Dates Outdoors

In this season of love and romance, there's one companion who never disappoints: the outdoors! Grab your favorite person or people and head out on some hikes and bike rides that are oh so sweet right now.

Week: 02.09.2022
Regions: Northern CA

A New Work of Heart

Hike from the Lincoln Steps to Mile Rock Beach in San Francisco

Heart Art at the Coastal Trail near Mile Rock Beach in San Francisco
The mosaic tiles of the Lincoln Stairs in San Francisco
Hikers on the Coastal Trail overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
Ready for a heartfelt hike? This urban walk in San Francisco features a beautiful mosaic stairway, panoramic views, a new work of "heart," and plentiful coastal drama.
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Channel Islands for a Change

Explore Channel Islands and Ventura County Coast

Channel Island Island Packers
Channel Island Island Packers
Dolphins Channel Islands
There’s no better time to visit California’s Channel Islands National Park. Located 25 miles off Ventura County Coast, this series of five distinct and spectacular islands is reached by a fun ferry ride often filled with wildlife sightings.
Outdoor Lover's Guide to Ventura County Coast

Valentine Vista Loop

Hike Valentine Vista Loop in Moore Creek Park Napa

Woman standing on the trail of Valentine Vista Loop at Moore Creek Park in Napa with poppies blooming on the grass
Woman standing in a field of wildflowers at Valentine Vista Loop Trail in Moore Creek Park Napa
Hike the 4.3-mile Valentine Vista Trail at Moore Creek Park. It's spectacular for views and poppies blooming in spring.
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Three Beaches to the Wind

Hike to three beaches on this coastal trail in the Marin Headlands

Woman hiking the Coastal Trail in the Marin Headlands
Woman hiking up the Coastal Trail next to the ocean in the Marin Headlands
Woman sitting on a rock on the Coastal Trail and looking down below to Muir Beach in the Marin Headlands
Pirates Cove Beach in the Marin Headlands
This beautiful 7-mile (round-trip) coastal hike in the Marin Headlands connects three beaches: Muir Beach, Pirates Cove, and Tennessee Cove.
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Cycle the Circumference

Bicycle Angel Island's Perimeter Road with a Break at Perles Beach

Bicycle Angel Island Perimeter Road San Francisco Bay
A bicycle is a fantastic way to take in the 360-degree panoramas you get on Angel Island. The straightforward Perimeter Road is a car-free route that circumnavigates the island. Stop along the way at a hidden beach.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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  2. Keough's Hot Springs

    Soaking Up History

    When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.

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  3. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    Buck Wild!

    Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.

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  4. Grover Hot Springs

    State Park Soaker

    Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

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  2. Hot, Wet, and Wild!

    At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away.

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  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

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  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

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