All Stories from Northern CA

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  All Hail Helena

  Ready to get in that last long hike before the days get a little too short? Make it count by conquering one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area: Mount Saint Helena. On clear days

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  Top Notch Climbs

  The view from the top is always better—especially when the views are of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. Strap in: Reno Tahoe is a rock-climbing haven, where beginners can learn t

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  Go for Moore

  It’s just 20 miles north of Napa, but Moore Creek Park feels like a world of its own. This quiet park just past Lake Hennessey has a nice 4-mile loop hike combining Moore Creek Tra

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  BonAnza!

  With an ever-changing shoreline, Lake Anza in the Berkeley Hills can make you feel like you’re hiking around a lake in the Sierra: narrow paths, giant boulders, and dense forest. Q

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  Clearly a Winner!

  Okay, let’s get something clear ... like, crystal clear: The best way to see Lake Tahoe’s beautiful translucent waters is on a crystal-clear kayak! And by that we mean Wild Society

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  Brew Bike

  The Reno Brew Bike is a glory of human ingenuity in light of the city’s burgeoning craft brew scene: 6 to 10 people sit across from each other in a human-powered trolley, pedaling

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  Fall for Lake Tahoe

  Get Up, Stand-up! Rent a stand-up paddleboard at Kings Beach Recreational Area, a lively enclave surrounded by cool shops, restaurants, and plenty of places to rent kayaks and padd

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  Her Name is Del Rio

  Del Rio Woods east of Healdsburg along Sonoma County's Russian River is a welcome addition to the Regional Parks system.

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  Reach the Pinnacle

  The thing about hidden beaches is you’ve usually got to do a little legwork to find them! In this case, the legwork is a lovely 0.5-mile hike to a gorgeous beach on Bodega Bay. The

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  Five Ways to Elevate Your Summer in North Lake Tahoe

  1) Best Day Hikes in the State North Lake Tahoe has some of California’s best day hikes. The Five Lakes Trail rises to 7,400 feet in the Granite Chief Wilderness and connects to a

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  Purisima Charisma

  Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

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  More Cowell-bell!

  If you didn’t know it was there, you might just drive right on by it. But for those who make the 0.5-mile walk (or bike ride) to the wooden stairway leading to Cowell Ranch State Beach, the reward is sinking your toes into one of the best beaches in Northern California.

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  11 Local Summer Escapes

  Wanna keep summer going? That’s easy! Download the Peninsula Open Space Trust’s (POST) 11 Easy Summer Escapes. This complimentary guide is packed with excellent itineraries for loc

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  Pools of Gold

  Montaña de Oro: The name means mountain of gold, but the real treasures here lie underwater. Luckily you don’t have to venture into the ocean to see all the cool creatures. Plenty

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  Ride and Seek

  Oceanside breezes, beautiful beaches, a car-free pathway for biking, and beer at the end: You’re on a roll! The San Mateo Coast was made for beach hopping and beer tasting …

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  El Capitán, My Capitán

  The best part about camping at El Capitán State Beach? It just might be sunset. The campground, perched on a forested bluff above the beach, gives you the best seats in the house for watching the sun settle down into the Santa Barbara Channel.

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  Wild for Wildcat

  With seven sites strewn along a coastal bluff adjacent to the beach, Wildcat Camp is one of Northern California’s premier camping destinations in Point Reyes National Seashore. And there's one first-come, first-served spot...

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  Dune It on the Beach!

  Here’s where camping on the beach means … camping on the beach! Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is famous for its broad, flat beach, rolling sand dunes that seem to st

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  Reno Tahoe's Top 8 Bike Rides

  1) Tahoe Classic At 168 miles all in, the Tahoe Rim Trail is the granddaddy of all trails. But don’t worry, it can easily be broken up into small sections. From alpine vistas to sh

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  Hidden Lake in the Dunes

  It sounds preposterous: a lake in the dunes? That’s exactly why Oso Flaco Lake, in the Oceano Dunes south of Pismo Beach, is so cool. The 75-acre freshwater lake is surrounded by m

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