What's On My Mind Archives - Linnea Elaine Petersen

Visit Northern California— Three Off the Beaten Path Places…

I love hiking, and the 26 counties north of San Francisco, with more than 50,000 square miles of sparsely populated mountains, fertile valleys, and rugged coastline, provide plenty of amazing places to visit in Northern California.

I grew up running wild in the woods of southeastern Missouri. The landscape and topography were part of my soul. Even as an adult, it’s where I felt most at peace.

I moved to Northern California when I was 37 and felt like I was on another planet. New plants and trees, real mountains, and animals to be aware of because humans aren’t necessarily at the top of the food chain here.

I also hadn’t considered anything north of San Francisco. Like many people, San Francisco was Northern California to me. But there are still another 300+ miles to the Oregon border.

Handsome Husband and I have tried to visit as many places as possible in Northern California.

Here are some of my favorite easy-to-visit places.

What’s in My Backpack—Northern California

Suggestions for Day Hikes

There are lots of lists out there for day hiking, and you should look at as many of them as possible to get an idea of what will work for you on the kinds of trips you’re planning. Day hiking is a great way to experience the outdoors and is as safe as any other outdoor activity if you plan accordingly. Here’s what I carry in my backpack.

Handsome Husband and I do mostly day hikes, but given where we live, we need to be self-sufficient on the trail. Most great places to hike in Northern California are relatively remote and sparsely populated.