SFGATE staffers, like other Bay Area residents, spent a whole bunch of 2020 hiking anywhere and everywhere, for sights and sounds and exercise and all the rest. And that’s good news for you, reader with zero hiking experience — or reader who’s looking for a new, hidden trail — because now we have lots of recommendations.

Below, our nine favorites from recent expeditions, many of which link out to a larger feature story, so you can assess for yourself which locales might be right for you (or just learn more about a trail’s history). They’re listed alphabetically; we refuse to rank them, because they’re each perfect in their own way.