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  • Our editors recommend these diverse local experiences.

1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area - 35 min ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Category: Activities
Golden Gate National Recreation Area - 35 min
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2. Sausalito - 35 min ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sausalito - 35 min
© Courtesy of Ashok B. Mehta - Fotolia.com

3. Muir Woods National Monument - 45 min

Category: Activities
Muir Woods National Monument - 45 min
© Courtesy of MNStudio - Fotolia.com

4. Half Moon Bay - 50 min

Half Moon Bay - 50 min
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5. Yosemite National Park - 4 hours 10 min

Category: Activities
Yosemite National Park - 4 hours 10 min
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6. Point Reyes National Seashore - 1 hour 25 min

Category: Activities
Point Reyes National Seashore - 1 hour 25 min
© Courtesy of Fotolia.com

7. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens - 4 hours

Category: Activities
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens - 4 hours
© Courtesy of Melastmohican - Fotolia.com

8. Stinson Beach

Category: Beaches
Stinson Beach
© Courtesy of Jairo Rene Leiva - Fotolia.com

9. Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea
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10. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks - 5 hours

Category: Activities
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks - 5 hours
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11. The Gardens of Alcatraz

Category: Activities
The Gardens of Alcatraz
© f8grapher/stock.adobe.com

12. California State Railroad Museum - 3 hours

Category: Kids & Family
California State Railroad Museum - 3 hours
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13. Monterey Bay Aquarium - 2 hours 50 min

Category: Attractions
Monterey Bay Aquarium - 2 hours 50 min
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14. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 3 hours 30 min

Category: Activities
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 3 hours 30 min
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15. Filoli - 35 minutes

Filoli - 35 minutes
© Melastmohican/stock.adobe.com

16. Marin Headlands - 40 min

Marin Headlands - 40 min
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17. Alcatraz - 20 min

Alcatraz - 20 min
© Courtesy of f11photo - Fotolia.com

18. Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail

Category: Activities
Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail
© Courtesy of wakr10 - Fotolia.com

19. Nick's Cove Tomales Bay

Nick's Cove Tomales Bay
© Nick's Cove Tomales Bay

20. Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve - 1 hour

Category: Activities
Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve - 1 hour
© Courtesy of Yuval Helfman - Fotolia.com

21. Mt Tamalpais State Park - 1 hour

Category: Activities
Mt Tamalpais State Park - 1 hour
© Courtesy of MattBoylePhotos - Fotolia.com

22. Wildcat Canyon Regional Park - 1 hour

Category: Activities
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park - 1 hour
© Courtesy of Henryk Sadura - Fotolia.com

23. Rancho Corral de Tierra - 30 min

Category: Attractions
Rancho Corral de Tierra - 30 min
© NPS photo

24. UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley - 50 min

Category: Activities
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley - 50 min
© UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Summary and Frequenly Asked Questions:

  • A short drive out of San Francisco will take you to some of the most magnificent parks, with the largest trees in the world and deep canyons in Northern California.
  • You can swim or surf on spectacular beaches, visit the state capitol building, or take a nostalgic train down memory lane.
  • Take a ferry to Alcatraz Island, check out what lives under the ocean surface at one of the world's best aquariums in Monterey, and stroll through incredibly charming and picturesque small towns like Carmel, Mendocino, or Sausalito.

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