Man standing at small lake overlooking cool rock formations at Pinnacles National Park

Super Spring Hikes

Soaring vistas, wildlife sightings, wildflowers. Some hikes are super in spring! From Pinnacles National Park to a truly wild county park near San Jose, here are some top spots for soaking in spring’s bounty.

Week: 04.14.2021
Regions: Northern CA

Pinnacles of Spring

Hike the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park

Hiker overlooking Bear Gulch Reservoir at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey
Hiker at Bear Gulch Cave and High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park
Hiker on the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park near Monterey
Person hiking a scenic trail overlooking the mountain scenery at Pinnacles National Park
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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Great Is an Understatement!

Hiking and Exploring Nevada's Great Basin National Park

Hiker enroute to Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker at the summit of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park Nevada
Hiker on a trail at Great Basin National Park Nevada
Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marble limestone caves.
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Wildflower Hiking Guide

Wildflower Hiking Guide in the South Bay and Peninsula

California’s wildflowers will be lovely this spring! So how do you find the best in bloom? Check out POST’s complimentary Wildflower Guide to find the best hiking trails with wildflowers.
Download the Wildflower Hiking Guide

Big Tree Bonanza

Giant Redwood hikes at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park hike
Hiker looking at the tallest trees on the planet at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
Hiker at Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
Hiker on the James Irvine Trail among the tall trees at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County
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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Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

Hike into Muir Woods from Mount Tamalpais and the Bootjack Trail

Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods
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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Peak-a-View!

Hike to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park

Hike to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Hikers heading up the trail to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park Oregon
Hikers on the trail to Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Hikers sitting and overlooking Crater Lake at Garfield Peak in Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the entire country and the seventh deepest in the world. For one of the very best perspectives of this shining blue beauty, hike up to Garfield Peak.
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Starry-Eyed Camp Surprise

Indian Cove Campground Joshua Tree

No trip to Joshua Tree National Park is complete without a stargazing party and the comfort of a campfire. The night sky illuminates spectacularly in the desert (especially during a new moon) and is best observed with good company. Indian Cove Campground, nestled 13 miles east of
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  2. 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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  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

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  4. 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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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.

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  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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