Just Add Water!

Who needs a pool to lounge by this summer when you have mother nature! Hike, bike, and just relax by these lakes, rivers, and coastal settings. Verified fresh!

Week: 06.28.2018
Regions: Northern CA

America's Best Urban Hike

Hike San Francisco's Grand Walk, Sutro Baths to Crissy Field

Woman walking down the stairs overlooking the ocean on the Coastal Trail in San Francisco
Many years ago we dubbed it the “Grand Walk” and said it was one of the most scenic and stunning trails in the West. We were wrong. This is the most scenic urban hike in America!
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Hunt for the Hot Springs!

Find Hunt Hot Springs in the Shasta Valley

Wanna find hidden hot springs? Hunt for them! Tucked alongside a creek in the Madhesi Valley an hour from Burney Falls and 5 miles from the nearest town of Big Bend (population 102), Hunt Hot Springs and Kosk Creek combine for a hidden series of natural hot springs. Soaking in th
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Tramtastic Hiking!

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Hiking Adventures

Take your hiking to new heights! The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the world’s largest rotating tramcar. In 10 minutes you’ll be whisked over the incredible cliffs of Chino Canyon to an elevation of 8,516 feet. This is the heart of Mount San Jacinto State Park’s alpine wildernes
Visit our sponsor Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Stairways to Santa Cruz

Explore Santa Cruz by taking its mural and mosaic stairways

Golden beaches, beautiful Pacific views, and famous surf … don’t just take the famous boardwalk to see Santa Cruz: Take the stairs! This 2.6-mile urban hike features four cool stairways through Santa Cruz’s lively downtown and beautiful neighborhoods—rich with history.
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Lake Loop

Biking around Spring Lake in Santa Rosa

Bike Ride Spring Lake Santa Rosa
The template for a perfect multipurpose park? Hundreds of acres of open space, wending hiking and biking trails, glistening lakes, and picnic spots galore. Spring Lake and Howarth Park in Santa Rosa certainly fit this bill. The two parks border each other and make up more than 50
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Pirate of the Coast

Kayak the dramatic caves in Mendocino

Mendocino’s wild and scenic Pacific waters are filled with dramatic coves and caves best explored by kayak. Push your paddling boundaries with the experienced guides of Kayak Mendocino. Their amazing Sea Cave Nature Tour explores sea caves that cut through the sheer cliffs making
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All the Ride Stuff

Biking the easygoing American River Parkway

Car-free, paved, picnic-friendly, and paralleling the river, the American River Parkway–Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail is the perfect place for exploring on two wheels. The multi-use trail stretches 32 miles from Sacramento to Folsom, hugging the river most of the way and offering
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

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  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Tram to Cool Treks

    Elevate your fun, getting whisked from palm trees to alpine wilderness on the world’s largest rotating tramcar. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you up and away on a 2.5-mile scenic route from the desert floor to the refreshing wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park.

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  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

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  4. Vista Hermosa Park in Echo Park Los Angeles

    Vista Hermosa, Echo That!

    Tucked in Echo Park, the little-known gem of Vista Hermosa Natural Park feels worlds away thanks to its serene beauty and thoughtful design. At 11.5 acres there’s still plenty to explore. And it's got a premier view of the iconic Los Angeles skyline.

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