Fall Hikes in Northern California

Who says there are no fall colors in California? Here are few hikes for hue to do!

Week: 08.23.2017
Regions: Northern CA

Burney Man!

Hiking to Burney Falls in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park

Upon first seeing Burney Falls, President Theodore Roosevelt called it one of the wonders of the world: a 129-foot waterfall gushing 100 million gallons every single day. This baby absolutely thunders! Whitewater and mist kick out around its base as water from Burney Creek drops
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Fully Loaded Fall

Best Fall Outdoor Adventures in Reno Tahoe

Reno Tahoe’s got a lot more going on than your average mountain town, from kayaking on the Truckee River to the world’s tallest climbing gym wall, to peak-bagging hikes and a walk among the growing urban arts scene. Hop into an inflatable kayak and take your pick of mild or wild—
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Go See Grandmother

Hike to the Grandmother Oak in Hood Mountain Regional Park

Grandmother Tree Hike Hood Mountain Sugarloaf park Sonoma
Grandmother’s calling, so you must go. The Grandmother Tree is the largest known coast live oak in Sonoma County, and she resides in quite the beautiful setting. Visit her via a 5-mile (round-trip) hike high in Hood Mountain Regional Park.
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First Place

Walk Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge

First national park? Yellowstone. First state park? Big Basin. First urban national wildlife refuge? You'll have to be a bird nerd to know the answer to this one. So spread your wings and impress a date or your friends by knowing Fremont's 30,000-acre Don Edwards San Francisco Ba
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Touch the Skyline

Hike Russian Ridge and Skyline Ridge

The Peninsula's Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve knows how to make a grand entrance when it comes to changing seasons. Combine ridgetop vistas, and a tranquil lake on a 4-mile (round-trip) hike that includes a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
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  1. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

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  2. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

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  3. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

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  4. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    Buck Wild!

    Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.

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  1. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

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  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

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  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

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  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

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