Hiking McCloud Falls
I reached out to a few friends on things to do in the Mount Shasta area. The one thing everyone suggested was the McCloud Falls trail.
The McCloud Falls trail is an easily accessible, family friendly hike. Out and back, the trail is about 3.5 miles long with a little over two hundred feet of elevation gain. The trail visits three tiers of waterfalls on the McCloud River.
The Best Northern California I-5 Rest Stop: Hedge Creek Falls
When you get off of I-5 at Siskiyou Ave in Dunsmuir, there’s a tiny sign announcing the presence of Hedge Creek Falls. This sign does not do it justice. This little waterfall is one of the most scenic leg stretchers on this stretch of highway.
Modalen
Modalen is a magical little valley just an hour outside of Bergen. This quiet little valley is so quiet that you can actually get paid to live here; they need more people. We stopped by Bergen kaffebrenneri in Bergen and the barista suggested we head out here for a drive. It was a beautiful destination.
Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Cataract Falls
The Bay Area is a treasure trove of lush forests dotted with redwoods and picturesque cascades. I set out to do an 8 mile loop up Cataract Trail to High Marsh Trail to Kent Trail to Helen Markt Trail a few weekends ago but turned around due to torrential downpour. Ideally last weekend would have been the most ideal weekend for the hike, but this past weekend was just as good and the falls were still flowing!
Hiking Uvas Canyon County Park, Alec Canyon & Waterfall Loop
Nestled in the eastern Santa Cruz Mountains between Morgan Hill and Watsonville is Uvas Canyon County Park. With Swanson Creek flowing year-round and tall hills, this is a great place for some mellow and scenic hiking away, but not away, from civilization. You can hit miles of trails and still be back in time for brunch. I met up with my longtime Instagram friend, Christian Arballo, and set off to explore some trails in this new-to-us park!