6 Best Things To Do Alone In The Bay Area, California

Jayric
Jayric 
Updated
| 4 min read

Having nine counties that border several estuaries, the Bay Area of California is home to roughly 7.75 million people. Being California’s most ecologically important habitats that provide great ecosystems for filtering pollutants and sediments, the Bay Area is a well-funded region with great facilities that both locals and visitors can benefit from. They also host seven professional sports teams as well as a cultural centre for music, theatre, and the arts. Some of their top sights that you should definitely visit are the Marin County Civic Center, Marin Headlands, Nike Missile Site SF-88, Muir Woods National Monument, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park. If you are visiting the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, and unsure of the things to do, continue reading below to view some of the best things to do alone in the Bay Area, California.

1. Bike through the Golden Gate Bridge

Posted by Golden Gate Bridge on Friday, 1 March 2019

An iconic architectural feat, the Golden Gate Bridge is a place that allows vehicles to go from San Francisco city to South Marin County and vice versa. Being well known as one of the largest bridges in North America, the Golden Gate Bridge spans over 1 mile (1.6 kilometres). Although the place is mainly for vehicles, the bridge is also known as a great place to bike and enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the river it crosses. If you want some alone time biking in San Franciso, the Golden Gate Bridge is a great place to start.

Bike through the Golden Gate Bridge

Address: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA, USA

Website: Golden Gate Bridge

Opening hours: 24 Hours

Price: Free

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2. Go to the Santa Cruz Mountains

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year! Photo credit: Steven Scoop Reece

Posted by Santa Cruz Mountains, CA on Thursday, 26 April 2018

The Santa Cruz Mountains is a place filled with attractions, preserves, and state parks. They offer a large amount of fun and engaging physical activities that a person looking for some challenge will surely enjoy. Some of the popular attractions would be to climb the Goat Rock, hunt for Banana Slugs, stroll down Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, and learn outdoor survival with a well-experienced guide. The Santa Cruz Mountain is also a great place where you can take the time to relax and enjoy amazing views that only gets better as you reach the peak.

Go to the Santa Cruz Mountains

Address: California 95037, USA

Website: Santa Cruz Mountains

Opening hours: 24 Hours

Price: Free

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3. Relax at Big Basin State Park

Posted by Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Located about 36 kilometres (22.3 miles) northwest of Santa Cruz, the Big Basin State Park is California’s oldest state park. The park also houses the Waddell Creek watershed that filter sediments and provides San Franciso with an abundance of water. Like the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Big Basin State Park also has a ton of fun and engaging physical activities that many people would enjoy. Some of the more popular activities at the place would be to hike the over 130 kilometres (82 miles) of the trail in the park, skyline through the Waddell Creek, take a relaxing stroll, and view a large number of natural waterfalls that can be found around the park.

Relax at Big Basin State Park

Address: 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, CA 95006, USA

Website: Big Basin State Park

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)

Price: Free

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4. Hike through Tilden Regional Park

The view towards the southeast from the trail to Wildcat Peak in Tilden Park. Mount Diablo is in the center background. By Syzmek Surma on flickr.

Posted by Tilden Regional Park on Monday, 25 April 2016

The Tilden Regional Park is one of the district’s older parks and offers a large number of recreational activities which you can enjoy. Some of the popular activities would be to take a carousel ride, walk through the botanical garden, picnic in the area, swimming, and exploring Tilden’s 2,079 acres (841 hectares) of wildlife shelter. With so much to offer, Tilden is known as the jewel of the system. If you love taking time to relax, explore, and enjoy in a safe environment, then Tilden State Park is a great place to visit.

Hike through Tilden Regional Park

Address: 2501 Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Orinda, CA 94563, USA

Website: Tilden Regional Park

Opening hours: 5am - 10pm (daily)

Price: Free

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5. Try paddle boating at the Stow Lake Boathouse

Posted by Wafa Smaoui Mrad on Friday, 15 February 2019

Want to spend your alone time enjoying the wonderful waterways of the Bay Area? If so, then the Stow Lake Boathouse is a place you should visit. They offer American-made boats which include rowboats, electric boats, and pedal boats. They also provide other equipment that you need in order to traverse the lake in the safest manner possible. Their boats are some of the safest boats available on the market, they will not tip, they are self-bailing and comfortable to use. They offer different boats at different price ranges, so if you are going alone then the expenses should be light on the wallet.

Try paddle boating at the Stow Lake Boathouse

Address: 50 Stow Lake Dr E, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA

Website: Stow Lake Boathouse

Opening hours: 24 Hours

Price: 22.50 - 38.50 USD

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6. Explore the Muir Woods National Monument (from USD 250.0)

Enjoy a two-day tour around San Francisco’s Bay Area, where guests will be able to view the area’s top attractions at the best locations. On the first day, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods National Park, and enjoy the presence of the giant redwood trees before visiting Sausalito. On the second day, ride a ferry going to the historic Alcatraz Island and learn its history. The tour includes photographs and a wine tasting flight.

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Bay Area 2-Day Tour: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, San Francisco Sites

Duration: 2 days

10 reviews

The best places to enjoy yourself in the Bay Area

Life in the city and other busy areas can be stressful. If you are visiting the Bay Area to relax and enjoy yourself during your trip, then the list above are the popular options that you should consider. All listings are meant to maximize your relaxation and satisfy your needs for exploration. Whether you are planning to enjoy the activities with other visitors or just alone, the tours and experiences that you visit and do will surely be some of the best memories you’ll have.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Jayric, a young man in his early twenties, possesses a passion for tech, philosophy, and the arts. He's currently engrossed in personal projects, occasionally indulging in writing on the side, and...Read more

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