All Stories from Northern CA

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  Ride the Redwoods to Wine

  Bike riding: fun. Wine tasting: fun. Combining both: really fun! Make it a 6-mile (round-trip) afternoon of biking and wine-tasting and redwood forests, starting in downtown Guerneville.

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  Seat at the Top Table

  It just might be the best view in Napa. At 4.5 miles (round-trip) the hike to Table Rock overlook isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s well worth it, packing in plenty of highlights, especially the marquee destination: Table Rock.

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  Secret Stash of Redwoods

  Located in the tiny town of Angwin, Pacific Union College has 864 acres of forest that are now open to the public for hiking.

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  Ciao Bello!

  Rising 2,800 feet over the Peninsula’s Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Black Mountain quietly stands watch over the South Bay. The 2-mile exposed hiking trail is a feast for the eyes.

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  Owl Be there

  The Owl Trail, Marin’s swooping seashore tramp, offers the chance to spy migrating gray whales offshore, and sightings of the trail’s namesake, great horned owls.

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  Big Sky, Lodi

  In winter millions of birds in winter travel the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south migration route that includes a stop at the Cosumnes River Preserve just north of Lodi.

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  Big Love!

  Every year in winter elephant seals converge on one of their favorite breeding grounds, 13 miles south of Pescadero on the San Mateo coast: Año Nuevo State Park.

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  Trio of Trails

  Get into Joshua Tree National Park Park early and hit the classic circuit of short trails before the crowds arrive. We also have some food and overnight recos.

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  The Ryan King

  At 5,456 feet, the summit of Ryan Mountain has the best view in the park. Its brilliant panoramic expanse, spanning desert to mountains, and—bonus—late afternoons can feature a sky tinged with lavender thanks to the low-sitting sun.

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  Split Decision

  Joshua Tree is famous for its namesake trees but it's also got some big-ass boulders! We're talking size-of-a-building boulders. See them on an off-the-beaten-path hike along the Split Rock Trail.

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  Drive-In Whale Watching

  Just north of Point Reyes, Bodega Head sits high on the tip of a curving, thumb-like peninsula and offers excellent whale watching in winter.

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  That's the Point!

  Mori Point, an exposed promontory in Pacifica with stunning ocean views, is fantastic for winter whale watching.

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  Star This!

  Twelve miles north of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast, Pacific Star Winery has interesting wines and a picnic area ideal for whale watching.

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  North Lake Tahoe's 18 Winter Wows

  See North Lake Tahoe's 18 Winter Wows

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  Welcome Back Bartholomew

  A few miles east of Sonoma’s historic plaza, Bartholomew Park has a winery and hiking trails with fabulous views.

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  Opt for Oljon

  There's a new hiking trail among the redwoods at El Corte Madera Creek Preserve in the South Bay.

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  Follow @WeekendSherpa

  Follow @weekendsherpa

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  Sunsational Mount Tam

  The East Peak of Mount Tam is easily reached via a short hike, and gives visitors one of the best views in the Bay Area, and sensational sunsets.

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  Go North!

  Mount Diablo's little-visited North Peak is the real summit to scale. Unlike the main mount, which you can get to by car (or bike), the North Peak can only be reached via a 1.8-mile (one-way) moderate hike.

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  Sponsored

  2020 Hiking Calendar

  New Year’s Resolution: More hikes on the calendar! And just in time for the New Year, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has their 2020 hiking calendar ready for download (no cost).

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