All Stories from North Bay

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  Picnic and a Pedal

  West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

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  Doran for Days

  Want the best seats in the house for your beachside picnic or barbecue? Beeline to Bodega Bay’s sprawling Doran Beach (aka Doran Regional Park).

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  Sponsored

  Marin Wildflower Guide!

  Thanks to winter’s wet weather, wildflowers are going to be showstoppers this spring! Get the best in blooms with a complimentary Marin Wildflower Guide.

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  Sonoma's Got the Best Spring Film + Food Fest

  Exquisite food and famous chefs (Susan Feniger!), exceptional wine (Sonoma!), interesting films (Ethan Hawke's "Wildcat"); and super fun parties (Gay-LA Disco!): Spring into Sonoma March 20 to 24 for the Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF).

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  Sponsored

  Sonoma Valley's 100 Days of Winter Wellness Guide

  This winter wellness plan goes to 100! Nurture yourself in 2024 with Sonoma Valley’s 100 Days of Winter Wellness guide. It’s a perfectly curated array of inspiration and ideas.

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  Salmon on the Rebound

  The return of salmon to Marin County creeks is one of nature’s most intriguing seasonal events, an inspiring sight to behold; but it takes patience, laser focus, and the help of fellow hikers also on the lookout for this special show, happening now! So, where can you currently see them? ...

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  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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  Most Peaceful Hike of All

  Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

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  Bodega's Beautiful Bird Walk

  Bodega Bay may be best known as the backdrop for Alfred Hitchcock’s famous movie The Birds, but there’s a softer side to its dramatic coastline. The Bird Walk Coastal Access Trail loops around two ponds and provides a bird’s–eye view of serene Bodega Bay.

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  London Calling

  The writer Jack London was known for his adventure stories, and an autumn hike at his namesake state park in Sonoma Valley illuminates more than his career. Eucalyptus, oaks, sprawling vineyards, and brilliant redwoods are part of the autumn magic amid the rich history of the park.

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  Dillon Dollar Stay

  Proving that tiny concepts pair well with big nature, Marin’s Dillon Beach Resort has refreshed overnight stays with their new and charming tiny cottage additions. Complementing the tiny? Huge coastal views, sweeping from Tomales Point to Bodega Bay.

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  You Know Kehoe?

  Hiking with your dog in a national park? Almost unheard of! But Point Reyes National Seashore has an easy and short hiking trail to a stunning beach that’s dog-friendly on its north side. Kehoe Beach is a beautiful place to hang out even if you don’t have a dog.

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  Make It McInnis

  The old adage that good things come in small packages fits well when you visit San Rafael’s 450-acre McInnis Park. Mini-golf, tennis courts (for pickleball, of course!), and a stellar skate park all feature into the activities here.

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  The Bounties of Bouverie

  Wildlife, wildflowers, and a hidden waterfall! The Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen is a protected sanctuary of diverse ecosystems, plentiful wildlife, and—in spring—wildflowers. The only way to see it all is on guided walks.

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  Rush and Tumble

  Mount Tam’s Cataract Falls is the bobsled course of waterfalls: over a mile of twisting, turning, tumbling water—gushing, rushing, and making a splash! The real joy is hiking right beside Cataract Creek as it’s chugging on all cylinders.

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  Waterfall Milestone

  Where can you find a nearly mile-long series of waterfalls right here in the Bay Area? The north flank of Mount Tam. Every winter, Cataract Falls transforms into a long stretch of fast-charging flows.

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  Sweet as Sugarloaf

  Right in the heart of wine country there’s plenty more than wine flowing right now, with an oft unheralded waterfall that surges to an exuberant spectacle from all the recent rain.

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  Loma Alta's Hidden Labyrinth

  Oak Manor Labyrinth in Marin’s Loma Alta Open Space is a hidden gem with huge views. The 2-mile out-and-back hike to reach it is a bit steep in parts, but the payoff is a 360-degree joy to the wild (with a bit of cityscape).

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  Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

  One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

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  Morning Sun and a Mimosa

  Maybe you’ve strolled the Sausalito waterfront, but have you ventured up the forested stairway trail to beautiful bay views and the headlands? Get an early start (parking fills quickly!) and hike the Morning Sun Trail, which switchbacks for half a mile up through an oak forest with peek-a-boo views of the bay.

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