All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA

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  Cross It Off Your Bucket List

  Crosstown Trail San Francisco may be one of the most beautiful city walks in America, passing through less-visited nooks and crannies while also taking in greatest hits, including mosaic stairways.

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  Pedal, Poppies, Picnic

  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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  Vineyard Bathing

  We know forest bathing, but how about vineyard bathing? Combine forest and vineyard for blissful hiking at Bartholomew Park in Sonoma. The park has a good 3-mile trail and beautiful winery grounds.

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  Outdoor Zen in Sonoma County

  Sonoma County’s abundant natural beauty is good for your mind, body, and spirit. From redwoods and rhododendron walks, to yoga in a vineyard, here are five ways to soothe your soul in Sonoma County.

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  Quicksilver Confetti

  There’s something extra wild about Almaden Quicksilver County Park these days: wildflowers! They’re exploding like confetti amid the grasslands, and you can see them on this 5.7-mile loop hike.

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  Valentine Vista Loop

  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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  Ohlone Time

  The hills have gone green just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, and this 7.5-mile lollipop loop hike passes through some of Mount Tam’s lushest spots, with bridges, creeks, a waterfall, and big views.

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  Edgewood Sparklers

  Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve in Woodside sparkles with wildflowers, and you can see them on this 4.2-mile loop with vistas of Mount Diablo and the San Francisco Bay.

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  Headlands Over Heels

  People come from all over the world to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. Get a dramatic and novel view of the bridge without all the people on this moderate 6-mile hike in the Marin Headlands.

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  Briones Bountiful!

  With over 6,000 acres teeming with trails, Briones Regional Park has plenty of room, big views, and a classic 7-mile circuit passing the two highest points in the park, Mott’s Peak and Briones Peak.

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  Heart of the Matter

  With very few tourists in town, San Francisco’s Presidio gets to bask mostly in local love. Do the classic Heart of the Park hike, which includes the historic and poignant National Cemetery Overlook.

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  Thornewood In Your Pocket

  Hints of wildflowers, a ravine of redwoods, and vistas over the San Francisco Bay and Diablo Range. Thornewood Preserve in Woodside packs a lot into its tiny space. An early morning start has perks.

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  Short Hike, Sweet View!

  Steady as you go ... all the way up to a sweeping Bay vista at Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. This 208-acre haven has a 4.3-mile loop to one of the best views in the East Bay.

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  Gone With the Windy

  You don’t have to trek far to enjoy a hiker’s high at Windy Hill Preserve on the Peninsula. Its panoramic attraction is easily accessed via the 0.7-mile Anniversary Trail, and it’s magnificent at sunset.

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  Santa Cruz Epic Views

  Redwoods, wildflowers, and ocean vistas offer the best of the Bay Area at Upper La Honda Creek Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Take a 3.75-mile loop through the preserve's highlights.

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  Find Your Flow

  Far back in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Uvas Canyon County Park is a compact, tree-filled delight with hiking trails and several waterfalls bunched into a loop along Swanson Creek and amid lush forest.

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  Ready When You Are: Reno Tahoe

  With outdoors being essential for health and wellness, and new protocols in place, Reno Tahoe welcomes visitors! It's wide open with snowshoe trails, fire pits by the river, skating, and hot springs.

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  Winter Castle

  All you need is a clear day and a pair of sturdy snowshoes for the 2.25-mile (one-way) hike up to Castle Pass near Donner Summit in Tahoe National Forest. The views from the pass are royally good!

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  Shell of a Good Hike!

  Head to the East Bay’s Shell Ridge Open Space near Walnut Creek to find 1,400 acres of rolling hills. This 7-mile ridge rambling loop showcases all that the foothills of Mount Diablo have to offer.

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  Serenity at Sunrise

  El Sereno Preserve's namesake mountain rises to majestic views spanning the Diablo Range, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Santa Lucia Mountains. Do a sunrise hike to a new bench on the Aquinas Trail.

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