Hike Mount Burdell Preserve Marin

Out You Go

A wise man once said, “Walk it off.” And San Francisco has just the place for a colorful walk via a 2.7-mile loop along Philosopher’s Way Trail in the 318-acre John McLaren Park (San Francisco’s second largest park, after Golden Gate).

You like a good trail mix? How about a blend of ridgetop rambling, bridge and bay views, and a eucalyptus forest. Get it all on a 2.5-mile loop hike in Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline.

Rising 2,800 feet over the Peninsula’s Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Black Mountain—the inspiration behind Mountain View’s name—quietly stands watch over the South Bay. The 2-mile (one-way) exposed hiking trail that climbs gradually to Black Mountain’s summit is a feast for the eyes: dense yellow grass blankets rolling hills and blows in the wind like a lion’s mane.

So you’re sort of snobby about your sunsets? You like a brilliant technicolor all across the sky as the sun sets on the horizon? Great! Go Wilder! Wilder Ranch State Park’s Old Cove Landing Trail is an easy 3-mile (round-trip) coastal hike in Santa Cruz. And a hike here at sunset delivers a colorful show on clear days. (Parking is extremely limited.)

If you’re gonna go big on a spring hike, make it at Marin County’s biggest open space preserve, Mount Burdell. And go to the summit. You’ll be sharing the trail with grazing cows, poppies galore, and beautiful birds on this 5-mile (round-trip) adventure.

Take a stroll through the Sacramento's Midtown neighborhood and you can view some of the capital city’s best artwork at no cost. The wide, shady streets are home to dozens of dramatic murals created by local (and not so local) street artists.

We love the outdoors and we want to keep them open! Here's a simple guide to the New Rules of the Trail.

(Dipping our pinky toe in...) Weekend Sherpa is back to recommending local outdoor adventures. Brad and Holly discuss parks across California re-opening, some of the ongoing mixed messages, and the importance of getting outdoors as a health benefit. Hear about some of the parks they recommend, plus part of the podcast was recorded from the top of a mountain on a Memorial Day weekend hike (because, why not?!). Check out the podcast.

Week: 05.28.2020
Regions: Northern CA

1) Philosopher's Way {San Francisco County}

Hike McLaren Park San Francisco

A wise man once said, “Walk it off.” And San Francisco has just the place for a colorful walk via a 2.7-mile loop along Philosopher’s Way Trail in the 318-acre John McLaren Park (San Francisco’s second largest park, after Golden Gate).

2) Strait Up Good! {Contra Costa County}

Hike Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline

You like a good trail mix? How about a blend of ridgetop rambling, bridge and bay views, and a eucalyptus forest. Get it all on a 2.5-mile loop hike in Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline.

3) Ciao Bello! {Santa Clara County}

Hike Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Black Mountain

Rising 2,800 feet over the Peninsula’s Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Black Mountain—the inspiration behind Mountain View’s name—quietly stands watch over the South Bay. The 2-mile (one-way) exposed hiking trail that climbs gradually to Black Mountain’s summit is a feast for the eyes: dense yellow grass blankets rolling hills and blows in the wind like a lion’s mane.

4) Wilder Side of Sunsets {Santa Cruz County}

Wilder Ranch sunset coastal hike

So you’re sort of snobby about your sunsets? You like a brilliant technicolor all across the sky as the sun sets on the horizon? Great! Go Wilder! Wilder Ranch State Park’s Old Cove Landing Trail is an easy 3-mile (round-trip) coastal hike in Santa Cruz. And a hike here at sunset delivers a colorful show on clear days. (Parking is extremely limited.)

5) Bag Burdell {Marin County}

Hike Mount Burdell spring summit

If you’re gonna go big on a spring hike, make it at Marin County’s biggest open space preserve, Mount Burdell. And go to the summit. You’ll be sharing the trail with grazing cows, poppies galore, and beautiful birds on this 5-mile (round-trip) adventure.

6) Art of the Matter {Sacramento County}

Sacramento Midtown Mural walk

Take a stroll through the Sacramento's Midtown neighborhood and you can view some of the capital city’s best artwork at no cost. The wide, shady streets are home to dozens of dramatic murals created by local (and not so local) street artists.

7) Reminder: New Rules of the Trail

We love the outdoors and we want to keep them open! Here's a simple guide to the New Rules of the Trail.

8) New Podcast Episode: Easing Back Into the Outdoors

Weekend Sherpa podcast

(Dipping our pinky toe in...) Weekend Sherpa is back to recommending local outdoor adventures. Brad and Holly discuss parks across California re-opening, some of the ongoing mixed messages, and the importance of getting outdoors as a health benefit. Hear about some of the parks they recommend, plus part of the podcast was recorded from the top of a mountain on a Memorial Day weekend hike (because, why not?!). Check out the podcast.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  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.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. 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.

    View
  4. 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!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.

    View
  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.

    View
  3. 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...

    View
  4. 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

    View