Take a Family Friendly Winter Hike in Northern California

Rated Moderate, Length: 0.7 miles.This stunning pedestrian trail is a dramatic addition the Presidio’s network. It allows visitors to experience the wild western shoreline as never before, including access to Marshall’s Beach and connections through the historic coastal fortifications. Highlights: Batteries Godfrey and Crosby, beach access, wilderness and ocean views. Access Points: Battery Godfrey, Washington Boulevard.

Rated Easy: 3.6 miles. Big Break Regional Shoreline is a part of the great 1,680-square-mile San Francisco/San Joaquin Delta estuary in Northern California. The water flowing past Big Break Regional Shoreline through the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers drains half of California's watershed, and creates the largest estuarine environment on Pacific shores. This "Inland Coast" is home to 70 species of birds, and provides valuable habitat for beavers, muskrats, and river otters. The Big Break Regional Trail, which runs along the southern edge of Big Break through the Ironhouse Sanitary District, provides access for hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians to the southeastern edge of the estuary. The trail connects to the northern end of the Marsh Creek Regional Trail, providing access to Brentwood and Oakley. The Marsh Creek Regional Trail connects to the Delta de Anza Regional Trail via West Cypress Road.

Difficulty: Moderate, Length: 2.2 miles. Just a 10-minute drive from Berkeley, Briones Regional Park is a 6,117 acre park in Contra Costa County. Its home to plentiful East Bay wildlife, including birds, snakes and newts. In some areas, it's still used as grazing land by local herds, part of a cattle ranching history that's more than 100 years old. The park's ridge tops offer stunning views of Mount Diablo and the San Francisco Bay.

South Grove at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Learn about the natural and historical features of the giant Sequoias along this 6 mile hike. Difficulty: Moderate, Length: 5.4 miles. This hike through the south grove at Calaveras Big Trees State Park is one of the most popular areas of the park (the other being the north grove near the park entrance). This guide will take you past many of the largest trees in the grove, including the Palace Hotel Tree and the Agassiz tree, which measures 25 feet in diameter. As you walk along the trail, you will learn why these trees grow so large and for so long, and how they are able to outlast fire, disease, insects, and tough droughts, living over 2000 years.

Cataract Creek Trail offers a perfect excuse to play hooky from work or spend a vacation day in the woods. The creek's waterfalls provide a spectacular anchor for a 7-mile loop through the scenic lands of the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. You could just hike a mile and a quarter to the top of the Cataract Creek Trail and return, but I figure if you're going to drive this deep into the Marin County backcountry, you may as well get a few hours of hiking in. The loop includes scenic vistas stretching to the Pacific Ocean, narrow single-track into the wooded hillsides into forests of young redwood and Douglas fir. Marin County has over 500 miles of trails; these are among the best. Tips: Use extreme caution near the waterfalls: slips could be deadly. Footing is tricky along the Cataract Trail, which is short but steep. Beginners can tire easily. Parking is very limited; best to go on a weekday. Poison oak is common along narrow sections of trail.

From March 1 to June 30, 2012, The Hosfas House explores nature with its special Hiking Package. Mention the Hiking Package when reserving a minimum of two nights and receive a $25 gift certificate to 5th Avenue Deli, the perfect place to assemble your picnic for the hike. 5th Avenue Deli is located only 2.5 blocks from the hotel. When booking online indicate HHNature to receive the $25 gift certificate upon arrival. This offer is not valid with any other discount or promotion.

Rated easy, Length is .5 mile. Overlook Trail to McWay Falls - A short hike with amazing views of the Big Sur coast with a stunning waterfall falling to the sandy beach below This short hike will give you some of the most stunning views in all of Big Sur for the least amount of effort. The 0.6-mile out-and-back hike leads you to a trail on the cliffs along the coast. At the viewpoint you can see McWay Falls pouring down on the sandy beach below in McWay cove.

Rated Easy, Length: 3.4 miles. Trails at Lands End offer a cliff-top stroll through dark cypress and open grass & 30-mile views of the California coast. This is a fun little hike in San Francisco if you’re looking for an escape from the city. The Palace of the Legion of Honor is an entertaining museum if you have a few hours to spend. There are several nice spots along the path where you can rest to have a picnic while enjoying the beautiful view. Picnic tables, grills and a restroom are available at West Fort Miley. Park your car at the West Fort Miley parking lot, walk a short way back along El Camino del Mar (near the entrance to the parking lot) and take the first paved road uphill to the left.

Difficulty: Moderate, Length: 5.0 miles. Located four hours north east of San Francisco, this Northern California is a prime destination for seekers of tranquility and those with even just a passing interest in geology. Mount Lassen is a towering testament to the volcanic origins of this region, and an imposing sight from the trailhead on the shores of Lake Helen. Hiking the two-and-a-half mile Lassen Peak trail which switchbacks its way gradually up the mountain can feel like a relatively gentle workout to many. Tips: • The trail up the South face of the mountain is almost entirely without shade. Pack the sunscreen and also bring layered clothing to protect you from the winds at higher altitudes. • Where possible it's worth tackling Lassen Peak early in the day to beat the crowds and to avoid hiking up during the warmest part of the day. • Summer through fall is the best time to experience this trail. Snow covers the Lassen landscape for much of the year, closing roads and obscuring trails.

Rated Easy, Length is 3 miles. This short and scenic trek requires just the usual hiking gear: good shoes, layered clothing (these coastal areas are about 30 degrees cooler in the summer than inland areas), a water bottle, and perhaps some snacks to enjoy on the summit. If there is chance you'll be caught in the dark, be sure to bring a headlamp. In addition, if you want to enjoy the views from the top but don't have time for the full hike, Black Mountain Rd./Upper State Park Rd. will take you three fourths the way to the top and there is a small parking lot from which you can hike rest of the way. However, although the road to the parking lot is supposed to open during the day, the opening and closing times are not always reliable.

Rated Moderate, Length: 6.2 miles. The Grand Loop offers a bird's-eye view of the Bay Area, and sometimes glimpses far beyond, of the Farallon Islands, Mount Lassen, the Sierra Nevada, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's also a a hotspot for wildflowers in the spring. • You can rush through this walk in 2 or 3 hours. For maximum enjoyment, though, allow 4 to 5 hours, and plan for a glorious top-of-the-world picnic. Take plenty of water, especially on hot days in the summer. Spring temperatures and flowers are delightful. Views are generally best the morning after a winter storm. Bring layers of clothing in any season. In the winter you can even encounter snow and ice! Poison oak is a problem on some parts of the trail, but you can easily wriggle around it.

The Dipsea Trail-Steep Ravine Loop is a nice loop in Mount Tamalpais State Park. Difficulty: Moderate, Length: 3.8 miles. This hike includes great views of the Bay Area, Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate, Potato Patch, and down the San Mateo Coastline. As the walk progresses the trails will head into Redwood Forest, and drop - really drop - down into the heart of Steep Ravine. The trails become a series of stairs immediately adjacent to a seasonal creek. In some spots it’s surely underwater during storms. Once in Steep Ravine it’s all uphill back to the Ranger Station. The trail criss-crosses the creek repeatedly looking for space for itself, regularly climbs more steps, and a short ladder next to a waterfall in the quest to gain altitude. The reward is one of the best Redwood Canyons around. Tips: Follow the Panoramic HWY from HWY 1 (Mill Valley). The Ranger Station is at the junction of Panoramic HWY and Pantoll Road. A twisty and scenic route shared by cars, campers and bicycles.

Rated Moderate, Length: 4.5 miles. Muir Woods and Tourist Club Loop. Backdoor entry to Muir Woods on an uncrowded trail where you can enjoy scenery (and a bar!) most visitors never see. The ancient California redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument are one of several remaining groves up and down the coast that escaped the lumberjacks thanks to forward thinking preservationists. Located just North of San Francisco this is the ideal place for visitors from around the world to come and marvel at the giant redwoods but it also means the area frequently attracts large crowds, bus tours and overflowing parking lots. The hillside loop trail offers a great way to visit Muir Woods National Monument and avoid many of the crowds, before returning along a scenic route over Mt. Tamalpais State Park that most visitors don't get to see. One additional benefit along this trail is the chance to spend a little time at the Tourist Club. Enjoy a cocktail on the balcony overlooking the forest before continuing along the Redwood Trail back to the trailhead. • You don't have to be a member of the Tourist Club to enjoy the facilities, but you do have negotiate around a minefield of members-only event days which are listed on their website. • This route does not enter Muir Woods by the main entrance, so if you plan to enjoy the full Muir Woods experience, then please remember to pay a fee as you exit the park. • During the rainy season (November to May) a trail can occasionally be closed for maintenance. Check with the rangers. Alternatives: • Consider extending your day with the 2 mile long Redwood Creek loop in the heart of Muir Woods National Monument.

Rated Easy, Length: 1.3 miles. • Pescadero State Beach, a mile-long stretch just south of Half Moon Bay in Northern California is no simple place. If you look more closely you can spot some of the more than 250 species of birds that make their home here. • As you pass through the park's many habitats, keep your eyes open for birds, bunnies, or even a rare spotting of the San Francisico garter snake. Stairs lead hikers from the parking lot to a short section of Highway 1 that passes over the park's ocean inlet. A stroll along Highway 1 takes you over the lagoon that feeds the marsh. Most of the park lies east of the highway, and visitors cross under this bridge to access trails on the inland side of the lagoon. Once past the beach, you'll find yourself at the beginning of the 2.5 mile Sequoia Audubon Trail. The shallow shrubbery gives way to creekside grasses as you approach Pescadero Creek. This flow is one of two creeks--the other being Butano Creek--that feeds the estuary here. The marsh found at Pescadero State Park is the largest remaining coastal marsh between San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

Rated Easy, Length is 2 miles. If you are going to hike only one trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, this trail should be it. It is only 0.7 miles through massive redwoods to beautiful Pfeifer Fall only 1 mile to the top of the valley view trail from the trailhead. Within an hour this hike will show you the redwood trees, falls, and vistas of Big Sur. Tips: Park at the main lot near the lodge and walk a little ways up the street, or drive along the road towards the trailhead where you may find a vacant spot.

Rated Moderate, Length: 6.5 miles. Steep Ravine is a real jewel in Marin County's crown. Cutting deep into the landscape over millennia the water rushing through Webb Creek has created a spectacularly steep sided and lush canyon shaded by towering redwood trees and populated with a wide variety of local flora and fauna. This trail really draws the crowds, so we heartily recommend hitting it early and hitting it first. Rounding of this 6.5 mile hike our route guides you down the coastal section of the Matt Davis Trail promising wide sweeping ocean views and even more dense woodland switchbacks. • Tips: Good shoes are recommended to handle potentially slippery surfaces on the Steep Ravine trail. • Coastal fog can reduce visibility, particularly in the morning and on the West side of the park. Steep Ravine can still be enjoyed despite fog, and the return leg down Matt Davis Trail can still be rewarding as the clouds burn off. • Clockwise routes of this trail are useful to burn off the total elevation gain in a shorter distance up Steep Ravine, so you can enjoy the longer return journey as a downhill route. Alternatives: • Start at Pan Toll ranger station and take a clockwise journey along the route, hitting Steep Ravine first to avoid the crowds later in the day.

The Stanford Dish loop is a popular route for Stanford University students as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Its steep paved trail is suitable for running, walking, and hiking. Bicycles are not allowed. Opening hours vary depending on the month of the year. There is lots of space for street side parking on Stanford Avenue, but it can fill up quickly, especially on sunny days, so you may have to park several hundred yards away. U-turns are prohibited on Stanford Ave. This rule is frequently enforced, so to avoid a ticket don't make a U-turn when you see a parking spot at the opposite side of the street. A good parking strategy is to approach the Dish on Junipero Serra Blvd, and turn into Stanford Ave (away from the Dish entrance). When you find a spot on the right-hand side of the street, take it. If there are no spots on the right-hand side, but you see spots on the left-hand side, make a right onto Raimundo Way, and turn around, then make a left on Stanford Ave and snatch your parking spot. When parking make sure to watch out for bicyclists.