Beautiful, uncrowded places to hike near San Francisco
August 26, 2015 10:27 AM   Subscribe

What are some beautiful, uncrowded places to hike within three hour's drive of San Francisco, where one can feel alone in the world?

I'm looking for hikes within three hour's drive (or less!) of San Francisco that are uncrowded even on weekends in summer. I want to feel alone in the world of nature. Bonus points for hikes that include water (lakes, rivers, streams, bay, or ocean) or forests. Unrelated bonus points for being hike-able in fall and winter as well. Specific trail names, routes, etc. appreciated.

Thank you!
posted by 3491again to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
 
Felt like that in Tilden park ten years ago, don't know if it's still the case b
posted by meijusa at 10:38 AM on August 26, 2015


Muir Woods.
posted by Michele in California at 10:42 AM on August 26, 2015 [5 favorites]


Although the Muir Woods were quite busy when I visited (Martin Luther King Day), there were a number of trails further south down the road that were very quiet - parking could be an issue, but the actual trails themselves were not busy. I cannot vouch for their population in the summer months, however.
posted by Blue_thing at 10:42 AM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve! It's in Antioch, and while the picnic area's are crowded once you get into the hill's it's lovely and peaceful. I'd say it's better hiking in the fall months because it's cooler, but had a great time in June. Bonus: sign up ahead of time and take a guided mine tour, excellent history and you get to hang out in a cool mine.
posted by lepus at 10:52 AM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]


Once you get away from the folks in the lower elevations, you will have lots of privacy hiking the Mt. Tam area. We visited my sister in that part of the world and this was true when we hiked there, although it was very beautiful weather.
posted by bearwife at 10:53 AM on August 26, 2015


There are a bunch of nice places in the East Bay Regional Park System that could fit this description, although I don't think you'll find real solitude, especially on the weekends. I would look into Shell Ridge Open Space in the foothills of Mt. Diablo, the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness just outside of Danville, and the Sunol and Ohlone Regional Wildernesses to the south. Shell Ridge and Las Trampas don't have much water, but the Little Yosemite area of Sunol has some nice streams and waterfalls, but is unlikely to be quiet.

Point Reyes National Seashore is my favorite place, though. I liked starting at the beach at the end of Limantour Rd and hiking south. Even on a nice weekend, it should be pretty quiet, especially if you hike far enough down. Be careful, though, that you don't get stuck behind a high tide. There's a whole network of hiking trails above the beach past the bluffs, but it can be tricky to get up there from various points on the beach.
posted by tybstar at 10:55 AM on August 26, 2015 [4 favorites]


I think Sonoma Valley Regional Park fits what you're looking for pretty well.
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:56 AM on August 26, 2015


I have no specific trail names, but was amazed at the serenity of Big Basin State Park when I was there a month or so ago. Beautiful serene woods without the crowds of Muir Woods, my daughter was all hiked out after we spent the previous days at Muir Woods and Point Reyes so was not up for any long hikes. We pulled out for a couple of short hikes along the roadside and it was amazingly quiet. We were there on a Monday and we only saw other people at the campground area.
posted by readery at 11:35 AM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Joseph D Grant State Park, up Mount Hamilton in San Jose, is not terribly crowded and has extensive hiking trails (along with lakes). The road to get up there is a little vertigo-inducing, so be warned.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:10 PM on August 26, 2015


Henry W. Coe State Park is within two hours' drive of San Francisco and we saw not one other soul after we were a mile from the entrance. For three days, we were totally alone (except for the mountain lion!) and it was glorious. The hiking is incredibly strenuous (the saying goes that you don't go to Coe to train for the Sierras, you go to the Sierras to train for Coe), but it was 100% worth the effort.

I wouldn't go (even for a day hike) until it cools off a bit, as temperatures in the park routinely top 100 during the summer, but it would be a lovely end-of-October trip. Even if you're a very experienced backcountry backpacker, I wouldn't plan to cover more than 7-8 miles a day; elevation gain/loss of more than 3,000 feet is par for the course pretty much everywhere in the park. Check with the rangers before you set out to make sure the springs are still running on your planned route--you really don't want to get stuck there without water.
posted by jesourie at 12:12 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]


My favorite recommendation for the second part of your question (fall and winter) is Alamere Falls. We've been out there in the winter and didn't see anyone else at all on the trail, which passes by lakes, stunning views of the Pacific, and then the waterfall on the beach. This time of year, I think it's probably more crowded. I do think it's possible to wander off the trail in Tilden Park in Berkeley and be completely alone- I've definitely done this on recent weekends. A little less scenic than anywhere in Marin, though.
posted by three_red_balloons at 1:05 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


2.5 hours north: Hendy Woods. The beauty-to-uncrowded ratio is phenomenal.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:09 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Muir Woods is the exact opposite of uncrowded on weekends. At least as far as the parking situation. I don't know what the actual park is like because I tried to go on a weekend morning and there was no parking even remotely nearby. Everything I've read said you should expect it to be very popular over weekends, and either get there just before it opens early in the morning or don't bother.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:33 PM on August 26, 2015 [3 favorites]


I used to live a bike ride away from Briones Regional Park -- it is hike-able year round. Not sure of how the crowds are these days.
posted by elmay at 1:44 PM on August 26, 2015


I'm a big fan of Napa-Bothe SP. They're revamping it to try and attract new (paying) campers, but I'd go no matter what. The trails around there are lovely--streams, redwoods, mixed hardwood forest, moss, and on and on. Check out the Coyote Peak trail, which I've done a couple times a year for the last 7 years or so. On a few occasions, I haven't passed a single person on the entire trail (especially early morning hikes).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:05 PM on August 26, 2015


Someone above mentioned Big Basin. I'll second that and amend with: any state or regional park on the SF peninsula, down toward Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. If you drive south on Skyline Blvd (CA-35; you can access it from several exits off I-280), along the ridgeline of the peninsula's mountains, you'll pass various trailheads, and the dense forest up there is so peaceful.

Two of my favorites are the Montebello Open Space Preserve, especially the Stevens Creek Trail (which runs along Stevens Creek for a bit, so you get your water), and Sanborn County Park, which starts in the foothills near Saratoga and has trails that let you hike through the forest all the way up to the ridgeline. These aren't as "famous" as, say, Muir Woods, so they don't get the tourists or crowds as badly, but if you want a walk through real Northern California forest, they'll definitely hit the spot.
posted by anonanimal at 3:02 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'll also vouch for big basin. There will be a number of people there on the weekend but half a mile from the parking lot / camping areas you won't see many people.
posted by MillMan at 5:05 PM on August 26, 2015


Seconding Point Reyes.
posted by beagle at 5:07 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


I think realistically, you're going to be talking about relative crowds. You're not likely to find much that's completely uncrowded on a weekend. The further you get from a trailhead, the fewer people there are. In most places that number is about a mile.

The hiking trails at Olompali SHP are pretty uncrowded, but you're not likely to feel completely alone. Same with the trails at Sugarloaf Ridge. Any trail that intersects with Bootjack at Mt. Tam will be among the most crowded in the Bay Area. Most Point Reyes trails are pretty crowded. I'd say that one of the least crowded is the one out to Alamere Falls. Morgan Territory is relatively uncrowded. The hiking trails at Samuel P. Taylor are uncrowded, though there is a campground there. Stebbins Cold Canyon was uncrowded when I went though the trails are currently closed due to what looks like extensive fire damage.

The other East Bay parks people mentioned are all good bets, and they're beautiful emerald green (assuming rain) February to May.

The other thing I'd say is that most of places that have been mentioned will be nearly empty during the work week.
posted by cnc at 8:51 PM on August 26, 2015


Purisima in/near HMB! I also just discovered the Battery to Bluffs trail here in SF which, while had people when I went, had the most breathtaking views I have seen *in* in the city!
posted by bookworm4125 at 11:44 PM on August 28, 2015


N-thing Big Basin, it's beautiful up there.

This covers the Santa Cruz Mountains, which isn't just Santa Cruz county, but also includes portions of Santa Clara and San Mateo. I think everything in here should be within your 3 hour radius.

The Ventana Wilderness and the Big Sur area also has some great hiking and you can get away from people down there too.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 4:23 PM on September 2, 2015


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