Guides
A 40-minute audio guide to a panoramic trail encircling one of the Bay Area's highest peaks.
The Grand Loop offers a bird's-eye view of the Bay Area, and sometimes glimpses far beyond, of the Farallon Islands, Mount Lassen, the Sierra Nevada, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's also a a hotspot for wildflowers in the spring. At each of 12 stops in this audio guide, naturalists point out the sights and sounds, tell tales of the mountain's...
Backdoor entry to Muir Woods on an uncrowded trail where you can enjoy scenery (and a bar!) most visitors never see.
The ancient California redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument are one of several remaining groves up and down the coast that escaped the lumberjacks thanks to forward thinking preservationists. Located just North of San Francisco this is the ideal place for visitors from around the world to come and marvel at the giant redwoods (which in...
Get an early start to enjoy one of Mt Tamalpais' most loved and most distinctive trails.
Steep Ravine is a real jewel in Marin County's crown. Cutting deep into the landscape over millennia the water rushing through Webb Creek has created a spectacularly steep sided and lush canyon shaded by towering redwood trees and populated with a wide variety of local flora and fauna. This trail really draws the crowds, so we heartily recommend...
See Marin County's most scenic waterfalls. 7-mile moderate hike
Cataract Creek Trail offers a perfect excuse to play hooky from work or spend a vacation day in the woods. The creek's waterfalls provide a spectacular anchor for a 7-mile loop through the scenic lands of the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. You could just hike a mile and a quarter to the top of the Cataract Creek Trail and return, but I figure if you're...
A short hike along the batteries and bluffs in the Presidio of San Francisco
This short trail provides a great way to see the bluffs near the Presidio and offers views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin that are hard to beat. The trail is marked moderate because there are several places with steps and some climbing if you decide to take the side trip down to Marshall Beach. The trail is pretty short, which allows for you...
A great day (or overnight) hike from the beach to the top of Mount Tamalpais where you can see the entire bay area.
Mount Tamalpais (or Mt. Tam as the locals call it) is a must-do hike for anyone living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although you can drive to the top, the hike is much more rewarding, and you see many hidden treasures that those driving would likely miss. The best way to hike Mt Tamalpais is by starting at sea-level at Stinson Beach, hiking...
Headlands host beauty and history of San Francisco Bay Area
The Marin Headlands are intoxicating and sobering. The hills north of San Francisco are peppered with relics of America's wars, so in the same afternoon you might see wonderful examples of waves crashing amid grim reminders of nations clashing. The Headlands are a section of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, managed by the U.S. Park Service....
Just a 10-minute drive from Berkeley, Briones Regional Park is a 6,117 acre park in Contra Costa County.
Just a 10-minute drive from Berkeley, Briones Regional Park is a 6,117 acre park in Contra Costa County. Its home to plentiful East Bay wildlife, including birds, snakes and newts. In some areas, it's still used as grazing land by local herds, part of a cattle ranching history that's more than 100 years old. The park's ridge tops offer stunning views...
Although this trail is not open for walk-in use by the general public, volunteer trail leaders head trips 3x a week.
Local nature lovers can enjoy the rare opportunity to hike, bike, or ride their horses through pristine stands of old growth Douglas Fir, evergreen and fragrant coastal scrub while enjoying ridge-top vistas of our watershed lands, reservoirs, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Although this trail is not open for walk-in use by the general public,...
A nice loop in Mount Tamalpais State Park
This hike includes great views of the Bay Area, Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, Potato Patch, and down the San Mateo Coastline. As the walk progresses the trails will head into Redwood Forest, and drop - really drop - down into the heart of Steep Ravine. The trails become a series of stairs immediately adjacent to a seasonal creek. In some spots it’s...
The wildest, rockiest corner of San Francisco is a land of rich history and spectacular nature
Lands End is the wildest, rockiest corner of San Francisco, a corner strewn with shipwrecks and a history of landslides. At the tip of Lands End is Point Lobos, named by the Spanish for its many lobos marinos (sea wolves); the barks of those sea lions, as they are called today, drifted up from the rocks below. The sea lions have since relocated to the...
A scenic 4-mile loop on steep, paved trails with great views on Stanford University and the San Francisco Bay.
The Stanford Dish loop is a popular route for Stanford University students as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Its steep paved trail is suitable for running, walking, and hiking. Bicycles are not allowed. Opening hours vary depending on the month of the year: January 6:30 AM-5:30 PM February 6:30 AM-6 PM March 6 AM-6:30 PM April 6 AM-8 PM May...
Skip the summit crowds and see Mount Diablo's North Peak. Strenuous 10-mile hike.
If you're bugged by the existence of a parking lot atop Mount Diablo -- the East Bay's signature peak -- you're probably just the type to check out nearby North Peak, which gets far fewer visitors and offers just as many awesome vistas. My favorite path to North Peak is definitely the hard way: five miles and over 3,000 feet of climb on some of the...
Open space preserve in the Midpeninsula region.
The preserve is located on the weestern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Half Moon Bay. The open space features not only redwoods, but ferns, wildflowers, coastal scrub, several babbling brooks which can grow to sizable creeks in the winter. The elevation can dips down almost 1600 ft from Skyline Blvd and depending on the route, some sections...
A loop traversing open grassy ridges and forested pathways in Tilden Regional Park
The trail that loops from Quarry trailhead in Tilden Regional Park traverses open grassy ridges and forested pathways in the East Bay Regional Park District above Berkeley, California. These trails and TrailPhotos offer spectacular unfettered ridgetop vistas over the Bay towards San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge to the west, and over scenic...
As sure as the earth moves in Berkeley, there's a volcano just off Skyline Boulevard.
As sure as the earth moves in Oakland, there's a volcano just off Skyline Boulevard. Not just any volcano, mind you. This one's lying on its side with its guts exposed. You might not recognize it right away, owing to its reclining position and the grassy coat it's adopted. But among the shrubs and grasses at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, you'll...
Glorious views and grazing elk await at Point Reyes National Seashore. Moderate 10-mile hike.
It's nearly impossible to get lost on the way to Tomales Point, a rocky fingernail of land poking into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. And that's a shame, because if ever there was a place to lose yourself, this is it. The narrow, windswept sliver of Point Reyes National Seashore ending at Tomales Point has just one main trail, which rolls...
See gorgeous Bay vistas and visit the Immigration Station.
Angel Island State Park offers one of the best ways to see San Francisco Bay from sea level. Fortunate local boat owners have long plied its shoreline and picnicked on its grounds, but the boatless can get in on the fun via ferries that stop on the island. There are good times galore for hikers, bikers and sightseers, but the island has abundant...
Winter and spring rains create scenic waterfalls in this hike at Mount Diablo, the East Bay's signature peak.
While Mount Diablo State Park is best known for towering vistas from the mountain's twin East Bay summits, the seasonal rains that visit the San Francisco Bay Area every year create several scenic waterfalls in the mountain's rugged canyons. This hike starts out from the Regency Gate in the East Bay town of Clayton -- parking is free in the neighborhood:...
Great hike from Los Altos Hills, towering 2812' over Silicon Valley.
Towering over Silicon Valley, waaaay back to the rear of Rancho San Antonio, lies 2812' Black Mountain. Starting at the little-known Rhus Ridge parking lot, you can enjoy a healthy workout and a grand panoramic view of Silicon Valley! The unusual snow picture was taken in December 2008. Your hike is much more likely to be sunny and dry! Other...
A 2.5-mile section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail through the woods with some great viewpoints in the Presidio
The entire bay area ridge trail is about 510 miles long and circles the entire bay. This short section winds through San Francisco's Presidio District and has some great views of the bay as well as nice walks through large trees. Near the middle you can take a detour to the National Cemetery Overlook with views of the bay and the golden gate bridge. The...
A short hike along the Mavericks cliffs at one of the most famous surfing spots in the world
This hike is an easy walk along the cliffs overlooking Mavericks surf spot, famous for its (often deadly) surf competitions. You will have nice views of the water below from the cliffs with very little elevation change after the first small climb. If you are up for it, you can continue along the harbor towards the rock pier where you may see seals...
Short coastal bluff hike with outstanding views and wildflowers.
Just a short distance down the coast from the city of San Francisco, Pacifica is where the concrete truly ends and gives way to green hills and dramatic coastal scenery. Mori Point is a great place enjoy a sunset, do a spot of whale watching or simply enjoy the waves of the Pacific Coast washing up onto the shores. Remember to check out the ridgeline...
The best panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area are just a half-mile hike away atop Mt. Tamalpais.
Hikes don't get much shorter or much better than this half-mile round trip trail to the top of Mt. Tamalpais, just North of San Francisco. Known to locals simply as Mt Tam, Mt. Tamalpais State Park is the perfect day-trip away from the bustle of San Francisco and once you're here it's hard to believe you're just a stone's throw away from the second...
Experience some of the best views in the Bay Area along this flat, paved trail. A great hike for young kids.
The Verna Dunshee Loop around the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais (or Mt Tam as locals call it) provides one of the best views of any trail in the Bay Area. The trails is even and paved, but quite narrow and with very steep drops. The trail is easy to find and follow. Just drive up to the East Peak of Mt Tam, which is a very scenic drive in and of itself....
Hike the popular wilderness preserve on this great San Francisco Peninsula hike.
Looming large over San Francisco and the northern peninsula, the wilderness preserve of San Bruno Mountain state and county park is home to several rare and endangered species of flora, fauna and wildlife, including the elfin butterfly. Our guide focuses on two popular hikes. The 3½ mile Summit Loop trail takes a counter-clockwise route around...
"I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people,"
The Pulgas Water Temple was built at the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct as a monument to the new water system. It’s located within the watershed, just south of Crystal Springs reservoir. An inscription at the top reads, "I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people," a biblical quote from Isaiah. The...
A scenic hike in either direction with the creme' de la creme' Alamere Falls as your reward
When you get to Bolinas take Mesa road to the end, the last 1.5 miles is graded not paved. The trail head is well marked on the right side of the parking lot (Palomarin Trailhead), begin your hike with a peak of the ocean through a grove of trees, as the trail winds to the right and back towards to coast your first full view of the ocean appears, the...
Take a stroll around the tall rolling grassy hills East of San Francisco in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.
Wildflower lovers will love the springtime scenery of Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, but when the blooms have faded this East Bay park still has plenty to marvel at. Eagle-eyed hikers in autumn and winter will spot birds of prey amongst the gliding turkey vultures, and there's also the chance of a golden eagle sighting. Elevation gain: • 1,100ft...
Explore the remnants of a bygone era on the slopes of Mt Tamalpais.
There's a way up Mt. Tamalpais for everyone whether you're a biker, hiker, driver or equestrian. Opt for the easy drive-up option and you'll be taking the third of a mile plank-walk to the rocky summit and some of the best views in the bay area, but you'd be missing out on the opportunity to experience some really great Marin hiking trails. Our 9...
Explore the history of the Bay Area from atop Sweeney Ridge, or just come to admire the great coastal scenery.
Twelve hundred feet above the Pacific Ocean the Sweeney Ridge trail traverses the most northerly part of the Santa Cruz coastal range above the town of Pacifica. Up here you can explore the abandoned buildings of the 1950's Nike missile base or step further back in time and visit the spot where Gaspar de Portola first discovered the San Francisco...
A permit only section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail
This guide covers a 13 mile section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It is a through hike that starts at the Sweeney Ridge Trailhead behind Skyline College and ends at Skyline Quarry near Hwy 92. Elevation gained is about 2400' with 2800' lost.The Fifield-Cahill Ridge trail traverses coastal scrub and old growth douglas fir forests. The majority...
Perfect Mt. Tamalpais coastal scenery, Muir Wood redwoods and a chance to quench your thirst at an old British pub.
Experience many of Mt. Tamalpais' best features on a single loop trail, from chaparral grasslands and dramatic Pacific Ocean views to forest creeks and huge redwoods. Plus the added chance to stop off for a swift pint at an old British pub nearby. Our guide features three different options. The longest options are the 8½ mile and 12½ mile hikes,...
Overlook pristine coastal landscapes from a mountain top that’s just a short drive from San Francisco.
If you’re looking for sun along the fog-bound San Francisco peninsula coastline, then Montara Mountain is the place to head for. Rising almost 2,000 feet above the beaches of Pacifica, here is where the sun often breaks through the clouds. Even when the sun continues to hide, there’s still a chance that by the time you hike to the summit you’ll...
Sampling Northern California's spectacular coastline on an overnight camp-out.
Point Reyes National Seashore has more natural wonders than you could ever hope to absorb in one day, so you might as well camp out. All four of Point Reyes' hike-in campgrounds have a privy and running water. The main challenge -- almost as daunting as lugging 40 pounds of camping gear several miles on foot -- is securing a campsite: reservations...
Escape the crowds and take in the sights on this loop at the popular park west of Cupertino.
This route at Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Reserve ventures beyond the popular sections of the park to offer a diverse introduction to the terrain on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rancho, as the locals call it, draws big crowds with its abundance of flat trails and attractions at Deer Park Farm, but few visitors...
A great hike from Palomarin to Alamere Falls in Marin County
The Hike to Alamere Falls is a great hike in Marin County, California. The trail starts at the Palomarin Trailhead. The whole hike is pretty flat so it is an easy hike. The first part of the Hike is high along cliffs that drop down to the ocean. After about a mile the Trail will cut inland passing two small lakes (Bass Lake and Pelican Lake). Bass...
In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits Angel Island State Park, with spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline.
In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits Angel Island State Park, offering spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The island is also alive with history. Three thousand years ago the island was a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians. It was later a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de...
Camping in the middle of San Francisco Bay offers a window on the region's wonders after dark.
Angel Island can charm the socks off a day-hiker, but it's even better by night, when the state park closes up shop and sends the tourists home. After that, campers lucky enough to reserve one of the island's 11 sites have the place to themselves. Urban attractions ringing San Francisco Bay light up as the night darkens, creating shimmering opportunities...
Rolling terrain hike through a jungle-like setting
This hike is on a very nice portion of the Skyline National Trail which starts at the Tilden Park Steam Trains parking lot, going to Redwood regional park, and returning. The hike covers EBMUD lands, and goes through several East Bay regional parks, including Tilden, Sibley, Huckleberry, and Redwood Regional Parks. The terrain and scenery actually...
