Briar Canyon Trl, California

Not many places allow you to live an urban life in a diverse environment with world-class hiking right in your backyard, but then again, not many places are Berkeley, California. Drive less than ten minutes out of this great city, and you are in a beautiful park that offers stunning, open views. While parking can be difficult to find (I was only able to find a few pulloffs, although there may be a public lot that I do not know about), the hiking definitely makes it worthwhile.

Right outside the city there is a short, steep hill that gets you to a summit less than a mile away. The grade is steep and much of the hike is on a logging road, but the views are spectacular. From the top, on a clear day, you can see the cities of Oakland/Berkeley, the city of San Francisco, the entire bay, Marin County, the ocean, and all the way to the South Bay area. It truly is spectacular.

Extra bonuses? Bikers can get here from Berkeley or Oakland with relative ease (so long as they are accustomed to hills), and this is one park where you actually get cell phone reception!