Fall for These Views

The weather’s still good, the leaves are just starting to turn, and daylight still lingers until after 6pm … Autumn hikes are awesome. From a peak-bagging hike in Napa, to a short trek to one of Lake Tahoe’s best lookouts, and an East Bay ridge with a reservoir vista, here are three hikes with views to fall for.

Week: 09.27.2018
Regions: Northern CA

Picnic with a View

Hike to Picnic Rock in Lake Tahoe

When early autumn arrives in the mountains, you never really know what you’ll get … hot days, rainy afternoons, snow. Good thing the path to Picnic Rock on the Tahoe Rim Trail is as all-purpose as they come—and offers one of the grandest views of Lake Tahoe. Lace the hiking shoes
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Top Notch Climbs

Top Climbs in Reno Tahoe

The view from the top is always better—especially when the views are of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. Strap in: Reno Tahoe is a rock-climbing haven, where beginners can learn the ropes and experts can fine-tune their skills. There are three major rock-climbing facilities in R
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King for a Day Hike

Hike Kings Canyon Loop Trail in the East Bay

Some hikes have royally good views. One such crowning glory? King's Canyon Loop Trail in the East Bay, delivering gorgeous views of the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. It’s a 6.4-mile hike filled with solitude, with just the occasional cow mooing in the distance to bring assurances
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All Hail Helena

Hike to the Summit of Mount Saint Helena

Ready to get in that last long hike before the days get a little too short? Make it count by conquering one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area: Mount Saint Helena. On clear days this 11-mile (round-trip) trek has you seeing all the way out to the Bay and Sierra Nevada. Start on
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  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

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  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

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  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

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  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

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  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

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  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

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  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

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