All Stories from Northern CA
Rock and Roll Golden Gate
Golden Gate Park closes part of JFK Drive to cars, so walkers, bike riders, and roller skaters can have some fun outdoors. Here are some highlights for when you visit, including an adventure through the park with the characters from Adventures With Alice.
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Hidden Stairways of SF: Urban Hike
This guided hike sells out fast! Get outdoors and explore the hidden stairways and gardens of San Francisco anew.
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Step outside and into a storybook adventure that also includes majestic horses, West Bluff Beach waves, and iconic San Francisco views.
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The Highway of Waterfalls
Ready for a totally refreshing road trip? Hit the Highway of Waterfalls! This stretch of road in Southern Oregon travels alongside the wild and scenic section of the North Umpqua River—and more than a dozen waterfalls.
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It's all about the water, and the camping, at Utica Reservoir in Stanislaus National Forest, a High Sierra reservoir perfect for kayak explorations and pitching your tent with the lake in the background.
ViewHigh Five!
Hit the High Sierra for a day hike or get a permit to spend the night at one of the Cottonwood Lakes, five sublime oases set in the John Muir Wilderness.
ViewDuck, Duck, Goose!
Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.
ViewLookout for This View!
Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!
ViewAll's Well That's Elwell
Mount Elwell's peak offers one of the best views of the northern Sierra. With two different routes to hike, it's 7 to 8 miles (round-trip) to the 7,818-foot peak. And it's a challenge!
ViewThe Long and Short of It
The Lakes Basin is, as you’d expect, packed with lakes. And Long Lake is one of its, well, longest. What’s not long is the hike to it—just 1 mile! This oasis is perfect for lounging.
ViewAh, Good Point
Ready for a rewarding view? Head to one of the Peninsula’s favorite promontories: Mori Point. Climb your way up the Bootlegger’s Steps to the Mori Point headland for awesome vantages of the San Mateo Coast.
ViewSibley Amazement
A 10-million-year-old volcano and a couple of labyrinths are part of this 2.2-mile hike in the Oakland Hills at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve.
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Simply Amazing Road Trip
Don’t overthink it, just go! Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin is a hidden gem just north of the California border. This adventurous region makes savoring summer and fall easy with abundant outdoor recreation.
View All Ride, Albany!
Bike a new section of the Bay Trail on a pedal from Berkeley to Albany Bulb for gorgeous waterside vistas, colorful outdoor art, and a short hike detour to a labyrinth.
ViewFarm to Tent Cabins
The hardest part of staying at Willow-Witt Ranch will be leaving. This sprawling 445-acre property in Southern Oregon is part organic farm, part campground, part wellness retreat, and wholly relaxing.
ViewPeak-a-View!
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the entire country and the seventh deepest in the world. For one of the very best perspectives of this shining blue beauty, hike up to Garfield Peak.
ViewGrizzly and Great Views
You probably won’t see a grizzly bear on the hike up Grizzly Peak, but you will see locals on this 5.3-mile lollipop loop trail with panoramic mountain views and meadows of wildflowers.
ViewHighway of Waterfalls
Something you’ll notice when driving in Southern Oregon: The highways are beautiful. And perhaps none more enchanting than the Highway of Waterfalls. One not to miss: Susan Creek Falls.
ViewHot Springs With a View
People love a good hot spring. And Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon is a marquee attraction. You're perched on a mineral deposit above the flowing beauty of the North Umpqua River.
ViewGone Rogue!
If one thing can make you feel like a kid at summer camp, it’s spending a day on the river, rafting, floating, cannonballing off cliffs—eureka! One of the best rivers in the West to float is the Rogue River.
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Yes, Seattle!
Ready to try something new this winter? Seattle’s ready for you! Beautiful by nature with its Puget Sound setting, surrounding mountains, and nearby national parks, winter in Seattle can be a magical and festive time. Ever been in a hot tub boat?...
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