Roll Out the Weekend

Shorts, barbecues, bike rides: Give summer a high-five by hopping on any of these two-wheel adventures around the Bay Area and northern California. From country road rambles (and wine-tasting!) to car-free coastal cruising (and beers!), here are some smooth ways to ride into the long weekend.

Week: 05.24.2018
Regions: Northern CA

It's How You Roll!

Bike Ride to Wineries on Sonoma Valley's Backroads

Lush vineyards aren’t the only things rolling in Sonoma Valley these days. Casual cruiser biking is one of the best ways to see the sights and taste the wines! The key: Pedal the country roads and paved bike paths that start right from the historic plaza. Rent a bike at one of th
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Hidden Perles

Hike in to Perles Beach on Angel Island

You're gonna need a boat to get to one of the best beaches in the Bay Area. Fortunately, ferries leave on a regular schedule to the tranquil state park in the middle of the Bay, Angel Island. Most visitors stick to the Ayala Cove barbecue area near the docks. But venture just yon
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Unplug and Get Out!

Unplug and Unwind in Mammoth Lakes

Hike to Epic Health Tip: Hiking is good for us! And trails are everywhere in Mammoth Lakes. Their shuttle system (including a bus to Yosemite) takes you to high alpine hiking that dazzles with turquoise lakes. No plug outlets here, just beautiful views of the Lakes Basin. Now tha
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Pacific Views & Brews

Bike or Stroll Half Moon Bay Trail

How do you make a beach-hopping coastal bike ride even more refreshing? Just add beer! This 8-mile out-and-back ride starting at Half Moon Bay State Beach rolls 4 miles up the coast to the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Start on the paved trail at the east side of the Half Moon B
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West's Best Bike Ride

Bike Redding's Beautiful Sacramento River Trail

It’s the crown jewel of biking trails, wending its way through wildflowers and by the banks of the rippling Sacramento River, with stunning mountain views along the way. You’ll also cross over one of the most famous pedestrian-only bridges on the planet (its sister bridges are in
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All the Ride Stuff

Biking the easygoing American River Parkway

Car-free, paved, picnic-friendly, and paralleling the river, the American River Parkway–Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail is the perfect place for exploring on two wheels. The multi-use trail stretches 32 miles from Sacramento to Folsom, hugging the river most of the way and offering
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Lake Loop

Biking around Spring Lake in Santa Rosa

Bike Ride Spring Lake Santa Rosa
The template for a perfect multipurpose park? Hundreds of acres of open space, wending hiking and biking trails, glistening lakes, and picnic spots galore. Spring Lake and Howarth Park in Santa Rosa certainly fit this bill. The two parks border each other and make up more than 50
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  2. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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