All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay
Hidden Long Ridge
After heavy rains, the rolling headwaters of Peters Creek in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve pulsate along the forest floor via a series of small waterfalls that cut grooves in sandstone boulders. See it on a 4.5-mile loop hike starting from the Grizzly Flat parking lot.
ViewWalking with the Devil
The Devil's Slide section of the California Coastal Trail is a 1.3-mile (one-way) multi-use path just south of Pacifica. It's usually much less crowded when gray skies and rain are around. And it's a prime spot for viewing all that's wild about the weather and the sea.
ViewRussian Ridge Rambler
If you've driven the Peninsula's Skyline Boulevard, you know there are acres of open space just waiting to be explored. And now, thanks to the efforts of the Midpeninsula Regional
ViewRoom to Roam and Sip
Free-range roosters and hens, wide-open space with hiking trails, and an earthy wine tasting room twinkling with lights. Hiking and wine tasting go hand in hand at Picchetti Ranch and Picchetti Winery near Cupertino in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
ViewFinding Fall in the Redwoods
Hundred-foot-redwoods, flowing creeks, yellow-tinged sycamores, big views of the Pacific—all these are on the Thanksgiving menu at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, just
ViewMeet Lupe
Even Indiana Jones can't top this mammoth discovery. And we literally mean mammoth! In 2005 while walking along San Jose's popular Guadalupe River Trail, local resident Roger Casti
ViewBeach Access Sorta Granted
There's a secluded and scenic beach on the San Mateo Coast that's been kept under wraps for years. The reason? A homeowner has kept this beach to himself, and the Surfrider Foundat
ViewTouch the Skyline
The Peninsula's Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve knows how to make a grand entrance when it comes to changing seasons. Combine ridgetop vistas, and a tranquil lake on a 4-mile (round-trip) hike that includes a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
ViewFall Farmsteading
Rolling hills alight with the leaves of deciduous oaks; maples abloom with orange hues; persimmon trees flowering along fence lines—fall has arrived at Rancho San Antonio Open Spac
ViewFrog Days of Summer
It's still officially summer but even in fall Henry Coe State Park offers a bounty of beauty in its 87,000 acres of rolling hills, mountain ridges, and redwood and oak trees. Locat
ViewPoint of Contemplation
Guiding mariners around the craggy cliffs of the Pacific since 1872, Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero has been preserved by the California State Park system. Also very much ali
ViewGoat Love
What happens when 200 alpine goats get plenty of TLC on 9 acres of coastal pasture? Goat milk cheese so good it's won two world medals, not to mention over 30 national ribbons from
ViewCoyote Calls
Ahhh, that new open space smell! Saved from corporate development and stretching from Morgan Hill to south San Jose, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve opened just a few weeks ago—s
ViewMorgan Glory
Set in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Morgan Hill's Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve is remote, wild, and delivers summit views that can make you feel like you
ViewSierra Vista Surprise
Urbanized landscape can sometimes blend beautifully with wide-open spaces. It’s all about perspective. And San Jose's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve provides it! Get unobstructed
ViewRoyal Experience
It's Saturday morning, you want to go backpacking, but you've only got a night to spare. The time is right for Castle Rock State Park's hike-in campground, where 20 first-come, fir
ViewGlamping with Madonna
So you want to go see Madonna, but don't want to camp out for this big-ticket experience? Glamp out instead! Set high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with an entourage of spectacular
ViewHike-in Hut
One of the Santa Cruz Mountains' coziest overnight escapes is accessed by a 1.5-mile hike through towering redwoods and shaded fern canyons. The Ollie Mayer Hiker's Hut is an A-fra
ViewCamp at Francis
Bluff-top camping with easy beach access? You're not in SoCal. You're in Half Moon Bay's newly reopened Francis Beach Campground. The campground powered up last month, with electri
ViewHalf Moon Bay Beach Hop
What's better than a beach paradise on a sunny spring day? Five of them! And they're yours to connect along Half Moon Bay's Coastside Trail—a bluff-top asphalt path with beach acce
View
A Very Bavarian Spring
Ready to change up your spring scenery? Pack your bags for this alpine adventure in Washington State’s Cascade Mountains. The Bavarian-style hamlet of Leavenworth could be a stand-in for a mountain village in Europe.
Discover the Best of LeavenworthYour Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.