Poppy Hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area

The Bay Area has some great pop ups in spring, specifically, the California poppy, popping up now. Here are some hikes and bike rides that can pop with poppies.

Week: 04.05.2023
Regions: Northern CA

Valentine Vista Loop

Hike Valentine Vista Loop in Moore Creek Park Napa

Woman standing on the trail of Valentine Vista Loop at Moore Creek Park in Napa with poppies blooming on the grass
Woman standing in a field of wildflowers at Valentine Vista Loop Trail in Moore Creek Park Napa
Hike the 4.3-mile Valentine Vista Trail at Moore Creek Park. It's spectacular for views and poppies blooming in spring.
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Spring for a New Adventure

Spring Adventures in North Lake Tahoe for 2023

family sledding in north lake tahoe
kids roasting marshmallows in north lake tahoe
skiers in north lake tahoe
skiers in north lake tahoe
North Lake Tahoe is having a spring for the ages, with historic snow levels. This season has always been special: There are great mid-week deals, and this year the snow is going to stick around for a while—skiing until July! Make a week of it!
Spring Adventures in North Lake Tahoe

Pedal, Poppies, Picnic

Bike or hike at Helen Putnam Regional Park near Petaluma

Woman sitting at a bench overlooking the fields and foothills at Helen Putnam Regional Park near Petaluma.
Biker by the water at Helen Putnam Regional Park in Sonoma County
Poppies on a trail in Helen Putnam Regional Park Petaluma
Biker on a trail at Helen Putnam Regional Park in Sonoma County Petaluma
Helen Putnam Regional Park punches above her weight. The compact yet bountiful park near Petaluma explodes with wildflowers every spring, in particular the state’s signature California poppy.
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Well Rounded

Hike the Grand Loop at Mount Diablo in the East Bay

Epic views, fields of flowers, and ridgeline thrills offering one of the biggest views in the West: Hiking the Grand Loop at Mount Diablo State Park in spring is eye-candy, with reams of poppies and more than 200 miles of California landscape rolling to the snowcapped Sierra.
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Colorful Calero

Hike or bike at Calero County Park in the South Bay

A hiker sitting on the trailside taking photos of poppies and wildflowers at Calero County Park in the South Bay
California poppies decorate the green hills at Calero County Park in the South Bay
Two cows on the trailside hills at Calero County Park in the South Bay
Hiker on a trail at Calero County Park in the South Bay
Rolling green hills, gorgeous vistas, and wildflowers festooning the landscape … this 5.4-mile out-and-back hike in the South Bay’s Calero County Park is a gentle ascent through landscape currently awash with color.
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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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  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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