All Stories from Northern CA

Bike Ride to Bountiful
The Guadalupe River Trail in San Jose makes an excellent bike ride with minimal hills, gardens, parks, and easy access to food, art, and entertainment along the entire 10-mile stretch of trail.
View
Kirby Your Enthusiasm
Just west of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin is one of the Bay's most-accessible secluded beaches. Kirby Cove is accessed by hiking or biking a 1-mile fire road down to the beach, where the reward is an all-time classic Golden Gate view.
View
Sponsored
Sea Change
Right in time for the balmy fall days, the crowds have left and Monterey Bay Aquarium is at its shoulder season best. Fewer people means relaxing with more room to roam and enjoy the animals, exhibits, and nearby outdoors for biking, hiking, and beaches.
View
Three Beaches to the Wind
This beautiful 7-mile (round-trip) coastal hike in the Marin Headlands connects three beaches: Muir Beach, Pirates Cove, and Tennessee Cove.
View
Yosemite Magic Trick
Yosemite’s High Country is magical and without crowds. At a lofty 8,700 feet, Tuolumne Meadows is one of the best trailheads for hiking or backpacking a land of smooth granite domes, high alpine meadows, jagged peaks, and sapphire lakes. Here's a 3-night backpacking itinerary...
View
Zion the Prize
Geological wonders, massive canyon views, and a bit of a grind to get to the good stuff … it’s all part of the blissful isolation you can find on the West Rim Trail at Zion, the fo
View
Sponsored
Anchor Yourself in Anchorage
When it comes to the ultimate adventure basecamp, set your anchor in Anchorage. Located at the base of the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage gets you easy access to 60 glaciers to see, paddle up to, hike, fly over, or climb.
View
Excellent Point
Point Reyes National Seashore has several mountain bike–friendly trails that are itching to be explored. For a fantastic ride with sweeping views of Drakes Estero and southern Point Reyes, make the 4.3-mile (one-way) ride out to Drakes Head.
View
Medallion Walk SF
The Barbary Coast Trail is a 3.8-mile historical walk and treasure hunt through San Francisco. Be on the lookout for hubcap-sized bronze medallions placed on the city sidewalks with arrows pointing you in the right direction.
View
Sponsored
Summer's Must Sea
The newly reopened Monterey Bay Aquarium never misses a “Best of” list—for good reason. The Aquarium’s location right on the shores of Monterey Bay, with waves crashing below the decks, is a mesmerizing experience.
View
High Sierra Lake Hop
Situated just north of Yosemite is a High Sierra wonderland that gets a fraction of the crowds and is a fantastic destination for backpacking. The Emigrant Wilderness is 113,000 acres of granite ridges, wildflower-strewn meadows, and cobalt lakes.
View
Night Light
For over a century Mendocino’s Point Cabrillo Light Station has signaled coast-side danger to passing ships. Time your visit for a spectacular “lightshow” twofer—sunset and the lighthouse’s crowning glory: a 6,800-pound original Chance Brothers classic Fresnel lens producing a flash every 10 seconds.
View
Goddess of the Gardens
It’s what you call a Garden with a View! Mendocino Botanical Gardens is a double-whammy of stunning flora—especially rhododendrons—and coastal views. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens makes a splash in more ways than just its fantastic flora.
View
Heads Up, Headlands!
There’s one thing that’s pretty much mandatory when you visit Mendocino and that’s a hike along the famous bluffs. The trail system at Mendocino Headlands State Park is vast, surrounding the village and meandering for miles, with sweeping sea panoramas.
View
Sponsored
Sea You Soon!
After over a year of being closed, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is ready for some quality time with you! A visit to Monterey this time of year is a refreshing coastal escape of beaches and bike paths and beautiful blooms, with a big bonus: The region’s marquee attraction is at the heart of it all.
View
Sponsored
Hike Reno Tahoe!
With its vibrant summer events and easy outdoor access, Reno Tahoe is a fantastic choice for adventure. From mountain peaks to premier views of Lake Tahoe, here are some of the best hikes in the region.
View
Bird Rock
Other than the Birdman of Alcatraz, Robert Stroud, birds aren’t typically the first thing you think of with Alcatraz. When it was a working prison there wasn’t much bird life. But now? Well, the birds are back!
View
Wide-Open Wildcat
Sure, peak-bagging hikes are great, but ridge trails? Well, those might be the best. The East Bay’s Wildcat Canyon Regional Park is home to a fantastic ridgetop rolling trail.
View
Sponsored
Monterey Bay Aquarium Reopens!
The wildlife has been waiting patiently … and now, at long last, they’re ready for their close-ups! As California reopens make new memories at the reopened Monterey Bay Aquarium!
View
Sponsored
Reno Recharger
Rediscover Reno Tahoe! As unique as it is diverse, Reno is where Burning Man creativity meets the Mount Rose Wilderness, neon lights meet the Truckee River, and craft beer meets axe throwing!
View