Take a hike before the feast, Tom Stienstra suggests
Call it “a guilt hike,” if you want. Start Thanksgiving Day with a short, close-to-home getaway. Then, with calories burned and a clear conscience, give yourself permission to gorge on the feast later in the day.
Many need no such encouragement. They already celebrate the holiday with a short trip before the meal. The forecast is for temperatures in the high 60s, with sunny skies and a light breeze, across the Bay Area.
If you’ve checked the weather — say in Stanley, Idaho, for instance, where the low this week is expected to be minus-5 — hiking to Mori Point in Pacifica, with a view across the ocean to forever, can help put Thanksgiving Day options in perspective.
For this year’s Thanksgiving getaways, here are the requirements: No long drives and at least a short climb with a big-time view payoff. Here are some of the best options, county-by-county: Fort Point, San Francisco: It’s a half-mile walk out to Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Once inside, climb the stairs to the deck of the fort, where you can enjoy the sensational view of the San Francisco waterfront and skyline and, of course, across the bay and up at the Golden Gate Bridge. Contact: Fort Point National Historic Site, (415) 556-1693, www.nps.gov/fopo. Mori Point, San Mateo County: A hilltop bluff in Pacifica offers panoramic views north past San Francisco to Marin County and Point Reyes. There are several trailheads — the best is at the corner of Beach Road and Clarendon (near the golf course). Walk 0.7 of a mile (with the golf course on the left, beach on the right) to the hill, then climb — short and steep — to the ridge for views. Contact: Mori Point, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Presidio Visitor Center, (415) 561-4323, www.nps.gov/prsf. Hill 88, Marin County: Start on the Coastal Trail past Rodeo Lagoon, near the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. It’s 2.7 miles one-way with a 1,000-foot climb to Battery Townsley, Wolf Ridge and the spur to Hill 88. You tower over Rodeo Beach and the ocean for miles. Spectacular. Contact: Marin Headlands Visitor Center, (415) 331-1540, www.nps.gov/goga. Alta Hennessey, Napa County: The Alta Hennessey Trail rises to a ridge that overlooks picturesque Lake Hennessey and miles of pretty foothills, ridges and valleys. Start at the trailhead above Conn Dam. Take the Chiles Creek Trail for a mile south to the Alta Hennessey Trail. Turn right and head to the ridge. Can be extended to 6-mile loop. Contact: Moore Creek Park, Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, www.napaoutdoors.org. Rocky Ridge, Alameda County: The trailhead is at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness at the end of Bollinger Canyon Road out of San Ramon. The shortest route is about a 1-mile climb (it’s uphill all the way) to Rocky Ridge View Trail. When you top the ridge, you get a sensational panorama of the South Bay and then can turn and take in the expanse of the Livermore Valley at the southwest flank of Mount Diablo. Contact: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, (888) 327-2757, option 3, extension 4537, or (510) 544-3276; www.ebayparks.org. Meridian Ridge, Contra Costa County: Meridian Ridge is perched high on Mount Diablo with a view across Carquinez Strait and the delta, and the summit peaks of Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties. The trailhead is at Mitchell Canyon out of Clayton. The first 2 miles are easy, and then it climbs 1,000 feet in a mile to Deer Flat and Meridian Ridge. Can be extended to an 8-mile loop. Contact: Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center, (925) 837-2525; Mount Diablo State Park, www.parks.ca.gov. Mount Umunhum, Santa Clara County: The newest trail is also one of the best. Mount Umunhum is the high peak on the ridge west of the Santa Clara Valley, marked by the squarish former radar structure. From the trailhead at the end of Mount Umunhum Road, the trail leads past the West Summit, the radar tower and the East Summit. There are incredible views of Santa Clara Valley and beyond. Can be extended to 3.7 miles. Contact: Midpeninsula Open Space District, (650) 691-1200, www.openspace.org. Mount Vaca, Solano County: A 2-mile hike with about a 250-foot climb leads you to 2,800-foot Mount Vaca on Blue Ridge in the Vaca Mountains. You tower over valleys on each side, with a longdistance view to the south of Mount Diablo. The trailhead is up Mix Canyon Road, then left at the fork (northwest of Vacaville, off Pleasant Valley Road). The trail is a service road to a summit with multiple antennas. Contact: Bureau of Land Management, (707) 468-4000, www.blm.gov. North Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County: This hike will evoke all kinds of emotions. You start at Jack London State Historic Park near Glen Ellen, then link up to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. In turn, you rise up to North Sonoma Mountain. You get sweeping views across the valleys and hills, some burned, some not, from last month’s wildfires. At that point, you will be ready to give thanks. Contact: Jack London State Historic Park, (707) 938-5216, http://jacklondonpark.com.