Wonder-Fall Outdoors

Fall colors are beginning to pop! Enjoy some autumn outings that shine this time of year. From a quiet redwoods hike to a peaceful bike ride by a reservoir, and a hidden picnic gem in coastal Marin, here are some of the best places for a wonder-fall afternoon!

Week: 10.11.2018
Regions: Northern CA

Strolling With Sam

Redwoods Hike in Samuel P Taylor State Park

Most people come to Samuel P. Taylor State Park for the beautiful creekside campground and picnic areas. But the hiking here can be pleasantly peaceful on a short trail featuring old-growth redwood trees.
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Tahoe to Yourself

Fall Adventures in North Lake Tahoe

For a mellow leaf-peeping hike, Sugar Pine Point State Park has you wandering among tall, fragrant pines and along the shoreline of glistening Lake Tahoe. Tackle Mount Rose Summit, a 10-mile out-and-back peak hike with one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Take your adv
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Slide On Over

Picnic and Camp at Slide Ranch in Marin

Slide Ranch Marin
Marin's Slide Ranch has a popular neighbor in the Muir Beach Overlook. But don’t overlook Slide! This open-to-the-public nonprofit organization sits on 134 acres of coastline and is filled with animals, Pacific scenery, and an adjacent hiking trail.
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Cascade Roll

Bike Cascade Canal Trail Near Nevada City

Easy does it for this leaf-peeping, reservoir bike ride along the Cascade Trail near Nevada City. The 9-mile out-and-back pedal along the Cascade Canal Trail hugs the water’s edge, flanked by autumn-imbued golden big-leaf maple, native dogwood, and towering fir. The trail widens
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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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. 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. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. 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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