Top 10 Viewpoints

Top 10 Viewpoints in the Santa Cruz Mountains

05.17.2018

In the Bay Area we pride ourselves on seeking new points of view. But how about seeking out the best points of view?! Yep, our friends at Peninsula Open Space Trust have done it again, creating a complimentary downloadable guide to the very best vistas in the Peninsula and South Bay.

The Top 10 Vistas of the Santa Cruz Mountains gives you the 5 best viewpoints you can hike to and the 5 best viewpoints you can drive to … complete with directions, interactive trail maps, activities to do at each vista location, and insider tips. It even comes with a compass!

Do you know about Eagle Rock in Little Basin? How about Mindego Hill? Find out about these vistas and 8 others, then get going to viewtiful!

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  1. Purely Purisima

    Take a relaxing hike on the lower section of Purisiima Creek Trail in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.

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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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    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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  1. Ballona Beach Hopper

    This easygoing bike escape is proof that you don't have to drive for hours to feel the vast benefits of nature. The Ballona Creek Bike Path is part of the “Park to Playa Regional Trail,” a 13-mile network connecting parks and open spaces from Baldwin Hills to the Pacific Ocean.

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  2. Lookout Ahead!

    A 3.7-mile loop hike to Boucher Hill Fire Lookout in Palomar Mountain State Park reminds us just how stunningly beautiful are the mountains of this remote, lightly visited portion of northern San Diego County.

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  3. 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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  4. Strawberry Peak Lookout Hike

    Strawberry Sunday

    The 2.5-mile (round-trip) lollipop loop climb to the Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout near the town of Lake Arrowhead dishes up some delicious views.

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