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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  1. Talk of the Town

    We're spilling the tea on this bountiful 5.5-mile loop to Gossip Rock in Hayward’s Garin Regional Park (currently whispering all the right springtime notes).

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  2. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

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  3. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

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  4. woman kneeling and signing peak book at Mount Olympia in Mount Diablo State Park

    Double Up on Diablo

    Set the tone for 2024 with this twofer summit hike at Mount Diablo State Park. Embark on a 7-mile out-and-back up Mount Olympia and Diablo’s lesser-known summit, North Peak.

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  1. Hiker overlooking Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey

    Pinnacles of Spring

    Why hike at Pinnacles National Park? Spring's a beautiful time of year here. And you might spy the magnificent California condor soaring while you gain soaring views from the High Peaks Trail.

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  2. Caves in Mojave

    No one expects to see caves when they visit the desert, and that’s part of what makes Mitchell Caverns in the Mojave Desert such an interesting place. Go on a two-hour guided adventure tour through Mitchell Caverns in Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.

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  3. Hikers by the reservoir at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks

    Triumphant in Triunfo

    Go on a hike with a peaceful reservoir, charming meadows, and beautiful spring blooms at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks.

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  4. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

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