All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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  Quicksilver Confetti

  There’s something extra wild about Almaden Quicksilver County Park these days: wildflowers! They’re exploding like confetti amid the grasslands, and you can see them on this 5.7-mile loop hike.

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  Valentine Vista Loop

  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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  Wildflower Hiking Guide

  California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.

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  Ohlone Time

  The hills have gone green just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, and this 7.5-mile lollipop loop hike passes through some of Mount Tam’s lushest spots, with bridges, creeks, a waterfall, and big views.

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  Edgewood Sparklers

  Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve in Woodside sparkles with wildflowers, and you can see them on this 4.2-mile loop with vistas of Mount Diablo and the San Francisco Bay.

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  Headlands Over Heels

  People come from all over the world to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. Get a dramatic and novel view of the bridge without all the people on this moderate 6-mile hike in the Marin Headlands.

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  Briones Bountiful!

  With over 6,000 acres teeming with trails, Briones Regional Park has plenty of room, big views, and a classic 7-mile circuit passing the two highest points in the park, Mott’s Peak and Briones Peak.

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  Heart of the Matter

  With very few tourists in town, San Francisco’s Presidio gets to bask mostly in local love. Do the classic Heart of the Park hike, which includes the historic and poignant National Cemetery Overlook.

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  Thornewood In Your Pocket

  Hints of wildflowers, a ravine of redwoods, and vistas over the San Francisco Bay and Diablo Range. Thornewood Preserve in Woodside packs a lot into its tiny space. An early morning start has perks.

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  Short Hike, Sweet View!

  Steady as you go ... all the way up to a sweeping Bay vista at Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. This 208-acre haven has a 4.3-mile loop to one of the best views in the East Bay.

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  Canyons Calling

  Canyon hikes come in all shapes and sizes in Death Valley, and we’ve got two gems. One requires more rigorous scrambling and navigation, and leads to a dryfall; the other takes you up to a brilliant vista.

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  Dune Swoon

  Of all the places to catch a sunset in Death Valley, we still think there’s none better than the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, inspiring many things, including log rolls, cartwheels, and sundown selfies.

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  Good as Golden

  Golden Canyon in Death Valley has a variety of hiking trails. We like this classic 5.5-mile loop exploring a labyrinth of marbled gold colored hills, badlands, narrow canyons, and tremendous vistas.

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  Cataclysmic Galactic

  Death Valley has a Star Wars vibe going with its desolate landscape. So when you first arrive to hike at the incredible Ubehebe Crater you might expect to see the Millennium Falcon hunkered nearby.

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  Gone With the Windy

  You don’t have to trek far to enjoy a hiker’s high at Windy Hill Preserve on the Peninsula. Its panoramic attraction is easily accessed via the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail, and it’s magnificent at sunset.

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  Best Foot Forward

  Foothills Park has 15 miles of trail surrounded by misty valleys, tender oak trees, seasonal creeks, a peaceful lake, and beautiful Bay Area vistas. Plan ahead because it's new, and very popular.

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  Santa Cruz Epic Views

  Redwoods, wildflowers, and ocean vistas offer the best of the Bay Area at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a 3.75-mile loop through the preserve's highlights.

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  Find Your Flow

  Far back in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Uvas Canyon County Park is a compact, tree-filled delight with hiking trails and several waterfalls bunched into a loop along Swanson Creek and amid lush forest.

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  Ready When You Are: Reno Tahoe

  With outdoors being essential for health and wellness, and new protocols in place, Reno Tahoe welcomes visitors! It's wide open with snowshoe trails, fire pits by the river, skating, and hot springs.

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  Winter Castle

  All you need is a clear day and a pair of sturdy snowshoes for the 2.25-mile (one-way) hike up to Castle Pass near Donner Summit in Tahoe National Forest. The views from the pass are royally good!

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