View All

  1. Northern CA

    Beaches & Beverages

    One of summer's best two-fers? Beaches and beverages! Here are three North Bay beaches close to excellent spots for grabbing a beverage (and some food) afterwards. Beach you to it!

    VIEW
  2. Southern CA

    Around the World in LA

    Los Angeles is one of the world’s most diverse cities, with global influences found everywhere, including the great outdoors. From Japan to Berlin, here are three great ways to explore the various cultures of LA by stepping outside for a hike.

    VIEW
  3. Northern CA

    National Park Day Hikes in CA

    Point the Way Great views, wildlife sightings, and an oceanfront setting: Don’t let this 9-mile (round-trip) hike to Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore linger too long on your bucket list. Yodel for Yosemite Falls Itchin’ to climb to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America? Goodonya! The 3.5-mile (one-way) hike to Upper Yosemite Falls is challenging, misty, and mystifying! [sponsored-story] King of the Canyon Giant sequoias are the main attraction in Kings Canyon National Park, but the granite peaks around here aren’t too shabby either. Hike to the area’s highest point, Big Baldy (8,209 feet), for a grand panorama of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Western Divide’s epic peaks. Jurassic Redwoods Times change, but the tallest living trees in the world still tower over the grasslands of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (one of three state parks located within the jurisdiction of Redwoods National and State Parks). Transport to the Jurassic Era on a 6-mile loop hike. Talk Sweeney to Me For a hike that’ll transport you back in time—and to a place with legendary panoramas—head to the Peninsula’s Sweeney Ridge for a 5-mile (round-trip) hike, part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. National Parks BONUS Check out all of our recent national parks coverage celebrating the Centennial.

    VIEW
  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.

    View
  5. Southern CA

    Day Hikes in CA National Parks

    Loop Scoop One of the best hikes in Channel Islands National Park is also one of the most accessible: The 2-mile Cavern Point Loop Trail will get your eyes jazzed on vivid sea vistas as it traces the cliffs west of Scorpion Cove. Yodel for Yosemite Falls Itchin’ to climb to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America? Goodonya! The 3.5-mile (one-way) hike to Upper Yosemite Falls is challenging, misty, and mystifying! [sponsored-story] King of the Canyon Giant sequoias are the main attraction in Kings Canyon National Park, but the granite peaks around here aren’t too shabby either. Hike to the area’s highest point, Big Baldy (8,209 feet), for a grand panorama of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Western Divide’s epic peaks. Jurassic Redwoods Times change, but the tallest living trees in the world still tower over the grasslands of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (one of three state parks located within the jurisdiction of Redwoods National and State Parks). Transport to the Jurassic Era on a 6-mile loop hike. Dare Devil You want the grand slam of adventures? This three-part adventure in Mammoth Lakes combines mountain biking, hiking, lakes, waterfalls, epic views, and Devil’s Postpile National Monument, a popular stop-off for Pacific Crest Trail trekkers. National Parks BONUS Check out all of our recent national parks coverage celebrating the Centennial.

    VIEW
  6. Southern CA & Northern CA

    National Park Lodges: Hike-in Style

    Part 3 in our monthlong feature celebrating the National Parks centennial: backcountry lodges! No need for hefting a burly backpack, tent, and food to these oases in the wilderness. From the Rockies to the Sierra, we've rounded up some of the best ways to experience national park backcountry, in style!

    VIEW
  7. Southern CA

    Fantasy Island

    Remote, raw, and utterly enchanting, Channel Islands National Park, nicknamed “the Galapagos of California,” is an undeveloped, far less traveled archipelago off the coast of Ventura. Explore this once lost world by adventuring all across the largest of its five islands—Santa Cruz.

    VIEW
  8. Northern CA

    May the Redwood Forest Be With You

    Think you’ve seen redwoods? Not like this. Humboldt County is home to giant gems within the towering temperate rainforests of Redwood National and State Parks, and more big stuff beyond! Get ready for hulking reds, winding jade rivers, a hidden state park, and 40 miles of wild coastline that add magic like only the far north can.

    VIEW
  9. Northern CA

    Summer Classics

    It's summer. You live in California. Get out there on these adventures!

    VIEW
  10. Southern CA

    Summertime Adventures

    It's summer. You live in California. Get out there on these adventures!

    VIEW
  11. Southern CA & Northern CA

    Going Big in the High Sierra

    Big trees, big peaks, big backpacking treks, and big views … it doesn’t get bigger (or better!) than adventuring in California’s first national park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon. This is the first in our May series celebrating the 2016 National Park Centennial. Each week we’ll bring you a range of national park ideas, with insider tips and plenty of ideas to get you going!

    VIEW
  12. Southern CA

    Two Wheels to Wild

    This spring, choose your own bike adventure in San Diego County, with three bike routes full of wildlife, wildflowers, salty ocean spray, and even some tunnels and trestle bridges. Oh my, nice ride!

    VIEW
  13. Northern CA

    Going Clear Lake

    An interesting thing happens when you venture a few hours north of the Golden Gate Bridge. You start to see a whole different side of Northern California: remote, beautiful, and filled with adventures. Clear your calendar for Clear Lake!

    VIEW
  14. Northern CA

    Best Views of the Golden Gate Bridge

  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.

    View
  16. Northern CA

    Rolling Through Point Reyes

    With craggy coastal cliffs, abundant beaches, and over 80 miles of rolling shoreline, Point Reyes National Seashore is ideal for a casual coastal spin. Here are three easy bike rides that pack a scenic punch and reveal some secret spots, too. Bring your own bike or rent one in Point Reyes. Wheels in motion!

    VIEW
  17. Southern CA

    Canyon Dig It?

    Between the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains lie the less-travelled Puente Hills: 3,680 acres of chaparral, oak woodland, riparian habitats, and diverse hiking trails in canyons. Here are 3 canyon hikes worth the trifecta. Of course you canyon!

    VIEW
  18. Southern CA

    Wild Hikes in Palm Springs

    Palm Springs might be best known for golf courses, condos, and cocktails by the swimming pool. But have you explored the best of its wild side? Here are three hikes to get you going, before going wild doing other things.

    VIEW
  19. Northern CA

    Wild Views & Wildflowers

    Huge views are even better when the surrounding landscape is painted by wildflowers. Here are three Bay Area hikes and bike rides combining beautiful vistas and flower power!

    VIEW
  20. Southern CA

    Spring for Fallbrook Hikes

    Tucked in north San Diego County, Fallbrook is famous for its avocados, but less known are the outstanding open space preserves, home to some of SoCal's best hiking. From a peak-bagging butt-buster to a lollygagging wander, here are three to Fallbrook for.

    VIEW
  21. Northern CA

    Big Hikes in Wine Country

    Some of the best ridge walks in the Bay Area just go better with a post-hike wine or beer. From Napa to the Russian River, we’ve rounded up a few ridge ramblin’ adventures that pack in the miles, the redwoods, the wildflowers, and the views—with bonus beverages too!

    VIEW
  22. Northern CA

    Tasty Adventures

    Kayak to a Bavarian beer garden, bike to cool urban wineries, and hike secret hillside passageways followed by exotic tequila tastings: A day exploring Oakland is better when you bike, hike, and paddle to the good stuff!

    VIEW

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  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.

    View
  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.

    View
  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...

    View
  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

    View