"Angel Island is great. Dress in layers, wear sunscreen, and expect that it can be crowded on warm weekends.

Cycling around the island is a perfect "medium" difficulty ride for kids and beginning cyclists. There are no cars to worry about, and you've got a nice loop of smooth pavement around the island. Beginners can complete the 5 mile loop in about an hour.

Our diverse group completed the perimeter trail and inner perimeter in three hours, enjoying lots of breaks to take-in-the view and a stop midway to have lunch.

Going clockwise around the island, there's a small climb at the beginning to get up to the trail from the ferry dock. After that it's rolling hills and flats, with one more 1/4 mile climb about 3/4 of the way around.

There is a second much shorter perimeter trail higher up the mountain. It's not paved, but can be ridden on a road bike if you're so inclined. On our ride, the more experienced cyclists did the inner loop while the others took a 10 minute water break in the shade."
Visited on Apr 14, 2008

"Other reviewers are correct: Angel Island is great. Dress in layers, wear sunscreen, and expect that it can be crowded on warm weekends.

Cycling around the island is a perfect "medium" difficulty ride for kids and beginning cyclists. There are no cars to worry about, and you've got a nice loop of smooth pavement around the island. Beginners can complete the 5 mile loop in about an hour.

Our diverse group completed the perimeter trail and inner perimeter in three hours, enjoying lots of breaks to take-in-the view and a stop midway to have lunch.

Going clockwise around the island, there's a small climb at the beginning to get up to the trail from the ferry dock. After that it's rolling hills and flats, with one more 1/4 mile climb about 3/4 of the way around.

There is a second much shorter perimeter trail higher up the mountain. It's not paved, but can be ridden on a road bike if you're so inclined. On our ride, the more experienced cyclists did the inner loop while the others took a 10 minute water break in the shade."
Visited on Aug 14, 2008

Point Reyes is a few miles north of San Francisco and offers a number of great hiking options. There are short hikes to the beach from several entrances, as well as longer backpacking options. There are many campsites near the beaches with water and facilities. The lighthouse on the point is also a major tourist attraction, as are the wildflowers in the spring.

Perched in the midst of gorgeous San Francisco Bay, Angel Island State Park offers truly 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 Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.

Muir Woods is a short drive (12 miles) north from San Francisco and is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This National Monument is known for its forests filled with coastal redwood trees, some of the biggest trees in the world. The area is often blanketed in fog which adds a mysterious atmosphere to any visit, and also helps the redwoods survive in the drier summer months.

At the eastern fringe of the San Francisco Bay Region, Mount Diablo, elevation 3,849 feet, stands alone on the edge of California’s great Central Valley. At this point, the Coast Range consists only of low hills, none high enough to block the view from the upper slopes of the mountain. As a result, the view is spectacular. Many visitors to Mount Diablo head straight for the summit to enjoy the famous view.

Napa & Sonoma: About an hour north of San Francisco are the two valleys of Napa and Sonoma.  World-famous for their wine, fine dining, natural beauty, arts and events, Napa and Sonoma Valleys offer visitors a lot to do.  Wine enthusiasts can tour vineyards and wineries as well as take in the natural surroundings on foot, by bike, train, van or limousine.

North of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais State Park rises majestically from the heart of Marin County. Mount Tamalpais captures our attention with its sweeping hillsides cloaked with chaparral-covered ridges, grasslands and oak woodlands. Deep canyons filled with solemn redwood groves intersect these ridges and slopes to create a diverse environment for a wide array of plant and animal species.