Haunting Hikes

It’s the Halloween season. From mystery walls to haunted woods and hidden tombstones, we’ve scared up some Bay Area hikes to put you in the spirit. Who ghosts there?!

Week: 10.12.2017
Regions: Northern CA

Mystery Walls

Exploring California's Mystery Walls at Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve

Hike Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve Mystery Walls
Mythical crop circles, Stonehenge, California’s Mystery Walls … You don’t have to travel the world to see enigmas, including these stone walls within the South Bay's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.
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Cave Country

Cave Adventures in Lake Shasta and Lava Beds

Take your explorations to new heights … or, rather, new depths, by visiting some of California’s coolest cave country. Get all Indiana Jones at Lake Shasta Caverns National Landmark, where your adventure begins with a boat ride across Shasta Lake, and ends on a mountain with a gu
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The Joaquin Dead

Haunted Hike at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland

Hike Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland
Hike Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland
Named after the poet, Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland belongs in a sonnet about small wonders. But it also may belong in a classic ghost story! This unassuming park is said to be haunted....
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Grave Expectations

Walk Buena Vista Park in San Francisco

San Francisco's Buena Vista Park has big views and a mosaic of trails, including some with marble detailing along the path's edge: those are unclaimed Gold Rush–era tombstones recycled from cemeteries.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market

    NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike

    What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.

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  4. 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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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. People on ice learning to curl at Hollywood Curling

    You Go, Curl!

    Hollywood Curling’s Learn to Curl classes make the perfect setting for newcomers. Take the ice, and friendly curling instructors will teach you the basics.

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  2. 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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  3. Fall for These Falls

    Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.

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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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