Kirby Cove Marin Headlands with view of Golden Gate Bridge

Hike-in, Bike-in Beaches

September’s a great time to visit the coastline. These are some classic places where you can take your pick between hiking, biking, even snagging a campsite for fall …

Week: 09.08.2021
Regions: Northern CA

Kirby Your Enthusiasm

Bike or hike down to hidden Kirby Cove just west of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin

A biker stopped to take in the scenery on the fire road leading to Kirby Cove and overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge
A biker with a yellow backpack standing at a vantage just above Kirby Cove Beach with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background
A few people relaxing on the beach at Kirby Cove with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background
Biker passing the official sign to Marin Headlands Golden Gate in the San Francisco Bay Area
Just west of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin is one of the Bay's most-accessible secluded beaches. Kirby Cove is accessed by hiking or biking a 1-mile fire road down to the beach, where the reward is an all-time classic Golden Gate view.
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Sea Change

Plan a Relaxing Autumn Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

penguins exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium
sea otters exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium
jellyfish exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium
exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Right in time for the balmy fall days, the crowds have left and Monterey Bay Aquarium is at its shoulder season best. Fewer people means relaxing with more room to roam and enjoy the animals, exhibits, and nearby outdoors for biking, hiking, and beaches.
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More Cowell-bell!

Hike to Cowell Ranch State Beach on the San Mateo Coast

If you didn’t know it was there, you might just drive right on by it. But for those who make the 0.5-mile walk (or bike ride) to the wooden stairway leading to Cowell Ranch State Beach, the reward is sinking your toes into one of the best beaches in Northern California.
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Santa Maria Is Magical

Bike to Santa Maria Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore

Hike or bike in to Santa Maria Beach
Biker on a trail to Santa Maria Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore
Bike in to Santa Maria Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore
Biker on the wide open trail to Santa Maria Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore
Ready to find a beach to call your own? Make a visit to Santa Maria Beach in Point Reyes. What makes Santa Maria so quiet and peaceful? The 3-mile bike (or hike) in!
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

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  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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  3. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

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