Bay Area Ridgetop Hikes and Bike Rides

Ridgetop Views

Peak hikes get a lot of attention. But what about ridgetop rambles? These hikes and bike rides in the Bay Area traverse amazing ridges for some seriously cinematic outdoors.

Week: 07.22.2020
Regions: Northern CA

Go See Grandmother

Hike to the Grandmother Oak in Hood Mountain Regional Park

Grandmother Tree Hike Hood Mountain Sugarloaf park Sonoma
Grandmother’s calling, so you must go. The Grandmother Tree is the largest known coast live oak in Sonoma County, and she resides in quite the beautiful setting. Visit her via a 5-mile (round-trip) hike high in Hood Mountain Regional Park.
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Gateway to Glacier National Park

Kalispell Montana Summer Adventure Plan

Kalispell Montana Summer Adventure hiking Glacier National Park
It’s known as the Soul of Montana: Kalispell is one of the West’s ultimate mountain towns—only a 30-minute scenic drive to the west side of Glacier National Park. Make the friendly mountain town your home base to these top adventures.
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Ridgetop Rolling

Bicycle Ride the Nimitz Way Trail in Berkeley's Tilden Regional Park

Bicycle Nimitz Way Trail Tilden Berkeley
Tilden Regional Park is the flagship of the East Bay Regional Parks system. And its best views? Find them along Nimitz Way, a paved, multi-use ridgetop trail. We recommend biking this trail for about 4 miles.
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A View Comes into Re-focus

Hike to Sweeney Ridge Between Pacifica and San Bruno on Sneath Lane

Hike Sweeney Ridge Trail Sneath Lane Discovery Site
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.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Talk of the Town

    We're spilling the tea on this bountiful 5.5-mile loop to Gossip Rock in Hayward’s Garin Regional Park (currently whispering all the right springtime notes).

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  2. Swing into Spring

    Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.

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  3. The Carson Show

    Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

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  4. woman kneeling and signing peak book at Mount Olympia in Mount Diablo State Park

    Double Up on Diablo

    Set the tone for 2024 with this twofer summit hike at Mount Diablo State Park. Embark on a 7-mile out-and-back up Mount Olympia and Diablo’s lesser-known summit, North Peak.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Hiker overlooking Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey

    Pinnacles of Spring

    Why hike at Pinnacles National Park? Spring's a beautiful time of year here. And you might spy the magnificent California condor soaring while you gain soaring views from the High Peaks Trail.

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  2. Caves in Mojave

    No one expects to see caves when they visit the desert, and that’s part of what makes Mitchell Caverns in the Mojave Desert such an interesting place. Go on a two-hour guided adventure tour through Mitchell Caverns in Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.

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  3. Hikers by the reservoir at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks

    Triumphant in Triunfo

    Go on a hike with a peaceful reservoir, charming meadows, and beautiful spring blooms at Triunfo Creek Park near Thousand Oaks.

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  4. William Kenyon Overlook

    Some of the best vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are easily accessible via a short and sweet 1.25-mile (round-trip) hike just off the CA-78. Enter your next favorite desert viewpoint: the William Kenyon Overlook.

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