Be Here: Berkeley

Best of Berkeley Outdoors, Food, and Craft Beer

07.25.2019

1) Tilden Ta-dah

Some hikes are like finding the entrance to Narnia. Enter a magical landscape via Laurel Canyon Trailhead in Tilden Regional Park. It heralds the start of a magnificent 3.5-mile (round-trip) journey filled with redwood forest, a lush peace grove, and spectacular views of the bay.

2) Peaks & Pints

After an afternoon hike to Wildcat Peak at Tilden Regional Park, tend to your thirst at one of Berkeley’s local craft brew pubs or wineries. Berkeley’s beer scene has been something of a phenomenon over the years—from Jupiter's 12 flagship beers and small-batch rotations to the Rare Barrel’s famous sours and the award-winning saisons at Gilman Brewing … Find a brewpub that fits your tastebuds. Or taste the flavors of Berkeley at a local winery tasting room or wine bar. Craft beer bounty, urban wine abundance!

3) Redwoods & Blooms

The Botanic Gardens at both Tilden Regional Park and UC Berkeley are  anything but garden variety, with thousands of native species blooming year round, plants from almost every continent, and acres of meandering paths. Be sure to visit Tilden's show-stopping redwood grove; take a seat on this grove’s most secluded bench and you'll confuse it with Muir Woods.

4) Tour de Culinary: Food Counterculture

Fast and casual, or slow and romantic … what’s your dining style? Berkeley has more than 350 restaurants and eateries, including a burgeoning vegetarian and vegan scene. Check out Berkeley’s new Guide to Vegetarian and Vegan, see the Local Libations recommendations, and get online to see the Berkeley Food Lovers Guide.

5) Cal Secret Spots

UC Berkeley's campus may seem like an open book, but it’s actually home to a bunch of spots that are off the beaten path, even for students! Test your treasure hunting skills with the “Cal Secret Spots” guide and find up to 22 hidden or less-known gems at Cal—including several located outdoors.

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  1. Napa Valley Paddle kayaker and paddle boarder on the Napa Valley river

    Napa's Wild Side

    It’s wine country’s Amazon. The gentle Napa River is an ecological—and recreational—delight. And Napa Valley Paddle sets you up for maximum enjoyment of this experience.

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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

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  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

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  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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  3. Sponsored

    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

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