"For something wilder, this preserve offers over six new miles primed for trekking along the Bay area Ridge Trail. Turkeys, bobcats, and rare butterflies, plus 360-degree views of rolling green hills"
The loop around Briones is listed as an 'Ultimate Sunday Bike Ride' here: http://www.7x7.com/fitness-outdoors/briones-regional-park-loop
Emigrant Wilderness looks off the hook http://instagram.com/p/ctu8wTQfst/
Take a tour of the lovely public garden, open for self-guided walking tours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays (except holidays). Hundreds of trees and shrubs, organized into Western garden Read more.
Love the yearly Stern Grove Music Concerts on Summer Sundays! The acoustics are just amazing. Go early at ~10am to secure a good space for your crew. Bring lots of nice treats and wine :)
Such a beautiful hike; quiet preserve and amazing views. Deer ran out just a couple feet in front of me along the path. Beautiful flowers, view of the bridge, city along the water & rock formations
Go visit John Muir National Site in Martinez.. Its free and fun to see and learn about!
Amazing off-leash dog beach, with on-site dog washers and cafe. Go on weekdays or get there before 8:30am on weekends or it gets VERY crowded with dogs, people and cars.
Free, friendly docent-led tours Sunday 11 am and 2 pm. Looking forward to coming back all four seasons.
Frommers: "Stroll the forested Coastal Trail from Cliff House to the GG bridge, and you'll see why SFers put up with living on a fault line. Start at parking lot above Cliff House and head north."
Nice trail with gorgeous views. Watch out for naked, sunbathing man on the beach.
One of the District's three oldest parks, Tilden has been called the jewel of the system, and its recreational activities have become a happy tradition for generations of East Bay youngsters. Read more.
More info: http://www.everytrail.com/guide/tomales-point-at-point-reyes-national-seashore
Bring food and have a picnic lunch outside, overlooking the gorgeous view of the hills. Oh and the wine here is great too!
Bring a picnic and a blanket. Enjoy the beautiful view. If you are really quiet you'll be rewarded with the joy of watching several large bucks eating nearby. Beautiful relaxing place.
Connected to Golden Gate Park via a paved bike path, it's worth checking out for a cruise whether you're on 2 wheels or 4. A skeet-shooting range, golf course, fishing, & row-boat rentals also. Read more.
Perched on a hill with magnificent views, this vineyard has legendary cabernets and red blends butmanages to keep a relaxed and approachable vibe. Read more.
The views were so amazing. I highly recommend people go to check them out.
A great mountain bike trail, but you've got to do it clockwise. The most fun you can have with your clothes on. Well, apart from that time in the Kings Lounge in Bangkok, but we don't talk about that.
Start at the Duck pond, visit the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, then take a stroll to the end of the boardwalk. After, explore the wetlands in the direction of Palo Alto Airport. Read more.
Gorgeous place for a Summer or Spring Wedding :) or a Birthday ! Engagement pictures would look lovely !
A really amazing place. Besides the Lighthouse, lots of seals, otters, sea lions, 1000's of birds and whales are here. Very good tour!
"A hidden stretch of beach to the south of Treasure Island’s yacht harbor is shielded from the wind and offers great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge." Read more.
"The Barbary Coast Trail is a walking tour connecting 20 historic sites and local history museums. Approximately 180 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk mark the 5-mile trail." Read more.
Don't miss climbing up the hill from the parking lot. Spectacular view up and down the coast. Best photo op. Send to your friends on the east coast. ;)
the headlands offer amazing hiking, and they are just over the bridge - hit up Hill 88 for a good afternoon hike and some amazing views of San Fran; when there is no fog ;-)
Go hike around Land's End on the northwest part of SF.The hike goes along the coast and provides some fantastic views of the ocean and golden gate bridge.
Best dog park in the East Bay! This 23-acre, bayside, off-leash park is a fave for dogs; the views are a treat for owners, too. Tip: Enjoy the free hoses after a romp - dogs can get muddy! Read more.
One of the most beautiful places on earth. Bring telescope lens to take pictures of the sea lions. Limestone type trail leads you to a great sea lion viewing area!
Look for newts, frogs, quail, bunnies, turkeys, owls, bobcats, coyote, deer and other wildlife that are here regularly.
Bring water and a map! Although trail is visible, we are surprised to encounter so many hikers asking for directions and distance.
"The most beautiful part of the bay no one has heard of". More in the book The Golden Coast
One of Sonoma County's five best beaches, per 7x7. Lots of trails too. Gorgeous spot. http://www.7x7.com/wine-country/sonoma-county-s-5-best-beaches
7x7 review of the hike: http://www.7x7.com/fitness-outdoors/ultimate-sunday-hike-mori-point
Another favorite local hiking trail! It's a reverse trail where you need more energy to hike back up once you reach the bottom. A great workout! Make sure to finish early before sundown!
'Open to the public May-Sept. and closed the rest of the year for monastic study. Enjoy a delicious vegetarian lunch and a dip in the Japanese hot springs.' Read more.
Just go Check it out and walk or ride your bike through it. It is AMAZING!!!
One of the most underrated state parks in the Bay Area! 18 miles of hiking in beautiful redwoods.
Do the 11 mile loop! Take the redwood trail to Dool trail to Sunset Trail past the three waterfall. Then take the skyline trail back. Great exercise
Each cabin has a grill so bring food to grill. And don't forget the utensils and everything else. Watch the sunset from the picnic table by the sea. It's all perfection.
B/w Steep Ravine Cabins and Stinson Beach, accessible during low tides. Tucked beneath a huge boulder, waves crash on the rocks around you as you soak in the ocean view. Check conditions online first. Read more.
Awesome hot showers and easy to get to. Seriously we should come here more often! Great views of the lake too.
SF Weekly’s Best Of 2011 Winner – Editorial Pick – BEST HIKEIslais Creek: a trickle of a stream in deeply wooded wildland, 60 acres of what the city's eastern side was like before people... Read more.
Spring Lake is a wonderful spot for a shorter (4-mile) ride that’s not too extreme with plenty of shade. Getting hot? Take a dip in the lagoon. Read more.
Ask for the "treehouse" to stay the night. Lovely decorated luxury but simple wooden hut. Light up fireplace, switch off lights and enjoy the starry sky through the glass roof! Delicious organic food!
Miles and miles of great hiking that takes you back in time to the late 1800's when mining and not homes were what dotted the South San Jose hills.
mapping this region will cause migraines and suicide. other than that, this is a great place for a day hike.
"Beautiful 2.6-mile round-trip trek from the Abbotts Lagoon Trailhead on Pierce Point Road is a flat walk through open fields with cows, deer and a large sand dune area at the lagoon."
Nice flat hikes in nature with beautiful views of our cities of industry
My very personal favourite walk trail in SF.nothing to compare with the sense of walking into a forest in a large city same time looking at the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge :)
With North Coast Adventure Centers, you'll shimmy up seven stories before spending the next 2 to 3 hours taking in an eagle's-eye view of Redwood Park by zipline. Read more.
Lots of details here: http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/Guide-to-12-East-Bay-Hikes/
"Huckleberry is a botanic marvel and can be explored via a 1.7-mile loop that takes two hours to hike and includes steep ascents, though less-strenuous options are available."
"hidden gem in Oakland, tucked in a steep canyon dense with vegetation... a lush redwood forest along a rocky creek and a dry California landscape. Park at Leona Lodge, 4444 Mountain Blvd."
Great hiking, camping and picnicking park. Lots of trails some of which connect to Arastradero preserve, and others that connect to Los Trancos open space.
Only an hour from San Francisco but feels like a world of it's own. Come early for a picnic spot near the creek. Car camping available too.
Bring a map for this fantastic circuit of trails! Pacifica Chamber of Commerce Rockaway Beach or http://www.parksconservancy.org/assets/visit-your-parks/pdfs/sweeney-ridge-trail-map.pdf
Trail camp: Requires an easy 2.8-mile hike; $15 per night, $8 per extra vehicle, open year-round; first-come, first-served. Use the self-registration system at the parking lot. Up to 6 people per site
Sensational hikes to a waterfall, along the base of honey-combed sandstone, to a trail camp, the headwaters of the San Lorenzo River, and the best launch point for the 34-mile Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail
Atop Goat Rock, you can feel as if you are on top of the world. The top of Goat Rock has a few cupped “chairs” shaped by wind-driven rain over thousands of years. 1 of the best sites for a trail lunch
This is a runners and bicycle persons dream trail the view alone is worth it
If you have a car, this is an awesome place to go and catch the sunset. It's really special, hopefully Karl the fog doesn't ruin your view.
Fascinating history, wonderful views. Amazing telescope - truly remarkable engineering! Tour was just the right length and amount of information for both kids and adults. Good photo opportunities!
Quick .6m trail to little-visited Mickey’s Beach. Beautiful views, wildflowers, and beach. The shoreline rocks also great for novice climbers to practice. Deets on All Trails.com
San Pedro Beach to Devil's Slide & back (or park two cars). World's most scenic Taco Bell waiting on your return https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/san-pedro-beach-to-devil-s-slide
"Ample space to stretch out and socialize. Communal barbecue pits and picnic tables line the area, along with arguably the best tide pools one can explore anywhere in San Francisco."
Day hike https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Albany-Bulb-former-landfill-hiking-dump-sculptures-15781896.php
After decades of being shut down to non-Palo Alto residents, Foothills Park is finally open to everyone. “majestic hike… I could hike that every day of my life and be 100% satisfied.”
Great hike for an unbelievable view. Dogs are able to enjoy the trail as well. Plenty of room to let them run
18 miles of new trails opened up in 2023. Tyler Ranch staging area and Sunol Ridge Trail are the new ones.
“Outstanding place. My first time here and blown away by the natural beauty and wildlife. So many birds that I don't normally see or hear my part of the bay area.”
“The park and nearby Grant Lake are some of my favorite places to visit throughout the year. If you like wildlife, hiking, or beautiful scenery this is your spot. Wild pigs, eagles, so much more. “
Steel cable hike https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/castle-rock-hike-steel-cable-waterfall-19610727.php
Nice little park. This is where the donkeys live. Just walk down the trail past the bridge.
