The 24 Best Northern California Hikes (Near San Francisco Bay Area)
Northern California is a mecca for hikers and lovers of the outdoors. With everything from looming redwoods to scenic coastal views, you could hike somewhere different every weekend and never get bored! Which, for a while, is what Jeremy and I did. We’d grab a rental car ( cuz you know, we didn’t have a car – saving up for that year-long honeymoon), drive anywhere from minutes to hours away from San Francisco, and find a new spot to camp, hike, and explore. After a few years of research – I literally have a hike spreadsheet of hikes and weekend trips near the Bay Area, is anyone surprised? – I’ve put together a list of my favorite hikes in Northern California! These are all easy to intermediate level hikes that are accessible within a few hours from the San Francisco Bay Area, from as close as Oakland to as far away as Lake Tahoe and Big Sur ( which are technically doable as day trips – but we prefer to stay overnig...