101 Hikes in Northern California: Exploring Mountains, Valley, and Seashore
Language: English
Pages: 336
ISBN: 0899977812
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
101 Hikes in Northern California by Matt Heid benefits readers by narrowing down the multitude of options for hiking in Northern California to the very best of the best adventures. It is distinct from other similar guidebooks in that it covers the northern two-thirds of the state, including nearly the entirety of the Sierra Nevadas south to Kings Canyon National Park, and the entire Big Sur region along the coast south to Silver Peak Wilderness. It also provides significant geographic diversity: hikes are spread out across the entire No matter where you are in northern California, you can find a hike in the book within a short drive. The guide is unique in the amount of natural history information it provides, especially the geologic stories of the featured destinations. It provides not just the essential directions for completing a hike, it enhances the experience by telling the story of how the landscape came to be the way it is.
Backpack Area Coyote Hills Bob Walker Ridge Mount Diablo Eagle Peak Wildcat Peak Little Butano Creek Canyon Castle Rock Berry Creek Falls Purisima Creek Montara Mountain Sweeney Ridge Milagra Ridge San Andreas Fault San Bruno Mountain San Francisco’s Pacific Shore Golden Gate Bridge Point Bonita Lighthouse Gerbode Valley Ring Mountain Silver Peak Wilderness Ventana Wilderness Ventana Wilderness Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Andrew Molera State Park Ventana
and the Lost Coast. The hikes were selected using three basic criteria, and each adventure includes some combination of: • Isolation: Wilderness is freedom, an escape from the trappings of society. The fewer the people you encounter, the deeper your experience. • Scenic Beauty: Sweeping 360-degree vistas, exquisite works of nature, and the splendor of Northern California • Unique Destinations: Redwood forests, giant sequoias, granite domes, marble mountains, thundering waterfalls—places
center. There is a $5 day- use fee. Since the gate closes at dusk, those anticipating a post-sunset return should park outside the entrance on the street. To reach Montara Beach, take Hwy. 1 south of Linda Mar Blvd. for 4 miles and park by the northern end of the beach. To reach the trailhead by public transportation, take BART to Daly City and SamTrans Bus 110 to the Linda Mar Shopping Center (runs every 30–60 minutes). Transfer to SamTrans Bus 14 and get off at Terra Nova Blvd. and Oddstadt
The Hike follows the beach north from Mussel Rock in north Pacifica to Fort Funston in San Francisco. This trip can become dangerous during high tides, when big waves can wash to the base of the bluffs and suck people out to sea. Do not venture onto the beach if you see waves reaching the bluffs. No tide tables are posted at the trailhead—check in advance. The hike can be made into a round-trip by returning along the beach to the trailhead. Otherwise, car arrangements must be worked out for the
you walk toward the south tower. Southeast, Coit Tower and downtown San Francisco are apparent, connected to the East Bay via the Bay Bridge. Looking east across the bay, the summit of Mt. Diablo (Hike 15) can be seen crowning the East Bay Hills, and downtown Berkeley is visible beyond nearby Alcatraz Island. Northeast is substantial Angel Island and the Tiburon peninsula. While views west are somewhat obscured by the far railings, the jagged spit of Point Bonita (Hike 29) juts from the north.