Outdoors
National forests, parks, lakes and recreation areas with hiking trails near Palo Alto, closest first.
Good to know: Carry more water than you think you need, check the managing agency’s page for trail closures and fire restrictions, and start early on hot days.
31 mi northwest · National Park Service
Aquatic Park Cove is a vibrantly urban harbor that mimics a natural anchorage and is located on the Pacific shores of one of America's great West Coast cities.
31 mi northwest · Presidio Trust
As San Francisco's only group campground, Rob Hill offers a national park camping experience just minutes from the city.
34 mi northwest · National Park Service
Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California.
Map of 24 places loads as you scroll.
Aquatic Park Cove is a vibrantly urban harbor that mimics a natural anchorage and is located on the Pacific shores of one of America's great West Coast cities.
As San Francisco's only group campground, Rob Hill offers a national park camping experience just minutes from the city.
Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California.
Haypress Campground is nestled within the coastal scrub of Tennessee Valley, near Mill Valley. The hike to this campground is 1 mile from the Tennessee Valley Trail head parking lot, which means car or RV camping is not allowed.
John Muir’s life was a tapestry of roles—fruit rancher, family man, writer—each interwoven with his deep love for nature.
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species.
Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog.
Contra Loma Dam and reservoir are part of the Central Valley Project - Delta Division and offers recreational opportunities for the East Bay area near San Francisco.
Elkhorn Slough is one of the relatively few undisturbed coastal wetlands remaining in California.
The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge located in Stanislaus County encompasses more than 7,300 acres of riparian woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands that host a diversity of wildlife native to California’s Great Central Valley.
Point Reyes National Seashore offers four backcountry hike in campgrounds and thirteen boat in campsites along Tomales Bay. Note: For reservation purposes, our campgrounds are organized under the "loop" column of the reservation grid.
Recreation facilities at San Luis Lake were constructed under a cost-share agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Colorado during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the most spectacular marine protected areas. This sanctuary also has one of the largest underwater canyons and closest-to-shore deep ocean environments.
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover.
O'Neill Dam and Forebay are joint Federal-State facilities located on San Luis Creek 2.5 miles downstream from San Luis Dam. O'Neill Forebay Dam is a feature of the Central Valley Project - San Joaquin Division - San Luis Unit .
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs east of Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa provides ample public recreation opportunities.
Coyote Point sits along New Hogan Lake in the brush-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Amid a grove of towering trees, eight campsites create a loop within White Oaks Campground, just off Tassajara Road.
Pleasantly nestled under a large canopy of pine trees, China Camp is a campground where peace and quiet is commonplace. The spacious campsites allow you to set up camp with more than enough space between you and your neighbors.
Pinnacles Campground is located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, 32 miles south of Hollister, California. The park encompasses 26,000 acres of spectacular rock formations and remnants of an extinct 23 million-year old volcano.
New Hogan Dam and Lake is located in the oak- and brush-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The 4,400 acre lake was created in 1964 with the completion of New Hogan Dam.
Acorn Campground is a sunny campground in the brush-covered hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The area is generally characterized by a warm, dry climate with summer temperatures regularly soaring above 90 degrees.
Arroyo Seco Campground is a semi-rustic, but developed facility in California's westernmost national forest.
Oak Knoll Campground sits along New Hogan Lake in the brush-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Recreation Boating is a popular pastime, with boat ramps conveniently located around the lake.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Palo Alto. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity Short shared by ThingssToDo.
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THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity Short shared by Sudarshan Senthilvel.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Aquatic Park Cove, Black Point Overnight Anchoring, Sailing Vessels only (auxiliary engine OK) (National Park Service), about 31 miles northwest of Palo Alto as the crow flies. Next are Rob Hill Group Campground (31 mi) and Kirby Cove Campground (34 mi).
Based on Palo Alto’s average highs, all year. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.