What is your favorite hike in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Answer 1

I have five suggestions.

1) Angel Island
A lovely island in the bay with views of SF. Make a picnic at the Ferry building.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=468
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

2) Big Basin
California's oldest state park.
http://www.bigbasin.org/
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=540

3) Henry Coe
Largest state park in Northern California.
http://www.coepark.org/

4) Pinnacles National Monument
A stunning, rugged park.
http://www.nps.gov/pinn/

5) Point Reyes National Seashore
http://www.nps.gov/pore/

Answer 2

For something mellow but serene: Muir Woods in Marin County.

For something decidedly NOT mellow, the Dipsea trail on Mt Tamalpias

The one I do the most often is around Lake Chabot in the East Bay. 9.2 miles around, just turn towards the water at every junction. Some joggers and bicyclists on the first and last 1-2 miles that are paved. But you hardly see anyone on the far side of the lake. Lots of other, even less used trails can be taken from there.

Mt Diablo has nice trails, but they're mostly up (or down) and it can get hot out there in the summer.

But best hike in the SFBA? The Sunol-Del Valle Wilderness trail. You need a permit from the East Bay Parks Office (like $2) in advance, but you are so removed from all the BA development, see a lot of critters (fox, coyotes, deer, bald eagles, etc) and hardly anyone else. Many would backpack it in several days or go part way in and back out again. I love it as a one-day, 28-mile through trip if I can get someone to drop me off.

Answer 3

North Beach!

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