All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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  A Very Muiry Holiday Hike

  We know the North Pole is currently all the rage with elves preparing gifts, but here in NorCal there’s something exciting afoot, too. We’ve got some new hiking open space! Thank t

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  Pulgas Pageant

  Good things come in small packages! The peninsula’s Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, quietly located off Highway 280, makes an easygoing 2.3-mile loop through oaks and up to big c

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  Go, Tell It on the Mountain

  Want to be king of the mountain? Head to King Mountain, the 108-acre open space preserve just above Larkspur in Marin. Despite its lofty name, hiking King Mountain proves that simp

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  Taylor Made Hike

  Hiking during the holiday season is a great way to gain a little perspective … or a big perspective, if you decide to hike at Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve,

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  Redwoods Friday

  How’s this for a post-Thanksgiving plan: on Black Friday, you’ll be seeing red … as in magnificent redwoods! Yep, the day after Thanksgiving you can enjoy free day-use admission to

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  This Spud's For You!

  Feeling crabby? You’re not the only one. Dungeness crab season is scheduled to open in Sonoma County. Combine some casual seafood dining with a gorgeous coastal hike. Work up your

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  Up to Umunhum

  Clocking in at 3,486 feet, Mount Umunhum is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains and has long been a South Bay landmark with the mysterious radar tower sitting atop

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  Hike-in Hidden Beach

  Blink and you'll miss some hidden beach bliss. Located in the tiny town of Elk on scenic Highway 1, Greenwood State Beach is easy to miss because it's a half-mile walk down to it.

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  Huddart Comfort

  Just minutes west of the tony town of Woodside in San Mateo County, 900-acre Huddart Park has over 24 miles of trails that put redwoods on parade. For a moderate out-and-back featu

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  There's Something About Henry

  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains: magnificent. And popular! Escape the crowds by hiking the lesser-known trails starting at the campground entrance off

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  Meet you in Montalvo

  Before Hearst Castle there was Villa Montalvo, a 175-acre estate tucked in the hills outside Saratoga and built for one of the Bay Area’s wealthiest and most prominent bachelors, U

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  Mystery Walls

  Mythical crop circles, Stonehenge, California’s Mystery Walls … You don’t have to travel the world to see enigmas, including these stone walls within the South Bay's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

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  The Joaquin Dead

  Named after the poet, Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland belongs in a sonnet about small wonders. But it also may belong in a classic ghost story! This unassuming park is said to be haunted....

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  Mott's Landing

  Nestled north of Lafayette and Orinda, the peaks of Briones Regional Park showcase sweeping views of Mount Diablo, San Pablo Bay, and the San Joaquin River. And you may just make f

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  Crockett in Your Pocket

  There are plenty of reasons to add Crockett Hills Regional Park to your checklist of East Bay apexes. Overlooking the Carquinez Strait, the park is home to Edwards Sky Loop, a 2.1-

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  Panorama Bonanza

  Bring the dog, bag a peak, and get an impressive two-bridge view on a lollipop loop hike that includes the San Francisco skyline. Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve—high in the hil

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  Big Tree Bonanza

  Roosevelt elk, canyons draped in ferns and dripping with small waterfalls, oh … and the tallest trees on the entire planet! Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has all the fixings for world-class hiking.

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  Just Dune It

  Miles of epic sand dunes seem like something you're more likely to find in the desert than on Northern California's lush redwood coast. Surprise! One of the most spectacular expanses of sand-scape you’ll ever see is in Humboldt County, just minutes by car from Old Town Eureka.

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  I Do!

  Even if you’re not getting married anytime soon, you’ve gotta visit Wedding Rock, the most dramatic spot in Patrick’s Point State Park. It’s called Wedding Rock because the park’s

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  Golden Sunday

  Everyone sings the praises of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and Sundays are a perfect day to tune in on its hidden art and free music scene. Go on a mile-long meander around th

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