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Hike at Mount Sutro This hilly 61-acre park in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset neighborhood offers cinematic views, shady trails, and (best of all) the feeling you’re wandering through a forest in the middle of a city. Climb the stairs at Stanyan and 17th streets, and enter on the Historic Trail. Hike through lush greenery and towering trees to the Fairy Gates Trail, and it’ll spit you back out on Belgrave Street, close to where you started, for an easy beginners hike. But the fun of Mount Sutro is following the numerous winding paths to discover new views, quiet reading spots and the occasional renegade wood sculpture. For details, go to http://bayareane.ws/1GIRUDo.
Launch from the Headlands To rekindle your days backpacking through Europe, spend a weekend at the Marin Headlands Hostel in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just past the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a launching pad for hiking, biking, surfing and beachcombing, as well visiting the Point Bonita Lighthouse, The Marine Mammal Center, Headlands Center for the Arts and Bay Area Discovery Museum. Optimal time is spring for the many varieties of wildflowers in the area. For reservations, go to http://bayareane.ws/1HV5CU3, or call 415331-2777 (office hours are 7:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., daily). Walk-ins are welcome when rooms are available.
Cycle in Canyon Escape the heat this summer with a bicycle ride through the redwood groves of Canyon, an unincorporated community near the border of Contra Costa and Alameda counties (between Oakland and Moraga). Bring your own water and lunch because there is not much there — the logging camps and saloons of previous centuries are long gone — but if you need to mail a letter, there is a post office.
Hike at Point Lobos Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, sometimes aptly referred to as the “crown jewel of the State Park system,” is absolutely the most beautiful place to take a leisurely hike. Don’t believe it? Just look at the photos by Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. The park offers guided walks, too. For details, go to http://bayareane.ws/1GCzzVL.
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EUREKA
BAY AREA NEWS GROUP
At the Marin Headlands Hostel, it’s not about the bare-bones interior; what lies outside its walls is what draws visitors from afar.
ON CANYON
The website for the public Canyon School boasts this motto: “10,000 redwood trees, 70 students, 5 teachers, 1 school.”
Paddleboard in Sausalito Yearning for some peaceful paddling? Head to Sausalito. If you get there before noon, the water is usually calm and not too windy, perfect for paddleboarding, especially for beginners and kids. Soak up the relaxing vibes while passing sea lions and pelicans, checking out the boathouses, and taking in the fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island. Rental boards go for less than $20 an hour. For details, go to www.seatrek.com/stand-paddle. After you’ve worked up an appetite, go to Sausalito’s Le Garage (85 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 109) for mussels or to Bar Bocce (1250 Bridgeway) for lunch: appetizers, pizza and drinks, with a similar view to the one you had paddleboarding — but with bocce!
Calm waters help beginning paddleboarders set sail in Sausalito.