All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA

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  Her Name is Del Rio

  Del Rio Woods east of Healdsburg along Sonoma County's Russian River is a welcome addition to the Regional Parks system.

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  Reach the Pinnacle

  The thing about hidden beaches is you’ve usually got to do a little legwork to find them! In this case, the legwork is a lovely 0.5-mile hike to a gorgeous beach on Bodega Bay. The

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  El Capitán, My Capitán

  The best part about camping at El Capitán State Beach? It just might be sunset. The campground, perched on a forested bluff above the beach, gives you the best seats in the house for watching the sun settle down into the Santa Barbara Channel.

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  Dune It on the Beach!

  Here’s where camping on the beach means … camping on the beach! Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is famous for its broad, flat beach, rolling sand dunes that seem to st

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  Bay Trails & Beers

  How do you double your biking pleasure on a 10-mile (round-trip) out-and-back bike ride starting in Berkeley’s Gilman District? First, you pick a paved, car-free trail with excepti

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  Napa Smoothie

  Beer in wine country? It all goes down nice and smooth when you pair your craft brew après with a paved, car-free bike trail paralleling the Napa River.

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  Hunt for the Hot Springs!

  Wanna find hidden hot springs? Hunt for them! Tucked alongside a creek in the Madhesi Valley an hour from Burney Falls and 5 miles from the nearest town of Big Bend (population 102

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  Carson Calling

  Along the banks of the East Fork Carson River, brushing the California–Nevada border, sits a series of hot spring pools surrounded by high desert. The springs have for years been a

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  Stairways to Santa Cruz

  Golden beaches, beautiful Pacific views, and famous surf … don’t just take the famous boardwalk to see Santa Cruz: Take the stairs! This 2.6-mile urban hike features four cool stairways through Santa Cruz’s lively downtown and beautiful neighborhoods—rich with history.

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  America's Best Urban Hike

  Many years ago we dubbed it the “Grand Walk” and said it was one of the most scenic and stunning trails in the West. We were wrong. This is the most scenic urban hike in America!

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  Fancy Camp

  Wanna go rugged on the coast, minus the whole pitching your own tent and sleeping on the ground bit? Mendocino Grove is spot-on for upgrading your roughing-it experience, with beautifully appointed tent-cabins set across the bluffs overlooking Mendocino Bay.

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  Bluffing Seals

  We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary

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  You've Got Stile

  Startups aren’t the only thing popping up in Silicon Valley. California poppies make their mark this time of year too. Find solitude and color among the hills and trees of San Jose

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  Peak Pacifica

  Lingering wildflowers and sweeping Pacifica views … this 1,900-foot peak hike up Pacifica’s Montara Mountain has it all, including a beach ending! Start at the Gray Whale Cove trai

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  Pacific Views & Brews

  How do you make a beach-hopping coastal bike ride even more refreshing? Just add beer! This 8-mile out-and-back ride starting at Half Moon Bay State Beach rolls 4 miles up the coas

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  It's How You Roll!

  Lush vineyards aren’t the only things rolling in Sonoma Valley these days. Casual cruiser biking is one of the best ways to see the sights and taste the wines! The key: Pedal the c

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  Eyepopping Poppies

  Poppies! Lots and lots of poppies. Reaching the top of Grass Mountain near Santa Ynez feels like approaching the Emerald City in the Land of Oz—only crossing this poppy field won’t

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  Fantastic Phantom!

  Blooming wildflowers and gushing waterfalls can only mean one thing: spring on North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve! The mountain—actually a basalt mesa—is worth a visit any tim

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  Gilroy Glory

  Rolling green hills punctuated by carpets buttercups and poppies: Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park in Gilroy seems positively sun-kissed in spring. It’s the best time of y

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  Multiple Choice Hot Springs

  Travertine Hot Springs stands apart from other Eastern Sierra soaking sites for the astounding way that rock formations convey water to its primitive pools. Craggy ridges of traver

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