55 outdoor adventures, hikes and more

The Bay Space’s nice open air — its trails, waves and mountains — are greater than only a nice diversion throughout this surreal yr. They’re important to our happiness and well-being. Take into account this an ode to all of the methods to play across the bay, from kayak treks and island rides to the best trails, each suburban and wild.

It’s no secret that 2020 has introduced an onslaught of head-spinning doom, from a devastating pandemic to wildfires, lightning strikes and intense warmth. Circumstances change virtually consistently nowadays. So earlier than you enterprise out, test to ensure that your vacation spot — be it a park, path or different attraction — is open to guests.

SUP in Sausalito

An ideal day of stand-up paddle-boarding and seafood-slurping on San Francisco Bay begins with a fast lesson for newbies, earlier than paddling into the brisk waters off Sausalito’s shore for epic views and a little bit of calorie-burning. And afterward, chowder on the deck. Here’s where to go to SUP — plus 5 extra adventures that belong in your Marin County outdoor bucket list, from the Marin Headlands to mountain bike trails.

Mountain bike on Angel Island

Whether or not you go for the excessive street that circles Angel Island or the low, this outing is solely spectacular. Board the Angel Island Ferry — bikes are welcome — for the brief, splashy journey, then hit the path for 360-degree views of the whole bay, from Mount Tamalpais to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco’s iconic skyline and the East Bay hills. Here’s what to expect.

6 city and suburban hikes

Wilderness climbing is grand, however in the event you’re in search of adventures nearer to house, we’ve six suggestions  for hikes to please metropolis dwellers and suburbanites alike — from the historic Berkeley Steps to the Stanford Dish Loop within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley and the nation’s largest canine park. And in the event you actually wish to get city right here, this San Francisco bucket list, with its mixture of Fort Level surf, Presidio trails and 17-mile crosstown hike, will do the trick.

Kayak with otters

Otter pups frolicking, pelicans swooping, waves splashing — this kayak trek at Elkhorn Slough provides every kind of wildlife delights. (Psst, these lovely otters don’t social distance.) There’s a lot extra to do when you’re there, too, from exploring Point Lobos to the kelp forests of Monterey Bay and extra.

Surf Santa Cruz, royally

We could consider this beachy spot as Surf Metropolis, nevertheless it was three Hawaiian princes who introduced browsing to the mainland — to Santa Cruz in 1885, hitting the waves on longboards manufactured from native redwood. Here’s the royal tale, plus tips about the place to study, the place to look at and find out how to study extra.

And when you’re there, take a look at the Santa Cruz outdoor bucket list. Some strategies must wait till later, however these wine-tasting sails and Wilder Ranch hikes sound splendid.

RV-ing at Large Sur

Concern and glamping in Large Sur? Even in the event you can’t rating a campsite reservation proper now, you’re going to wish to find out what happened when sports activities editor and RV beginner Mark Conley took his household tenting within the land of attractive landscapes, zero gadget connectivity and a few very scary RV hoses.

Three mountain peaks

Exhausting-core hiker and intrepid author Elliott Almond determined to climb three towering Bay Space mountains this summer time — Mount Tamalpais in Marin, Mount Diablo within the East Bay and Mount Manuel in Large Sur. And whether or not you wish to comply with his path or simply take pleasure in it vicariously, both the adventure and stunning photographs are effectively price a glance.