Hidden Beaches

Trinidad is what happens when picture-perfect headlands collide with a teacup harbor dotted with wave-sculpted sea stacks. 北加州最美丽的村庄之一, the seaside enclave makes a great base for exploring up and down the Redwood Coast 或者呆在当地，探索鲜为人知的海滩. Off Stagecoach Road, forested trails lace across the Elk Head bluffs, dropping down to secluded 书院湾泳滩. Sprawl on the sand and enjoy breathtaking views of tree-covered 佩韦托尔岛和近海海蚀柱. At Sue-meg州立公园 (formerly Patrick's Point State Park), search for sea-polished agates and moonstones at Agate Beach然后爬到婚礼岩石的顶端. 不出城，你就可以 在特立尼达湾划独木舟 to see seabirds, seals, 还有潮池生物, 或者徒步到特立尼达岬角的顶端寻找鲸鱼. 之后，在加油站加油 Lighthouse Grill with a mashed-potato waffle cone loaded with bacon and cheese. For the trip home, pack your car with smoked, line-caught seafood from 凯蒂的熏制房.

开车越过鳗鱼河进入田园诗般的风景 Ferndale feels like a trip through time; the quaint town embodies big charm. Streets are lined with intricately-painted Victorian homes complete with turrets and trim. 在19世纪, a booming dairy industry allowed prosperous farmers to build glorious estates known as “Butterfat Palaces.” Visitors can be their own dairy queen (or king) for a day with a stay at the impossibly cute 姜饼大厦酒店. Don’t miss the complimentary afternoon tea and wine service served in the rose-bush-filled English garden.

在加州偏远的北端 Lost Coast, the 金岭自然保护区 writes “coastal grandeur” in very large letters, with peaks soaring 4,000 feet above the sea. Get a taste of the region at Mattole River Beach, a narrow and winding drive from US 101. 这条河的沙口是主要的滩涂地形, with shifting dunes and a supply of driftwood that’s perpetually replenished. Getting here is a commitment—it takes 90 minutes to drive the 40 miles from Ferndale—so consider spending the night at 14-site Mattole营地. 早上，向南徒步3英里.离废弃的地方5英里 蓬塔戈达的灯塔, which warned ships away from this rocky coast from 1912 until 1951, 当它被一个海上导航信标取代时.

门多西诺以北30英里处有一个3英里长的地方 西港联合登陆州立海滩, a largely deserted swath of sand backed by white-crested waves. 水太粗糙，太冷，不宜游泳, but the beach is a fine place for capturing photos of the raw and romantic shoreline and ancient offshore rocks, 或者长途跋涉去寻找被冲走的宝藏. Make footprints on the sand all day, then set up your tent for the night. Three separate campgrounds line the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, 所有的位置都很适合日落. In spring and summer, get up early to watch the surf fishermen hauling in spawning smelt. (如果你不喜欢露营，可以在 霍华德克里克牧场旅馆 oceanfront farmhouse, where you’ll enjoy lavish breakfasts and glorious gardens.)

In sleepy Point Arena, rushing is frowned upon and savoring is celebrated. 它长达五个街区的主干道上有一家出色的面包店弗兰尼的杯碟店还有充满艺术气息的晚餐俱乐部 Bird Café, 但最吸引人的是保龄球海滩.镇子以南5英里. 走之前查一下潮汐表. 在低潮或负潮时，从 Schooner Gulch州立海滩 (follow the blufftop trail or walk along the sand) less than a mile to see an astounding assemblage of round rocks, 由数百万年的风化作用形成. The oddly spherical “balls” are actually concretions—unusually well-cemented aggregates found in the sedimentary rocks that make up the cliffs. Over the eons, the softer surrounding rock has eroded away under the Pacific’s constant onslaught, 把更难的“保龄球”抛在脑后.

On the 索诺玛县海岸, you’ll spy one beautiful beach after another—so many that it’s hard to choose. 对于瓜拉拉的居民来说，当地人最喜欢的是 Cooks Beach, a pocket beach with crashing waves and playful seals and sea lions swimming in the surf. (鱼岩海狮的栖息地就在这里的北面.) This dog-friendly beach has dependable “banana-belt” sunshine and is protected from the region’s frequent coastal wind. 要到达那里，向北走，徒步 Bonham Trail through wind-battered Bishop pines, then descend the stairsteps that lead down the bluffs. At low tide, look for tide-pool treasures and a small sea cave on the cove’s south side. 就在马路对面，深睡其中之一 St. Orres’ Russian-style cottages, their architecture a tribute to the coast’s fur-trading past.

就在旧金山北部 Marin Headlands这是一片壮观的沿海土地，是新西兰的一部分 金门国家娱乐区. 尽管离城市很近, this is a wild and dramatic land with knife-edge cliffs and steep, chaparral-covered斜坡. Drive meandering Conzelman Road to the trailhead for Kirby Cove, 最好的拍摄地点之一 金门大桥, San Francisco’s beloved engineering marvel and iconic work of art. A one-mile hike leads to a spectacular cove where San Francisco’s skyline dazzles and the marvelous bridge gleams, 就等着你拍下来发布. Plan far in advance to reserve a campsite (there are only five) and spend the night. 当你在海岬的时候，参观一下 博尼塔角灯塔，可经由吊桥前往，或游览 海洋哺乳动物中心 to see injured seals and sea lions being cared for and then returned to the wild.

South of San Francisco lies the wild and rugged San Mateo coast, 那里有几十个海滩只能步行到达. 海风肆虐的海岬上覆盖着长满青草的梯田, 砂岩悬崖陡然垂向大海. Near downtown Half Moon Bay徒步半英里就可以到达僻静的海湾 考威尔牧场州立海滩陆地与海洋的完美结合. Admire the beach from above or hike down the stairs to build a few sandcastles. 当你饱尝咸空气的滋味, head over to Main Street in Half Moon Bay (aka the “Pumpkin Capital of the World”) and take your pick between fish-and-chips at 飞鱼烧烤 还有香肠和啤酒 亵渎酝酿.

Miles of Brussels sprouts fields line both sides of the highway north of the vibrant city of Santa Cruz. Stop at 怀尔德牧场州立公园 for a 1.2-mile seaside stroll along the coastal bluffs, passing crashing waves and diving seabirds. Follow the Old Landing Cove Trail to the Ohlone Bluffs Trail and 蕨类岩洞海滩, where a hidden, fern-draped cave is fed by an underground spring. Allow a little extra time to explore the park’s historic buildings, 其中包括一座1859年希腊复兴时期的农舍, 一座1897年的安妮维多利亚女王雕像, 还有几个奶牛场和附属建筑. Mountain bikers find nirvana on Wilder Ranch’s 35 miles of single-track and hilly ranch roads on the eastern side of Highway 1.