San FranciscoNature

San Francisco is an amazing place to experience nature, walk, and explore. The north has legendary redwoods with trunks wider than 5 people put together. East Bay offers sunny weather and less-crowded picturesque nature walks. And the South Bay offers a broader landscape of lush forested areas on beautiful rolling hills that are a sight to see. The town itself has many stunning walks along the hills overlooking the ocean and bay, and Lake Merced offers a number of beautiful and relaxing lakeside walks.

North Bay is known to attract nature lovers. Muir Woods is a popular attraction with the towering redwoods and different trails ranging from very advanced to very easy so there is something for everyone. Further north is Mount Shasta, which is a giant snow-capped mountain that people like to climb. Mount Shasta also has lakes and camping grounds, and is a very popular nature getaway.

The East Bay has plenty of less conspicuous trails, but that may be better for people looking to escape trail traffic and really feel alone in nature. The temperature tends to be more arid and landscapes are often representative of that, so look for less lushness and bring more water. Also, be careful not to get lost because as there are fewer people, it is easier to get lost.

South Bay offers an interesting combination of nature. What is now Silicon Valley is circling the valleys of the past, which can still be seen from place to place. The area south of San Francisco has many rolling hills that are draped in tall, leafy trees that give off a magical feeling. Highway 280 from San Francisco to San Jose is often mentioned as the most beautiful stretch of road in the country. South of San José, there are many areas that remain untouched by civilization and the vegetation is as lush as ever.

San Francisco itself is probably the most picturesque place for relatively easy hikes. The walk to earth’s end is just stunning as people walk along the cliff (pretty safe) and look out over the entire bay and ocean from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge passing by. On lucky days, interesting ships can be seen coming and going to the ports of San Francisco and Oakland. Once I even saw a US military submarine.