Who, What, & Where Age levels: 5 and up Activities: Biking, day hiking, backcountry camping, tide pooling From SF: 25 minutes

Head north over the Golden Gate Bridge, hang a left, and you're smack in the middle of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the premier coastal parks in California. If it sounds too easy, maybe that's why so many locals forget it's there. That's OK. Even people who live on the edge of Yosemite forget how lucky they are.

Take your mountain bikes to Tennessee Valley for a great family ride to the Point Bonito Lighthouse. Use the Miwok Trail for a roller coaster ride over the grass-carpeted hills. The 10-mile round-trip journey serves up view after vista, and the turnaround point is a good place to explore with your kids. Walk out to the historic lighthouse (open on weekends in the summer) or head down to Rodeo Beach and go tide-pooling at the cove's south end.

Go Guide: Tennessee Valley Getting there: From California Highway 1 in Marin City, drive southwest on Tennessee Valley Road. The trailhead is at road's end near the stables (about 4 miles). Reference: Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands Olmsted & Bros. Map Co., (510) 658-6534. Added value: Put on panniers and introduce the kids to bike camping at nearby Hawk or Haypress backcountry campsites (contact below for reservations). Contact: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, (415) 331-1540; www.nps.gov/goga/.

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