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Ring Mountain: view northward from near the summit of Ring Mountain (ssss1).

Clockwise from top left: Joseph D. Grant County Park (ssss1).

Sonoma Valley Regional Park (ssss1).

Mt. Wittenberg (ssss1).

Russian Ridge OSP (ssss1).

Mt. Burdell OSP (ssss1).

Diablo Foothills Regional Park (ssss1).

Introducing the San Francisco Bay Area

Whatever your favorite outdoor activity, you’re sure to find a place to pursue it in the Bay Area. There are about 1 million acres of public parklands within the nine counties that circle San Francisco Bay, featuring rugged coastlines, tree-filled canyons, cascading streams, grasslands sparkling with spring wildflowers, chaparral-cloaked ridges, and windy summits. No matter where you go, from Santa Rosa to San Jose, you are never far from a trailhead.

The Bay Area is usually divided into four regions—North Bay, East Bay, South Bay, and Peninsula. The North Bay includes Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties; the East Bay consists of Alameda and Contra Costa counties; the South Bay takes in most of Santa Clara County; and the Peninsula covers San Francisco, San Mateo, and the northwestern part of Santa Clara County. Within these regions are bustling urban areas such as San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and the Silicon Valley, along with tranquil forests, mountains, beaches, marshes, and farmlands.