Fall For These Peak Hikes

Official fall calls for some officially good views, and these peak and summit hikes deliver with coastal panoramas and top notch mountainous vistas. Here's your autumn viewfinder!

Week: 09.28.2022
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.
Read the full story

Just in Time for Tahoe!

Fall Adventure Getaway to North Lake Tahoe

woman riding a bike in North Lake Tahoe
woman on laptop North Lake Tahoe
man hiking North Lake Tahoe
couple hiking North Lake Tahoe
Shorter days, cooler nights, and plenty of room to roam: Fall is amazing in North Lake Tahoe! You’re just in time to enjoy North Lake Tahoe’s autumn splendor among trails less crowded.
Autumn's Best in North Lake Tahoe

Hood's New Trail

Hike the new Lawson Trail to a picnic spot at Hood Mountain Regional Park in Sonoma Valley

Woman sitting at picnic table at Lawson Picnic spot in Hood Mountain Regional Park Sonoma Valley
Woman hiking amid trees at Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
Woman hiking past signpost indicating the Lawson Trail in Hood Mountain Regional Park in Sonoma Valley
Woman hiking a ridge section of the Lawson Trail in Sonoma Valley Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
Tucked just on the edge of Sonoma Valley near Santa Rosa, Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve has a trail leading up to a brilliant picnic spot with a panorama of Sonoma Valley all the way out to the ocean.
Read the full story

Loop Less Traveled

Hike a Loop Less Traveled at Monument Peak in the East Bay

Cows on the pastureland at Ed R Levin County Park in the East Bay
Man at a picnic table overlooking the East Bay at Ed R Levin County Park
The East Bay has some of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, and Monument Peak shares the gorgeous views with fewer people on the trail. Hike this 8.7-mile loop to the summit and it might just be you, and the cows!
Read the full story

A View Comes into Re-focus

Hike to Sweeney Ridge Between Pacifica and San Bruno on Sneath Lane

Hike Sweeney Ridge Trail Sneath Lane Discovery Site
Situated at 1,200 feet on a ridgeline between Pacifica and San Bruno, the scenery from Sweeney Ridge and the San Francisco Bay "Discovery Site" is quite grand, thought it's history isn't.
Read the full story

Pointing It Out

Hike to Inspiration Point in Carmel's Palo Corona Regional Park

Wanna hike where the locals do? Visit the new Palo Corona Regional Park in Carmel for a 4.5-mile (round-trip) journey through a beautiful oak forest and up to Inspiration Point for beautiful coastal vistas.
Read the full story

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Hike to New Lights

    For an enlightening late-day hike, catch the San Francisco skyline at sunset from high atop Ring Mountain in Tiburon. This 2-mile (round-trip) hike to Turtle Rock is a perfect late afternoon wander.

    View

  2. Three Cheers

    Good things come in threes when you visit Sonoma. Head out on a short hike right from town, sip and stroll the historic plaza, then take in the magical holiday lights.

    View

  3. Island Tree Topper

    The light display atop Angel Island State Park’s Mount Livermore has long been a cheerful twinkle visible from many cities throughout the Bay Area on holiday season nights. Get into the festive spirit by hiking the 2-mile (one-way) trail from Ayala Cove up to the "Angel Lights."

    View
  4. Woman swimming in Carson Hotsprings natural thermal pool

    Hot Springs, Naturally

    Thermal spring waters are famous for their curative, relaxing elements, and Reno Tahoe is filled with them! Sink into these amazing thermal respites for a wellness super soak.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. 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. DECEMBER BONUS: Enjoy a holiday market, see The Nutcracker, and visit Santa at Sensorio.

    View
  2. Hikers stand atop Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park

    Weekend Sherpa Podcast: Take It Outside

    Adventure for your earbuds. What's new in the world of the outdoors? Listen to Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss local hikes, beaches, bike rides, camping spots and all kinds of travel and adventure in California and beyond!

    View

  3. O Enchanted Night!

    Prepare to be mesmerized! Holiday-season nights in Descanso Gardens are a magical interplay of lights and natural beauty that dazzle as you stroll through the Enchanted Forest of L

    View
  4. Hikers sitting on a large rock slab next to Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest Southern California near Julian

    Three Sisters

    Good things come in threes at this hike to a lovely trio-tiered waterfall in Cleveland National Forest. The 4.25-mile out-and-back hike rambles among rolling hills, with rocky mountain views as switchbacks take you down to a lush canyon and the falls.

    View