All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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  Phantom of the Canyon

  Want to really go grand in Grand Canyon National Park? Stay at historic Phantom Ranch! A clutch of simple, private bunk-bed-filled cabins along with dorm-style lodging. Scoring a stay here is not easy, and highly sought!

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  Yosemite Backcountry Glamping

  Love to hike, but hate to lug a bulging backpack? Then Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is your ticket to high-country heaven. Carrying only a daypack with minimal supplies, you can hike

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  Secret Redwoods + Camping by the River

  Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park is a little-known gem where skyscraping reds (the tallest living trees in the world!) fly under the radar. Grizzly’s ironically small size and location off the beaten path provide near total seclusion, not to mention relaxing camping!

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  Jurassic Redwoods

  Times change, but the tallest living trees in the world still tower over the grasslands of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (one of three state parks located within the jurisdicti

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  Cavern Point Loop

  One of Santa Cruz Island’s most accessible trails is all about the essential elements: The 2-mile Cavern Point Loop Trail will get your eyes jazzed on vivid sea vistas as it traces

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  Blue Coast

  An enchanting coastal woodland sounds like a description out of a fairy tale, until you visit Patrick’s Point State Park, where turquoise tide pools gurgle beneath bluff-top redwoo

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  Rae of Light

  Want special access to some of the most beautiful lakes in the Sierra Nevada? Grab your backpack and lace up your hiking boots for a multi-night journey on Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon. On the agenda: spiky granite peaks, rivers and lakes for refreshing swims, high mountain passes, and starry nights.

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  King of the Mountains

  California’s first national park, Sequoia, is also among the least visited, and that means you get the quiet and raw beauty almost entirely to yourself. In a remote setting at the

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  Giant Escape

  Sequoia’s main tourist attraction is the General Sherman tree, literally the largest living thing on earth. Hordes of visitors make the easy 0.4-mile mini-pilgrimage to see the Gen

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  Bag the Wright Peak

  Perched proudly over the largest freshwater lake located wholly within California’s borders, and visible for miles in all directions, Wright Peak on Mount Konocti is the tallest po

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  Two Wheel Beach Hop

  Sublime and under the radar, Santa Maria Beach is a south-facing sanctuary with a secret: After biking to it, a short stroll south also leads to one of the best intertidal zones in

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  Sunset Cruiser

  Point Reyes Peninsula just has that magic touch. Resembling a huge hand, five bays of commingling salt and freshwater make up Drakes Estero, an estuary megaplex offering expansive

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  Bike & Hike Classic

  The popular Bear Valley Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the best places to enjoy a good bike-and-hike trail, with a peaceful ride and ramble that leads to beautifu

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  Black Diamond in the Rough

  Four million tons of “black diamonds” were mined out of Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch. So what remains? A diamond in the rough! Wildflowers are adding sparkle to

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  Colorful Calero

  Tucked in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Calero County Park has a surprise side. Its 4,455 acres are home to a well-known reservoir that’s a central attraction

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  Haulin’ Oat!

  No offense to hot air balloons, but we have a better way to get a bird’s-eye view of Napa Valley. The Oat Hill Mine Trail out of Calistoga climbs up into the Palisades on an old stage coach route. And in spring, wildflowers come out in flying colors!

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  Bedazzled Ridge

  Glitter, sparkles, bright paint … there are all kinds of ways to add a little color to your life. Nature’s version? Wildflowers! And they pop up all over the East Slope Sonoma Moun

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  Has Anyone Ever Said You Look Like ...

  UPDATE NOVEMBER 2021: Much of this area burned during the August 2020 Walbridge Fire, and while the park recently re-opened the valley floor, the two main trails of East Ridge and

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  Secret Stairways Hike

  There are over 400 little-known staircases and pathways that wind quietly unnoticed up the East Bay landscape. Originally built as shortcuts for an influx of hillside residents to

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  Jonesing For It

  Tucked just shy of the South Bay’s urban domains, the 270-acre St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve in Los Gatos isn’t bashful about showcasing great scenery. Go on a 4-mile (roun

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