The Presidio

The Golden State is lousy with purpose-built paths—seriously we’re talking in the triple digits—and annoyingly moderate-to-outstanding weather. You could ride twice a week for a year without ever repeating a route and see frolicking dolphins, fruiting vineyards, Yosemite’s Half Dome, or swaying palms and Venice street performers without ever leaving the saddle. It makes it hard to pick just one to recommend, but this Northern California military base turned national park makes a bulletproof case for itself with 25 paved or hard-packed miles with sightlines to the bay, coastal cliffs, beaches, forests, Alcatraz, the city skyline, the largest public collection of Andy Goldsworthy art installations in North America, and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a quintessential San Francisco treat to watch Karl the Fog, when he isn’t busy running his Insta account, make his almost daily dramatic entrance enveloping the red icon.