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Backpacker Magazine – October 2009
Quick Escapes: 10 Trails Near Major Cities
The perfect metro-area trail: close, wild, uncrowded. Here are 10 major city options.
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- California |
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The Wild Edge: Exploring Portland's Forest Park
When urban trails blend with raw wilderness, the sum is much greater than the parts. By Bill Donahue
Free Maps! Our Contributors Favorite Local Hikes
Online or via your cellphone these trips are ready to be downloaded and explored.
When urban trails blend with raw wilderness, the sum is much greater than the parts. By Bill Donahue
Free Maps! Our Contributors Favorite Local HikesOnline or via your cellphone these trips are ready to be downloaded and explored.
Phoenix | San Diego | San Francisco | Boston | New York | Philadelphia | Chicago | Seattle | Los Angeles | Austin
San Francisco, CA
Stretch your legs on coastal trails in the Marin Headlands.
It's hard to beat this urban/wilderness interface: San Fran residents who live on the north side of the city can hike from their front doors to a backcountry campsite in the Marin Headlands. Just cross the Golden Gate Bridge, descend to the Coastal Trail, and hike north, connecting the SCA, Alta, and Bobcat Trails to reach Hawk Camp. (It's about six to seven miles one-way, depending on your address; alternatively, start at the Morning Sun trailhead–served by Golden Gate Transit–and hike in two miles.) En route, you'll get postcard views of the bay from the headlands' open meadows. At Hawk Camp, you're literally surrounded by trails. Best route: Trek out to Rodeo Beach by linking the Miwok, Wolf Ridge, and Coastal Trails. Secluded Hawk Camp has ocean views on clear days, and is often available on short notice fall through spring (pack water; reservations required). Live on the south side of the city? See page 70 for a summit hike near you. nps.gov/goga
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READERS COMMENTS
I think you forgot Portland.
that's the very area i like to hike when i'm in nyc after some appalachian tr hiking. get to nyc a day before your departure flight, the hostel's only a half mile from the park. a few blocks from the subway. perfect.
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