Man standing at small lake overlooking cool rock formations at Pinnacles National Park

Super Spring Hikes

Soaring vistas, wildlife sightings, wildflowers. Some hikes are super in spring! From Pinnacles National Park to a truly wild county park near San Jose, here are some top spots for soaking in spring’s bounty.

Week: 04.14.2021
Regions: Northern CA

Pinnacles of Spring

Hike the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park

Hiker overlooking Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey
Hiker at Bear Gulch Cave and High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park
Hiker on the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey
Person hiking a scenic trail overlooking the mountain scenery at Pinnacles National Park
Why hike at Pinnacles National Park? Spring's a beautiful time of year here. And you might spy the magnificent California condor soaring while you gain soaring views from the High Peaks Trail.
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Great Is an Understatement!

Hiking and Exploring Nevada's Great Basin National Park

Hiker enroute to Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker at the summit of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker on a trail at Great Basin National Park Nevada
Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marbled limestone caves.
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Wildflower Hiking Guide

Wildflower Hiking Guide in the South Bay and Peninsula

California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.
Download the Wildflower Hiking Guide

Big Tree Bonanza

Giant Redwood hikes at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park hike
Hiker looking at the tallest trees on the planet at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
Hiker at Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
Hiker on the James Irvine Trail among the tall trees at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
Roosevelt elk, canyons draped in ferns and dripping with small waterfalls, oh … and the tallest trees on the entire planet! Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has all the fixings for world-class hiking.
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Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

Hike into Muir Woods from Mount Tamalpais and the Bootjack Trail

Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods
A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.
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Peak-a-View!

Hike to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park

Hike to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Hikers heading up the trail to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park Oregon
Hikers on the trail to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Hikers sitting and overlooking Crater Lake at Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the entire country and the seventh deepest in the world. For one of the very best perspectives of this shining blue beauty, hike up to Garfield Peak.
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Starry-Eyed Camp Surprise

Indian Cove Campground Joshua Tree

No trip to Joshua Tree National Park is complete without a stargazing party and the comfort of a campfire. The night sky illuminates spectacularly in the desert (especially during a new moon) and is best observed with good company. Indian Cove Campground, nestled 13 miles east of
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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.

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  2. Keough's Hot Springs

    Soaking 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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  3. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    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.

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  4. Grover Hot Springs

    State 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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  1. 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.

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  2. Hot, 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.

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  3. It's a Waterfall Life

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  4. 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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