All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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  King for a Day Hike

  Some hikes have royally good views. One such crowning glory? King's Canyon Loop Trail in the East Bay, delivering gorgeous views of the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. It’s a 6.4-mile

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  All Hail Helena

  Ready to get in that last long hike before the days get a little too short? Make it count by conquering one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area: Mount Saint Helena. On clear days

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  Go for Moore

  It’s just 20 miles north of Napa, but Moore Creek Park feels like a world of its own. This quiet park just past Lake Hennessey has a nice 4-mile loop hike combining Moore Creek Tra

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  BonAnza!

  With an ever-changing shoreline, Lake Anza in the Berkeley Hills can make you feel like you’re hiking around a lake in the Sierra: narrow paths, giant boulders, and dense forest. Q

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  Coming Up Roses

  Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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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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  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.

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  More Cowell-bell!

  If you didn’t know it was there, you might just drive right on by it. But for those who make the 0.5-mile walk (or bike ride) to the wooden stairway leading to Cowell Ranch State Beach, the reward is sinking your toes into one of the best beaches in Northern California.

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  Pools of Gold

  Montaña de Oro: The name means mountain of gold, but the real treasures here lie underwater. Luckily you don’t have to venture into the ocean to see all the cool creatures. Plenty

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  This Is Paradise

  Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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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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  Wild for Wildcat

  With seven sites strewn along a coastal bluff adjacent to the beach, Wildcat Camp is one of Northern California’s premier camping destinations in Point Reyes National Seashore. And there's one first-come, first-served spot...

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  Hidden Lake in the Dunes

  It sounds preposterous: a lake in the dunes? That’s exactly why Oso Flaco Lake, in the Oceano Dunes south of Pismo Beach, is so cool. The 75-acre freshwater lake is surrounded by m

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  Swim-through Caverns

  A mug of stout beer on a hot summer day isn’t the only thing that’s cold, dark, and refreshing! There’s also the swim-through caverns of Natural Bridges in Calaveras County (aka Go

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  Waterfall Jackpot!

  We know where you're guaranteed to hit the jackpot in Reno. Hunter Creek Falls. It's a favorite of Reno locals, accessible year round, and especially good in the summer months when

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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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  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 ver

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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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  Will You Accept This Rose?

  Not every rose ceremony comes with a kiss or tears. Take the Berkeley Rose Garden, the centerpiece and starting point for a colorful urban walk with hidden staircases. Instead of tears, you get tiers: the roses here burst forth in brilliance with 1,500 individual rose bushes

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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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