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  1. Southern CA

    Date with the Outdoors!

    Go out this summer and do any activity we've ever written about in Weekend Sherpa (seriously, there's 10 years' worth of outdoor activities!) and earn yourself some excellent gifts, including a Weekend Sherpa t-shirt and travel wine glasses from our "partner in wine," Line 39. Here are few ideas to get you going!

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  2. Northern CA

    Will You Go Out With Us?

    Go out this summer and do any activity we've ever written about in Weekend Sherpa (seriously, there's 10 years' worth of outdoor activities!) and earn yourself some excellent gifts, including a Weekend Sherpa t-shirt and travel wine glasses from our "partner in wine," Line 39. Here are few ideas to get you going!

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  3. Southern CA & Northern CA

    Free and Wild in Joshua Tree

    Joshua Tree National Park in spring is full of color, and visitors! But these three hikes in the heart of the park take you away from the crowds and into the park’s solitude, where signature trees grandstand, boulders are bountiful, and wildflowers paint the landscape like a rainbow. Bonus: Free admission this weekend for National Park Week!

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  5. Northern CA

    Waterfall Rager!

    The more it rained, the harder they fell … and they're still falling … waterfalling. Hit the trails this spring on any of these Bay Area flows that are all the rage right now!

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  6. Southern CA

    Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wow!

    Wanna make a colorful splash this Easter weekend? Here are some hikes with waterfalls, wildflowers, or a brilliant combo of both. Hop to it!

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  7. Northern CA

    The Great Urban Outdoors!

    Who said getting into the great outdoors meant getting out of the city? Get your nature fix in city limits by hiking a secret stairway in Oakland or exploring a couple of handsome parks in San Francisco.

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  8. Southern CA

    Springtime Stairway Walks

    Who's game to take the stairs? Put a spring in your step this season by hiking any of these SoCal staircases leading to hidden wonders!

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  9. Northern CA

    Hidden Forests

    Can't see the forest for the trees? Sure you can! Take some time this weekend to walk through one of these hidden forests. It's like a cleanse for your mind!

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  10. Southern CA

    Call of the Wildflowers!

    It's our best wildflower season in years! Here are three SoCal hikes for seeing a dazzling array of color and blossoms.

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  11. Southern CA

    Last Chance Waterfalls

    Ah, what a little rain will do for Southern California. Early spring is our time to savor storm-fed streams tumbling into seasonal waterfalls that are often dormant due to droughts. Drink up on these three see-them-while-you-can hikes!

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  12. Northern CA

    South Bay Spring Trailing!

    Some hikes just know how to spring forward, especially after plentiful rains. From a hike to a hidden redwood grove to epic green hills and stunning panoramas, here are three South Bay ramblers to jump-start your spring trailing. Tip: Look for blooming wildflowers too!

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  13. Southern CA

    Green Hikes & Guinness

    There’s something about a verdant landscape that lightens hearts and makes Irish eyes smile. We salute St. Patrick’s Day and the spirit of Éire with three hikes in this greenest of seasons—plus a suggestion for a post-hike beer (or two!) to cap off the end of each outing. Sláinte!

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  14. Northern CA

    Hikes & Beer!

    You know what's better than a beer on sunny spring day? A hike and a beer! Here are some local adventures with a refreshing reward.

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  16. Southern CA

    Magic Hour Wanders

    With the time change happening this weekend (spring forward!), take advantage of the last of short days. Here are three sunset-view hikes to say goodbye to winter.

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  17. Northern CA

    Tahoe's Snowy Spring Adventures

    Tahoe is having more than a moment—it’s having a snow season for the ages, which will go well into spring! From gliding to secret beaches to reaching summits with wondrous Sierra views, here are three cross-country ski adventures in their spring prime.

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  18. Southern CA

    High Hikes with Bragging Rights

    When winter storms clear the SoCal skies, stunning vistas unfold. Here are three hikes with enough elevation gain to make you feel proud for living near such wild beauty. And for reaching the top!

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  19. Northern CA

    Marsh Mellow

    Migratory birds got a little surprise this winter—water, water everywhere! Flock to one of these tranquil spots in the Bay Area and beyond to catch some feathery fun.

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  20. Southern CA

    Oscars Gone Wild!

    Celebrate the Oscars this weekend with short hikes through SoCal’s long film history. Here are three old movie ranches where the setting is the star of the show.

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  21. Northern CA

    Mount Tam Waterfalls!

    Two of our favorite things: Mount Tam and waterfalls! If ever there’s a season to go on a waterfall hike, it’s right now. Here are three amazing excursions on the North Bay’s favorite mountain, where water is all the rage.

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  22. Northern CA

    Spring Hikes

    With all of the winter rain, this spring is super-charged! Here's a roundup of close-to-home spring hiking classics!

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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

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  2. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  3. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  4. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  2. Diamond in the Rough

    March Madness may be over, but the wildflower rush has just begun! This spring, in the Southern California regional bracket, Hemet’s Diamond Valley Lake is our surprise pick for the Fab Flowers Finals. Take a 2-mile round-trip hike in botanical bliss.

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  3. Jurupa Jamboree

    If you like a short hike with a side of adventure, try the Jurupa Hills North Trail in Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park.

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  4. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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