Uncover the Natural Wonders of Spring in the San Francisco Bay Area, California

The Trip

While much of the U.S. is in the grips of winter, February brings spring to the San Francisco Bay Area. Elephant seals come ashore to breed, monarchs overwinter, and many species migrate along the Pacific flyway. The forests and hills come alive with growth from winter rains. We’ll embrace these spring changes by hiking, kayaking, and discovering wonders of the Bay Area.

San Francisco isn’t just about tech and microchips! The Bay Area is full of natural beauty, and we’ll explore much of it on this trip. We’ll ferry to Angel Island and hike the perimeter, learn about its history, and enjoy spectacular San Francisco views. Our explorations of the Pacific coast will include tidepools, monarch butterfly overwintering habitat, and a docent-led walk to visit elephant seal breeding grounds. We’ll visit the old-growth redwood forests of Muir Woods and witness the destructive power of fire to redwood forests near Santa Cruz. Our forest explorations will take us near the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake while we witness the results of centuries-old clear-cutting of the forest. We’ll also spend a day exploring the natural beauty of the city of San Francisco – urban oases among the bustle of the city – and will venture onto the Golden Gate bridge to look for whales and other marine life.

As an option, participants can join the leader and practice gentle yoga after dinner as a way of winding down from our busy days. We will also experience an afternoon “sound bath” – a deeply immersive experience where we are “bathed” in sound waves – the ultimate in meditative relaxation.

Day 1: Meet at our accommodation in Danville, California by 4 p.m. We’ll settle into our rooms and have dinner then explore the facility and get acquainted.

Day 2: We’ll head out today to Muir Woods National Monument to learn about and hike amongst the old-growth redwoods. Muir Woods has been federally protected since 1908 and is the most accessible place to see the old-growth redwoods that were saved from logging. Only 5% of old-growth redwoods remain and we’ll spend the day exploring this primeval forest and surrounding ecosystem.

Day 3: Today we’ll kayak on the Delta – an ecosystem located at the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers where river waters meet with smaller tributaries and tidal flows and continue on to San Francisco Bay. While kayaking we may see birds continuing their migration along the Pacific Flyway and learn about the other species of fish and wildlife that rely on this critical ecosystem. The Delta has importance to humans as well. According to the California Water Education Foundation, the Delta provides a portion of the drinking water for 25 million Californians and provides the $36 billion agricultural industry with irrigation to 4.5 million acres. After kayaking, we’ll hike through the wetlands to explore more of this unique ecosystem.

Day 4: On our 15-minute ferry ride today to Angel Island, we’ll be transported to another world – full of beautiful scenery and rich history. Starting with its earliest inhabitants, the Coast Miwok, Angel Island has been a refuge and has also served as a stopover point for many people – including serving for 30 years as an immigration station for hundreds of thousands of people seeking a better life. We’ll hike the 7-mile perimeter trail, which affords spectacular views of the Bay and surrounding cities, and visit the immigration museum to learn more about the experiences of those who came ashore here.

Day 5: Today we’ll take a travel break and explore the area surrounding our retreat center, located in the forested hills of the East Bay. We’ll hike up and along the ridge trails and should be rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding valleys. In the afternoon, we’ll be treated to a sound bath – an immersive meditative experience.

Day 6: Today we head to San Francisco to explore some of the natural and man-made beauty the city has to offer. This includes the urban oasis of Salesforce Park – the newest public park in San Francisco and home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants arranged in 13 different botanical focus areas. Larger than Central Park, Golden Gate Park will also be on our agenda for the day. Weather permitting, we’ll visit the Presidio then walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and look for marine mammals on the way!

Day 7: Today we head to the South Bay – through Silicon Valley and on to Santa Cruz. On our way, we’ll stop at Año Nuevo State Park – home at this time of year to a massive breeding ground for elephant seals. A docent will lead us (elephant seals are big and dangerous) on a 4-mile walk where we can see and hear a wide variety of seal behavior. Up to 10,000 elephant seals return to breed and give birth here each year.

Day 8: If we’re lucky, today we’ll see monarch butterflies in their overwintering grounds near Natural Bridges State Park. Monarch butterflies were recently declared endangered due to their habitat destruction and resultant declining numbers. Last year the butterflies in this area numbered in the thousands, but were far fewer in prior years – so we’ll see what nature has in store for us. In addition, we’ll explore the tidepools in this area and visit Big Basin State Park to hike and learn how this redwood forest is recovering from destructive wildfires in 2020 that destroyed most of the park infrastructure.

Day 9: This morning we’ll hike in the redwood forest, near the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. We’ll have the opportunity to immerse in the beauty of this forest and learn more about the interconnectivity of the forest to the fungal network below ground. This afternoon we’ll have the opportunity to explore the beach and surroundings of our oceanfront retreat center before we enjoy our final dinner together.

Day 10: After breakfast, we’ll pack up and head north to our participant drop-off point – San Francisco International Airport.

Getting There

The Bay Area has three major airports: San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. Participants should arrange their own transportation to our first accommodation – a retreat center located in Danville, California. This is reachable by taxi, Lyft, or Uber from any of the airports or a combination of public transit and rideshare. Participants will ride in shared vans for the duration of the trip and will be dropped off on the morning of the last day at the San Francisco International Airport. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will be based at two separate retreat centers that will provide comfortable shared rooms with private bath (single supplement option available) and all our meals. The first location is in the forested hills of Danville, California and our second location is an oceanfront facility near Santa Cruz, California. While these centers are sponsored by religious organizations, there is no religious element to our trip -- they simply provide a peaceful, clean, and comfortable environment for us to enjoy.

Standard arrangements are for double-occupancy rooms for all participants. Private rooms are also available, but numbers are limited so reserve yours early. The cost for a private room upgrade for the duration of the trip is $225. Please indicate your preference for private rooms to the leader.

Specific dietary restrictions can be discussed with the leader, who will coordinate with the venue. Vegetarian meals will be served at both venues with advance arrangement.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is suitable for anyone with the ability to hike 5-10 miles with limited elevation gain. Our focus is exploration, not achievement, thus we will take a measured pace on our hikes so that we can truly enjoy the natural wonders of the environment around us. Kayaking will be suitable for beginners with a willingness to learn. There is a possibility of rain during this time of year, although lessening with the changing climate, and we will likely conduct our activities rain or shine. A flexible attitude and willingness to learn and explore will be a key enabler to enjoying this trip.

Equipment and Clothing

All bedding and towels are provided. Participants should bring hiking clothing & shoes and other comfortable clothing. Clothing appropriate for kayaking and tidepool exploration will be useful – including water shoes with a non-slip sole. Rain gear and hiking poles are advisable as well. There are no laundry facilities. Your leader will provide you with a suggested packing list.

References

• For those interested, your leader will provide a suggested reading list.
• Angel Island State Park
• Elephant seals
• Muir Woods

Conservation

The ecosystem of the Bay Area faces the challenges of climate change, and we’ll learn about these challenges and steps taken to address them during this trip. We’ll witness examples of conservation success despite the nearly 8 million inhabitants in this area.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable operates under permits from governing land agencies.