All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA

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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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  Canyons Calling

  Canyon hikes come in all shapes and sizes in Death Valley, and we’ve got two gems. One requires more rigorous scrambling and navigation, and leads to a dryfall; the other takes you up to a brilliant vista.

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  Dune Swoon

  Of all the places to catch a sunset in Death Valley, we still think there’s none better than the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, inspiring many things, including log rolls, cartwheels, and sundown selfies.

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  Good as Golden

  Golden Canyon in Death Valley has a variety of hiking trails. We like this classic 5.5-mile loop exploring a labyrinth of marbled gold colored hills, badlands, narrow canyons, and tremendous vistas.

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  Cataclysmic Galactic

  Death Valley has a Star Wars vibe going with its desolate landscape. So when you first arrive to hike at the incredible Ubehebe Crater you might expect to see the Millennium Falcon hunkered nearby.

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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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  Best Foot Forward

  Foothills Park has 15 miles of trail surrounded by misty valleys, tender oak trees, seasonal creeks, a peaceful lake, and beautiful Bay Area vistas. Plan ahead because it's new, and very popular.

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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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  Big Wave Hiking

  Pillar Point Bluff's amazing trail system is a coastal haven most popular for being the best spot to watch the famed Mavericks surf break in winter. But this place is beautiful year round for hiking.

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  Spit Shine

  Limantour Beach in Point Reyes is wild and beautiful coastline. Walk the beach for a few miles and spy amazing wildlife along this narrow spit of sand flanked by the Pacific Ocean and Drakes Estero.

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  Watershed Moment

  The Presidio in San Francisco offers some of the best urban hiking in the country! And the new marsh bridges under Presidio Parkway offer more habitat for plants, fish, and bird life... and trails for us!

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  Skyline's the Limit

  The brand-new Saratoga to the Skyline Trail connects Saratoga to the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Thru-hike the first 5.1 miles for beautiful Santa Clara Valley vistas.

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  Sponsored

  2021 Hiking Calendar!

  Ready to kick off 2021? (Like we have to ask.) Literally kick it off, with a hike! Download the 2021 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary)—with recommended trails for every month of the year.

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  It Takes a Hidden Villa

  Adorable farm animals and peaceful hiking trails: Now that's some comfort and joy. Visit Hidden Villa in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, hike to South Bay vistas and see animal cuteness.

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