All "Hikes" Stories in Northern CA
Hike Pelican Bluffs Preserve
Tucked just south of Point Arena, the 73-acre Pelican Bluffs Preserve is an ideal blufftop hike with expansive views of the dramatic Mendocino coastline. A 2.2-mile trail starts in a bishop-pine forest before breaking out to wide-open coastal vistas.
ViewSuper Bowling
Hidden along the Mendocino Coast, Bowling Ball Beach lives up to its name, and then some! Giant smoothly rounded boulders (some 12 feet across) are scattered along the beach, and it’s a phenomenal spectacle.
ViewDiamonds of Diablo
With its looming peak and devilish name, it’s hard to imagine Mount Diablo having a softer side. But winter’s rains bring an unexpected boon: four watery cascades spill off the mountain’s northern flank.
ViewWaterfalls and Wine Pours
Cooler temps, green hills, and the return of our magnificent waterfalls! This family-friendly 2-mile hike at Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill is a great way to get the most out of a short hike post-rain.
ViewRush 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.
ViewWaterfall 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.
View- Sponsored
Best in Snow
There’s snow better destination for outdoor fun and events. Plumas County is a northern Sierra Nevada dreamland, with vast outdoor spaces, places, and races! Snowshoe Lassen Volcanic National Park, downhill ski at charming Coppervale Resort, and have a blast at the quirky Longboard Races.
View 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.
View- Sponsored
POST's 2023 Hiking Calendar
Start the new year off right by heading outdoors for a hike. Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) curated a (complimentary) 2023 hiking calendar that provides all the inspiration you’ll need!
View 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).
View- Sponsored
The Holiday Spirit of San Ramon
From a holiday ice rink and mistletoe hikes to outdoor fire pits for cozy winter nights, here’s your San Ramon holiday getaway guide
View - Sponsored
Best of Shasta
When you book just a two-night stay in Redding, you’ll get complimentary tickets to Lake Shasta Caverns National Natural Landmark
View Redwoods on Campus
You don’t have to be a student to enjoy a beautiful stroll in the UC Davis Arboretum. Walk the 3.5-mile (round-trip) paved path alongside Putah Creek, passing through 17 gardens, including beautiful redwoods and Torrey pines.
ViewThe Grand Ride
The Sacramento River Trail in Redding lives up to its premier status as one of the best rail trails in the country for bikes and pedestrians only. Start at the architecturally stunning Sundial Bridge and follow the sublime Sacramento River upstream all the way to Shasta Dam.
ViewChamise, Please
Redding’s Chamise Peak is reached via a 5-mile hike that rewards with a 360-degree vista including the Sacramento River canyon, Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, and Mount Shasta.
ViewColor-fall Roll or Stroll
With over 250 miles to choose from, Redding is known as Trail City, USA for good reason. Basically, this place is a mountain biking haven with one of the West’s best trail systems. Novice mountain-bike riders will love the easygoing and scenic 3.5-mile Churn Creek Greenway.
ViewFall for These Falls
Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.
ViewSunshine and Skyline
Head to Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve for a 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail that offers a front-row seat to spectacular sunsets.
ViewSunlight and the Sea
Rugged coastal cliffs, magnificent cloud formations, and sunlight sparkling on the water create beautiful autumn views at Mori Point in Pacifica. Hikers and cyclists can catch a Pacific sunset on the 2.5-mile Mori Point Loop.
View- Sponsored
Center of Attention
Central Oregon is home to the craft beer capital of the US, the Deschutes River, and trails for every kind of outdoor adventure: hiking, skiing, paddling, biking, and—of course—relaxing at fire pits.
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 CalendarYour Inbox to the Outdoors
Stay up to date with our weekly recommendations on where to explore locally in California.