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  1. Northern CA

    Roadside Attractions

    Some of the best scenery this time of year is found just off major thoroughfares where tranquil marshes and wetlands are traced by hiking and biking trails. The bonus: abundant birdlife is peaking right now. Here are three roadside attractions worth flocking to!

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  2. Southern CA

    Oscars for the Outdoors

    The Academy Awards are this Sunday, but before you sit down to toast cinematic excellence on the big screen, enjoy the bigger picture by heading outdoors to hike, bike, and explore a few local spots that made their way to stardom. And—action!

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  3. Southern CA

    Trails Less Traveled

    With so many popular places to hike in Los Angeles, where do you go to escape the crowds? How about to those same popular places… Here are three ways to get off the beaten path in some of LA's busiest hiking hot spots.

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  4. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  5. Northern CA

    Hikes to Brunch

    Don't just go to brunch, hike to brunch! From East Bay to North Bay, here are three great hikes with tasty places to grab a bite en route or when you're finished. Trail mix just got an upgrade.

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  6. Northern CA

    Graytest Hits

    Gray is the unofficial color of winter, which can be a good thing. Here are a few ways to put a little gray in your day.

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  7. Southern CA

    Morning Glory

    Add some buzz-factor to your mornings on any of these three sunrise hikes with cafés and good coffee close by.

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  8. Northern CA

    Winter Beaches

    Beach-going in the summer? So cliché. Hitting the beach in winter? How avant-garde! Here are three sandy havens that are winter-wonderful, and dog-friendly too!

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  9. Southern CA

    Urban Stairway Hikes

    This New Year, ups and downs are guaranteed … and that’s a great thing if you’re doing any of these three urban stairway hikes with great views. Step up to 2015!

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  10. Southern CA & Northern CA

    Tahoe Time

    It's home to the largest alpine lake in North America, some of the world’s best ski resorts, and off-the-beaten path places for finding fun or solitude. Tahoe in winter is true blue, and ready for you!

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  11. Southern CA

    Time for Tahoe

    It's home to the largest alpine lake in North America, some of the world’s best ski resorts, and off-the-beaten path places for finding fun or solitude. Tahoe in winter is true blue, and ready for you!

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  12. Southern CA

    Peak Perspective

    Start the New Year with a fresh point of view! Here are three peak hikes for gaining excellent perspectives. Adventure time!

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  13. Northern CA

    New Perspectives

    Start 2015 with a fresh point of view. From bluff strolling bliss to a secret mountain ridge ramble—and a tiny urban park in between—here are three ways to gain a new perspective this year.

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  14. 12 Years of Adventure
    Northern CA

    12 Years of Adventure

    Twelve years ago we launched the first edition of Weekend Sherpa for the San Francisco Bay Area. Back then the song of summer was "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake, and Talladega Nights was topping the box office. While change is inevitable, one thing for us remains the same: Our commitment to inspiring local adventures. There are no shortcuts, and we don't crowdsource. We've done a lot of exploring over the years to share the best stuff with you! Here are 12 of our favorite adventures.

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  15. Sponsored
    2025-04-09

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  16. Ocean View Southern California
    Southern CA

    Romance Ready!

    Afternoon Delight Captivating coastline, charming cottages, clear waters, and quaint wooden staircases: It's just another afternoon at the beach on this 6-mile (round-trip) seaside stroll in Crystal Cove State Park. Morning Glory Secluded at 1,500 feet in the Santa Monica Mountains, Tuna Canyon Park in Malibu at sunrise feels truly wild. Hike to a spectacular sunrise viewpoint marked by a spiraling labyrinth of stones, then get a coffee and pastries at Topanga's Café Mimosa, a quirky local spot with French flair. Voulez-vous café avec moi? Heavy Breathing A cardio climb up a mountain. Check. Stunning views. Check. And located right in LA? How very chic! Urban hiking has a wild side and the proof is on Mount Washington just northeast of downtown LA. Nice Butte! Hiking to a mountain peak in the desert? You don't even have to leave LA County to check out this butte! Saddleback Butte State Park gives you a taste of the Mojave Desert from Saddleback Butte, a solitary mountain rising 3,651 feet. Summit it on a 5-mile (round-trip) journey.

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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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  2. Woman hiker is climbing up the ladder in the Steep Ravine section of the Dipsea Loop Trail on Mount Tam

    Misty on Mount Tam

    Mount Tam’s 3.9-mile round-trip Steep Ravine and Dipsea Trail Loop weathers the wets and wilds with some confidence, sheltered in parts by redwoods, and wowing with a waterfall.

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  3. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

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  4. Up and Umunhum

    Early risers can experience one of the Bay Area’s best morning glory hikes on this 7.4-mile out-and-back up beautiful Mount Umunhum. In early spring if you arrive at the parking area right before sunrise, you’ll get a beautiful eastern view of the sun coming up between Bald Mountain and the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. On days when fog settles into the valley, the colorful view is nothing short of magical.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

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  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

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