Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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Hikers take a break just off Pine Mountain Road, with Mt. Tamalpais in the background.

Bay Area parklands are administered by various federal, state, and local agencies, listed in ssss1.

Climate

The Bay Area’s climate is perfect for outdoor activities, with a dry season that lasts from May through October and a generally mild, if damp, winter. In summer, expect fog and cool temperatures near the coast, thanks to Pacific Ocean. Inland, temperatures can soar. The generally clear days of autumn are fine for hiking just about anywhere. The first rains turn hillsides green and fill seasonal creeks.

Winter storms from the Gulf of Alaska can drench the Bay Area and even bring snow to the highest peaks. Cold, clear weather usually follows—a great time to bundle up and visit high-elevation vantage points. Spring can be sunny, rainy, tranquil, or blustery—or a combination, sometimes on the same day! This is when the Bay Area’s grasslands come alive with colorful displays of wildflowers.

The Pacific’s moderating influence diminishes as you go inland. Temperature differences—the spread between the average highs and lows for any given location—widen as you leave the coast. Here’s an example: The highest average high temperature for San Francisco is 68.5°F, whereas the same figure for St. Helena in Napa County—only about 65 miles away—is 89.2°F. But San Francisco’s lowest average minimum, 45.7°F (January), is about 10°F warmer than St. Helena’s.