Nature is magnificent, and there are few better ways to embrace it than on the best wildflower hikes in the Bay Area
Hiking is to the Bay Area what eating bagels is to New York City: locals do it on the regular. With so many stunning sites across the region—from the South Bay, to the North Bay, to the East Bay and right in San Francisco itself—it makes sense hitting the trails is on the itinerary most weekends.
And when it comes to hiking in the Bay, there's no better time than spring. The best wildflower hikes in the Bay Area offer clifftop views of the Pacific Ocean, majestic towering trees, and sprawling landscapes that only become more beautiful with the vibrant hues of florals—from the bold orange of California poppies to the vibrant purple of lupine. Whether you're ready to sweat or want a more leisurely stroll with coffee in hand, these wildflower hikes offer something for everyone.
This guide was updated by San Francisco-based writer Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
The easy, two-mile out-and-back Chimney Rock Trail hike winds along coastal cliffs and offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean (as well as migrating whales and herds of elephant seals). The trail bursts into bloom from February through August, showcasing a colorful patchwork of California buttercups and poppies, pale pink checkerblooms, sun cups, Douglas irises, lupines, and more.
Chimney Rock Rd at Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness
Mount Burdell’s grassy, oak-dotted hillside is circled by various trails that can be strung together into easy-to-moderate loops. Wildflowers begin showing in early February, starting with white milkmaids, blue hound’s tongues, yellow buttercups, and shooting stars. As winter transitions into spring, look for pink and yellow johnny-tuck, blue dicks, irises, California poppies, and larkspur. You may also catch a glimpse—and a whiff—of the California buckeye’s fragrant, blush-colored blossoms.
San Marin Dr near San Ramon Way, Novato
Deep within the hills of the Sunol Regional Wilderness lies one of the East Bay’s best-kept secrets: Little Yosemite. For a moderate hike—just a four-mile round trip—Canyon View Trail provides spectacular views of oak-lined canyons, dramatic waterfalls, grazing cattle, and colorful wildflowers. Make it a day hike, or grab a permit and camp overnight.
1895 Geary Rd, Sunol
Located along the San Pablo Bay in San Rafael, China Camp State Park features beautiful views, oak woodlands and 100 acres of protected tidal salt marsh. It turns various shades of beautiful colors throughout the year, but spring is when it really shows off, including California poppies, blue-eyed grass, warrior's plume, and pink honeysuckle. In addition to forming a stunning landscape, many of these flowers have a rich history of providing food and medicine to the native Miwok people.
The grasslands at Edgewood Park, a nature preserve in Redwood City, are famous for their magnificent displays of wildflowers every spring. Hike through acres of rolling hills and lush meadows filled with owl’s clover, blue bush lupine, and miner’s lettuce. If you want to learn more about the native plants and wildlife, Edgewood offers free guided hikes from March through May, but be sure to confirm your attendance beforehand.
10 Old Stage Coach Rd, Redwood City
Russian Ridge, a 3,000-acre preserve, features lush, rolling hills and scenic glimpses of the Pacific. Wildflowers start to pop in late January or early February. Watch for poppies, blue lupine, and fuchsia currant bush blossoms in winter. By May, hound’s tongue, starflower, mule ear sunflowers, and owl’s clover are typically visible among the grasses and blackberry bushes.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Los Altos
The Tennessee Valley trail is one of the most popular Bay Area hikes for a reason: it is stunning. To get there, head just over the Golen Gate Bridge from San Francisco into the Marin Headlines. The trail is popular not only for its beauty but also because it's relatively easy: from the parking lot to the beach is about 1.7 miles and mostly level. The valley blossoms in the spring, boasting lupine, checker-bloom, California buttercup and California poppy—these florals make this already gorgeous hike even more breathtaking.
Cows graze this wide-open grassland, where the winding, undulating trails can make for a challenging hike. The best time to go to Sunol Regional Wilderness is in late winter or early spring—with little shade, treks here can be scorching in the heat of summer. Canyon View Trail showcases a variety of multicolored blooms, from California sagebrush and wild rose to mule ear sunflowers, popcorn flowers, and California buttercups. Starting in May, keep an eye out for the ombre pink blossoms of the clarkia.
Calaveras Rd near Geary Rd, Sunol
Clamber up Mount Diablo’s fire roads—as scenic as they are steep—to be rewarded with panoramic views of the Bay Area. Along the way, the oak- and pine-lined trail is fringed with paintbrush, sticky monkey-flower, poppies, and purple Chinese houses. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across the striking lemon-yellow bulbs of Mount Diablo fairy lanterns, a rare lily that only blooms here.
Mitchell Canyon Rd near Clayon Rd, Clayton
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