Easy Does It

There can be a lot of pressure to go big at the start of a new year, let alone a new decade. So ease into 2020 the simple way: by trying something new.

Week: 01.09.2020
Regions: Northern CA

Welcome Back Bartholomew

Hike a Winery Trail in Sonoma

Hiking at Bartholomew Park Winery in Sonoma
Hiking at Bartholomew Park Winery in Sonoma
A few miles east of Sonoma’s historic plaza, Bartholomew Park has a winery and hiking trails with fabulous views.
Read the full story

Opt for Oljon

Hike to Oljon Trail at El Corte Madera Creek Preserve in the South Bay

Hike among redwoods at El Corte Madera Creek Preserve
Hike among redwoods at El Corte Madera Creek Preserve
There's a new hiking trail among the redwoods at El Corte Madera Creek Preserve in the South Bay.
Read the full story

Follow @WeekendSherpa

Follow Weekend Sherpa on Instagram

Follow @weekendsherpa
Follow @weekendsherpa
Follow @WeekendSherpa

Bowl for It

Learn to Lawn Bowl at Golden Gate Park

If the Big Lebowski switched from lane bowling to lawn bowling, Golden Gate Park would be his new hangout. Quirky fits right in at the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club here, which has been going strong since 1901. Even better, the club offers a Free Intro to Lawn Bowling class eve
Read the full story

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  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.

    View

  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!

    View

  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

    View
  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.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  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.

    View

  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.

    View

  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.  

    View

  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...

    View