Henry W. Coe State Park – remote state park in Morgan Hill
Emigrant Wilderness – secluded area north of Yosemite; lots of granite, great for backpacking
The Lakes Basin – hidden gem north of Lake Tahoe; Sardine Lake Resort (great bar)
Lassen Volcanic National Park – Northeastern California
Lost Coast – one of most popular backpacking trails today along the California coast
MacArthur Burney Falls State Park – cabins for overnights and waterfalls; more secluded
Montana de Oro State Park – San Luis Obispo County
Bothe-Napa State Park – Napa; yurts for camping
Natural Hot Springs – hike-in campgrounds in Big Sur
New Brighton Beach Campground – Santa Cruz
Pantoll Campground – first-come, first-serve camping in Mt. Tam
Pinnacles National Park – newest national park; visible signs of the San Andreas Fault run through
Saline Valley Hot Springs – near Death Valley; best September through April
Sierra National Forest – central Sierra Nevada; fewer crowds
Silver Lake Campground – near Kirkwood
Tioga Road (Tuolumne Meadows) Campground – first-come, first-serve camping in the high grounds of Yosemite
Utica Union and Reservoir – little-known free campgrounds in the Sierras
Van Damme State Park and environmental camp ground, Mendocino Coast – light backpacking
Westport-Union Landing State Park – best coastal views up the northern California coast
White Wolf Campground – first-come, first-serve camping in Yosemite with dining lodge
Willow Creek Campground, Sonoma Coast – only state park on Russian River
Dog-Friendly
Fort Funston – San Francisco
Limantour Beach – Point Reyes
Little Yosemite Valley – Sunol
Morgan Territory Regional Preserve – near Livermore
Point Isabel – Richmond/Albany
Sunol Regional Wilderness – East Bay; fantastic wildflowers in May
Wild Cat Canyon Regional Park – Richmond
Family-Friendly
Ano Nuevo State Park – Pescadero
Panther Meadows – Mount Shasta area; walk-in campground, nice little hikes
Pfeiffer Falls – Big Sur
Star Lake – meteor site in backwoods in Yosemite
Hiking Specific
Bay Area Ridge Trail – range of difficulties that spans Bay Area
Carrizo Canyon – San Luis Obispo/Santa Maria
Fort Ross Historic Park – Sonoma Coast
Jack London State Historic Park – Sonoma County; historic buildings and museums run by a non-profit
Montgomery Woods – Ukiah; lots of redwoods
Mount Diablo State Park – Contra Costa County
Mount Eddy – Mount Shasta National Park
Mount Wanda – John Muir Historic site near John Muir’s Martinez house; guided moonlit hikes
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve – Oakland
Tilden Regional Park – Orinda
Mixed Recreational Activities Parks
Alpine Meadows – Tahoe; lots of recreational activities
Anderson Valley – beautiful, but hilly roads for biking
Mount St. Helena – rock climbing in Napa Valley
Samuel P. Taylor State Park – hike-in/bike-in campgrounds in Lagunitas
Tomales Bay – kayak camping in Point Reyes
Weekend Getaway
Mineral King Area, Sequoia National Park – Silver City Mountain Resort
Pacific Grove area – great for spring wildflowers
