Take the Long View

It's summer, no need to have a long face when the days are still long! Grab some friends and head out on a long hike while daylight's still on your side. Go long!

Week: 07.21.2016
Regions: Northern CA

Lighthouse at the end of the Tunnel

Hike in the Marin Headlands

Round up the best of the Marin Headlands on this 8-mile loop alongside dramatic coastline, jutting cliffs, and iconic Golden Gate vistas to 160-year-old Point Bonita Lighthouse. Begin at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center and briefly take the Lagoon Trail north (look for river ot
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Best Time to Visit New Zealand

Active Adventures Best Time to Visit New Zealand

Your vacation time is valuable. So don’t waste it! New Zealand is a glorious vacation destination, and the award-winning local guides at Active Adventures will make sure you see the very best of it. Get the top hiking, biking, and paddling itineraries (+ creature comforts) with A
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Seaside Summit in a State Park

Hiking Montara Mountain in McNee Ranch State Park

With tangled trails and unmarked spurs lawlessly winding up the rugged 1,898-foot Montara Mountain, McNee Ranch State Park feels like the Wild West Coast. Even wilder? Its endless combinations of long coastal climbs to the top. Cool off and take advantage of summer days on an 8-m
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Cull Canyon Cooldown

Hiking in Cull Canyon Regional Recreational Area

Home to shaded trails, shallow creek crossings, ridge-top breezes, and a 1.5-acre white sand swimming lagoon, Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a local’s summer playground. The best slice of paradise? A 10-mile out-and-back journey along the Chabot-to-Garin Trail, a segment
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. 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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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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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. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. 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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  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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