All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay
- Sponsored
Wildflower Hiking Guide
California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.
View Thornewood In Your Pocket
Hints of wildflowers, a ravine of redwoods, and vistas over the San Francisco Bay and Diablo Range. Thornewood Preserve in Woodside packs a lot into its tiny space. An early morning start has perks.
ViewGone With the Windy
You don’t have to trek far to enjoy a hiker’s high at Windy Hill Preserve on the Peninsula. Its panoramic attraction is easily accessed via the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail, and it’s magnificent at sunset.
ViewSanta Cruz Epic Views
Redwoods, wildflowers, and ocean vistas offer the best of the Bay Area at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a 3.75-mile loop through the preserve's highlights.
ViewBest Foot Forward
Foothills Park has 15 miles of trail surrounded by misty valleys, tender oak trees, seasonal creeks, a peaceful lake, and beautiful Bay Area vistas. Plan ahead because it's new, and very popular.
ViewFind Your Flow
Far back in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Uvas Canyon County Park is a compact, tree-filled delight with hiking trails and several waterfalls bunched into a loop along Swanson Creek and amid lush forest.
ViewSerenity at Sunrise
El Sereno Preserve's namesake mountain rises to majestic views spanning the Diablo Range, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Santa Lucia Mountains. Do a sunrise hike to a new bench on the Aquinas Trail.
ViewBig Wave Hiking
Pillar Point Bluff's amazing trail system is a coastal haven most popular for being the best spot to watch the famed Mavericks surf break in winter. But this place is beautiful year round for hiking.
View- Sponsored
2021 Hiking Calendar!
Ready to kick off 2021? (Like we have to ask.) Literally kick it off, with a hike! Download the 2021 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary)—with recommended trails for every month of the year.
View It Takes a Hidden Villa
Adorable farm animals and peaceful hiking trails: Now that's some comfort and joy. Visit Hidden Villa in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, hike to South Bay vistas and see animal cuteness.
ViewHiking Forecast: Windy
Fall colors on your mind? Put Windy Hill Preserve in the South Bay on your hiking list. We recommend a 6.2-mile loop that starts and finishes at its namesake summit, where sunsets dazzle.
ViewLight of Los Trancos
In autumn, Los Trancos Open Space Preserve lights up with orange-red maples, yellow hazelnut, and deciduous oaks, making this 2.5-mile hike in the Santa Cruz mountains a wonder-fall destination.
ViewForest Bathe Under the Redwoods
Giant Douglas firs and a peaceful madrone- and tanoak-studded forest make the hiking at Sanborn County Park sublime, but there’s an added majesty here thanks to the Todd Creek Redwoods Grove.
ViewHike and Seek
This 2.1-mile hike in McClellan Ranch Preserve near downtown Cupertino has quiet nature, historic ranch buildings, wildlife-watching, fall color, and Stevens Creek.
ViewSimply Wunderful
Hike the mixed evergreen woodland and coast redwoods in the South Bay's Wunderlich Park. Sunlight filters naturally through the trees on this lovely 3.4-mile lollipop loop.
ViewRedwoods, Beach, Banner View!
Explore among the redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park on this magical 5-mile hike featuring the big trees, a beach, and a beautiful view from an observation deck.
ViewAh, Good Point
Ready for a rewarding view? Head to to one of the Peninsula’s favorite promontories: Mori Point. Climb your way up the Bootlegger’s Steps to the Mori Point headland for awesome vantages of the San Mateo Coast.
ViewA View Comes into Re-focus
The view from the San Francisco Bay “Discovery Site” is quite grand, but its history isn’t. Situated at 1,200 feet on a ridgeline between Pacifica and San Bruno, the scenery from the site is awe-inspiring.
ViewViews Fit for a King
This 6-miler has it all: interesting sandstone formations, wide blue views of the Pacific, and a glistening waterfall. Castle Rock State Park is a popular treasure of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
ViewCrushin' on Russian Ridge
We can't always guarantee timing, but wildflowers love Russian Ridge. In spring this park can be a tapestry of colors, but even if the flower power isn't full on, the views sure are!
View
Spring Up to These Amazing Events
Shake it up, shake it all the way up to this sunniest city in the state for the most unique and fun-fueled events. Redding is true Northern California, surrounded by famous mountains, nearby national parks and recreation areas, and the sparkling Sacramento River.
See Spring's Most Unique EventsYour Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.