All Stories from Northern CA
- Sponsored
Favorite Spring Color? North Lake Tahoe Blue
Where do you go to make spring twice as nice? North Lake Tahoe, naturally! Spring here offers perfect pairings that are fun for everyone, like snow sports in the morning followed by a relaxing lakeside afternoon.
View Double Up on Diablo
Set the tone for 2024 with this twofer summit hike at Mount Diablo State Park. Embark on a 7-mile out-and-back up Mount Olympia and Diablo’s lesser-known summit, North Peak.
View- Sponsored
Redding to Shake Things Up!
Go wild on your next group getaway, event, or team trip. All you have to do is take it outside, in Redding! As the sunniest city in California, surrounded by Shasta and Lassen and mountainous Whiskeytown, Redding has everything you need for a meeting of the minds, naturally!
View Swing into Spring
Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.
View- Sponsored
Olympic National Park & Forest Lodging Deals!
Washington State’s Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest get the gold medal for spring’s best lodging deal. Historic Lake Quinault Lodge—featured on PBS’s “Great Lodges of the National Parks”—is currently offering two nights for the price of one.
View Sonoma's Got the Best Spring Film + Food Fest
Exquisite food and famous chefs (Susan Feniger!), exceptional wine (Sonoma!), interesting films (Ethan Hawke's "Wildcat"); and super fun parties (Gay-LA Disco!): Spring into Sonoma March 20 to 24 for the Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF).
ViewKelso Dunes
The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.
ViewSunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View
It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. On clear days you get views of both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S.
ViewRise and Shine Zabriskie Hike
The sunrise at Zabriskie Point makes a grand entrance, with the light ascending slowly and washing over the golden badlands. It’s signature Death Valley. It’s also a great starting point for one of the Valley’s marquee hikes.
ViewStarry Night & Dark Sky Adventures
You don’t have to stay out all that late to experience eminent stargazing at Death Valley National Park. The park's been given the highest ranking of darkness by the International Dark-Sky Association. Here are a trio of amazing ways to witness the mesmerizing night sky at Death Valley:
ViewTaking the Stage: Tyler Ranch
Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.
ViewSea-sonal Wonders
You’ll need to go during low tides to safely enjoy tidepooling at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. As its name suggests, the beach has a natural arch and is an excellent spot for an intertidal adventure.
View- Sponsored
Sonoma Valley's 100 Days of Winter Wellness Guide
This winter wellness plan goes to 100! Nurture yourself in 2024 with Sonoma Valley’s 100 Days of Winter Wellness guide. It’s a perfectly curated array of inspiration and ideas.
View - Sponsored
Yosemite's Winter Wonders (& Deals!)
It’s snow time, and Yosemite National Park is ready! The Golden State’s beloved park has all kinds of winter sports, scenic adventures, and excellent deals.
View Simply Suttonfield
Tucked in charming Glen Ellen and accessed via a pullout parking area along Arnold Drive, Lake Suttonfield pours on the charm with an easygoing 2-mile trail loop around it.
ViewGone Bananas!
It’s banana slug season in the Bay Area, and one of the best places to see these mighty mollusks is on this 4.7-mile loop through Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.
ViewSalmon on the Rebound
The return of salmon to Marin County creeks is one of nature’s most intriguing seasonal events, an inspiring sight to behold; but it takes patience, laser focus, and the help of fellow hikers also on the lookout for this special show, happening now! So, where can you currently see them? ...
View- Sponsored
POST's 2024 Hiking Calendar
Ready to start the new year on the right foot? Get POST's complimentary 2024 hiking calendar and you'll be inspired with a great local hike every month of the year.
View Misty on Mount Tam
Mount Tam’s 3.9-mile round-trip Steep Ravine and Dipsea Trail Loop weathers the wets and wilds with some confidence, sheltered in parts by redwoods, and wowing with a waterfall.
View- Sponsored
Snow Time Like the Present
This holiday season unwrap everyone’s best winter getaway. South Lake Tahoe takes your outdoor adventures beyond the ski resorts. Your basecamp—Zephyr Cove Resort—has lakeside wood cabins, a beautiful mile-long beach, and plenty of activities.
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.