California is known as the Golden State for many reasons — the seemingly endless sunshine, the fields of yellow wildflowers that appear every spring, the history of gold mining in the state, and of course, the golden sunsets.

The state itself is as diverse a place as its official nickname. California is the most populated US state and home to 3 of the country’s largest cities as well as 36 National Natural Landmarks, 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 280 state parks, and 149 federally designated wilderness areas.

This vast state has everything you could want for an epic nature getaway, from rugged mountain ranges to sandy beaches plus plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting.

Deciding where to go first might just be the hardest part of planning a visit to California, so to help you out we’ve made a fun quiz to give you a personalized travel recommendation.

Canada is the world’s second largest country and is a natural wonderland, home to epic mountain ranges, stunning lakes and rivers, rugged coastline, and plenty of great hiking routes.

For Take a Hike Day, we’ve made a list of five of our favourite hiking spots in Canada, each of which features in one of our travel books.

1. The Rocky Mountains, Alberta and British Columbia