Kaleidoscope Hikes

Epic views, fields of flowers, and ridgeline thrills offering one of the biggest views in the West: Hiking the Grand Loop at Mount Diablo State Park in spring is eye-candy, with reams of poppies and more than 200 miles of California landscape rolling to the snowcapped Sierra.

California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.

This tiny but mighty open space preserve on the Tiburon Peninsula can often exhibit a wide range of wildflowers late into the season, not to mention one of the most jaw-dropping views of the bay.

If you’re gonna go big on a hike, make it at Marin County’s biggest open space preserve, Mount Burdell. And go to the summit. You’ll be sharing the trail with grazing cows, seasonal poppies, and beautiful birds on this 5-mile (round-trip) adventure.

Maybe it’s the constant ocean breeze, or the burly tule elk, or the chance to see spouting gray whales: There’s something about Tomales Point Trail. It’s a simple 4.5-mile hike to a promontory overlooking the Pacific. But what you encounter along the way … well that’s pure Point Reyes.