All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA
Will You Accept This Rose?
Not every rose ceremony comes with a kiss or tears. Take the Berkeley Rose Garden, the centerpiece and starting point for a colorful urban walk with hidden staircases. Instead of tears, you get tiers: the roses here burst forth in brilliance with 1,500 individual rose bushes
ViewStairways to Santa Cruz
Golden beaches, beautiful Pacific views, and famous surf … don’t just take the famous boardwalk to see Santa Cruz: Take the stairs! This 2.6-mile urban hike features four cool stairways through Santa Cruz’s lively downtown and beautiful neighborhoods—rich with history.
ViewAmerica's Best Urban Hike
Many years ago we dubbed it the “Grand Walk” and said it was one of the most scenic and stunning trails in the West. We were wrong. This is the most scenic urban hike in America!
ViewHead for the Headlands
A stroll along Mendocino's marquee bluffs is pretty much mandatory when you visit, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the charming hamlet of Mendocino, offers your
ViewBluffing Seals
We love aquariums, but there’s something special about viewing adorable, blubbery harbor seals in their natural habitat—namely Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Seal Sanctuary
ViewYou've Got Stile
Startups aren’t the only thing popping up in Silicon Valley. California poppies make their mark this time of year too. Find solitude and color among the hills and trees of San Jose
ViewMeet Ed
What’s in a name? A lot, if you’re visiting Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas. From strolling among fields of wildflowers to walking along a scenic ridge with beautiful bay views
ViewPeak Pacifica
Lingering wildflowers and sweeping Pacifica views … this 1,900-foot peak hike up Pacifica’s Montara Mountain has it all, including a beach ending! Start at the Gray Whale Cove trai
ViewMore Cowell Bell!
Crashing waves, salty air, greenery, and enormous coastal views: Biking or hiking the 6.6-miles of the Cowell-Purisima bluffs will leave you feeling spring fresh! Just a few miles
ViewSugar Rush
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is in the heart of wine country. This 4,000-acre open space straddles the Sonoma and Napa Valleys in the Mayacamas Mountains. And its trails are somethin
ViewSimply Sunsational!
Sometimes the best things are right under your nose—or in this case, right off Sonoma’s historic plaza. Enjoy a 2.5-mile (round-trip) sunset hike on Sonoma’s Overlook Trail. Locals
ViewEyepopping Poppies
Poppies! Lots and lots of poppies. Reaching the top of Grass Mountain near Santa Ynez feels like approaching the Emerald City in the Land of Oz—only crossing this poppy field won’t
ViewFantastic Phantom!
Blooming wildflowers and gushing waterfalls can only mean one thing: spring on North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve! The mountain—actually a basalt mesa—is worth a visit any tim
ViewGilroy Glory
Rolling green hills punctuated by carpets buttercups and poppies: Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park in Gilroy seems positively sun-kissed in spring. It’s the best time of y
ViewAbbotts Bonanza
Pure wilderness, Pacific views, lush greenery, and wildflowers galore … yep, Point Reyes National Seashore is pretty much spring loaded. For the best of landscape, sandscape, and s
ViewWeekend at Burney's
The 129-foot Burney Falls gushes 100 million gallons of water every day over a basalt cliff face from Burney Creek. Get up close to it on an easy 1.2-mile hike taking you down to the waterfall’s base.
ViewMultiple Choice Hot Springs
Travertine Hot Springs stands apart from other Eastern Sierra soaking sites for the astounding way that rock formations convey water to its primitive pools. Craggy ridges of traver
ViewHot, Wet, and Wild!
At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away. The springs ar
ViewTramp at Trampas
Epic East Bay views: check! Terrain with just enough challenge to keep things interesting: check! Wildflowers blooming on spring green hills: check and check! Yep, you’ll wanna tra
ViewSecret Diablo
Great views, wildflowers, vibrant green hills, even a Secret Trail … Mount Diablo State Park does it again with this spectacular 6-mile loop hike fit for spring. The Briones–Mount
View
The 2025 Hiking Calendar Is Here!
Ready to make hiking part of your New Year’s wellness plan? Get the all-new 2025 Hiking Calendar courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
Get the 2025 POST Hiking Calendar
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