All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay

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  More Cowell-bell!

  If you didn’t know it was there, you might just drive right on by it. But for those who make the 0.5-mile walk (or bike ride) to the wooden stairway leading to Cowell Ranch State Beach, the reward is sinking your toes into one of the best beaches in Northern California.

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  Goat Yoga!

  Downward dog, meet goat. As in Goat Yoga at Lemos Farm in Half Moon Bay. The fifteen or so baby goats roaming the barn-turned-yoga-studio here are the yogi partners you never knew you needed.

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  Stairways 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.

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  You'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

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  Meet 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

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  Peak 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

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  Pacific Views & Brews

  How do you make a beach-hopping coastal bike ride even more refreshing? Just add beer! This 8-mile out-and-back ride starting at Half Moon Bay State Beach rolls 4 miles up the coas

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  More 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

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  Gilroy 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

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  Mellow Mavericks

  This year’s famous Mavericks surfing competition may have been postponed due to weather, but even without the massive swells, Pillar Point still has plenty to get excited about. Th

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  Ridgetop Resolutions

  It’s a guilty pleasure to bag a peak via a short hike. That’s why you should shamelessly steal some spectacular views on a 3.5-mile loop hike in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. Starting on the Ridge Trail, spectacular ocean views keep you company on a gentle 0.8-mile climb to the peak of Borel Hill.

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  Climb of Champions

  Here’s a hike that takes you high and burns your thighs! Yep, there’s nothing like climbing a mountain to start the New Year. Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve offers 24 miles

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  Monumental Achievement

  Want to kick off the New Year with a monumental accomplishment? Hike to Monument Peak in Milpitas. This 2,594-foot monument is a lightly trafficked, enjoyable, and challenging 7.7-

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  Scene Stealer

  The holiday season is filled with guilty pleasures: Spiked eggnog; buying yourself a gift; climbing to a panoramic high point via a short mountain bike ride or hike. Yep, you'll be practically stealing the sweeping view at Hunter’s Point in Cupertino's Fremont Older Preserve.

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  Pulgas Pageant

  Good things come in small packages! The peninsula’s Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, quietly located off Highway 280, makes an easygoing 2.3-mile loop through oaks and up to big c

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  Up to Umunhum

  Clocking in at 3,486 feet, Mount Umunhum is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains and has long been a South Bay landmark with the mysterious radar tower sitting atop

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  Huddart Comfort

  Just minutes west of the tony town of Woodside in San Mateo County, 900-acre Huddart Park has over 24 miles of trails that put redwoods on parade. For a moderate out-and-back featu

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  There's Something About Henry

  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains: magnificent. And popular! Escape the crowds by hiking the lesser-known trails starting at the campground entrance off

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  Meet you in Montalvo

  Before Hearst Castle there was Villa Montalvo, a 175-acre estate tucked in the hills outside Saratoga and built for one of the Bay Area’s wealthiest and most prominent bachelors, U

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  Mystery Walls

  Mythical crop circles, Stonehenge, California’s Mystery Walls … You don’t have to travel the world to see enigmas, including these stone walls within the South Bay's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

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