Spring Forward Hikes

From a Santa Cruz state park hike with a beach bonus, to a Midpeninsula Open Space Preserve hidden behind urban scenes, here are three great hikes to help you spring forward!

Week: 03.17.2016
Regions: Northern CA

Wilder Times

Wilder Ranch State Park Hike Santa Cruz

Stunning redwoods, huge ocean views, rolling hills, and gorgeous beaches … Santa Cruz has epic scenery! So how do you enjoy it all in one jaunt? Go Wilder! A 5-mile (round-trip) hike in Wilder Ranch State Park packs plenty of highlights. Park across from 4 Mile Beach—also part of
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The Most Magical Redwoods of Them All

Spring Getaway Redwoods in Humboldt County

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What’s giant and ancient and red all over? Why, only the most magical redwoods you’ll ever see! Just a few hours from San Francisco, Humboldt Redwoods State Park is home to the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world. Here’s the plan: Start with the ultimate redwo
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Jonesing For It

St. Josephs Open Space Preserve Los Gatos South Bay Hike

Tucked just shy of the South Bay’s urban domains, the 270-acre St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve in Los Gatos isn’t bashful about showcasing great scenery. Go on a 4-mile (round-trip) hike here and get gorgeous vistas of the Lexington Reservoir, the Santa Clara Valley, and th
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The Big Short

Bald Mountain Peak Hike in San Jose South Bay

Size matters. So if you’re looking for a short and sweet hike that has the payoff of climbing a tall peak, head to San Jose’s Bald Mountain summit, located in the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. From Mount Umunhum Road’s paved parking lot, follow the gently sloping Bald Mountain
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  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. 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. 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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  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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