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HIKING & MUSEUMS
HIKING
Berkeley Marina [map]
At the Marina, you can find several walking and bicycle paths, some restaurants, a hotel, and a yacht club, not to mention a very nice view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate!
The area is accessible from the rest of Berkeley by foot or bike over the Berkeley I-80 Bridge at the foot of Addison Street (one block south of University Avenue), and is traversed near Interstate 80 by a segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail. In addition, it is the western terminus of AC Transit Route 51B (University Avenue-Rockridge BART) on select trips only.
Baker Beach [map]
Baker Beach is a public beach on the peninsula of San Francisco. The beach lies on the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the northwest of the city. It is roughly a half mile long, beginning just south of Golden Gate Point, extending southward toward the Seacliff peninsula, the Palace of the Legion of Honor and the Sutro Baths.
Golden Gate Park [website] [map]
Most famous attraction: Academy of Science [website], Japanese Tea Garden [website], beach and park chalet [website], Buffalo Paddock [website], children playground [website], Conservatory of flowers [website], Strawberry Hills [website].
There are many activities in which visitors may participate during their trip to Point Reyes. We recommend that visitors stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center as they enter the National Seashore in order to get better oriented to the park, to find out what activities are available during their stay, and to find out about road, trail and other closures.
Outdoor activity: Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Self-Guiding Activities, Backcountry Camping, Beach Fires, Bicycle Riding, Kayaking, Horse Riding
Lake Anza [map]
Lake Anza is a recreational swimming reservoir in Tilden Regional Park, which is located in the Berkeley Hills above Berkeley. The lake is open for swimming from May to September. During this time there is an entry fee required (Saturdays/Sundays/holidays), lifeguards are on duty, and a snack bar is open. The lake area includes amenities such as changing rooms, bathrooms, and large parking areas. There are areas around the lake reserved for waterfowl, and other areas for dogs. Good place also for BBQ and Pic-nic.
Crossing the Golden Gate [website] [map]
Whether you drive, walk, bike, shop, or just want to look, there is something for everyone at the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge. Pedestrians (including wheelchair users) and bicyclists may access the sidewalks during daylight hours. Pedestrians and bicyclists share the east sidewalk on weekdays and all must pay close attention as the sidewalks can get very busy. The Bridge is 1.7 miles long and we encourage you to wear comfortable shoes and layered clothing.
Just at the other side of the Golden Gate, you can walk/bike/drive to Sausalito [map], [website] and if you are tired come back to SF by ferry.
Briones Regional Park [website] [map]
With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Briones is a secret wilderness. There are peaks within it from which you can see only green and watershed lands for miles in every direction. From Briones Peak, the highest point in the park, there are panoramic views of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley to the east, the Sacramento River and Delta to the north, the East Bay hills and Mt. Tamalpais to the west, and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness to the south. You will most likely encounter cows grazing and you may also see horses. Briones is an ideal park for hiking, running, and horseback riding over the park's scenic trails; picnicking, birdwatching, and similar activities; and informal recreation such as kite flying, photography, and nature study.
Briones Regional Park is about a 40-minute drive from Berkeley, close to Lafayette and Walnut Creek where you can stop for that well deserved after hike snack.
Anthony Chabot Regional Park [website] [map]
Anthony Chabot will provide hikers, bikers and horse riders with the most astonishing views of Lake Chabot and the lush green hills surrounding it. Visitors can explore miles of beautiful trails through grasslands, chaparral, and shady eucalyptus groves or along the shores of Lake Chabot. For camping lovers, Anthony Chabot campground is a great spot in the wilderness and only a 40-minute-drive from Berkeley.
Muir Woods [website]
Located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods National Monument contains 6 miles of trails. There is a 0.5-hour loop, a 1-hour loop, and a 1.5-hour loop as well as longer hikes on trails that extend into surrounding parks. All of these walks afford views of thousands of old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest living things in the world. Pets, bicycles, smoking, horseback riding, and camping are not permitted within the park.
Yosemite National Park [website]
Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
Lake Tahoe [website]
Lake Tahoe is a large lake in the Sierra Nevada range of the United States. At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), it is located along the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and also a major tourist attraction in both Nevada and California. It is home to a number of ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, and tourist attractions; and it is only 4 hours away from Berkeley.
Monterey Bay Aquarium [website]
The Monterey Bay Aquarium (or MBA, founded 1984) is located on the former site of a sardine cannery on Cannery Row on the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display. Sealife on exhibit includes stingrays, jellyfish, sea otters, and numerous other native marine species, which can be viewed above and below the waterline.
San Francisco Zoo [website] [map]
The San Francisco Zoo is home to a stunning and important botanical collection as well as more than 250 species of animals, many of which are highly endangered.
MUSEUMS
San Francisco MoMa [map] [website]
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art museum. The nonprofit organization holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art. The museum’s current collection includes over 26,000 works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts. The building complex was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. FREE: First Tuesday of each month!
California Academy of Scieces [map] [website]
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. It is located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It's divided into three main areas: (1) Steinhart Aquarium, which takes up most of the basement area, as well as a four-story dome that emulates a rainforest, (2) Morrison Planetarium, devoted to things astronomical with a IMAX cinema for special movies, and (3) Limball Natural History Museum - which, in addition to its African Hall and a Foucault pendulum, includes a variety of changing displays covering a variety of subjects. The design architect for the museum replacement project is Renzo Piano. The new building is at the forefront of environmentally-friendly design, in keeping with the academy's focus on ecological concerns and environmental sustainability. FREE: every Third Wednesday of the month!
The Exploratorium is a museum full of hundreds of hands-on exhibits, most of them made onsite, that mix science and art. It also aims to promote museums as informal education centers. It's perfect for kids ... and adults who are not afraid to play! FREE: first Wednesday of each month!
de Young Museum [map] [website]
The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, commonly called simply the de Young Museum, is a fine arts museum located in the Golden Gate Park. The de Young Museum showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles, and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa.
Legion of Honor Museum [website]
The Legion of Honor, one of San Francisco's fine art museums, displays an impressive collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art and overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge. Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful Beaux-arts building located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park.
Oakland Museum of California [website]
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people.
UC Berkeley Museums: