All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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  Old as the Hills & Spring Fresh!

  Sprawling in the distance beyond Peninsula’s Skyline Boulevard are acres of open space and hills that in spring are absolutely superb for fresh scenery (and wildflowers!). Thanks t

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  You Go Pogo!

  Skirting the campus of the University of California Santa Cruz is a higher education in going green (vast rolling meadows), being serene (hidden koi pond), and seeing red (redwoods

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  Grant You This

  High up in the foothills overlooking Santa Clara Valley, Joseph D. Grant County Park is a vast landscape of hiking and biking terrain where the grass colors often run in hues of br

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  The Irish Hills Are Smiling

  Everyone loves San Luis Obispo, and the Irish Hills rank high among reasons why. Inches from civilization, you enter a world laced with oak-shaded creeks, green grassy hillsides, a

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  Cog Wild

  Quickly escape the rush of car traffic to find tranquility on a 2.75-mile (round-trip) wander around Cogswell Marsh in the East Bay's Hayward Regional Shoreline .

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  The Carson Show

  Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

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  From Town to Falls

  Mount Tam’s Cascade Falls is a bit under the radar, tucked back off a residential area in Mill Valley. Some people drive up to the tiny parking lot nearest to the falls. Do an easy 3-mile (round-trip) hike right from downtown Mill Valley, weaving through quiet streets and secret trails.

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  What a Rush!

  Mount Tam’s Cataract Falls is the bobsled course of waterfalls: over a mile of twisting, turning, tumbling water—gushing, rushing, and making a splash! The real joy is hiking right

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  Sunset in a Pinch

  Sometimes you’ve only got minutes to get to a high point in time for sunset. So keep it simple on a short hike that delivers a sunset punch within twenty minutes. The East Bay’s Cl

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  Sunset Gone Wilder

  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 Cov

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  Four-Legged Falls

  Love your dog? Love waterfalls? Get the best of both on this easygoing hike hidden in Novato. Indian Valley Open Space Preserve is tucked behind the College of Marin campus, and those who discover it are in for a treat.

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  Viva Las Trampas

  A clear winter day calls for a long hike to savor some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful scenery, including some flowing cascades after rain. Hike this nearly 7-mile loop in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

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  Bello from the Hills

  Vast rolling hills, serene forest, breathtaking vistas, and hardly any people … it’s not hermit-ville, it’s hiker-ville! Monte Bello Open Space Preserve in the South Bay spans 3,43

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  Castle of Wonders

  A demure waterfall best after fresh rains, sandstone formations pockmarked by time, epic ridge vistas, and currently flowing seasonal streams … it all comes together at Castle Rock

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  Maple in the Redwoods

  Over the creek and through the redwoods you’ll go, on this 9-mile (round-trip) partial loop hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This hike is loaded with charms, but the

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  Long Distance Relationship

  Pacifica wants to get something off its chest. It’s got a lot more going on than a laid-back vibe, good surf, and a beachfront Taco Bell. It’s got a hidden waterfall back in the ca

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  Big Burdell!

  Summiting Marin’s Mount Burdell isn’t on many bucket lists, but it should be. At just over 1,500 feet, it’s the highest peak in north Marin, and the summit payoff is plentiful.

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  Now and Zen

  Feel like you need to enlighten up? Green Gulch Zen Center understands. For over 40 years, this Marin County staple of mindfulness has blazed a trail to ahhs (including, literally,

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  Sea You at the Ranch

  Rough-and-tumble coastline, twisting Highway 1, open grasslands, hidden beaches, bluff trails, and a rustic lodge for storm watching from indoors —we’re not talking about Big Sur.

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  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."

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