Favorite Places to Explore Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area

Today’s guest post is part of the “Favorite Places to Explore Nature” series and comes from family travel blogger Carolina of Kids Go West. I always enjoy reading what she and her son are up to in the Northern California area and beyond. I’m glad she agreed to stop by for a visit!

There are so many excellent places to explore nature near my hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area, that our family is busy every weekend enjoying them all. I had a hard time picking just a handful of our favorite places, but here are a few places worth a visit in my neck of the woods.

Best Hike Through the Wetlands
Many people drive by Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge and Coyote Hills Regional Park on their morning commute over the Dumbarton Bridge in Fremont, but few realize that these two parks have pretty spectacular trails through California foothill and wetland habitats.

The Don Edwards Refuge is along the Pacific Flyway, so hundreds of bird species stop by the marshlands in spring and fall (bring your binoculars). Coyote Hills Park has Ohlone Indian archeological sites and artifacts on exhibit in its Visitor Center.

Best Pretend Trip to the Rainforest
Yes, San Francisco is foggy, but there are two places in Golden Gate Park you can visit if you want to pretend you’re in a warm, tropical place: the Rainforest Exhibit of the California Academy of Sciences and the Conservatory of Flowers.

There is often a line to get into the Rainforest exhibit at Cal Academy (get there early), but it’s worth the wait. You make your way up the walkways of the dome and through the rainforest canopies where you will get a very close-up view of birds, butterflies, insects and reptiles.

There are no animals to encounter at the Conservatory of Flowers, but most kids enjoy the warm, humid air and the cool venus flytraps and other lush tropical plants they will find inside this big, white garden house.

Best Place to Spend an Afternoon With Farm Animals
Every spring, we make a visit to Hidden Villa Farm in the Los Altos hills. This is our favorite place to see all sorts of newborn farm animals – lambs, piggies, chicks and baby goats.

But that doesn’t mean this farm isn’t a fabulous place to spend an afternoon any time of the year. Besides spending some time cooing over the cute baby animals, we like to stroll through their organic community garden or hike along the woodland trails.

Best Close Encounter With Marine Mammals
It’s always fun to see a good, old-fashioned sea lion show, but I think it’s not often you get to visit a rescue and rehabilitation center for marine mammals.

Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and head to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito to see some sea lions and seals undergoing rehabilitation and not clapping with their flippers. Check the Center’s website for the best times of the year to view marine mammals.

If you’d like to read about Carolina’s adventures, check out her blog about family travel at www.kidsgowest.com.