Since making our first Bucket List hiking tour back in 2022, we’ve conquered miles of Northern California wilderness, from world-class parks like Point Reyes National Seashore and Yosemite National Park to Bay Area open spaces like San Jose’s Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Napa’s Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.
In 2026, we’re revisiting the Bucket List trails we’ve loved best over the past five years. While some, like September’s hike in Tahoe National Forest, are fairly remote, others aren’t far at all from a post-trail celebration. To those destinations that are just a short walk or drive from good eats and drinks, we’ve added a bonus mission that we suspect you’ll choose to accept.
From the crags and condors of Pinnacles National Park to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, join us on these best-of-the-best Northern California Bucket List hikes, one for each month of 2026.
January: Murietta Falls in the Ohlone Regional Wilderness(Courtesy of @wuhikes)
January: Del Valle Regional Park, Murietta Falls Trail (12.3 miles, out and back)
Buckle up for an intense hike with an ephemeral waterfall that’s flowing fast as we speak. This hike to Murrieta Falls from our 2024 Bucket List climbs more than 4,000 feet in just over 12 miles but you’ll earn bragging rights for being one of the rare few to catch this skittish cascade, the highest in the Bay Area, in action. Although you’ll park at the Lichen Bark parking area at Del Valle Regional Park, the majority of the hike is actually in the Ohlone Regional Wilderness along the Ohlone Wilderness Trail (AllTrails breaks down each step in uncharacteristically refreshing detail; be sure to screenshot it in advance in case you lose cell service on the way). As of January, hiking permits are no longer necessary for this hike.
Bonus: Since you have to go back through Livermore Wine Country to get home no matter where in the Bay you live, you may as well stop to get a taste of the good stuff. There are many tasting rooms in town but the first two you come across, Murrieta’s Well (3005 Mines Rd.) and Concannon Vineyard (4590 Tesla Rd.), are both great options.
// 7000 Del Valle Rd. (Livermore), ebparks.org
February: Pinnacles National Park, High Peaks to Balconies Cave (8.5 mile loop)
Winter, when the intense summer heat has cooled and the endangered California condors are active, is the best time for visiting Pinnacles National Park. This hike from our original Bucket List in 2022 creeps through the spindles and hoodoos of the High Peaks Trail, and has enough altitude to see them soar. But half the fun is the trail itself, which has you climbing precarious ladders and crossing narrow ledges through gardens of rocky rhyolite. It will also take you to the mouth of Balconies Cave, a worthy if short stop for explorers equipped with a flashlight.
// 5000 East Entrance Rd (Paicines), nps.gov/pinn
March: Morgan Territory Regional Preserve (Courtesy of @baggiebloke)
March: Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, Clyma to Condor Loop (7.8 mile loop)
You want wildflowers? Morgan Territory’s got wildflowers—bunches of them—and it’s in March that they begin turning their faces to the sun. This East Bay park is one of the most underrated in the whole Bay Area, and the 7.8 mile hike from Clyma to the Condor Loop from our 2025 Bucket List has everything you could want, from wooded valleys to views that stretch for days. Start on the Clyma Trail and head clockwise around the rollercoaster-like loop accented with blooming fruit trees, colorful butterflies, and croaking frogs. The trail is likely to be pretty muddy in March so be sure to come prepared.
// 9401 Morgan Territory Rd. (Livermore), ebparks.org
April: Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Point Trail (9.7 miles out and back)
Not only are the views along the Tomales Point Trail unbeatable (on a clear day they can reach all the way to the Farallon Islands) but you’ll have ample opportunity to spot the native Tule elk herd that roams the five-mile-long peninsula. The route from our 2022 Bucket List starts at the historic Pierce Point Ranch, a dairy ranch from the late 19th century, then meanders along the coastal bluff until teetering into the bay (careful on the cliffs, they have been known to collapse). As you hike, keep an eye out for gray whales that may be migrating north off the coast.
Bonus: As you head back along Tomales Bay towards home at the hike’s end, make a pit stop at the cozy Tap Room in the Inverness Park Market (12301 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness) for beefy sandwiches and burgers.
// Pierce Point Rd (Inverness), nps.gov/pore
June: Mount Sutro Open Space (Courtesy of @sfsutrotower)
May: Joseph D. Grant County Park, Yerba Buena to Halls Valley Trail (6.8 mile loop)
In May, Joseph D. Grant County Park is a patchwork of emerald and gold set on the slopes of San Jose’s Mount Hamilton. The Yerba Buena to Halls Valley Trail is one of its best, with sweeping vistas of the Diablo Range and the iconic Lick Observatory. The 6.7 mile loop from our 2025 Bucket List begins at Halls Valley Lake and climbs up into the rolling hills along the Yerba Buena Trail before turning onto Canada De Pala, then back to Halls Valley. To reach the trailhead, drive past the park’s main entrance and pull into the lot a few hundred feet up on the left side of the road near the lake.
// 18405 Mt. Hamilton Rd. (San Jose), parks.santaclaracounty.gov
Bonus: When your hike is over, make a stop at Peter’s Bakery (3108 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose) in Alum Rock neighborhood at the bottom of the mountain, a historic spot that takes credit for the invention of burnt almond cake.
June: Mount Sutro Open Space, Mount Sutro to Twin Peaks (3.9-mile loop)
Get above the June Gloom on this hike around Mount Sutro and Twin Peaks from our 2024 Bucket List. Pick up Sutro’s Historic Trail from the corner of Stanyan and 17th Street. It’ll take you on a circuit around the mountain’s summit then send you back down John Stone Drive and across Clarendon Avenue to the Sutro Tower Trail. At its end at Twin Peaks Boulevard, the climb begins again. Circle the sibling peaks then either return the way you came or loop back to your starting point on city streets.
Bonus: If you haven’t popped by Cole Valley in awhile, here’s a good excuse. Grab some Arabic comfort food at Beit Rima (86 Carl St.), a classic SF-meets-Paris brunch at Zazie (941 Cole St.), or an old-fashioned milkshake at The Ice Cream Bar (815 Cole St.).
// Stanyan & 17th St. (Twin Peaks), ucsf.edu
July: Pacific Crest Trail to Summit Tunnels (Shoshi Parks)
July: Pacific Crest Trail to Summit Tunnels, Truckee (8+ miles, out and back)
One of the most stunning feats of engineering ever accomplished in the U.S. is at the core of July’s hike, a throwback from our 2023 Bucket List. In the 1860s, Chinese immigrants carved tunnels through the impossibly hard granite at Donner Pass to connect California to the rest of the country via the transcontinental railroad. Today, though they are covered in a riot of graffiti, they are just as impressive as they were over 150 years ago.
It is possible to park just a five minute walk from the Summit Tunnels but it’s much more epic to approach them via the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Start at the parking lot for the eastbound Donner Pass rest area. Step onto the PCT on the south side and follow it over fields of erratic boulders and switchbacks down to Donner Pass Road. Cross the road to the parking lot then follow your eyes to the tunnels (don’t forget to read all about them on signs tucked into the side of the parking lot). You can walk through as much or as little of the tunnels as you want, then turn around and follow the PCT back to your car.
// I-80 Donner Pass Eastbound Rest Area (Soda Springs), pcta.org
August: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Fall Creek to Ridge Trail (4.2 mile loop)
Take it easy this month with a lovely 4.2 mile loop through the natural air conditioning in the redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park. This trail from our 2025 Bucket List in the Fall Creek Unit, on the opposite side of the main entrance and down a few hundred feet on Highway 9, is the classic Santa Cruz Mountains scene, with whispering creeks and gentle giants swaying in the breeze. Head counter-clockwise from the Fall Creek Fire Road to the Ridge Trail, following it around to the Cape Horn Trail then back onto Fall Creek’s South Fork. Parking can be tricky on weekends so arrive early to nab a spot.
Bonus: The Fall Creek Unit entrance is just a few blocks from downtown Felton and the sweet plant-forward The Grove Cafe and Bakery (6249 Hwy 9), as well as the Santa Cruz-born brewery outpost, Humble Sea Tavern (6256 Hwy 9).
// Fall Creek Unit at Felton Empire Rd. (Felton), parks.ca.gov
September: Tahoe National Forest (Courtesy of @honeyoats_adventure)
September: Tahoe National Forest, Sierra Buttes Trail (5 miles, out and back)
In the early 20th century, more than 150 fire lookouts helped California’s park rangers keep an eye on dangerous wildfires. Technology has since put most of them out of commission, but a handful of the original lookout cabins remain to welcome hikers (and even overnight guests). On the northwestern side of the Tahoe National Forest, the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout sits high on its granite throne about 2.5 miles (and 180 steep metal steps) from the trailhead. The trail from our 2024 Bucket List, the Sierra Buttes Trail is an intense. But if you ask us, the views that reach all the way to Mount Lassen on a clear day are worth the pain.
// Monarch Rd. (Downieville), fs.usda.gov
October: Angel Island State Park, Perimeter Loop (5.5-mile loop)
October, when the skies are warm and clear, is the ideal month for a sea-to-land adventure at Angel Island State Park, which first appeared on our 2023 Bucket List. Take the ferry from San Francisco or Tiburon to Ayala Cove then head clockwise along the paved Perimeter Road. Along the way, stop to explore the remnants of the US Immigration Station (Angel Island was once the West Coast equivalent of New York’s Ellis Island), a Nike missile site, and several batteries and garrisons built in the late 19th century. Pro tip: Go while the Blue Angels are in town during the first week of the month and you’ll have the best vantage point in the entire Bay Area to see the jets fly.
Bonus: If you need a recharge before hopping the ferry back to the mainland, the Angel Island Cafe (Main St.) has snacks and cold drinks of both the spirited and non-spirited variety. If you’re with a group, pre-order one of their sandwiches for picnicking on the hike or on site.
// Angel Island (Tiburon), parks.ca.gov
December: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (Elizabeth Fadali)
November: Mount Tamalpais State Park, Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop (6.4 mile loop)
This classic Mount Tam loop from our 2022 Bucket List begins right in the town of Stinson Beach, switchbacks through forests of big leaf maple and buckeye. Take in views of the ocean before descending on the Steep Ravine Trail all the way to the canyon floor, past waterfalls and down a wooden ladder a total of 6.4 miles.
Bonus: Just a few easy-walking blocks from the trailhead you can rehydrate with cold drinks and local oysters at the Parkside Cafe (43 Arenal Ave.) in Stinson Beach.
// Belvedere Ave. (Stinson Beach), parksconservancy.org
December: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Point Lobos Loop Trail (6.3 mile loop)
Finish out the year with this 2022 Bucket List Hike with breathtaking views of the Pacific and the marine mammals and seabirds that call it home. On the northern edge of the Big Sur coastline, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve’s Point Lobos Loop Trail is a wonder of jagged rocky fingers stretching into impossibly blue waters, groves of swaying Monterey cypress, tide pools swarming with sea creatures, and coves occupied by sunbathing sea lions. But perhaps the best part about this trail is that, unlike some of the options at Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Andrew Molera State Parks, it remains relatively under the radar to visiting tourists, especially in the winter.
// Hwy 1 (Carmel), parks.ca.gov
