All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay

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  Falls 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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  Lucky as a Horseshoe

  Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve gets adventurers young and old up close to some of the Bay Area’s best winged wildlife along its namesake shoreline via a 3.5-mile (round-trip) hike that’s easy and tranquil.

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  Now and Zin

  From colorful foliage to rainstorm-fed rivers and beautiful views, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve showcases the best of autumn. For a relaxing walk beneath the trees, do the 4-mile (round-trip) Zinfandel Trail through the Cupertino foothills.

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  Doubleup Russian Ridge

  Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve packs two scenic hills into a 9-mile (round-trip) challenging hike to Borel and Mindego Hills for spectacular views stretching all the way from the Diablo Range to the Pacific Ocean.

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  Hill of a Good Hike

  Located just off Highway 17 in the Los Gatos hills, St. Joseph’s Hill packs a big panorama within this 3.5-mile loop. This beautiful preserve has hiking and biking trails, and beautiful vistas.

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  Up Umunhum

  Rising from the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mount Umunhum is one of the Bay Area’s highest points, reaching an impressive 3,486 feet. With the new 7.4-mile (round-trip) addition to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, locals can finally step up to its peak.

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  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.

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  Feather Fanfare

  Feathery birds swing and swoop on the edge of the San Francisco Bay, surrounded by the Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains. See it all from a levee in serene Ravenswood Preserve.

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  Quicksilver Confetti

  There’s something extra wild about Almaden Quicksilver County Park these days: wildflowers! They’re exploding like confetti amid the grasslands, and you can see them on this 5.7-mile loop hike.

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  Coyote Calling

  A rainbow of wildflowers, grass-green hills, and beautiful views make Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve a wonderful hike in springtime. The park’s signature hike is the 4-mile Arrowhead Loop.

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  Sponsored

  Wildflower Hiking Guide

  California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.

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  Thornewood In Your Pocket

  Hints of wildflowers, a ravine of redwoods, and vistas over the San Francisco Bay and Diablo Range. Thornewood Preserve in Woodside packs a lot into its tiny space. An early morning start has perks.

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  Gone With the Windy

  You don’t have to trek far to enjoy a hiker’s high at Windy Hill Preserve on the Peninsula. Its panoramic attraction is easily accessed via the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail, and it’s magnificent at sunset.

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  Best Foot Forward

  Foothills Park has 15 miles of trail surrounded by misty valleys, tender oak trees, seasonal creeks, a peaceful lake, and beautiful Bay Area vistas. Plan ahead because it's new, and very popular.

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  Santa Cruz Epic Views

  Redwoods, wildflowers, and ocean vistas offer the best of the Bay Area at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a 3.75-mile loop through the preserve's highlights.

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  Find Your Flow

  Far back in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Uvas Canyon County Park is a compact, tree-filled delight with hiking trails and several waterfalls bunched into a loop along Swanson Creek and amid lush forest.

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  Serenity at Sunrise

  El Sereno Preserve's namesake mountain rises to majestic views spanning the Diablo Range, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Santa Lucia Mountains. Do a sunrise hike to a new bench on the Aquinas Trail.

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  Big Wave Hiking

  Pillar Point Bluff's amazing trail system is a coastal haven most popular for being the best spot to watch the famed Mavericks surf break in winter. But this place is beautiful year round for hiking.

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  Sponsored

  2021 Hiking Calendar!

  Ready to kick off 2021? (Like we have to ask.) Literally kick it off, with a hike! Download the 2021 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary)—with recommended trails for every month of the year.

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  It Takes a Hidden Villa

  Adorable farm animals and peaceful hiking trails: Visit Hidden Villa in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, hike to South Bay vistas and see animal cuteness.

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