Best of Summer

It's hard to say goodbye...summer days may be coming to a close, but there's still time to get out on some of the season's most popular adventures in Weekend Sherpa. Here's a list of some of what you all seemed to like best.

Week: 08.20.2025
Regions: Northern CA

Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Re-Opens Crystal Cave for Tours

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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Let's Go to Paso!

Fall Harvest Getaway to Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a good idea in all seasons, but one season brings a special bounty: harvest season! Road-trip ready and teeming with fall colors and fun events, Paso Robles is the ultimate destination for unique autumn experiences.
Win One of Three Trips to Paso Robles

Can't Top This

Visit Presidio Tunnel Tops park in San Francisco

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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Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

Hike to Bumpass Hell in Lassen Volcanic National Park

So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.
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Shore Thing

Pedal the East Shore Bike Trail from Incline Village to Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe

Called “America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway," the Tahoe East Shore Trail lives up to the hype with unparalleled views of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada shoreline, with access points to beach enclaves and coves.
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Aloha from California

Hike-in and Camp at Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest

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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Oh Ryan

Stargaze in Joshua Tree National Park

Hike Joshua Tree National Park
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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San Francisco's Middle Earth

Hiking San Francisco's Mount Sutro

Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco
Hiker going up stairs to enter Mount Sutro in San Francisco
Hiker on a trail at Mount Sutro in San Francisco
Hiker looking up at trees in Mount Sutro San Francisco
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 NorCal

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  1. Gentle Giants

    Some people visit national parks to marvel at the iconic sights, while others come seeking solitude in nature. With visitation on the rise, it can be hard to find both. But in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, this pair of trails offers both....

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  2. Screaming Good Garden

    Combine a classic scary movie backdrop and life-size elephant garden sculptures in beautiful downtown Sonoma.

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  3. A Hike to the Past

    This 5.2-mile redwoods hike through El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space combines a relaxing stroll with unique geologic formations and historical artifacts.

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  4. Golden Mile

    Dubbed the Golden Mile, this car-free stretch of road in Golden Gate Park features rotating art installations of murals, sculptures, and abundant bright yellow Adirondack chairs for kicking back to relax. See Naga, the recent new addition here, an impressive sea serpent art installation at Golden Gate Park's Rainbow

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

    Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

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  2. Welcome to the Ice Age

    Only in LA can you stumble upon a lake of bubbling black goo right in the middle of the city—complete with a life-size family of mammoths frozen in time. Take a whiff and you’ll catch the unmistakable scent of asphalt: Yep, you’ve made it to the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum.

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  3. Griffith's Golden

    With over 4,200 acres and hundreds of trails, Griffith Park is the gold standard. Opt for the lesser-hiked northwestern end of the park and visit the 2.25-mile Skyline and Oak Canyon loop from Travel Town.

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  4. Mulholland's Most Majestic

    Take a leisurely drive along Mulholland Drive to discover beautiful urban scenery and unexpected wild beauty, right in the middle of the city. 

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