The Big Outdoor Guide 2019
To Our Locals & Natives
“The world’s big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”
― John Muir
The San Francisco Bay is no less than 550 square miles of murky blue, sometimes emerald green water, converging with the upper (and in our opinion, better) half of California’s total coastline. That’s a heck of a lot of land to cover. Lucky for us in San Francisco and our bordering landscape, it’s ours to explore on weekends, pre-workday adventures, and impromptu golden hour expeditions. It’s a land that has inspired some of history’s greatest naturalists, intrepid explorers, most forward-thinking and sustainable entrepreneurs, extreme athletes, along with us – the run of the mill locale. It is a craggy, wildflower-ridden land that is beautiful and scary and contagious. You’ll explore it for a day and then ask for a week, a month, a lifetime, and somehow never tire of it. Our wilderness and the lifestyle it affords us to live is something we are fine being romantic about. To celebrate this singularity of place, we’ve gathered your stories, your adventures, your explorations of identity, and are celebrating them here, together.
Welcome to the Big Outdoors Guide. Read. Wander. Get lost. And get out there.
The Guides
Whatever it is that you’re seeking, we just may know a place you can find it. Intense relaxation? We’ve got hot springs. A jaunt down PCH? We know a thing or two about Big Sur. A bayside cabin escape with your significant other? Check, check, and check. Dive into our slew of guides and see what you’re been missing.
Local Dispatches
Local photographers capture Northern California wilderness near and far with insight and understanding only locals can possess. Let their images and narratives guide you into your next outdoor adventure, from the Drake’s Bay to Yosemite and back again.
One NorCal’s more popular visitation points, accessible via a short drive on Highway 1 from San Francisco, is Shark Fin Cove. Embedded along the coastline, it offers a sensation of seclusion and peace. // Jon Destoppeleire
If you’re willing to venture to the far reaches of the Point Reyes National Seashore, McClures beach, the northernmost accessible coastline here, is worth the short hike. In the spring and summer, native wildflowers dust the rolling hills with vibrant colors and the salty sea air carries luscious, floral aromas. // Isabel Baer
I have always been in awe of the natural phenomenon that is Alpenglow, and watching it highlight Half Dome from my favorite spot to watch the sunset in the Bay Area had me pinching myself. Crawling to the edge of the vantage point to capture the way this monument rolls down to the valley floor was well worth it. // Laura Morgan
Endemic to California, the tule elk once thrived across the state before their near extinction following the Gold Rush of 1849. To reintroduced the eradicated population of tule elk herds, the Preserve at Tomales Point was established over 40 years ago and has become a unique attraction for visitors and locals alike. // Isabel Baer
Despite suffering a fire some years ago, the Point Reyes shipwreck still stands tall and helps complete the charming feeling of Inverness. Capturing this angle after a stormy week meant that the foliage was in full growth and the ship was nestled up against a reflecting pool, providing a more dynamic look at this landmark than I had ever seen before. // Laura Morgan
Mount Tamalpais overlooks San Francisco immediately North from Golden Gate Bridge. While offering easily-accessible hikes and views of San Francisco, it also pairs magical sunsets with Karl the Fog during the summer. // Jon Destoppeleire
