Spring for These Summits

The wildflowers are flowing, the green hills are rolling, and things are looking up! Way up. Head out and up to these three Bay Area peak hikes bringing some spring bling!

Week: 04.19.2023
Regions: Northern CA

Maisie Peak & The Seven

Hike Maisie Peak and Seven Springs Loop in Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

Bag a peak, see some wildflowers—it’s the best of both worlds on this 5-mile loop at Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. You’ll stand atop Maisie’s Peak and enjoy a walk through the Seven Springs Loop.
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Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wildlife

The Great Outdoors of Plumas County

Wildflowers and a barn in Plumas County
hikers enjoying wildflowers in Plumas County
Talk about good timing! When waterfalls and wildflowers begin fading in other places, there’s an outdoors mecca that’ll be freshly blooming—and H2O booming: Plumas County!
The Great Outdoors of Plumas County

Barnabe Bonanza

Hike to the Panoramic Summit of Barnabe Peak in Samuel P Taylor State Park

Woman with her arms outstretched to the rolling hills scenery while on a rock outcrop at Barnabe Peak in Samuel P Taylor Sate Park in Marin
Woman crossing a bridge over Devils Gulch Creek in Samuel P Taylor State Park
Woman hiking up Barnabe Fire Road in Samuel P Taylor State Park in Marin
Woman standing at the top of Barnabe Peak, looking out to Tomales Point and Bodega Bay
Sure, there are higher mountains in Marin (Mount Tam) and easier ascents (Mount Burdell), but is there a more expansive North Bay view? Barnabe Peak in Samuel P. Taylor State Park offers a glorious panorama including Mount Tam, Mount Diablo, and Mount St. Helena.
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Hello, Sunol

Hike Sunol Regional Park for Wildflowers

Person taking a hiking break sitting on a bench overlooking scenery at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve
Hiker on trail at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve
purple wildflowers alongside a hiking trail at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve
It's one of the grandest hikes of them all: Sunol Regional Park positively beams in spring. Take the grand tour and see major landmarks in the park on a 6-mile (round-trip) hike featuring babbling brooks, beautiful peaks, and burgeoning wildflowers.
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  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

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  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

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  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

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