All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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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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  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.

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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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  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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  All in for Alamere

  If you’re crazy about the ocean, the beach, and waterfalls, Bolinas’s Coast Trail is bound to become one of your all-time favorite spring hikes. It’s got one killer cliffside view

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  Make Way for McWay

  Big Sur’s had some hard luck with fire damage and mudslides in the past few years, but that hasn’t put a stop to its wild natural beauty: epic Pacific views, iconic redwoods, and o

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  Stengel Beach Bliss

  One of the coolest things about Stengel Beach Waterfall is that you’ll probably have it to yourself. Few people head to this beach because the waterfall is like a ghost, appearing

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  Tank You Very Much

  Quietly located just below Twin Peaks, tiny Tank Hill is a premier place for gaining an incredible vista of our city by the bay. How do you get to it? Take the stairs! This 1-mile

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  Excelsior!

  Some of San Francisco’s most outstanding art isn’t found inside museums. It’s seen on city streets in exuberant neighborhoods. Among the most vibrant: Excelsior. Go on a 1.2-mile (

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  Mellow Mavericks

  This year’s famous Mavericks surfing competition may have been postponed due to weather, but even without the massive swells, Pillar Point still has plenty to get excited about. Th

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  Slice of Sonoma

  You’re in Sonoma, feeling pretty good—now you want to enjoy a short hike to take in the views of the valley. Where to go? The answer is just north of Sonoma’s historic plaza. The 1-mile (one-way) Overlook Trail is a local favorite for good reasons.

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