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Spring It On
Warmer days and green hills. Spring is coming like a friend you haven’t seen in a year. And these Bay Area hikes are a great way to celebrate. From a trail-less-traveled to stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, to a big regional park with equally big views, and a small preserve with mighty wildflowers … put some spring in your step!
VIEWMindful Hikes
Short hikes are a delight when they've got redwoods, early wildflowers, big Bay Area views, and places to pay homage to history. Here are three to do.
VIEWDeath Valley Double Dare
As the largest national park in the Lower 48, Death Valley is wondrous, with a landscape raw and rugged and spirited and sublime—from canyons to peaks and dunes, even a massive crater, here's a plan!
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SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
ViewRomancing the Outdoors
Romance and the great outdoors … they just kinda go together, if you know where to go! While we can’t guarantee that these five adventures will put you in the mood, we can guarantee that they will put you ... outdoors! Cupid's gotta handle the rest.
VIEWReserve These A-list Hikes
The South Bay has lots of A-list hiking areas, and some currently require reserving a spot or knowing best times to go. Here are three places worth planning ahead for in the coming weeks.
VIEWOpen Wide!
You like a little room with your roam? These hikes and bike rides are good bets for enjoying wide-open spaces, trails less traveled, and some wiggle room if things get tight!
VIEWInspiration Points!
Refresh your outdoors list and head for three beautiful adventures with brilliant vantages and vistas to inspire. From a snowshoe hike to a sunrise surprise, get a new perspective for 2021.
VIEWWild Wild Coast
Do you like long walks on the beach? These three spots offer beautiful bluffside hikes with incredible vantages and beach walking too. See wildlife like elephant seals and spy Mavericks surf break.
VIEWNew Year, New Trails
2021, we're ready for new perspectives! From a brand new trail in the South Bay to a new pedestrian connector bridge and marsh in SF's Presidio, here are three ways to put some happy in your new year.
VIEWTop 10 of 2020
In a year that was filled with choppy waters, one thing was a safe harbor: the great outdoors. Local trails and parks were a welcome respite as we navigated a new reality. As we look to the future we're also going to close out 2020 by sharing our annual best outdoor adventures of the year. In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Adventures of 2020. Onward.
VIEWTeam Favorites
Thank you to our 2020 team for bringing the great outdoors home in a most challenging year. Meet our contributing content producers and get ideas from their personal favorite California adventures.
VIEWComfort and Joy Outdoors
From a hike that includes a farm filled with delightful animals, to a trail less-traveled on Mount Tam and a San Francisco classic, here are some holiday hikes for comfort and joy outside.
VIEWSunset and Mistletoe Hikes
The holidays are different in 2020 but you can still find comfort and joy outside. Go on a sunset hike that's quieter this year, or see the mistletoe and fall colors that are still making a splash.
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SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
ViewLet's Roll!
Looking for some fun ways to spice up the holiday season outdoors? These 3 easy bike rides include patio pit stops to grab a drink & bite. Wheels down, masks up, the holidays are on!
VIEWGobble Up These Outdoor Adventures
If there’s one thing 2020 has made vividly apparent, it’s how much we appreciate getting outside. Here’s to a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and a few ways to enjoy some local adventures.
VIEWGold Rush Outdoors
California's closest thing to autumn in New England is in places like Apple Hill. From trails festooned in fall foliage, to local farms and wineries, plus apple cider donuts, go for gold country!
VIEWColor-fall Hikes for the Holidays
Cooler temps and colorful foliage make autumn a great time of year for hitting the trails. These three easy hikes pack in a bit of extra fall color to go with your pumpkin spice whatnot.
VIEWRedwood Therapy Hikes
Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese art of forest bathing, developed as a way to take care of one’s health. These three meditative redwoods hikes will help to soothe your soul.
VIEWHaunted Hikes
Who ghosts there? Find out on any of these Bay Area hikes filled with ghost stories and mysteries from the past ... and where spirits may still be present. Boo-yeah!
VIEWSecret Watersides
From a tiny beach with warm-ish water to a creekside ramble and a wide-open trail less traveled: Explore, hike, and relax at any of these less known waterside escapes throughout the Bay Area.
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Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
Winter's Best Activities in Reno Tahoe
Your Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.
Trending Stories NorCal
View all Stories![Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market]()
NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike
What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.
ViewHidden Botanical Garden
Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.
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Sunnyvale and Salty
For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.
View![A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas]()
Dragon Quest
The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.
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Trending Stories SoCal
View all Stories![People on ice learning to curl at Hollywood Curling]()
You Go, Curl!
Hollywood Curling’s Learn to Curl classes make the perfect setting for newcomers. Take the ice, and friendly curling instructors will teach you the basics.
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SponsoredWarm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe
2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G
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Fall for These Falls
Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.
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Oh Snow Nice
Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.
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