Ask the experts EXPERTS HIT THE HIKING TRAILS AROUND SAN FRAN

Joanna Reeves Jonathan Lorie

QAWe’re spending time in San Francisco – what’s the best day hike within easy reach of the city and what wildlife can we see? Ian Tilbury, via email Beyond the urban core of San Francisco, the natural beauty of the Bay Area is ripe for exploration on foot. About an hour’s drive north of the city, the 287km sq Point Reyes National Seashore is a top hiking spot, with a web of trails unfurling from the cliff-edged coastline into sprawling grasslands and pockets of pine forest. Wildlifespotting opportunities are plentiful here: look out for migrating grey whales along the Chimney Rock Trail; spot herds of tule elk at wind-swept Tomales Point on the northern tip of the peninsula; or glimpse majestic bald eagles and white-tailed kites over the wetlands on the Limantour Spit Trail.

An hour’s drive in the opposite direction takes you to Año Nuevo State Park, where a string of beaches become breeding grounds for northern elephant seals in winter. Guided walks from December to March are the best way to see the jostling two-tonne pinnipeds and their pups.

If cars aren’t an option, Muir Woods National Monument is reachable by public transport. One of California’s few remaining areas of old-growth redwoods, Muir Woods is a popular day hike – arrive early to avoid the crowds – with six miles of soul-soothing trails shaded by these towering giants. Easier still to access, Angel Island State Park is a short ferry ride away. Follow the 5.5-mile perimeter loop for views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, but be sure to look skyward for magnificent red-tailed hawks and great horned owls. Joanna Reeves

Searching for the best wildlife walks around San Francisco; what to see in Luxembourg’s Ardennes forest; and how to write the perfect travel pitch – our experts offer their help

Across the valley from the castle, the Grenglee viewpoint, near the village of Lipperscheid, is a little hard to find, but your effort will be rewarded with a breathtaking view.

Worth a detour is the blink-andyou’ll-miss-it hamlet of Esch-surSûre, which squeezes on to an improbably tight bend in the river. Just west from there, Upper Sûre Lake was created artificially by a dam, but is outstandingly scenic nonetheless. A great place to take it in is from the Burfelt viewpoint, which sits 70m above the water.

Finish in Clervaux, a picturesque small town with a whitewashed castle at its centre containing several museums, including The Family of Man exhibition. Originally curated in New York in 1955 by Luxembourg-born US photographer Edward Steichen, its 500 photos capture the aspirations of a still-hopeful post-war world. Tim Skelton ( Finding the right angle for your pitch can make your travel writing dreams come true; Luxembourg’s Vianden Castle; tule elk in California’s Point Reyes National Seashore park

158 wanderlust.co.uk March 2019