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All Stories from Northern CA

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    Hot 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.

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    Grizzly 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.

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    Peak-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.

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    Ridgetop Rolling

    Tilden Regional Park is the flagship of the East Bay Regional Parks system. And its best views? Find them along Nimitz Way, a paved, multi-use ridgetop trail. We recommend biking this trail for about 4 miles.

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    A View Comes into Re-focus

    The view from the San Francisco Bay “Discovery Site” is quite grand, but its history isn’t. Situated at 1,200 feet on a ridgeline between Pacifica and San Bruno, the scenery from the site is awe-inspiring.

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    Go See Grandmother

    Grandmother’s calling, so you must go. The Grandmother Tree is the largest known coast live oak in Sonoma County, and she resides in quite the beautiful setting. Visit her via a 5-mile (round-trip) hike high in Hood Mountain Regional Park.

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    Freedom of Beach

    Nearly a mile of slate and black sand, expansive views of San Francisco, and just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin's Black Sands Beach is the size of Baker Beach—without the crowds.

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    Magical McClures

    McClures Beach is a seductive little spot: small, beautiful, and quiet. It’s easy to while away an afternoon-turned-sunset at this pocket cove in Point Reyes.

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    Gateway to Glacier National Park

    It’s known as the Soul of Montana: Kalispell is one of the West’s ultimate mountain towns—only a 30-minute scenic drive to the west side of Glacier National Park. Make the friendly mountain town your home base to these top adventures.

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    Soul Cycle

    A bicycle is a fantastic way to take in the 360-degree panoramas you get on Angel Island. The straightforward Perimeter Road is a car-free route that circumnavigates the island. Stop along the way at a hidden beach.

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    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

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    Secret Beach

    A hidden beach and a killer view? Those are hard to come by, but that’s exactly what you’ll get at Perles Beach on Angel Island. This pocket cove is worth the 1.5-mile trek to get there.

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    All Roads Lead to Rogue

    Idea for your next road trip: Go Rogue! The Rogue Valley in beautiful Southern Oregon has some of the state’s best hiking, swim holes, and wineries, and the charming historic towns of Ashland, Medford, and Jacksonville.

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    Bull Yeah!

    Hit the bull’s eye of wide open space at Bull Point Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. This 3.8-mile out-and-back hike along Drakes Estero’s Creamery Bay is easygoing and packs a visual punch.

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    Exclamation Point!

    Maybe it’s the constant ocean breeze, or the burly tule elk, or the chance to see spouting gray whales: There’s something about Tomales Point Trail. It’s a simple 4.5-mile hike to a promontory overlooking the Pacific. But what you encounter along the way … well that’s pure Point Reyes.

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    Tam Slam!

    This 8-mile (round-trip) hike is a pure classic, with redwoods, water-flows, and soaring views of the coastline. Oh yeah, and that ladder!

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    Road Trip Ahead: Oregon Outback

    Remote open spaces, camping under true Dark Skies, hiking and biking trails galore, wildlife refuges, and hot springs! Plan your road trip to the Oregon Outback this summer.

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    Views Fit for a King

    This 6-miler has it all: interesting sandstone formations, wide blue views of the Pacific, and a glistening waterfall. Castle Rock State Park is a popular treasure of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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    Positive Steps to Take

    As the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world in March, we joined with local agencies to organize around the outdoors as essential for health and well-being. We're passionate about nature and believe it's important for everyone to be able to access and enjoy equally.

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    Nice Ring to It

    This tiny but mighty open space preserve on the Tiburon Peninsula can often exhibit a wide range of wildflowers late into the season, not to mention one of the most jaw-dropping views of the bay.

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