All Stories from Northern CA
A New Work of Heart
Ready for a heartfelt hike? This urban walk in San Francisco features a beautiful mosaic stairway, panoramic views, a new work of "heart," and plentiful coastal drama.
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Rise and Shine in Camarillo
Camarillo shines in more ways than one—including nearly year-round sun. Bathed in a Mediterranean climate and surrounded by agricultural “charmland”—especially wineries and vineyards—Camarillo is the perfect blend of outdoor bliss and urban comforts.
View Summit Up
This 5-mile out-and-back hike on Mount Diablo's Summit Trail is an ideal choice for hikers who want to pack good views into a moderate hike.
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Your Winter Wellness Retreat: La Quinta
La Quinta is one of SoCal’s best-kept secrets, a land of wild open spaces, deep history, beautiful art, and all kinds of ways to relax and soak in the healing power of nature.
View Challenge of a Big Sizer!
If ever there was a "Beauty and the Beast" hike, this is it! The 15-mile (round-trip) Mount Sizer loop hike in Henry W. Coe State Park is considered the toughest in the Bay Area. And cooler months are the best time to tackle it. The reward? One of the most beautiful panoramas in the region ... all the way out to the Sierras on clear days.
ViewHood's New Trail
Tucked just on the edge of Sonoma Valley near Santa Rosa, Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve has a trail leading up to a brilliant picnic spot with a panorama of Sonoma Valley all the way out to the ocean.
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Mix Things Up in Oxnard
By land, by sea, by taco trail—Oxnard in Ventura County hits its stride in winter. The golden beaches are uncrowded, and surfers find their bliss in the curling waves.
View Flowing and Glowing
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park charms with splashy waterfalls, but in January it adds splashes of color too, thanks to its Winter Lights in Golden Gate Park displays, including the popular Entwined installation in Peacock Meadows.
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Find Your Vibe
Start off 2022 with some good vibes! Head to the destination that’s all about a California State of Mind. The Ventura County Coast has all the good vibes you’ll need for your next getaway. It’s home to Channel Islands National Park, also known as “the Galapagos of North America.”
View Berkeley's Backyard Waterfall
Tucked among the hillside homes of North Berkeley is a winding stairway that leads to the “secret” entrance of a Narnia-like canyon with a 40-foot waterfall.
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2022 Hiking Calendar
Ready for a New Year’s hike? How about 12 of them! Spread out the hiking joy with the 2022 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary).
View The Cape Escape
This hike on Cape Sebastian brings together several of the Oregon Coast’s best features: mossy green forests, tremendous coastline views, marine mammals, and a wide-open secluded beach that’s hike-in only.
ViewTake the Plunge
How can you take a road trip through Southern Oregon and not hit the Highway of Waterfalls? This stretch of Highway 138 east of Roseburg along the Umqua River is a watery marvel that’s terrific year-round. Winter sees fewer people, making it an ideal time to visit.
ViewCan You Keep a Secret?
The Southern Oregon Coast's Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor between Gold Beach and Brookings has so many sights to see, it’s hard to know where to spend your time. We like this trio of suggestions because you can do them as a three-in-a-row jackpot of coastal wonders.
ViewSmall Town, Big Appeal
Overlooking the Umpqua River and tucked in among coastal mountains, Elkton may be small, but it’s big on charm, history, and wine. It’s one of the newest AVAs in Oregon.
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The Wild, Wild East
Gloriously uncrowded and teeming with terrain both sublime and rugged, Eastern Oregon is truly wild, with natural hot springs, the deepest canyon in North America, and the extraordinary Painted Hills.
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Expansive Southern Oregon
It’s where you’ll find Oregon’s only national park, Crater Lake, a volcanic wonder that’s the deepest lake in the country. Southern Oregon is a land of remote open spaces, Dark Skies, waterfalls, and healing hot springs. Hit the road for a bounty of outdoors and book some guided tours.
View Surreal Sandscape
It’s a stunning landscape that inspired the sci-fi classic Dune (and hence its recent blockbuster adaptation), but no special effects are needed to enhance the scenery of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This 42 miles of sand, forest, rivers, and lakes is both ethereal and surreal.
ViewFalls of the Wild
Through the redwoods you’ll go on this adventurous 9-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This hike is loaded with charms, but the big riches come from viewing Maple Falls, a 30-foot stunner that comes to life after rains.
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Gorge-ous Escape
Oregon’s tallest mountain? That’s Mt. Hood—surrounded by six ski areas, surprise waterfall hikes, and plenty of rivers, lakes, and streams to play in. Just east of Portland, the region of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge brings a range of outdoor adventures for every season.
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The 2025 Hiking Calendar Is Here!
Ready to make hiking part of your New Year’s wellness plan? Get the all-new 2025 Hiking Calendar courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
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