Lee DeGraw
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5 Bay Area Hikes for (Almost) Every Occasion

By Lee DeGraw
June 7, 2016 

Published on BayArea.com

These days we can scroll through endless curated feeds delivering exactly what we like to see. We can check out Instagram photos full of beautiful landscapes, majestic mountains and spectacular vistas right from the comfort of our own couch. Or — and this is a big “OR,” people — we can just get out there and do things the old fashioned way, using our own two feet instead of our scrolling finger to transport us to a beautiful place.

The Bay Area is a stunning region where nature and metropolis meet and an abundance of scenic settings provide the perfect backdrop for some of life’s most enjoyable occasions. Thus, we present to you a guide to some of the best Bay Area hikes where one can experience life’s many adventures.

Castle Rock State Park
Location: Los Gatos
Hike: Castle Rock Trail Camp
Distance: 2.6 miles 
Ideal for: Girl’s mini backpacking trip, ample #nofilter needed Instagram photo-taking opportunities, seeing a waterfall with actual water.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Location: Ben Lomond
Hike: Fall Creek Trail to Limekilns
Distance: 6.7 miles
Ideal for: Having a picnic atop the limekiln ruins, dropping knowledge bombs on your hiking companion about the process of creating quicklime in the 19th century, being surrounded by gorgeous ancient Redwoods.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Location: Felton
Hike: Eden Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles
Ideal for: Taking a cool dip as the trail leads you to the Garden of Eden swimming hole, lounging on the rocks beneath a canopy of redwoods, skinny-dipping with other visiting bathers.

Point Reyes National Seashore
Location: Point Reyes
Hike: Abbotts Lagoon
Distance: 2.8 miles
Ideal for: Quiet picnicking spot, running off into the sunset on an often-secluded beach, spotting various marsh birds.
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Crockett Hills Regional Park
Location: Rodeo
Hike: Edwards Creek Trail to Wood Rat Trail
Distance: 5 miles
Ideal for: Bragging rights that you avoided the crowds in Muir Woods, hiking with your pooch off leash, trail beers as there aren’t many fellow hikers in sight.
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