All Stories from Greater California

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  A Splash of Whiskeytown

  Located just 8 miles west of Redding and surrounded by mountain peaks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is nearly 40,000 acres of all things outdoors: waterfalls, campgrounds, beaches, hiking trails, and a beautiful crystal-clear lake at the center of it all.

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  Weekend at Burney's

  The 129-foot Burney Falls gushes 100 million gallons of water every day over a basalt cliff face from Burney Creek. Get up close to it on an easy 1.2-mile hike taking you down to the waterfall’s base.

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  West's Best Bike Ride

  It’s the crown jewel of biking trails, wending its way through wildflowers and by the banks of the rippling Sacramento River, with stunning mountain views along the way. You’ll als

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  Hot, Wet, and Wild!

  At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar

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  Soaking Up History

  When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history. Although this rustic resort south of Bishop has changed hands a f

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  Hike the Pioneer Trail

  Wildflowers unfurling from their winter slumber, birds chirping in the trees, turtles warming themselves in the sun—find your Zen early this spring with a mellow and scenic hike to

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  All the Ride Stuff

  Car-free, paved, picnic-friendly, and paralleling the river, the American River Parkway–Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail is the perfect place for exploring on two wheels. The multi-us

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  Row With the Flow

  Gliding across the tranquil waters of Lake Natoma, you’ll quickly discover why this oasis is beloved by locals. The lake—actually part of the American River—is a paddler’s paradise

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  Totally Tubular!

  Lift, slide, scream, repeat! For pure winter fun, you can’t beat tubing at Woolly's Tube Park near Mammoth Mountain. It’s all about the simplistic delight of hurtling down a 600-foot-long chute of packed snow on an inner tube.

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  Snowshoe Country

  Snowshoeing at Virginia Lakes, a cluster of alpine lakes nestled in the rugged eastern Sierra northwest of Mono Lake, is an unforgettable journey—and you’re likely to see just a ha

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  Peaceful Pistes

  Downhill not your cup of cocoa? Go Nordic! Mammoth’s stunning Lakes Basin has 19-plus miles of groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails where you won’t find crowds or expensiv

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  Make Way for McWay

  Big Sur’s had some hard luck with fire damage and mudslides in the past few years, but that hasn’t put a stop to its wild natural beauty: epic Pacific views, iconic redwoods, and o

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  Redwoods Friday

  How’s this for a post-Thanksgiving plan: on Black Friday, you’ll be seeing red … as in magnificent redwoods! Yep, the day after Thanksgiving you can enjoy free day-use admission to

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  Light at the End of the Road

  Looking for the light at the end of the road? How about a light station?! Dramatically perched at the tip of a headland and surrounded by 30 acres of open space, Point Cabrillo Lig

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  Sea-nic Stay & Stroll

  Charmed. That’s about the best word to describe the way you’ll feel when you stay at Mendocino’s Sea Rock Inn. Its location couldn’t be better: just outside the village and overloo

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  Just Dune It

  Miles of epic sand dunes seem like something you're more likely to find in the desert than on Northern California's lush redwood coast. Surprise! One of the most spectacular expanses of sand-scape you’ll ever see is in Humboldt County, just minutes by car from Old Town Eureka.

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  Big Tree Bonanza

  Roosevelt elk, canyons draped in ferns and dripping with small waterfalls, oh … and the tallest trees on the entire planet! Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has all the fixings for world-class hiking.

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  I Do!

  Even if you’re not getting married anytime soon, you’ve gotta visit Wedding Rock, the most dramatic spot in Patrick’s Point State Park. It’s called Wedding Rock because the park’s

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  Cabin on the Coast

  So you’d like to camp on the wild Mendocino coast … except for—you know—that whole pitching a tent and sleeping on the ground thing? A-OK! Actually, it’s KOA! Yes, Manchester Beach

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  Swim Hole, Say No More!

  People flock to Kirkwood’s Silver Lake, a quiet beauty set against the backdrop of the Sierras. But few know about the easy 2-mile out-and-back (round-trip) hike that follows one o

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