Half Moon Rising

Pacific coastline, tantalizing trails, beaches, bluffs, and shipwrecks beneath the sea … from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay, here are some great ways to camp, hike, and beach-hop on the Peninsula.

Week: 05.11.2015
Regions: Northern CA

Vote for Pedro

Hike Pedro Point by Pacifica

Green marks the spot. A green gate, that is. Hidden off Highway 1, just north of Pacifica's Devil's Slide Tunnel, this unassuming entrance leads to a 2.2-mile (round-trip) hike with spectacular views of the rugged Peninsula shoreline at Pedro Point. The trail's crown jewel? Pedro
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End of the Road, Beginning of Adventure

Tofino British Columbia Hikes and Adventures

Welcome to the end of the road: Your outdoor bliss is just beginning. Located on the farthest reaches of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the oceanside town of Tofino has rightly been dubbed "the jewel of Canada's west coast." This is the place where rough and tumble meets t
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Camp at Francis

Camp at Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay

Bluff-top camping with easy beach access? You're not in SoCal. You're in Half Moon Bay's newly reopened Francis Beach Campground. The campground powered up last month, with electric hookups added to 40 of its 52 sites. Tents can be pitched at all the sites. Among the most popular
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Half Moon Bay Beach Hop

Hike Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail

What's better than a beach paradise on a sunny spring day? Five of them! And they're yours to connect along Half Moon Bay's Coastside Trail—a bluff-top asphalt path with beach access points every half-mile. Start your 5-mile (round-trip) journey at Venice Beach and head north, pa
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  2. 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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  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

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  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

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  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

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  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  4. Woman hiking down the stairs to Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

    Secluded Royale

    Panoramic coastal views and a killer leg workout combine on this 2.7-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike to secluded Coast Royale Beach in Orange County

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