Kensington, California

There are a bunch of places to photograph this beach if you head north on the trail that runs along the beach. There is parking at the beach but it can fill up quickly! The only warning you need is about the tide. Make sure you are watching it the entire time because it can creep up on you and ...

This short hike follows Little Butano Creek through a lush redwood forest. The trail crosses the creek multiple times as you walk over redwood pine needles and through pockets of ferns. Dogs can join on this trail, but must be on leash. To get back to your car, continue the loop along Butano Cre...

Located deep within the Santa Cruz Mountains, Butano State Park boasts a large redwood canyon with many miles of hiking trails as well as campsites. This state park is one of the quietest and least visited parks on the peninsula making a perfect place to escape the hustle of the Bay Area  Butano...

This steep and winding trail takes you to the top of a ridge where you can see the Pacific coastline and the redwoods piercing through the forest canopy. To do this trail connect the Ano Nuevo Trail, Olmo Fire Road, Goat Trail and the Six Bridges Trail. If you don't have all day to do the Canyon ...

The incline on this trail begins pretty much right away and is fairly gradual for the entire hike, some of it is quite rocky, making this an easy to moderate level hike. However, with some shade (probably wouldn't attempt it on a hot summer day) and the sweeping views of the valley that get bette...

Bald Hill is the first serious peak/summit that can be reached via the Oat Hill Mine Trail as it breaks from the more popular loop and heads into the heart of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. To get there you can either begin at the less frequently used trailhead at Picket and Rosedale Roads h...