Here’s an insider’s guide to some of our favorite hidden gems of the GGNRA. From secret beaches to undiscovered redwood groves, these spots provide a chance to get into nature and steer clear of the crowds.

We collected a list of the most Instagram-able, “double tap”-worthy vistas in your coastal parklands for your posting pleasure. While you’re out exploring and documenting, tag us in your post (@parksconservancy) for a chance to be featured on our website!

Have you ever looked up at the twilight sky to see an erratic flutter of wings? Maybe you tried to convince yourself that it was just a sparrow, but chances are what you actually saw was a little brown bat. Although bats carry a loathsome reputation, humans derive a great benefit from these tiny creatures.

It’s time to grab your reusable gloves, buckets, bags, and litter-picking tools! Gear up for California Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 21, 2013, and head to your local shorelines and parklands to provide some much-needed TLC and fall cleaning.

Marine debris pollutes aquatic ecosystems, endangers wildlife, and impacts human health and safety. Help turn the tide against trash in waterways and the ocean; pitch-in for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 20. Be a part of the solution, not the pollution!

Supported in part by the Parks Conservancy, an exhibition of wildflower photos by Rob Badger and Nita Winter (through March 27, 2016 at the San Francisco Main Public Library) inspires hope in reducing the impacts of climate change. See more beautiful images, captured in our parks.