Antelope Basecamp in the remote high desert.

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  5. Southern CA

    Canyon Dig It?

    Between the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains lie the less-travelled Puente Hills: 3,680 acres of chaparral, oak woodland, riparian habitats, and diverse hiking trails in canyons. Here are 3 canyon hikes worth the trifecta. Of course you canyon!

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  6. Southern CA

    Wild Hikes in Palm Springs

    Palm Springs might be best known for golf courses, condos, and cocktails by the swimming pool. But have you explored the best of its wild side? Here are three hikes to get you going, before going wild doing other things.

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  7. Northern CA

    Wild Views & Wildflowers

    Huge views are even better when the surrounding landscape is painted by wildflowers. Here are three Bay Area hikes and bike rides combining beautiful vistas and flower power!

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  8. Southern CA

    Spring for Fallbrook Hikes

    Tucked in north San Diego County, Fallbrook is famous for its avocados, but less known are the outstanding open space preserves, home to some of SoCal's best hiking. From a peak-bagging butt-buster to a lollygagging wander, here are three to Fallbrook for.

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  9. Northern CA

    Big Hikes in Wine Country

    Some of the best ridge walks in the Bay Area just go better with a post-hike wine or beer. From Napa to the Russian River, we’ve rounded up a few ridge ramblin’ adventures that pack in the miles, the redwoods, the wildflowers, and the views—with bonus beverages too!

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  10. Northern CA

    Tasty Adventures

    Kayak to a Bavarian beer garden, bike to cool urban wineries, and hike secret hillside passageways followed by exotic tequila tastings: A day exploring Oakland is better when you bike, hike, and paddle to the good stuff!

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  11. Southern CA

    Secret Hikes of Griffith Park

    LA’s Griffith Park isn’t a secret, but that doesn’t mean there aren't secret hiking spots—especially those of the artistic kind. Here are three ways to explore Griffith and discover its hidden gems. Avant Garde, Griffith!

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  12. Northern CA

    Get Outdoors, Then Grab a Drink

    Kicking back with a drink and reveling in your adventure? Well, sometimes that's half the fun. Here are a few adventure and après options to celebrate spring.

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  13. Northern CA

    Easter Outdoors!

    New Point of View Battery East Vista on the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its official opening in late 2015—and is a coastal gem for hikers, bikers, and sightseers. Shhh Summit Marin’s Mount Tam is one of the Bay Area’s most traveled mountains, yet even this icon holds some secrets … including a lesser known peak. Roses & Redwoods Combine a beautiful garden with a hidden redwood grove—right in Berkeley! [sponsored-story] Bean Meaning to Go South of Pescadero sits one of the few dog-friendly beaches along the San Mateo Coast, and a golden place to barbecue and picnic. Majestic Mojave The newly designated Mojave Trails National Monument in Southern California has colorful canyons, epic mountain ranges, and fossil beds with 550-million-year-old trilobite remnants!

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  14. Southern CA

    Basket of Adventures

    Hidden Hike The Canyon View Loop Trail is a less-traveled hike that includes a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and possibly bighorn sheep sightings. Discover it in the recently designated Sand to Snow National Monument. Urban Vistagram Just a mile from the heart of downtown yet an oasis world away lies an 11-acre park with a trail offering one of the very best views of LA’s skyline.  B-Roll Three of our favorite B words come together to make this adventure happen: Bike. Beach. Brewery.  [sponsored-story] Paddle, Picnic, Sunset, Wine Like a Half Dome of the Central Coast, Morro Rock is an iconic fixture of San Luis Obispo County’s shoreline. Take a magical kayak and picnic tour at sunset. Knapp Time Knapp’s Castle in Los Padres National Forest is a quirky site filled with original ruins—and stunning panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. 

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  15. Sponsored

    Extra-Celestial Central Oregon

    Some trips promise you the moon and the stars. And this one delivers in a big way, plus throws in some extra planets for your viewing pleasure. From Bend, Sunriver, and Sisters to Antelope Basecamp in the remote high desert.

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  16. Southern CA

    Roam the Ruins

    From shipwrecks to a fallen mansion and an old jail cell at a mission, the area stretching between Los Padres National Forest and the Pacific Coast is riddled with intriguing ruins. Here are three to see!

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  17. Northern CA

    Spring Forward Hikes

    From a Santa Cruz state park hike with a beach bonus, to a Midpeninsula Open Space Preserve hidden behind urban scenes, here are three great hikes to help you spring forward!

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  18. Northern CA

    Wild Weather Adventures

    1) Go With the Flow In winter, Mount Tam’s Cataract Falls transforms into a fast-charging flow, churning and tumbling with such spectacular force. The roar of the falls fills Cataract Canyon, an ideal place to hike, especially when it’s raining. Make Tracks in Tahoe Get an amazing view of Lake Tahoe’s big blue beauty on a 3.6-mile (round-trip) snow-shoe adventure offering 360-degree views. Walk with the Devil The multi-use Devil’s Slide section of the California Coastal Trail just south of Pacifica is usually much less crowded when gray skies and rain are around, and it’s a prime spot for viewing all that’s wild about the weather and the sea. Sink Right In Heat things up at Sierra Hot Springs in Sierraville. Open 24 hours, the property sits on the edge of a golden meadow and 700 acres of National Forest land. Light Up Your Life The 115-foot Lighthouse Tower at Point Arena Light Station in Mendocino County is one of the few lighthouses you can climb to the top of for a brilliant balcony panorama of the Pacific Coast (and possible gray whale sightings)! Wine About It When all else fails, wine-taste in a pretty place! Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley is fast becoming the go-to region, with a down-to-earth vibe and inexpensive tasting fees, even as the awards keep rolling in. The loping sun-drenched vineyards are absolutely stunning (and less crowded!) in winter.

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  19. Southern CA

    National Obsession

    Recently President Obama federally protected nearly 2 million acres of California desert by designating three new national monuments across select landscapes well worth a visit. Here’s how to hike around and explore each one of them.

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  20. Northern CA

    Hidden Redwoods

    The awe-inspiring redwoods in Muir Woods and Big Basin rightfully draw a following, but you can experience the tallest living things on earth in lesser-known spots, too. Here are three hidden redwood groves whose roots run deep in the Bay Area.

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  21. Southern CA

    Sepulveda's Secrets

    Thousands of motorists catch a glimpse of LA’s Sepulveda Dam while madly weaving through the interchange of the 405 and 101 freeways, but few know that it's publicly accessible by foot and bike trails, with some movie mojo, too. Step outside for some Sepulveda Basin!

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  22. Southern CA

    Welcome to the New Weekend Sherpa

    Mugu Magic Set on the coast between Oxnard and Malibu, Point Mugu State Park is dressed to impress. Make a date with its namesake peak on a 5-mile (round-trip) summit-bagging hike.   Joshua's Wild Side Joshua Tree National Park is wild in more ways than its gnarly trees. Hike the park's west side for a big-picture vantage of the desertscape. The 6.7-mile Lost Horse Mine loop is both eerie and beautiful.   Crystal Ball Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County is prized for its glistening beaches, but there's also 2,400 acres of backcountry, including a 9-mile hike (or mountain bike) to a high point that rewards with gorgeous coastal scenery.   LA Stairway Urban hiking has a wild side, and the proof is just northeast of downtown LA. This 4-mile loop traverses Mount Washington and includes a cardio climb up a mountain with stunning views.   Bigger and Boulder From afar, Stoney Point Park in Simi Valley looks like a real-life drip sandcastle. Get right into it though and find a park filled with hidden caves and alcoves only nature could design.   The Great Ascot! Sometimes the skyline's the limit, and that's a good thing if you're visiting Ascot Hills Park, an 83-acre LA respite that offers a winter sunset to remember.   Lava & Java Mojave National Preserve's got more than a few ways to get your adrenaline pumping, so go with the flow—or rather, go where the lava once flowed.

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A Hiker looking over a mountain range

Your Inbox to the Outdoors

Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.

Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Hike Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve Mystery Walls

    Mystery Walls

    Crop circles, Stonehenge, California’s Mystery Walls … You don’t have to travel the world to see enigmas, including these stone walls within the South Bay's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

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  2. Woman walking down the stairs overlooking the ocean on the Coastal Trail in San Francisco

    America's Best Urban Hike

    Long ago we dubbed it the “Grand Walk” and said it was one of the most scenic and stunning trails in the West. We were wrong. This is the most scenic urban hike in America!

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  3. Hike or Bike the Skyline

    A new section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail is open for biking, hiking, or horseback riding along the 12-mile (out-and-back) Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Extra-Celestial Central Oregon

    Some trips promise you the moon and the stars. And this one delivers in a big way, plus throws in some extra planets for your viewing pleasure. From Bend, Sunriver, and Sisters to Antelope Basecamp in the remote high desert.

    View
  2. Tree Town

    Home to an estimated 21,000 trees and 100 acres of parkland, South Pasadena has earned its nickname: the City of Trees. This 2.5-mile neighborhood walk lets you experience its leafy canopy up close, winding through charming streets and three of the city’s beloved parks.

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  3. Tahoe's Trio of Lake Vistas

    They say good things come in threes, and it’s true when you embark on this 8-mile (round-trip) hike in Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness. It gives you three excellent lake vistas: Eagl

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