Hiking, boating, skiing, and more.
One of the best things about living in San Francisco is that our backyard is all of Northern California , one of the most sensational places on earth , with endless opportunities for adventure . And though we think you should research all of the upper ( and better ) half of California , at the very least , you should turn back out these things , all of which are quintessentially NorCal and exceptionally cool . Given the stresses that the most late bust of wide fire has put on the entire region , it never hurts to call ahead to verify these activity are still open and operational .
Explore Yosemite National Park
There ’s so much to see and do in this beautiful national park , which we go on to think / know is the most beautiful one in the United States , but you have n’t experience the park to its full until you ’ve put your fear of heights aside andhiked Half Dome .
Hike to Alamere Falls
It ’s one of just two tidefalls in California , but unlikeMcWay Fallsin Big Sur , which you may see just by pull your poster to the side of the route , you ’ll need to boost a lower limit of 14 - mile round - trip to see it . ( In non - COVID time , you could do it in 13 - miles – and evanesce a lake with a rope cut along the way – but that trailhead is presently close . )
Go skiing in Tahoe
Tahoe has some of the best skiing in North America and the largest denseness of resort , which means there ’s something for everyone , include amazing atmospheric condition . Or at least it ’s awing if the idea of a storm that dumps two feet of Charles Percy Snow is followed by a gay sidereal day with blue skies .
Go boating in Tahoe
Tahoe is glorious year - cycle , but if the most popular meter are the wintertime ( see above ) and summer ( keep reading ) . There are ample hike trails , beach , and waterfront restaurants , and we bed all of those things , but there ’s nothing quite like taking a boat out to the middle of Lake Tahoe , a dazzle blue alpine lake that ’s one of the deepest in the reality , on a splendid summertime day .
Give General Sherman a hug
You wo n’t follow close to fitting your arms around this elephantine sequoia since it ’s the gravid live single - stem tree on Earth with a circuit at the ground of 102 substructure , but it ’ll still feel good to attempt . Bonus points for also hug a coastal sequoia , the tallest livelihood trees on Earth , which are only get hold in Northern California ( okay , fine , and also the southwest box of coastal Oregon within the United States ) . Extra extra bonus points fordriving through one .
Enjoy how nature turns lemons into lemonade at Glass Beach
This beach in Fort Bragg is enshroud with colorful sea glass due to years of dumping , and though we ’d normally encourage you to pick up litter , in this case it ’s meant to stay put so everyone can savor it .
Experience a majestic cathedral of redwoods
Yes , there ’s a lot of material about trees on this lean , but that ’s what happens when you live in a region with the oldest and tall trees in the world . And one of the best places to see the latter is at Muir Woods , a thick coastal redwood plantation filled with towering old growth redwood that are up to 1,200 years quondam and 260 foot high . Go during COVID when less than half of the normal volume of visitant is allowed , and you ’ll really be able to appreciate the tranquility . And if all of THAT has n’t win over you , maybe the fact that its namesake John Muirs trace it as " the good tree diagram - lovers memorial that could be possibly found in all the woodland of the macrocosm ” will .
Drive down the Avenue of the Giants
More trees ? Do n’t blame us ; find fault the fact that Northern California has the best tree ! Including Avenue of the Giants , a 31 - air mile helping of old Highway 101 with over 50,000 acres of redwood groves .
Feel the mist of Burney Falls on your face
At 129 feet , Burney Falls is neither the largest or highest falls in California , but it is one of its most prominent . So much so that President Theodore Roosevelt , called it “ the 8th wonderment of the world . ”
Climb Mount Lassen
Make your style to the top of this combat-ready vent that last erupt in 1915 , and then contain out some other cool spots around the ballpark , includingBumpass Hell , a hydrothermal area with fumaroles , live bounce , and simmering mudpots , and the Subway Cave , a pitch obscure lava tube that was create 20,000 age ago .
Eat oysters next to the bay where they’re grown
You ca n’t shuck your own oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall right now , but you could still feast on them on the waterfront patio restaurant .
Meet some ghosts (or at least visit an old ghost town)
There are lots ofamazing ghost townsfolk in California , but the most celebrated and well - preserved ( and the one you must emphatically watch out ) is Bodie .
Taste every single flavor of IT’S-IT
If you die before eating an IT’S - IT , you might as well not have survive .
Explore the Petrified Forest
Over three million age ago , a volcanic blowup criticise down this forest of redwood tree diagram near Calistoga , and it ’s now consider one of the fine examples in the human beings of a preserved ancient forest , which , despite its name , is not at all scared or scary .
Walk through the Cypress Tree Tunnel
We ’ll foliage ( sorry ) you with one net tree excursion , a cypress tree archway in Point Reyes that ’s even better first matter in the sunrise when it looks even more like something straight out of a fairytale . It will also be less crowded then so you’re able to get the perfect shot for Instagram .
Wander the island where Al Capone was a prisoner
Unfortunately , you ca n’t go at bottom of the buildings on Alcatraz flop now , but you’re able to still explore everything outside of the historic pen , including the prison thou .
Take in views of the Golden Gate Bridge from Lands End
The Lands conclusion trail offer some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge you ’ll ever see and have lots of obliterate treasures to bring out , like an almost - secret beach , a cliffside labyrinth , and an vacate octagon house .
signalise up herefor our day-after-day San Francisco e-mail and be the first to get all the intellectual nourishment / drinking / fun SF has to offer .
Joe Parks / Flickr
Adam Baker / Flickr
Kevin Lanceplaine / Unsplash
R3li3nt / Flickr
Yuichi Sakuraba / Flickr
Robert Shea / Flickr
Mario Sánchez Prada / Flickr
