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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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  3. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  4. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

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  2. Two women on e-bikes at Cass Vineyard and Winery near Paso Robles

    Eat, Drink, E-bike!

    No offense to charcuterie but sometimes you want a full meal while tasting world-class wine. And Paso Robles knows this better than perhaps any other wine region in California. Case in point: Cass Vineyard and Winery, where you can eat, drink, and e-bike!

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  3. Diamond in the Rough

    March Madness may be over, but the wildflower rush has just begun! This spring, in the Southern California regional bracket, Hemet’s Diamond Valley Lake is our surprise pick for the Fab Flowers Finals. Take a 2-mile round-trip hike in botanical bliss.

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  4. Jurupa Jamboree

    If you like a short hike with a side of adventure, try the Jurupa Hills North Trail in Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park.

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