Holiday Hikes

Thanksgiving’s in the rearview mirror, but plenty of holidays are just ahead! Instead of the malls, put in some miles on these festive, fun, and easygoing hikes that’ll add a little spice to your outdoors life.

Week: 12.01.2016
Regions: Northern CA

Drake Awakening

Hiking Drakes Estero in Point Reyes National Seashore

Part salt water, part fresh water, Drake’s Estero is smack in the middle of Point Reyes, and one of only two marine wilderness areas in the entire nation. Yeah, it’s worth a look. Get the extended version by hiking right alongside it.
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Road Trip Less Traveled

Nevada Winter Road Trip

Scrolling through your social media feed looking for quick-trip ideas, and it’s all same old, same old? Time to shake things up! Time for a road trip to the most mountainous state in the lower 48 … Nevada! Nevada has more hot springs (300!) and ghost towns than any other state (g
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Hike to New Lights

Hike Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve

For an enlightening late day hike, catch the San Francisco skyline at sunset from high atop Ring Mountain. The Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve in Tiburon is pretty compact but occupies some of the best real estate in Marin. The 2-mile (round-trip) hike to Turtle Rock is a perfe
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Merry Colorful State Park

Hiking Mill Ox Loop in Butano State Park

Red, green, and blue are just a few of the holiday hues. Get your Christmas colors and some solitude on a 5-mile (round-trip) hike in Butano State Park on the San Mateo Coast. The Mill Ox Loop has you walking through forests thick with redwood trees, hiking up to panoramic blue o
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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. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. 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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  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. 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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