All Stories from Northern CA
The Long and Short of It
The Lakes Basin is, as you’d expect, packed with lakes. And Long Lake is one of its, well, longest. What’s not long is the hike to it—just 1 mile! This oasis is perfect for lounging.
ViewAh, Good Point
Ready for a rewarding view? Head to one of the Peninsula’s favorite promontories: Mori Point. Climb your way up the Bootlegger’s Steps to the Mori Point headland for awesome vantages of the San Mateo Coast.
ViewSibley Amazement
A 10-million-year-old volcano and a couple of labyrinths are part of this 2.2-mile hike in the Oakland Hills at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve.
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Simply Amazing Road Trip
Don’t overthink it, just go! Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin is a hidden gem just north of the California border. This adventurous region makes savoring summer and fall easy with abundant outdoor recreation.
View All Ride, Albany!
Bike a new section of the Bay Trail on a pedal from Berkeley to Albany Bulb for gorgeous waterside vistas, colorful outdoor art, and a short hike detour to a labyrinth.
ViewFarm to Tent Cabins
The hardest part of staying at Willow-Witt Ranch will be leaving. This sprawling 445-acre property in Southern Oregon is part organic farm, part campground, part wellness retreat, and wholly relaxing.
ViewPeak-a-View!
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the entire country and the seventh deepest in the world. For one of the very best perspectives of this shining blue beauty, hike up to Garfield Peak.
ViewGrizzly and Great Views
You probably won’t see a grizzly bear on the hike up Grizzly Peak, but you will see locals on this 5.3-mile lollipop loop trail with panoramic mountain views and meadows of wildflowers.
ViewHighway of Waterfalls
Something you’ll notice when driving in Southern Oregon: The highways are beautiful. And perhaps none more enchanting than the Highway of Waterfalls. One not to miss: Susan Creek Falls.
ViewHot Springs With a View
People love a good hot spring. And Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon is a marquee attraction. You're perched on a mineral deposit above the flowing beauty of the North Umpqua River.
ViewGone Rogue!
If one thing can make you feel like a kid at summer camp, it’s spending a day on the river, rafting, floating, cannonballing off cliffs—eureka! One of the best rivers in the West to float is the Rogue River.
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National Parks Road Trip: Circle of Discovery!
Love national parks? Love road trips? Combine the two on one fabulous Circle of Discovery route in Northern California and Southern Oregon! This itinerary features 7 national parks with wondrous features.
View A View Comes into Re-focus
Situated at 1,200 feet on a ridgeline between Pacifica and San Bruno, the scenery from Sweeney Ridge and the San Francisco Bay "Discovery Site" is quite grand, thought it's history isn't.
ViewRidgetop Rolling
Tilden Regional Park is the flagship of the East Bay Regional Parks system. And its best views? Find them along Nimitz Way, a paved, multi-use ridgetop trail. We recommend biking this trail for about 4 miles.
ViewGo See Grandmother
Grandmother’s calling, so you must go. The Grandmother Tree is the largest known coast live oak in Sonoma County, and she resides in quite the beautiful setting. Visit her via a 5-mile (round-trip) hike high in Hood Mountain Regional Park.
ViewMagical McClures
McClures Beach is a seductive little spot: small, beautiful, and quiet. It’s easy to while away an afternoon-turned-sunset at this pocket cove in Point Reyes.
ViewFreedom of Beach
Nearly a mile of slate and black sand, expansive views of San Francisco, and just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin's Black Sands Beach is the size of Baker Beach—without the crowds.
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Gateway to Glacier National Park
It’s known as the Soul of Montana: Kalispell is one of the West’s ultimate mountain towns—only a 30-minute scenic drive to the west side of Glacier National Park. Make the friendly mountain town your home base to these top adventures.
View Cycle the Circumference
A bicycle is a fantastic way to take in the 360-degree panoramas you get on Angel Island. The straightforward Perimeter Road is a car-free route that circumnavigates the island. Stop along the way at a hidden beach.
ViewSecret Beach
A hidden beach and a killer view? Those are hard to come by, but that’s exactly what you’ll get at Perles Beach on Angel Island. Bike or hike to this beautiful pocket cove.
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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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