Day Trippin' › California › From San Francisco › Best hikes
Our picks for the best hikes within 3 hours of San Francisco: 41 places, 10 under an hour away, 19 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 94103.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Tilden Regional Park, 26 min northeast of San Francisco.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Matthew Dillon from Hollywood, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
#1 · Hike · 28 min northwest
Easy paths through old coast redwoods in a quiet canyon just north of the city.
Heads-up: Parking or shuttle reservation required. Book ahead at the official site. No dogs. Little cell service.
Photo: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0
#2 · National park · 2 hr 11 min southeast
Spires and talus caves from an ancient volcano, plus condors and good hiking trails.
Heads-up: No road connects the east and west sides. Hot in summer. Dogs are only allowed in parking areas.
Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0
#3 · State park · 2 hr 49 min east
Giant sequoias in the North Grove on an easy, mostly flat loop, where the big trees first became famous in the 1850s.
Heads-up: The South Grove is closed now. The road past the North Grove closes at the first big snow or December 1.
Photo: Trurl66, Public domain
#4 · State park · 1 hr 9 min east
A tall peak in the East Bay with a summit road, wide views and many trails.
Heads-up: Hot in summer. Trails are steep. Dogs on leash in some areas only. Summit Visitor Center open daily 10-4 but its elevator is out of service with no repair date
Photo: Taras Bobrovytsky, CC0
#5 · Island · 1 hr 11 min north
Ferry to a bay island with a loop road, hiking, bike rentals and old military sites.
Heads-up: Ferry needs advance tickets. No ferry on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Last boat leaves early afternoon in winter (confirm before you go).
Photo: Ijon, CC BY-SA 4.0
#6 · Hike · 26 min northeast
A park in the Berkeley hills with trails, a lake, a carousel and a small steam train.
Heads-up: Swimming at Lake Anza costs money in summer (confirm before you go). Open 5am-10pm; Lake Anza swim beach closed for the season
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mrbilal1987~commonswiki assumed (based on…, Public domain
#7 · Hike · 31 min northeast
Rolling hills with oak woodlands, wildflowers and wide views in Contra Costa County.
Heads-up: Cattle graze here. Hot in late summer.
Photo: Stepheng3, Public domain
#8 · State park · 35 min north
A San Rafael bayside park with shoreline trails, a historic fishing village and biking.
Heads-up: Hot in summer. Few services.
Photo: Oscar Vasquez / California Department of Parks and Recreation, Public domain
#9 · State park · 39 min northwest
Marin's tall peak with redwood canyons, ocean views and summit hikes.
Heads-up: Roads are narrow. Summit trails are steep. Dogs are limited to some trails. Matt Davis Spur Trail permanently closed; main park open; fees at East Peak, Pantoll, Bootjack
Photo: Robert E. Nylund, Public domain
#10 · State park · 1 hr 9 min north
An author's old ranch with trails, a cottage and a small museum in Glen Ellen.
Heads-up: Some buildings may have limited hours.
Photo: Logan Ingalls, CC BY 3.0
#11 · State park · 1 hr 12 min north
Redwood trails, a pool and picnic areas near Calistoga.
Heads-up: Hot in summer. Open 8am to sunset; pool weekends only 1-5pm in season
Photo: Bmp713, Public domain
#12 · State park · 1 hr 18 min south
Old-growth redwood loop trail and river trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Heads-up: Dogs are limited to paved roads and some trails. Poison oak along side paths.
Photo: Grey3k, CC BY 3.0
#13 · State park · 1 hr 26 min south
Coastal bluffs, historic dairy farm buildings and bike-friendly trails north of Santa Cruz.
Heads-up: Fog and wind on the bluffs. Dogs only on some trails. Open 8am-sunset; park store closed until further notice after flooding; no dogs
Photo: Clipping from: Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion. Printed (on verso):…, Public domain
#14 · Historic site · 1 hr 27 min northeast
A rebuilt 1840s adobe fort that was the end of the trail for many overland pioneers, including Donner Party survivors.
Heads-up: Open daily 10 to 5 except major holidays. No parking on site; use street meters.
Photo: Wahn, CC BY-SA 4.0
#15 · Hike · 1 hr 30 min southeast
Redwoods, hiking and picnic areas above Gilroy.
Heads-up: Hot in summer. Winding road. Open 8am to sunset; $6 parking
Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail (31 min), Alameda Creek Regional Trail (40 min), Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve (45 min), Los Gatos Creek Trail (49 min), Alum Rock Park (1 hr), Mission Peak Regional Preserve (1 hr 2 min), Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (1 hr 20 min), Tomales Point Trail (1 hr 25 min), Robert Louis Stevenson State Park (1 hr 27 min), The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park (1 hr 30 min), American River Parkway (1 hr 42 min), Fort Ord Dunes State Park (1 hr 44 min), Monterey State Historic Park (1 hr 52 min), Anderson Marsh State Historic Park (1 hr 58 min), Auburn State Recreation Area (1 hr 59 min), Fort Ord National Monument (2 hr), Garrapata State Park (2 hr 3 min), Hendy Woods State Park (2 hr 21 min), Moaning Cavern (2 hr 22 min), Gray Lodge Wildlife Area (2 hr 27 min), Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (2 hr 28 min), Van Damme State Park (2 hr 51 min), Donner Summit Bridge (2 hr 52 min), Mendocino Headlands State Park (2 hr 54 min), Jug Handle State Natural Reserve (3 hr), Woodward Park (3 hr)
Our top picks are Muir Woods National Monument (28 min), Pinnacles National Park (2 hr 11 min), Calaveras Big Trees State Park (2 hr 49 min), Mount Diablo State Park (1 hr 9 min) and Angel Island State Park (1 hr 11 min). The page lists 41 places in all.
41: 10 under an hour away, 19 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 94103.
Tilden Regional Park, about 26 min northeast of San Francisco.
8 need no pass or fee, including Alameda Creek Regional Trail, Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail and Los Gatos Creek Trail. Fees change, so check each place.
37 of the 41 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.