StephSF
StephSF

Outdoor Activities

I LOVE the city, but the Bay Area has a ton of outdoor activities to offer, in addition to the urban life. Below are some of my favorites, as well as some classics for the area. What are your favorites? Did I miss anything?

Castle Rock State Park - Great rock climbing - sport, toprope, bouldering. Personal favorite.

Big Basin/Redwood State Park - Redwood trees galore, waterfalls, Skyline to Sea trail, and Avatar-esque views. So cool, so unique. Personal Favorite.

Santa Cruz Mountains Road Biking - Hills, valleys, vistas and climbs. Not something I have experienced, but people are doing it all the time. Bay Area classic.

Half Moon Bay Surfing - Clean breaks if you can handle the cold. Bay Area classic.

Sonoma Coast Rock Climbing - Jenner, Salt Point, Goat Rock. Personal Favorite.

Bollinas Sea Kayaking - Supposed to be great. Bay Area classic.

Dolores Park Slacklining - Friendly crowd, fun to play on the lines. Not quite as remote as some of the other activities, but worth a mention. Personal favorite.

Marin Headlands Biking - Similar to Santa Cruz Mountains. Bay Area classic.

Mount Tam Hike - Unique trees, microclimates, and stunning views of EVERYTHING in the Bay Area. Personal favorite.

Stinson Beach - Surfing, coast hiking, rock climbing, sunbathing. Personal favorite.

Kiteboarding - Apparently a common beachside phenomena, particularly on the Sonoma coast. Bay Area classic.

Redwood Canopy Tour (Santa Cruz) - The only one of its kind, until someone builds a new one. Zip through trees hundreds of feet in the air. Bay Area classic.

Mount Diablo Hike - Tallest "mountain" in the Bay Area. Stunning views, on a clear day. Bay Area classic.

Sonoma/Napa wine and bike tours - Barely an outdoor activity when drinking is the primary focus, but fun nonetheless. Great way to see wine country. Personal favorite AND Bay Area classic.

What else did I miss?? Help me out here...
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32 Comments

FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
This sounds like a great idea for a Top 10 list. I would Tilden Park. Even though I'm not a big fan of hiking, I still enjoy going on the trails there.
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
Oh yeah, and for people on the Contra Costa side of the Caldecutt Tunnel, I would say the Lafayette Reservoir is great place for a jog or a walk.
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
You should definitely put in Tilden park. My kids love the Steam Trains right by where Claremont meets with Grizzly Peak.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Where is Tilden Park? I don't know the Contra Costa area too well, but it sounds like a great addition to the list...
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
Tilden is the big park up in the Berkeley Hills. It runs south to the Caldecutt and stretches north into Richmond I think. On a clear day you can see the entire SF bay all the way to the Golden Gate from some of the trails. But there are lots of cool little spots like the Steam Trains (thanks Owl) and also there is an old Carousel up there, but I dont' think it runs any more. It stretches just over Lawrence Hall of Science above Cal. It is near Indian Rock but it is much, much bigger.

I forget if the Brazil house is there or on the Oakland Hills. The Brazil House is this spot where people love to get married. I hear it is booked years in advance. I've never been there but I have seen signs and heard about it--sounds pretty cool.

Oh yeah, and there are lot's of make out spots where teenager go at night time up around there. (Ahh...the memories!)
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Tilden - yes, I've been there! Some of the best views of the Bay Area - the only place that tops it so far is Mt. Tam. Rose Peak, in the East Bay near Sunol (past Fremont) is quite good, too. But it's a 20-mile roundtrip day hike.

Has anyone ever done Diablo?
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
I went part of the way up when I was in college but as I remember it was a hot day and we hadn't brought proper hydration so we turned back.

On a side note have you heard about the guy who wants to rename it Mt. Reagan, because he objects on religious ground to having a mountain named after the Devil. I guess he thinks this is Simi Valley where they name every thing after the Big Gipper.
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
@Owl: And the Gubanator wants to have Ronald Reagan day now. We should just go ahead and rename the whole state Reagornia--beautiful isn't it. Or maybe San Reagisco. Or maybe Gipperland.

You know what would go over really well? If we renamed People's Park, "Ronald Reagan Commerce Square." Because you know there was no better loved governor and president in Berkeley than "send in the tear gas helicopters Reagan."
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
WOW, that certainly makes things interesting. I remember when the war with Iraq started, the French wouldn't support us, and everything got changed to "Freedom." My dad actually used to reach under the plastic covering in menus and pull off the handmade labels to reveal the word "French" (gasp!)

What a digression...any other fun outdoor activities that people can post?
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
You know, if you are willing to leave the city, I hear that Lake Tahoe has some really nice hiking trails. I had some friend who used to like go horseback riding on the trails there. I don't know if you're into horseback riding but I bet they have good trailing for just normal hiking as well.
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
What about the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz? I just took my Dad there while he was visiting and it's pretty fascinating for only $5. Definitely worth the trip from the city.
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
One of my friends that is really into hiking was talking up a trail in Santa Cruz where you hike down to the beach. He said that along the way you get some really great vistas and lots and lots of redwoods. I'm not much of an outdoor girl but it sounded great. Except that he said it was over ten miles (not for me).
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
There is a huge network of trails that runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains - you can pretty much backpack from Half Moon Bay to Los Gatos without ever having to enter a town. Your friend may very well have been talking about the Skyline to Sea trail, which starts at Castle Rock State Park, runs through Big Basin and down to Waddell Beach. The trail is 29.5 miles, making it an ultra-long day hike or a slightly more leisurely, but still intense, backpacking trip. I've done part of it in Big Basin and it is really cool - views of the ocean, redwood trees, creeks, and waterfalls. It is possible to do a small section of it without killing yourself, as it is pretty moderate.

@Nightowl - Tahoe does indeed have some GREAT hiking, resort skiing and snowboarding, backcountry skiing, kayaking on the lake, and I believe horseback riding is indeed popular. I was just up there last weekend for some rock climbing, and South Lake Tahoe actually has some pretty world-renown climbing spots. If you venture outside of the Bay Area to the Sierras, you are pretty much in an outdoor mecca for almost any activity imaginable.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Oh, here's another good one: Rafting on the South Fork of the American River. Again, it's about two hours from the city but well worth the trip, and is one of the most-rafted rivers in the United States. The rapids are exciting but manageable, making this a great all-ages vacation. My friend actually operates a guiding company here: http://www.actionwhitewater.com/

It's a little off the map from SF, but it's world-renown and still so close. If you want to do a float trip that is closer, I believe the Russian River in Sonoma County has some very mellow float options. All worth looking into.
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
Kites for Cancer Awareness is tomorrow at the Little Marina Green. You fly a kite (comes with registration) in honor of someone who was affected by cancer or just for fun. You get to decorate them as well. Here's the link: http://www.beverlyfund.org/kites
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
@Tracypie: Super cool. We should start a blog for charitible and benefit stuff around the city.
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
@StephSF: Hey, I happened across this article doing some other stuff and thought about you--I don't know if you already had it as part of you Marin hiking places. It's called China Camp State Park in Marin.

Here's the link:

http://www.sfgate.com/columns/urbanoutings/
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Hey @NightOwl, thanks for the link. I've heard of it but have not yet been; Marin is a little far so I usually stick to the Santa Cruz Mountains (although there is some very cool stuff in that area). I'll have to take a look one of these days.

I checked out Wunderlich County Park in Woodside today which is a good find. It's nothing mind-blowing, but the parking is free and there are some nice hikes in the redwoods that are pretty uncrowded.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Another update (because this is all I do...)

I checked out Mount Diablo State Park on Saturday. While it's pretty cool, I don't necessarily recommend it for a short excursion. You have to drive through Danville and up a whole set of switchbacks to get there, 15 minutes to the entrance past that, and then, if you want to hike the ever-popular summit trail, it's another half hour up the mountain to the trailhead.

You can also hike up to the top, which is supposed to be really nice; on a clear day, you can see Shasta on one side and the Sierras on the other - SO COOL! However, something about hiking to the top of a mountain that has a parking lot at the summit takes away some of the thrill of accomplishment.

The trails are actually pretty stellar, with fantastic sweeping views at every turn, given the open, grassy landscape. However, if you want a quick jaunt off the side of the road, this probably isn't the place to go.
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
Thanks for the advice! Will keep that all in mind.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
I actually reviewed so you can see it there. I do recommend driving Highway 9 from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz at some point - it is pretty scenic and there are stops all along the way that access various hiking trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Apparently, the network of trails is so intricate that you can hike from Half Moon Bay to Los Gatos without ever needing to walk on the road.

Highway 9 will give you a taste of some of those trails, without needing to make that much of a commitment :)
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
@StephSF: So you can drive all the way to the top of Mt. Diablo? I've never actually been, though I've stared at the mountain almost every day for twenty years. (I hear you can see to the Golden Gate from the top as well, but I'm duboius.)

Speaking of outdoor activities, I spent the last couple of days chopping down the big oak that fell at the edge of my property. I would highly recommend it as an activity if you get the chance. There is something very rewarding about taking an axe to a thick branch and getting it fall. I can definitely see why someone might enjoy being a lumber jack.
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
I will have to go get me an axe. Oh, and a tree too. But I thought Owls were supposed to like trees?
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Yep, or at least near the top. I would certainly believe that you can see the Golden Gate on a clear day - if you can see both Shasta and the Sierra, then that is totally believable, especially given that the GG Bridge is visible from both Tilden and the top of Tamalpais). On the one hand, it is very cool, but on the other hand, there are so many awesome views in the Bay Area that aren't quite so inaccessible. Rose Peak, in Sunol Regional Wilderness near Fremont, has just as good of views but is a 20-mile (moderate) roundtrip day hike.

I like the lumber jack story, although I have a tough time chopping trees down. I did have a redwood almost fall on top of me in Muir Woods last December...
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
Muir Woods is nice too, (except if you almost have atree fall on you I guess).
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Hehe yes that was nuts. I missed it by about 10 minutes which, over the course of 700 years, is pretty trivial. Muir Woods has some of the most accessible coastal redwoods anywhere in the Bay Area, which is nice for visitors who don't necessarily have the fitness to hike to more remote places. It is also informative and educational, although the drive is a little gnarly...
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Tracypie
Tracypie 2yrs+
Yes, I didn't want to detract from the beautiful place that it is by saying that the drive is a little gnarly. Could not agree more. I've been there twice and frankly, that's enough for another few years.
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NightOwlnOrinda
NightOwlnOrinda 2yrs+
Excuse the tangent but the talk about trees reminded me of this radio program I was listening to the other day. There was this scientist (I think he was actually a graduate student working on his doctorate) and he was taking core samples from old forests, but when he went out for the first time he got the instrument stuck in the tree (it was a very expensive instrument which he needed to continue his work) so the forest ranger came by and cut down the tree for him.

Later when the grad student got back to his lab with a slice out of this tree they counted the rings and found out that it was over 4000 years old. It was, until that grad student had it cut down, the oldest living organism in the world. Talk about bad luck.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Interesting, @NightOwl. I added a "favorite hiking trails" thread to streamline some outdoor options
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Here's an article that my friend wrote on outdoor activities in the Bay Area. I think she trumps me in outdoor knowledge:

http://fostercity.patch.com/articles/tracing-the-outdoors
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FlowerGirl
FlowerGirl 2yrs+
@Steph SF: Good article--Tracy seems cool--she reminds me of a friend of mine from college that I haven't heard from in a while.

Anyway, I don't remember you mentioning Lincoln Park and that whole beach area over there. I don't know if there is good hiking but it seems like your sort of place. I certainly like the beach even though its not quite for sunbathing.
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StephSF
StephSF 2yrs+
Nahh, haven't been to Lincoln Park. She is a Bay Area native, and I am a relative newbie, so I would trust her knowledge over mine. Believe me, I'll be checking out the area when I have some time.
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