woman biking bolinas ridge trail bay area

Ridgeline Trails With Hints of Spring

Crisp skylines and the chance of early wildflowers festooning trails … yep, it’s a good time to do a ridge ramble in the Bay Area. Here are some hikes and bike rides featuring ridgelines for positive perspectives and hints of spring!

Week: 02.23.2022
Regions: Northern CA

Ride the Ridge

Mountain bike or hike the Bolinas Ridge Trail in Point Reyes

woman biking bolinas ridge trail point reyes
woman biking bolinas ridge trail point reyes
woman biking bolinas ridge trail point reyes
Galloping green hills, grazing cattle, great vantages … Bolinas Ridge Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore is a challenging yet visually rewarding intermediate-level mountain bike ride (or hike). Winter and spring are ideal for an adventure here, and seasonal features like wildflowers can pop early.
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Channel Islands for a Change

Explore Channel Islands and Ventura County Coast

Channel Island Island Packers
Channel Island Island Packers
Dolphins Channel Islands
There’s no better time to visit California’s Channel Islands National Park. Located 25 miles off Ventura County Coast, this series of five distinct and spectacular islands is reached by a fun ferry ride often filled with wildlife sightings.
Outdoor Lover's Guide to Ventura County Coast

Viva Las Trampas

Hike Las Trampas Rocky Ridge

Hikers on a ridge trail at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in the East Bay
Hikers on a ridge trail at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in the East Bay
Hikers looking out to wide open views at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in the East Bay
Hiker overlooking the scenery from a trail in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
A clear winter day calls for a long hike to savor some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful scenery, including some flowing cascades after rain. Hike this nearly 7-mile loop in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.
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Santa Cruz Epic Views

Hike Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Hiking shoes pictured on person sitting at an overlook of the Santa Cruz Mountains at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the South Bay
Redwoods, wildflowers, and ocean vistas offer the best of the Bay Area at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a 3.75-mile loop through the preserve's highlights.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  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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