Peaceful Hikes for the Holidays

Nature can be a perfect place for a little peace and quiet time. Here are three tranquil hikes to escape the hype of the holiday season and make everyone merry. Joy to the wilds.

Week: 12.13.2023
Regions: Northern CA

Most Peaceful Hike of All

Peaceful short hike around Lake Lagunitas in Marin County

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.
Read the full story

Snow Time Like the Present

Winter Vacation to Zephyr Cove and Lake Tahoe Adventures

zephyr cove resort
zephyr cove resort
zephyr cove resort
This holiday season unwrap everyone’s best winter getaway. South Lake Tahoe takes your outdoor adventures beyond the ski resorts. Your basecamp—Zephyr Cove Resort—has lakeside wood cabins, a beautiful mile-long beach, and plenty of activities.
Book Your South Lake Tahoe Adventure

Bodega's Beautiful Bird Walk

Enjoy The Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail in Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay may be best known as the backdrop for Alfred Hitchcock’s famous movie The Birds, but there’s a softer side to its dramatic coastline. The Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail loops around two ponds and provides a bird’s–eye view of serene Bodega Bay.
Read the full story

Lucky as a Horseshoe

Hike to Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve gets adventurers young and old up close to some of the Bay Area’s best winged wildlife along its namesake shoreline via a 3.5-mile (round-trip) hike that’s easy and tranquil.
Read the full story

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View