Trail Stories

San Francisco Bay Trail Audio Tours

In the Bay Area we love ambition. Whether it’s technology or nature, we think big. The San Francisco Bay Trail is one of our most ambitious ideas: 500 miles, 47 cities, 9 counties, all connected by one trail. The Bay Trail already boasts 354 miles, and more are added every year. And now  you can do more than just walk the Bay Trail: Upgrade your  experience by listening to complimentary audio tours  narrated by Bay Area icon Doug McConnell.

The Bay Trail teamed up with the State Coastal Conservancy and Vizzit to create a stellar series of stories for select locations along the shoreline. Think of it as your personal podcast to the Bay Trail. All you have to do is download the free Vizzit app, choose your audio tour, and start walking!

Audio tour hikes include an easy 2-miler at Benicia State Recreation Area highlighting rich Native American history, as well as a 4-mile journey along the water’s edge toward Mountain View getting behind the scenes of Moffett Field’s role in America’s aeronautic and technological innovation. There are audio tours all over the Bay Area from Novato to San Jose, all hosted by Doug McConnell. Who’s ready to go on a hike?!

BONUS: The first 100 readers to download and complete five Vizzit Bay Trail audio tours (free) will  also get a limited-edition Bay Trail on Tour  t-shirt!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View
  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View
  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View