Be Here: Berkeley

Best of Berkeley Outdoors, Food, and Craft Beer

1) Tilden Ta-dah

Some hikes are like finding the entrance to Narnia. Enter a magical landscape via Laurel Canyon Trailhead in Tilden Regional Park. It heralds the start of a magnificent 3.5-mile (round-trip) journey filled with redwood forest, a lush peace grove, and spectacular views of the bay.

2) Peaks & Pints

After an afternoon hike to Wildcat Peak at Tilden Regional Park, tend to your thirst at one of Berkeley’s local craft brew pubs or wineries. Berkeley’s beer scene has been something of a phenomenon over the years—from Jupiter's 12 flagship beers and small-batch rotations to the Rare Barrel’s famous sours and the award-winning saisons at Gilman Brewing … Find a brewpub that fits your tastebuds. Or taste the flavors of Berkeley at a local winery tasting room or wine bar. Craft beer bounty, urban wine abundance!

3) Redwoods & Blooms

The Botanic Gardens at both Tilden Regional Park and UC Berkeley are  anything but garden variety, with thousands of native species blooming year round, plants from almost every continent, and acres of meandering paths. Be sure to visit Tilden's show-stopping redwood grove; take a seat on this grove’s most secluded bench and you'll confuse it with Muir Woods.

4) Tour de Culinary: Food Counterculture

Fast and casual, or slow and romantic … what’s your dining style? Berkeley has more than 350 restaurants and eateries, including a burgeoning vegetarian and vegan scene. Check out Berkeley’s new Guide to Vegetarian and Vegan, see the Local Libations recommendations, and get online to see the Berkeley Food Lovers Guide.

5) Cal Secret Spots

UC Berkeley's campus may seem like an open book, but it’s actually home to a bunch of spots that are off the beaten path, even for students! Test your treasure hunting skills with the “Cal Secret Spots” guide and find up to 22 hidden or less-known gems at Cal—including several located outdoors.

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  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

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  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

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  1. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

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    Savor Summer in Paso Robles

    Ready for the “Great California Road Trip”? Keep it real and rolling in bucolic and beautiful Paso Robles. This down- to-earth destination has everything you need to enjoy the coolest experiences.

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  4. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

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