Bay Area Hiking Destinations

Mount Tam, as the locals call it, is the crown jewel of Marin County hiking parks, with lush redwood forests and expansive views of the Bay Area and Pacific Ocean.

Don't miss: Steep Ravine Trail, where water cascades through down a canyon under a towering forest canopy; you can hike here all year, even in a rainstorm (moderate three-mile out-and-back from Pantoll trailhead; many loop options).

Popular destinations: East Peak with panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay (easy uphill walk from East Parking Lot); Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, site of summer outdoor theatrical performances (easy 2-mile out-and-back from Pantoll with many loop options).

EveryTrail Guide

With over 80 miles of shoreline and 1,000 plant and animal species, Point Reyes showcases the beauty of Northern California.

Don't miss: Tomales Point Trail (moderate 10-mile out-and-back). Colonies of tule elk live and breed along the narrow northern strip of Point Reyes. Watch for the bulls' impressive racks; listen for their high-pitched bugling if you''re there during the late-summer "rut" season.

Popular destinations: Point Reyes Lighthouse (short walk); Chimney Rock Trail (moderate 3-mile out-and-back from Chimney Rock tralhead near lighthouse); Wildcat Camp (strenuous 11-mile out-and-back from Palomarin trailhead). Alamere Falls (strenuous 14-mile out-and-back to coast via Wildcat Camp).

EveryTrail Guide

This park east of Walnut Creek captures the rugged essence of East Bay hiking: steep trails, broad vistas and remarkable biodiversity on its sun-baked hillsides.

Don't miss: Check out Diablo's summit within 24 hours of a strong rain, which washes the skies clear and brings the distant snowy peaks of the High Sierra into view just above the eastern horizon.

Popular destinations: Rock City (easy trails, intricate stone formations within a mile of Rock City parking area); Eagle Peak (strenuous 7.8-mile hike from Mitchell Canyon trailhead); Summit Trail near main summit (moderate 3-mile out-and-back to Prospector's Gap from summit parking lot).

EveryTrail Guide

Spring wildflowers are the main attraction at this park north of Fremont, but challenging hills, lovely vistas and novel rock formations keep hikers coming most of the year (July and August can be a bit too warm).

Don't miss: The park's Little Yosemite section has falling water, steep canyons and interesting rocks within easy hiking distance of the park HQ (an easy three-mile out-and-back at most); best seen in winter after strong rains.

Popular destinations: Cave Rocks (moderate three-mile out-and-back along Indian Joe Trail); Flag Hill (strenuous three-mile out-and-back with many loop options); Sunol Backpack Camp (strenuous seven-mile out-and-back).

EveryTrail Guide

Big Basin, California's oldest state park, was created to preserve its stand of immense ancient redwoods, which have stood for millennia on the western slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Don't miss: Redwood Trail, a flat .6-mile loop near the park headquarters, encircles one of the world''s oldest groves of redwoods and includes the tallest and widest trees in the park.

Popular destinations Berry Creek Falls, one of the region's prettiest waterfalls (strenuous 12-mile loop hike); Buzzard''s Roost, (moderate 5-mile out-and-back to a rocky outcrop overlooking much of the park).

EveryTrail Guide

This park west of Gilroy has the wildest hiking in the Bay Area (it''s the only one where you can backpack to a campsite of your choosing without reserving a site ahead of time). The hills seem to go on forever at Henry Coe, especially when you're hiking up them, but the chance to see these lands pretty much as they''ve always been makes it worth the effort.

Don't miss: A springtime walk to Frog Lake (moderate 4.5-mile out-and-back) will show off the amazing range of wildflowers that sprout here every year.

Popular destinations China Hole, a natural swimming hole (moderate 10-mile out-and-back); Mount Sizer (strenuous 12- to 16-mile loop); Mississippi Lake (very strenuous 20-mile out-and-back).

EveryTrail Guide