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  1. Northern CA

    Wine & Water Adventures

    Water you doing this weekend? How about paddling some gentle H2O followed by wine tasting nearby? Here are three ways to go with the California flow.

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  2. Northern CA

    Tahoe Trail Mix

    Have you had your mountain fix yet this summer? A trip to Tahoe is always a good idea! From reaching its highest peak to a hike-in swimming hole or a backpacking adventure, here are three trails to tempt your Tahoe taste buds.

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  3. Southern CA

    Eastern Sierra Seclusion

    Set at 10,000 feet and surrounded by the alpine wonders of John Muir Wilderness, Rock Creek is an eastern Sierra treasure in the Inyo National Forest. It’s where you can hike among some of the best scenic lakes surrounded by the serrated drama of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-08-27

    Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

    Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

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  5. Northern CA

    Swimming Hole Gold

    While Michael Phelps goes for gold at the upcoming Rio Olympics, you can keep your goals more modest: Aim for bronze in belly-flopping! From Placerville to Santa Cruz, here are three swimming holes that top the podium for summer fun.

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  6. Southern CA

    Stairway Hikes to the Sea

    It’s no secret that Santa Barbara is home to some of California’s most beautiful beaches—popular and hidden! Take things a step further … make that several steps further, by combining your beach outing with a stairway walk to the sea. Here are three!

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  7. Northern CA

    Midsummer Adventure Montage

    It’s the last week of July and you know what that means? We’re halfway through the Adventure Challenge! There’s still plenty of time to participate. Just get out on any 3 Weekend Sherpa adventures and take a photo of yourself. Upload your photos to our Facebook or your Instagram with #WeekendSherpa by September 11 to get your free Marmot T-shirt! Need a few ideas? Here are some adventures!

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  8. Southern CA

    Bonus Sherpa: Lake Adventures

    Ready to cool off? From Mammoth to Tahoe to Big Bear and Sequoia, here are a few outstanding ways to hike, bike, backpack or just lounge by some of California's most famous lakes. Better lake than never!

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  9. Southern CA

    Verdugo Views

    Next to the San Gabriel Mountains lie the Verdugo Mountains, a small range with wild hiking trails that deliver big on elevation gain, and beautiful panoramas! Verdu-go!

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  10. Northern CA

    Take the Long View

    It's summer, no need to have a long face when the days are still long! Grab some friends and head out on a long hike while daylight's still on your side. Go long!

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  11. Southern CA

    Hot for Summer Adventures

    Time flies when you're hiking to peaks, kayaking through caves, biking by the sea, and playing disc golf on a mountain! We're almost halfway through our annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge, but there's still plenty of time left to get your free Weekend Sherpa T-shirt made by Marmot! Need a few ideas? From mountains to sea, here are some great ways to get outdoors this summer!

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  12. Southern CA

    Groovy Hikes in Gaviota

    Just 33 miles west of Santa Barbara on Highway 101, Gaviota State Park is wild, windswept, and spectacularly scenic, with marquee hikes highlighted by brilliant vistas, endurance challenges, craggy caves, and hot springs. Get groovy with it!

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  13. Northern CA

    Santa Cruz and Microbrews

    Coastal mountain biking, camping in the redwoods, paddling pristine waters, and washing it all down with a tasty beer ... Yes, Santa Cruz is always a good idea for a summer adventure.

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  14. Southern CA & Northern CA

    Yosemite High Points

    Ready to take Yosemite to a whole other level? We’ve rounded up three of the best viewpoints you can hike to in the entire park! Now that’s what’s up!

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-08-27

    Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

    Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

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  16. Northern CA

    Easy Adventures for the Fourth

    No big plans for the Fourth? No worries. Whether you'd like to go on a hike, lounge at the beach, check out some redwoods, or just soak in vitamin D, we have you covered.

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  17. Southern CA

    Go Fourth on Adventures

    What are you doing this Independence Day weekend? From biking and hiking and sunset strolling, to stand-up paddleboarding or a mountain-high game of disc golf, here are some great ways to go fourth on easygoing adventures!

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  18. Northern CA

    Local Lake Hikes

    Lace up the hiking boots and hit the refresh button: the summer sizzle is on! Keep your cool with these lakeside hikes.

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  19. Southern CA

    Beach Hikes

    It’s hot. Keep your cool on any of these three beach hikes and walks in San Diego County—filled with sunsets, sea lions, and classic scenery. Beach ya to it!

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  20. Southern CA

    Hole In One Hikes

    How do you make hiking competitive? Throw in a little disc golf! Lace up the hiking boots, grab your favorite people, and set off for some disc golf surrounded by mountains. It’s tee time!

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  21. Northern CA

    Coastal Campaways

    Oceanside settings, nearby hikes and adventures, first-come, first-served opportunities … summer camping is on! Pitch your tent at any of these seaside campgrounds and have fun exploring NorCal’s dramatic coast.

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  22. Southern CA & Northern CA

    The Adventure Challenge Begins!

    It’s that time of year again.  The 5th Annual Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge kicks off today! Do any 3 adventures from Weekend Sherpa, take a photo of yourself in action, then get rewarded with the all-new Weekend Sherpa 2016 Adventure Challenge T-shirt—made by this year’s sponsor, Marmot. It’s free to participate. Now get out there!

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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.

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  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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