All Stories from "Northern CA"

All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA

Loch In!
Tucked in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Loch Lomond Recreation Area is known for its gorgeous reservoir, less known for its charming Clar Innis Island (reached only by kayak or canoe)
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Tilden Topoff
With a name like Seaview Trail, expectations run high. And this 3.5-mile loop in Tilden Regional Park delivers. You won’t have to find the viewpoints; they find you … in abundant p
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All the Wright Stuff
Avoiding drama? That’s a good thing. Unless you’re talking about campsites. In that case, the more dramatic the better! And Wright’s Beach on the Sonoma Coast is quite the drama queen—27 campsites sitting smack dab in the middle of the wild and raging Sonoma Coast State Beach.
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Her Name Is Monte Rio
You’ve heard of Throwback Thursday; how about Old-School Saturday (or Sunday!). For a scene that’s a pure summer classic, head to the Russian River’s Monte Rio Beach. Enjoy loungin
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Beer Island
Did we have you at beer? Island? Both?! Why not toss in a brilliant view of the Bay Bridge too? Treasure Island has just the beach for bringing this terrific trifecta together! Tha
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Sunol Salutations
Ahh … Sunol in the spring could make John Steinbeck wax poetic about the land of milk and honey. This East Bay Regional Park is a rolling green open space of giant oak trees, wildf
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Leapin' Lupine!
Seasonal wildflowers and evergreen vistas make this a locals’ favorite hike in Sonoma Valley Regional Park. Go soon to see popping lupine and buttercups on this scenic 2-mile (round-trip) route with beautiful picnic spots.
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Tunnel Vision
Don’t expect logic from oddball desert hermits! At Burro Schmidt Tunnel, that’s to our great benefit. It took 32 years for William “Burro” Schmidt to dig through a mountain in a re
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Tempe Temptations
Wildflowers, wildlife, and a wildly great view of Mount Tam as the backdrop … get your wows at Bon Tempe Reservoir, one of the five lakes on Mount Tam’s northern flank, and a water
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Lake Loop
The template for a perfect multipurpose park? Hundreds of acres of open space, wending hiking and biking trails, glistening lakes, and picnic spots galore. Spring Lake and Howarth
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Pleasanton Pursuit
The rolling green hills of Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park are bringing an extra burst of color this spring—wildflowers hidden in the emerald grasses are popping up and should soon
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Rove the Cove
Today’s San Francisco still has a few places where bits of interesting grit exist. Warm Water Cove is an urban waterfront blending serene bay views and relics of days past when thi
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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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You Go Pogo!
Skirting the campus of the University of California Santa Cruz is a higher education in going green (vast rolling meadows), being serene (hidden koi pond), and seeing red (redwoods
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Grant You This
High up in the foothills overlooking Santa Clara Valley, Joseph D. Grant County Park is a vast landscape of hiking and biking terrain where the grass colors often run in hues of br
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The Irish Hills Are Smiling
Everyone loves San Luis Obispo, and the Irish Hills rank high among reasons why. Inches from civilization, you enter a world laced with oak-shaded creeks, green grassy hillsides, a
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Meiss Around
Escape the snow-loving crowds on a moderately challenging 6-mile (round-trip) ski near Carson Pass Summit. You’ll actually have bragging rights for doing part of the Pacific Crest
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Secret Snow-white Beach
Ready to hit the snow and the beach? An easy kick-and-glide from Emerald Bay Road to Kiva Beach leads through a snow-white postcard to the vast blue of Lake Tahoe. For novice cross
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Winter Views of Big Blue
When you’re ready to move up from gentle gliding to steeper climbs and descents, this 4-mile (round-trip) ski via High Meadows Road is an ideal place to practice your skills. This
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A Real Flockbuster
Some real movers and shakers have swooped in on San Francisco's southern industrial-chic waterfront thanks to the creative work and advocacy of the Golden Gate Audubon Society and
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