For a really beautiful beach camping experience, check out the campgrounds at Manresa State Beach near Santa Cruz. The campsites are perched on a bluff overlooking [more...]

Most of Big Sur's stunning coastline is reservations-only when it comes to campgrounds, and those reservations get made a year in advance. If you're someone who doesn't plan your weekends that far ahead, check out Andrew Molera State Park. Ca [more...]

Grab your favorite purebred pup for your run on Dillon Beach. This exclusive coastline is home to some of the richest folks around. It's also hound heaven, with vast stretches of sand and dunes for off-leash running. Come dressed to [more...]

Marin is becoming more closed to dogs every year, it seems, but Rodeo Beach is still a great place to don your skimpiest swimsuit and take your dog [more...]

Point Bonita lighthouse, on the edge of the Marin Headlands just north of San Francisco, is a great spot from which to view the city and the endless ocean. And if you are up that way, hike to Rodeo Beach, which is protected from the [more...]

The road from San Francisco to Stinson Beach is windy and quite stunning. The traffic can get quite slow at weekends but it is only 20 miles from SF so you can still do a half day there easily.

If you can do it in a convertible, [more...]

Designed by a renowned landscape artist, Point Lobos State Reserve might be the most beautiful meeting of land and sea conceivable by man. Spend the day [more...]

Everyone knows California is the place for surfers, and even San Francisco has its surfing hotspots. You can start with Ocean Beach and work your way on down the coast. Or, if you're at a loss as to where to go next, check out this site tha [more...]

Santa Cruz has Panther Beach, one of the world's great nude beaches. It's a little hard to get to but well worth the search. Hey, who says public nudity is just for college kids now?

At the far end of Ocean Beach, away from the parking lots and the Beach Chalet, you'll find a cliff of very climbable rocks and boulders. Clamber around and show [more...]

China Beach is one of the great little outdoor secrets in this city. [more...]

Tired of arguing with your date? One of you wants to go to the beach, one wants to go to an amusement park...why not compromise and do both? The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an [more...]