All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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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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  Head for the Headlands

  A stroll along Mendocino's marquee bluffs is pretty much mandatory when you visit, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the charming hamlet of Mendocino, offers your

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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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  Meet Ed

  What’s in a name? A lot, if you’re visiting Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas. From strolling among fields of wildflowers to walking along a scenic ridge with beautiful bay views

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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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  More Cowell Bell!

  Crashing waves, salty air, greenery, and enormous coastal views: Biking or hiking the 6.6-miles of the Cowell-Purisima bluffs will leave you feeling spring fresh! Just a few miles

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  Sugar Rush

  Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is in the heart of wine country. This 4,000-acre open space straddles the Sonoma and Napa Valleys in the Mayacamas Mountains. And its trails are somethin

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  Simply Sunsational!

  Sometimes the best things are right under your nose—or in this case, right off Sonoma’s historic plaza. Enjoy a 2.5-mile (round-trip) sunset hike on Sonoma’s Overlook Trail. Locals

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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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  Abbotts Bonanza

  Pure wilderness, Pacific views, lush greenery, and wildflowers galore … yep, Point Reyes National Seashore is pretty much spring loaded. For the best of landscape, sandscape, and s

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  Weekend at Burney's

  The 129-foot Burney Falls gushes 100 million gallons of water every day over a basalt cliff face from Burney Creek. Get up close to it on an easy 1.2-mile hike taking you down to the waterfall’s base.

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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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  Hot, Wet, and Wild!

  At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar

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  Tramp at Trampas

  Epic East Bay views: check! Terrain with just enough challenge to keep things interesting: check! Wildflowers blooming on spring green hills: check and check! Yep, you’ll wanna tra

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  Secret Diablo

  Great views, wildflowers, vibrant green hills, even a Secret Trail … Mount Diablo State Park does it again with this spectacular 6-mile loop hike fit for spring. The Briones–Mount

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  Briones Bragging Rights

  Behold the Briones Reservoir Loop Trail in Orinda: an epic 13.5-mile hike that’s still the secret of hikers who love solitude and spring-loaded scenery! Located just beyond the bus

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  Hike the Pioneer Trail

  Wildflowers unfurling from their winter slumber, birds chirping in the trees, turtles warming themselves in the sun—find your Zen early this spring with a mellow and scenic hike to

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