Not since Cirque du Soleil came to town has so much vibrant variety been squeezed into such a small space; for the newest seasonal circus of color, visit Point Reyes' Chimney Rock. Each spring this spit of land gets carpeted with over 50 species of wildflowers: radiant Douglas iris mingles with Indian paintbrush and checker blooms, and buttercups speckle the landscape. In a twist of spring magic, wildlife happily shares this compact space. From the flat Chimney Rock Trail, spot elephant seals flopping, yelping, and bathing in the beach coves below. There's no shortage of views either: after about a mile, the trail ends at a precipice with panoramas of brown-green bluffs, crashing white waves, blue ocean, and the occasional gray whale making its annual northern migration.

BONUS: Top off your visit with a stop at the Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station. If the weather's nice, grab a table on the outdoor garden patio.

Through mid-April, the Chimney Rock trailhead is only reachable by the national park's shuttle bus. Catch it at Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. It runs weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ($5). Call 415-464-5137 to see if the bus is running. For more information, click here. No dogs.