Shake Your Trail Feathers

Friends, family, family who are friends, what do you do when the holiday meal has been digested? Shake your trail feathers on these viewtiful hikes, bike rides to beer, and an urban stroll filled with iconic treasures.

Week: 11.23.2022
Regions: Northern CA

Barnabe Bonanza

Hike to the Panoramic Summit of Barnabe Peak in Samuel P Taylor State Park

Woman with her arms outstretched to the rolling hills scenery while on a rock outcrop at Barnabe Peak in Samuel P Taylor Sate Park in Marin
Woman crossing a bridge over Devils Gulch Creek in Samuel P Taylor State Park
Woman hiking up Barnabe Fire Road in Samuel P Taylor State Park in Marin
Woman standing at the top of Barnabe Peak, looking out to Tomales Point and Bodega Bay
Sure, there are higher mountains in Marin (Mount Tam) and easier ascents (Mount Burdell), but is there a more expansive North Bay view? Barnabe Peak in Samuel P. Taylor State Park offers a glorious panorama including Mount Tam, Mount Diablo, and Mount St. Helena.
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Medallion Walk SF

Walk the Barbary Coast Trail Following Medallions in San Francisco

Barbary Coast Trail medallion hike in San Francisco
Barbary Coast Trail guide in San Francisco
woman in China Town San Francisco on Barbary Coast Trail
woman in front of Frank Lloyd Wright building on Barbary Coast San Francisco
The Barbary Coast Trail is a 3.8-mile historical walk and treasure hunt through San Francisco. Be on the lookout for hubcap-sized bronze medallions placed on the city sidewalks with arrows pointing you in the right direction.
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Wide-Open Wildcat

Hike San Pablo Ridge and Wildcat Loop in the East Bay

hiking wildcat canyon in the east bay with views of San Francisco Bay
cows at wildcat canyon hike
hiker stands on San Pablo Ridge looking at San Francisco Bay
Sure, peak-bagging hikes are great, but ridge trails? Well, those might be the best. The East Bay’s Wildcat Canyon Regional Park is home to a fantastic ridgetop rolling trail.
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Gone With the Windy

Watch a sunset at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve in Portola Valley

Man standing at Windy Hill and watching a fiery sunset at Windy Hill Preserve
You don’t have to trek far to enjoy a hiker’s high at Windy Hill Preserve on the Peninsula. Its panoramic attraction is easily accessed via the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail, and it’s magnificent at sunset.
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Bike to the Brews and Views

Alameda Bike Ride from Crown Memorial Beach to Breweries

Woman biking waterside on car free trail in Alameda
An island city on San Francisco Bay, Alameda is home to a craft beer and spirits boom that has a firm foothold in its industrial westside. Ride your bike from Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach to Faction Brewing.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Bike the Monterey Coastal Recreation Trail

    To the Lighthouse

    The Monterey Recreation Trail is one of America's most beautiful coastal experiences, accessible to bikers, strollers, rollers, and walkers. This 8-mile (round-trip) bike ride follows premier parts of the trail before detouring to Pacific Grove's storied Point Pinos Lighthouse.

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  2. Sponsored

    The Unexpected Wonders of Monterey

    One of the world’s best teachers? Mother Nature. And one of the best destinations to learn from her? The Monterey Bay Aquarium. Spend a few hours at the Aquarium, then take your pick of self-guided walks...

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  3. Tombstones and Tarantulas

    Forget black cats; a randy tarantula crossing your path can really get your heart racing. So can spirits in a cemetery! Visit Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve and learn about these misunderstood spiders, plus pay a visit to the Rose Hill Cemetery, where ghosts are said to exist.  

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  4. London Calling

    The writer Jack London was known for his adventure stories, and an autumn hike at his namesake state park in Sonoma Valley illuminates more than his career. Eucalyptus, oaks, sprawling vineyards, and brilliant redwoods are part of the autumn magic amid the rich history of the park.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. woman hiking Elkhorn Slough Reserve in Monterey

    Hike Elkhorn Slough Reserve

    Elkhorn Slough Reserve is one of California’s few remaining coastal wetlands. Go on a hike and marvel at one of the state's largest coastal salt marshes, a valued habitat for birds, plant life, sea otters, and marine mammals.

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  2. Red Rocks in California

    Colorful badlands, towering buttes, and scenic desert cliffs form a hikers paradise. Red Rock Canyon State Park is a lightly visited desert wonderland where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso range.

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  3. Woman hiking up to views from Desolation Canyon in Death Valley National Park

    Canyons Calling

    Canyon hikes come in all shapes and sizes in Death Valley, and we’ve got two gems. One requires more rigorous scrambling and navigation, and leads to a dryfall; the other takes you up to a brilliant vista.

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  4. Hiking Cobb Estate Haunted Forest

    Welcome to Mr. Cobb's Haunted Forest

    The ruins can be explored on an easy 1.5-mile (round-trip) loop trail. Hike it close to dusk for maximum creepiness (just make sure you're out by dusk, when the park closes).

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