When the mood is right, nothing beats a little afternoon delight. Sleep in this weekend and still have time to enjoy any of these three outdoor quickies.
West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bicycle paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, private picnic spots, seclusion, and plentiful pastureland. For a good time, pedal the Cross Marin Trail, once a railroad used by the Northwestern Pacific (1875–1935). Today this converted path parallels free-flowing Lagunitas Creek for 4.5 miles (one way). There are bridges to cross, giant redwood trees to admire, and streamside spots to enjoy some nooner treats. (The path crosses through Samuel P. Taylor Park, so groups large and small can host barbecue feasts at the picnic grounds.) The drive from San Francisco is short and sweet, with fall colors peaking and splashes of yellow and orange scattered among the redwoods. So find your bicycle and hold it tight, then grab yourself some afternoon delight.
From Hwy 101 in Marin, exit Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and travel twenty miles west towards Point Reyes. Continue a couple of miles past Samuel P. Taylor State Park entrance; turn right at Platform Bridge Rd. and park in the pullout on the west side of the road. Look for the paved path leading from the pullout. The entire path is 4.5 miles one way—asphalt for three miles and dirt and ballast for the last 1.5 miles—from Platform Bridge Rd. to the turnaround at Shafter's Bridge.
Didja hear that? There are some curious sounds near San Francisco's Marina Green—and the closer you get to the water, the more these sounds seem to rise from the sea. Sure enough, the ocean is making music using the Wave Organ, a man-made instrument with twenty-five pipes created by the Exploratorium's Pete Richards. This hidden surprise is located on a jetty behind the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Extending into the water at various heights, the Wave Organ's pipes make noise whenever the Pacific waves flow in and out of them. Hold your ear close to the pipes and their ports to best appreciate their full range of sound. There are no directional signs leading to this musical piece of magic; you just have to follow your ears.
The organ is most active acoustically during high tides and becomes subtle as the water level drops. Click here for a map.
Rising high and dipping low between Oakland and Walnut Creek is one of the East Bay's least-used outdoors playgrounds, Briones Regional Park. There are plenty of wide dirt roads for mountain bikers, while hikers and their dogs get to escape into its six thousand acres of ridge trails, valley descents, and park benches perfectly perched for scenic breaks. For a full-spectrum experience, we recommend hiking the seven-mile Briones Loop Trail, which takes you through a rich creek canyon, up high along ridges, and alongside fall colors of red madrones, maples, and black oaks sporting yellow leaves. A mid-point high greets you with a view of towering Mount Diablo from the Table Top Trail (pictured). For a shorter, more level jaunt, hike the Abrigo Valley Trail to the Maud Whalen Group Camp (two miles round-trip). With rolling hills and thrilling scenery, a Briones afternoon is a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll.
Get a map and directions here. The Briones Loop Trail is great to hike either direction. From the Bear Creek Staging Area, follow the Old Briones Road Trail .5 mile to the Black Oak Trail and turn left. Continue up this trail, which is short and steep in one section, for one mile to the Mott Peak Trail and turn right. Continue for .4 mile to Briones Crest Trail and turn right again. Take the Briones Crest Trail for about .75 mile and veer off to the Table Top Trail. This trail is .75 mile and connects back to the Briones Crest Trail. Once back on the Briones Crest Trail, walk about one mile to the Seaborg Trail and turn right to descend to the Old Briones Road Trail and the parking lot.