Sometimes the shy sister really is more fun than the homecoming queen—and sometimes the best trails are the ones overlooked for more popular ones. Here are three little-known hikes well worth a weekend date.

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, near Antioch, was once the largest coal-mining complex in California. Today it offers ore of a different kind: 34 miles of trails on 3,700 acres. Our favorite hike, a six-mile loop, takes you up through oak and manzanita to high ridges and down through green valleys, past the onetime mining town of Stewartville. The old mine tunnels are mostly all sealed, but if you’re up for an Indiana Jones adventure, you can continue on to one that’s still open: the explore-it-yourself Prospect Tunnel, located three-and-a-half miles from the trailhead. Bring a flashlight—or your whip and torch—as you step 200 feet into the dank dark, hearing the echo of your footsteps, feeling the walls close in on you… Don't worry Dr. Jones, we're pretty sure there aren't any rats.

Directions: From Hwy. 4 in Antioch, exit at Somersville Rd. and go south. Continue straight on Somersville Rd. (the main road goes left) into the park. The trailhead is at the end of the road. Start on the Stewartville Trail; it climbs steadily for 1/2 of a mile. Continue through a gate, then turn left onto the Ridge Trail at the T. Take the Ridge Trail for 2 miles until it ends at the Stewartville Trail. Turn right. After 1 mile, you’ll see a sign on the right for Prospect Tunnel. After visiting it, continue on the Stewartville Trail. After 1 mile, you’ll see a sign for the Miners Trail. Take this shortcut back to the Stewartville Trail, which will return you to the trailhead. *Black Diamond Mines is dog-friendly. More information.

Just a 20-minute scoot from the Golden Gate Bridge, Ring Mountain offers ordinary hikers extraordinary views. Part of the place’s appeal is its backstory: the expansive grassland park near Corte Madera was saved from McMansion subdivision in 1984 by fast-thinking local Phyllis Ellman and the Nature Conservancy. The preserve is distinguished by its abundance of boulders—small, medium, and large, with the extra-large distinction going to Turtle Rock. Clamber to the top of this behemoth and you'll be treated to a 360-degree view that includes Mount Tam, Richardson Bay, and downtown San Francisco. You might also find yourself in the company of a few good boulderers (rock climbers who scale boulders without ropes). Combine the Loop Trail (see below) with the Phyllis Ellman Trail for an easy three-mile meander through California poppies, sky lupine, and the nowhere-else-on-earth Tiburon Mariposa lily. Thank you, Phyllis!

Directions: From Hwy. 101 in Corte Madera, take the Paradise Dr. exit.  Make a hard right and go east for 1.5 miles. The entrance to the park is on the right side of the road. Park on a dirt pullout along the road. At the first fork in the trail, go left onto the Loop Trail. At the second fork, go right onto the fainter (and unmarked) trail. This takes you up to Turtle Rock. From there, head west on the fire road for a short distance, then turn right onto the Phyllis Ellman Trail. This takes you back to the trailhead. *Ring Mountain is dog-friendly. For a map, click here.

Portola Redwoods State Park often gets overlooked in favor of its bigger neighbor, Big Basin Redwoods State Park. But Portola’s 18 miles of trails wind through giant redwoods to some peaceful, pristine country (and a hidden highlight). The park is remote, located at the end of a twisty, fun-to-drive road at the base of Butano Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Start on the Coyote Ridge Trail and gently ascend for about a mile before taking a break to listen to the trees creaking in the wind. At the end of the Upper Coyote Trail, look left for the Tarwater Loop and begin your journey back. About a mile down the trail, as you descend into redwood shadows, keep your eyes peeled for the aforementioned highlight: it’s unmarked, but you can’t miss it—a hulking redwood flexing two giant elbow-shaped limbs. A few old-timers claim this is the largest living thing on the Peninsula. You don’t say.

BONUS: Top off your hike with a signature burger at Alice's Restaurant. Try the Harley if you dare—it’s loaded with bacon, sausage, cheddar, jack, and grilled onions. Alice’s is a favorite biker hangout, as you can see by the hogs filling the parking lot. It’s all part of the kick-back-and-refuel atmosphere, easy-rider style.

Directions: From Hwy. 35 (Skyline Blvd. west of Palo Alto), take Alpine Rd. south for 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Portola State Park Rd. and follow it 3 miles to the end. Across from the parking lot, take the Iverson Trail for a short distance and then turn right onto the Coyote Ridge Trail. Follow it up about 1 mile, then go left on the Upper Coyote Ridge Trail at the fork. Continue for 1 mile, then turn left onto the Tarwater Loop (you’ve gone too far if you hit the parking lot). The flexing redwood is about 1 mile down, on the right-hand side. At the end the Tarwater Loop, go left on the Bridge Trail for a short distance and left again on the Pomponio Trail back to your car. More information.

Alice's Restaurant, 17288 Skyline Blvd., Woodside, 650-851-0303.