Luxury cabins near Berkeley

The college town of Berkeley is quite convenient to the bigger Bay Area cities. Oakland's about 20 minutes south, and San Francisco's about 1 hour to the southwest. Its position in central California creates extremely mild temperatures year-round. Expect highs to range from the mid-60s to mid-70s in all but the winter months.

Tilden Regional Park in the East Bay makes an excellent destination for a local camping trip. The Wildcat View campsite features good terrain for group tent camping. Take a dip in the park's small Lake Anza or picnic on its beach.

Are you looking to get in some challenging hiking? Drive about an hour east of Berkeley and explore Mount Diablo State Park. Take the 13.1-mile Mitchell Creek to Diablo Summit loop trail. It's a tough ascent recommended only for experienced hikers. You'll be rewarded with an excellent view of Marin County from 3,848 feet.

The 7.8-mile Mitchell Canyon-Eagle Peak Loop is another difficult hike. Steep sections and little shade mean you'll get a tiring workout on this one! Not feeling quite that ambitious? Try the Curry Point and Balancing Rock trail for a considerably easier 4-mile hike.

Note that poison oak is pretty prevalent in this region. It's generally a good idea to cover up exposed skin if you're traipsing around in the undergrowth.