To reach Angel Island, we’ll begin by taking CalTrain north to SF.  We'll bike past the Giants Stadium along the Embarcadero until arriving at the ferry building. After catching the ferry to Angel island, Experienced campers will bike around Angel Island, stopping first at the former Civil War station.  Advanced campers will take a guided tour of the Immigration Station. Then, we'll proceed to Quarry Beach for lunch.  If there is time, we'll bike to the Angel Island immigration station.

The island was originally used as a hunting area by the Coast Miwok Tribe and was used for 99 years by the military.  The military constructed forts,  a US Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and a US Bureau of Immigration Inspection and Detention facility.  

We'll look for some of the mule deer (we got lucky last year!) that live on the island as well as the native wildflowers and native trees (including oak, bay, madrone, manzanita, and chamise). 

Experienced Bikers will bike (and do some walking!) up old Ralston Road to reach Carolands Chateau which was built by Harriet Pullman and her husband Francis Carolan.  We'll take a tour of the gardens and the house, ending with lunch on the lawn followed by ice cream provided by the Carolands Foundation!

In 1912, Harriet Pullman and Frank Carolan purchased 554 acres and built the 92 room, 4-story French chateau. Entire rooms were imported from France (three of these rooms can be seen at the Legion of Honor in SF).  In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Johnson purchased the home after years of neglect in order to preserve the chateau and restore the gardens. The Johnsons moved into the chateau in 2002 and donated it in 2012 to the Carolands Foundation.

This day is for our Advanced Campers. We'll begin by boarding the CalTrain in San Mateo.  Once we reach SF, we'll bike along the waterfront, and then we'll bike up to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.  We'll cross on the east side of the bridge, and then head to the Tennessee Valley Beach.  Afterward, we'll head to Sausalito to take the ferry back to SF.  We'll arrive back in San Mateo by train.

 Harley Farms Goat  Dairy is located in Pescadero.  Nature Campers take a private tour, seeing the milking herd, the baby goats, the guardian dogs, and the British White cattle--not to mention the bees, the peacocks, and the many birds that live near their pond.  We also learn about the history of the property as well as the process of cheesemaking.  Finally, we will taste some of the delicious cheeses!

After biking to Huddart Park from South School, Advanced Nature Campers will stop to picnic under the canopy of soaring redwoods and oaks along the bank of the creek. John Coppinger, who also owned the land of Wunderlich Park, originally owned this land, and between 1853 and 1860, five sawmills operated nearby.  In the 150 years since the end of logging, new redwoods have other trees have covered the once barren hills, erasing much of the evidence of logging.  Huddart has been a public park since 1944.

Laurelwood/Sugarloaf Park is a beautiful preserve in southern San Mateo.  Experienced Campers will bike to Laurelwood Park and then enjoy lunch along with several hikes within the park, including the hike to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Surrounded by a bustling city, the Presidio is surprisingly an oasis for nature. The Presidio's varied biological resources contribute significantly to the Bay Area's designation as an international biodiversity hotspot. The Park contains 12 native plant communities, 3 watersheds, and 60,000 trees in the historic forest first planted by the US Army.  Further, it is a haven for more rare species per acre than any other national park unit, with 1 species per 298 acres. Nature Campers will approach the Presidio across the Crissy Field Marsh, where we'll hope to catch a glimpse of some snowy egrets and long-billed curlews. We'll stop off at the new Tunnel Tops National Park before heading up Arguello Blvd. to Andy Goldsworthy's Spire. From there, we'll enjoy Inspiration Point Overlook before walking through the Inspiration Point Grasslands. We'll look for the endangered Presidio Clarkia wildflower and red-tailed hawks. Next, we'll head over to El Polin Spring which has provided water for centuries for native plants, animals, and people. We'll then get on our bikes and head to the Coastal Bluffs, hoping to see dramatic views of Baker Beach and the Marin Headlands.  We'll travel underneath the Golden Gate Bridge on our way back to Crissy Field and the train station.

When traveling south or north on Canada Road, Nature Campers will stop at the Pulgas Water Temple for rest and water. The Water Temple is a monument to the engineering feat that brought water to the peninsula from the Sierras. It cost $102 million to construct during the Depression and took 24 years to complete. The water travels 160 miles and first began to flow on October 28, 1934. The temple and the engineering methods have Greek and Roman architecture elements. This year, we'll spend the day at the temple, enjoying water games, hill activities, and a nature scavenger hunt.

Experienced Bikers will take CalTrain to Stanford's campus.  Once there, we'll visit the Stanford Mauseleum, the Cactus Garden, the Chapel, and Hoover Tower.  We plan to stop for lunch at the O'Donohue Family Educational Farm before visiting the Burghers of Calais and the Oval.

Presidio Tunnel Tops is built on and around the Presidio Parkway tunnels. It is located in the heart of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and it has amazing views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, play spaces for kids, and places to gather to be in nature.  Experienced Campers in week 2 will get to experience this brand new, incredible National Park.