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  1. Southern CA

    Eyes Wild Open

    Get off the beaten path to explore San Diego County's wild side, where endangered birds and panoramas bring the full picture into view. Eyes wild open—what will you see?

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  2. Northern CA

    Bountiful Hikes

    The low-slung sun, the golden leaves, the distinct scent … making the transition to fall isn’t so bad, after all. Step into autumn on any of these three South Bay hikes.

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  3. Northern CA

    Long Weekend Cheat Sheet

    Mile Oh Mile: Solitude in San Francisco? It's a Mile Rock away. This small and secluded cove tucked beneath wild and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge is easy to reach if you don't mind lots of steps. (Plus read the latest on the labyrinth.) Open Space, Now Open! Ahhh, that new open space smell! Saved from corporate development, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve recently opened, and shines with new redwood bridges, picnic areas, and a terrific hiking and mountain biking trail with sweeping ridgetop views. Outstanding in the Vineyards: Remember when wine tasting at all the good spots was free or only a few bucks? Anderson Valley never forgot, and it's got outstanding wines and an amazing state park. Shake Your Trail Feathers: Egrets mingling in a maze of marshes, unobstructed views of Mount Burdell to the north and Mount Diablo to the east. Stroll the new 2.7-mile (one-way) section of the Bay Trail and bring binoculars—this is a birding haven. Buzzworthy: What buzzes and can give you a buzz? Heidrun Meadery in Point Reyes Station. They're masters of "honey wine" (aka mead) and beekeeping!

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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. Southern CA

    Go Long!

    Inside Out: The Cave of Munits is an awe-inspiring cavern of impressive heights. And it's located just outside suburbia. Get to it on a 2.7-mile loop hike through the rolling hills of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. Get lost in LA! Right in the heart of the city is the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, a relaxing retreat hidden in the historic West Adams district. Wander Wilmington: Most people know the Port of Los Angeles as the place with all the smoky factories and huge barges, but this industrial area added some glitter—and greenspace!—to its grittier side when Wilmington Waterfront Park opened. Do you Deukmejian? Nestled in the San Gabriel foothills, Deukmejian Wilderness Park is a gem. Explore it on a 4.2-mile (round-trip) foothills hike in the park's Dunsmore and Cook's canyons. Mile Oh Mile: Reaching a stunning peak vista in under a mile? If it sounds too good to be true, you haven't been to Camarillo Grove Park where the 1-mile (round-trip) Upper Loop Trail is your peek into a world of chaparral growth, wildlife, and a magnificent bucolic view that sweeps across Ventura County.

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  6. Southern CA

    Orange Punch

    Great views go better with sunsets. Here are three LA parks that give you both. Glow for it!

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  7. Northern CA

    Bay-utiful

    The San Francisco Bay Trail is on a roll. With over 340 out of 500 miles complete, one day this multi-use path will encircle the entire Bay shoreline. Here are a few ways to explore what's new, and what's classic, on this impressive trail.

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  8. Northern CA

    Stepping Out at Stinson

    Good things happen in threes when you start your adventures from Stinson Beach. From a classic hike to a hidden bunker with a nearby tree-swing, here are three good reasons to get to Stinson, stat!

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  9. Southern CA

    Coastal Sleeps

    One of the best ways to experience California's famed coast with the most? Camp out on the beaches and bluffsides that overlook the ocean. From hidden sands to spending the night in a nest, here are three great ways to enjoy some salty-air rest.

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  10. Northern CA

    Make a Splash

    Feeling a bit hot? Here's a news-splash: Just add water! Get a little wet for some cool fun this summer!

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  11. Southern CA

    Go Wild West!

    Long before palm trees were planted, native grassland, chaparral, and oaks ruled the Southern California landscape. Hike, bike, explore, and journey back in time on three western-style adventures that recall a bygone era.

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  12. Northern CA

    Adventures for All

    How's your summer going? There's one month left for you to complete the Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge! Here's some inspiration from some of the most popular activities readers have done so far! #weekendsherpa.

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  13. Southern CA

    Summer Action

    Got a couple of spare weekends this summer? There's one month left for you to complete the Weekend Sherpa Adventure Challenge! Here's some inspiration from some of the most popular activities readers have done so far! #weekendsherpa.

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  14. Northern CA

    Wine Country Camping

    Camping in wine country … now that's a pairing! Pitch your tent at any of these wine country campgrounds where nearby wineries bring added cheers to the adventure (and to your beans and BBQ dinner)!

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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.

    View
  16. Southern CA

    Malibu and the Grape Outdoors

    Malibu, wine, and the great outdoors. That sounds like a weekend! Here are a few ways to sip, swirl, and stretch your legs on this prime coastline.

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  17. Northern CA

    Adventures Alfresco!

    Who's hungry? Some adventures just go better when the focus is food and wine. This summer, pair your outdoors with these three fresh approaches to alfresco fun.

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  18. Southern CA

    Night Light

    Want to see a shooting star this summer? Thanks to the low humidity of northeastern San Diego County, and with the Perseids meteor showers coming in August, you're in for a spectacular light show at any of these three stargazing destinations. Plan for an out of this world adventure!

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  19. Southern CA & Northern CA

    Discover New ABCs

    Do you know your ABCs? We're not talking about the alphabet. We're talking about Adventures in British Columbia! The westernmost Canadian province is filled with rainforests, glacier-fed lakes, wildlife, massive peaks, rugged coastline, and sublime places for combining recreation and relaxation.

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  20. Northern CA

    Know Your ABCs

    Do you know your ABCs? We're not talking about the alphabet. We're talking about Adventures in British Columbia! The westernmost Canadian province is filled with rainforests, glacier-fed lakes, wildlife, massive peaks, rugged coastline, and sublime places for combining recreation and relaxation.

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  21. Southern CA

    Bill Murray Adventures

    Bill Murray seems to be everywhere these days (have you seen the T-shirts and stickers lately?). He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, and we dig it. Here are a few adventures inspired by his movies.

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  22. Northern CA

    Oh Yeah, Open Space!

    Long before the tech industry started taking root in the South Bay, huge oaks, bays, alders, and sycamore trees dominated the landscape. Thanks to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, more than 16,000 acres of open space have been preserved for the public, with the newest preserve opening just two weeks ago. Here are three to explore!

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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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