Despite my love of sleeping in the dirt and not showering, I will never say no to glamorous digs. AutoCamp Russian River in Guerneville is the perfect blend of luxury and roughing it.
When I think of redwood hikes, I think of Muir Woods and the whole Bay Area peninsula. The East Bay, however, can hold its own when it comes to these tall wonders. I don’t make it out to the East Bay often, but the Sequoia Bayview trail in Joaquin Miller Park does not disappoint.
Earlier this month, I had the chance to check out Bear Creek Open Space Preserve in Los Gatos. Up until recently, I didn’t know that this spot existed right off bustling Highway 17. It’s a chunk of land under the care of Midpeninsula Open Space Trust that’s currently not accessible to the public, except by permit.
The folks at Arc’teryx Stanford Center asked me to share a few of my favorite Bay Area hikes and nonprofits at their spring launch event. There’s nothing I love more than talking about outdoor adventure, so I happily obliged.
For this roundup, I only wanted to include hikes within an hour of the Bay Area. These are all places you can go and get in mileage but still make it back in time for dinner and drinks with friends.
These are the best Bay Area hikes that I return to time and time again.
I’ve been winging it on plans lately. I seriously just don’t feel like planning anything. I realized a few weeks ago that my birthday was coming up. Last year, I backpacked in Zion. I’d taken the day off work, but aside from that there was nothing on the schedule.
The Sierra Club Hiker’s Hut in Sam McDonald County Park is a spot I’ve been meaning to check out for a while. It’s close enough for me to not want to spend a weekend there when I could be elsewhere. But for a quick overnighter for my birthday, it was perfect and did not disappoint.