Woman hiking Shell Ridge Open Space in the East Bay

Holiday Hiking Date

Whether you like your hiking views to be merry and bright or prefer to play a little misty with a waterfall, these hikes offer just enough adventure to keep your spirits light. As for your hiking date? Well, we can only help with so much.

Week: 12.08.2021
Regions: Northern CA

Historically Serene

Hike at Olompali State Historic Park in Marin

Hike at Olompali State Historic Park in Marin
Olompali State Historic Park is a small park that packs big California history. Go on a mostly easy 3-mile loop hike where oak trees, big-leaf maples, and madrones are stunning in autumn.
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Gorge-ous Escape

Explore Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls Lodge
East Gorge Food Trail
Oregon’s tallest mountain? That’s Mt. Hood—surrounded by six ski areas, surprise waterfall hikes, and plenty of rivers, lakes, and streams to play in. Just east of Portland, the region of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge brings a range of outdoor adventures for every season.
The Best of Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge

Falls of the Wild

Hike to Maple Falls in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Woman hiking reaching out towards Maple Falls in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Two young hikers on the trail at The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
The Forest of Nisense Marks State Park
Maple Falls in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Through the redwoods you’ll go on this adventurous 9-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This hike is loaded with charms, but the big riches come from viewing Maple Falls, a 30-foot stunner that comes to life after rains.
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Shell of a Good Hike!

Hike to Views at Shell Ridge Open Space Near Walnut Creek

Woman hiking the trail at Shell Ridge Open Space near Walnut Creek in the East Bay
Head to the East Bay’s Shell Ridge Open Space near Walnut Creek to find 1,400 acres of rolling hills. This 7-mile ridge rambling loop showcases all that the foothills of Mount Diablo have to offer.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  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.

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  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!

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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. 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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Trending Stories SoCal

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.  

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  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...

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