From Waterfall Trails to Delicious Ales

Concord Winter Adventures

02.21.2019

1) Grandest Picnic of Them All

Pair your lunch with one of the biggest views in the West! At 3,849 feet, Mount Diablo’s summit has a panorama of more than 200 miles of California landscape. Which is why the 6.5-mile Grand Loop trek around the East Bay’s tallest peak should be on your spring to-do list.

2) Six Waterfalls

Have you seen Mount Diablo’s cooler and splashier side? After a good rain, six scenic waterfalls encircle the mountain’s rugged northern canyons. Hike a 5-mile loop for the grand tour.

3) Bounties of Briones

Pump up your fat tires and get to Briones Regional Park for 35 miles of mountain bike trails. Winter and spring are ideal for lush green scenery and rainbows of popping wildflowers.

4) To-Do: Todos!

Named one of three Great Places in California by the American Planning Association, Todos Santos Plaza is 2.5 acres in downtown Concord. Kick back in the heart of the plaza—a beautiful park with picnic tables, benches, and a medley of trees (okay, there’s Wi-Fi, too!).

5) Craft Beer Trail

Several craft breweries make a nice addition to any outdoor excursion. Pick up a Beer Trail Passport and explore the alehouses along Concord’s new Beer Trail. Those who complete the whole thing (no purchase necessary) get a chance at a bonus prize!

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  1. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  2. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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