All Stories from Northern CA

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  Lookout There!

  Perched at 4,900 feet in the Greenhorn Mountains amid majestic oaks and huge, cleaved boulders, Oak Flat Lookout in Sequoia National Forest (named for the Giant Sequoia groves and

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  High Sierra Sorensen's

  At the eastern edge of Hope Valley, just 20 minutes south of Lake Tahoe, is what you would call an elegantly rustic respite suited to all seasons.  Situated in an alpine valley rin

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  Fall Escape to Yosemite's Tenaya Lodge

  Everybody loves national parks. But the lodging, well, that often leaves plenty to be desired. Unless you stay at Yosemite’s only four-diamond resort: Tenaya Lodge. All of Tenaya’s

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  Great Big Sale

  Named one of the 25 Best Outdoor Stores in America, Southern California’s very own Adventure 16 is having a sale! It starts tomorrow (Friday, August 26) so mark your calendar and s

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  SUP 'n' Sip

  Crowned Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year? Lodi is hot on the vine trail. But wine isn’t the only thing flowing here: The Mokelumne River is a nature-lover’s oasis tha

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  Wine Surf

  Want to wine surf? Bodega Bay’s Gourmet au Bay put its name on the map by introducing “wine surfing”: three wine tastes brought to you on a mini wooden surfboard. Now they’ve opene

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  Vine-yasa Flow

  Hawaii isn’t the only way to enjoy a little island life. Strike a mermaid pose right here in the Bay Area with a yoga session on the waters surrounding Alameda Island. Nicole Kanou

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  Hike-in Swimming Hole

  We had you at hike-in swimming hole? For a taste of the glacial and volcanic splendors of Desolation Wilderness without an all-day commitment, Grass Lake is the perfect hike. Pack

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  Chain of Alpine Lakes

  There are six and a half good reasons to do this 6.5-mile (out-and-back) hike in the eastern Sierras’ Inyo National Forest. The Little Lakes Valley hike is an oasis-hopping, mounta

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  Rocky Alpine High

  Set at 10,000 feet in the Inyo National Forest of the eastern Sierras, Rock Creek Lake is idyllic, with its sandy shores and the colorful rainbow trout easily spotted in the transp

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  Desolation Drama

  Oval-shaped Dicks Lake is one of the scenic gems of the Desolation Wilderness. Set in a dramatic glacial cirque with 9,974-foot Dicks Peak soaring behind it, the lake makes a perfe

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  Bag Tahoe's Tallest

  You can’t call yourself a Tahoe hiker until you’ve climbed 9,735-foot Mount Tallac, the imposing peak that towers over Lake Tahoe’s southwest shore. This butt-kicking, 9.4-mile hik

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  Sleep Like a Rock

  No crowds, no cell phone service—now that’s a wilderness getaway! The hugely underrated Rock Creek Lake in the Inyo National Forest of the eastern Sierra is known for its peaceful

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  Next Trip: New Zealand

  Top Reasons to Book your trip to New Zealand this fall with locally owned and operated Active Adventures: All-Star Guides: Ever met a New Zealander? Fun, friendly, adventurous … an

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  Mesa's Magical

  If the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands views don’t take your breath away, these 242 steps will. Mesa Lane boasts Santa Barbara’s longest and most aesthetic staircase, descending

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  Thousand Steps Beach

  Okay, the name is a bit of an exaggeration—it takes only 154 steps to reach Santa Barbara's Thousand Steps Beach (also known as Camino al Mar, Spanish for “the way to the sea”). Bu

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  Give Me More Mesa

  A typical beach routine: Drive to a parking lot, haul out your cooler, traipse across the asphalt to the sand. Want more out of the experience? Then head to More Mesa and its view-

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  Simply Putah-ful

  Immortalized in Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River,” Yolo County’s Putah Creek is proof that some legends never dry! Its snaking banks still teem with underrated bayou cha

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  Cool Pool Party

  Spending the day at the Garden of Eden in Santa Cruz is accepting an invitation to nature’s most popular pool party. Bring a picnic and pool floats, and swim and lounge in the sun—

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  Best Bootfit You Can Get

  Hiking, backpacking, travel vacation—whatever you’re doing outdoors, your outfit matters! By that, we mean properly fitting hiking boots and backpacks. Visit the premiere outfitter

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