Jamie Ferrell, Author at Secret San Francisco

Hi there! I grew up in Santa Cruz and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2018 with an English major and Spanish minor. After teaching ESL for a few years, I joined the Secret Media Network as a Staff Writer. I love to write about California history, hidden gems, museum exhibitions, and local wildlife.

‘Hella Velella Velella:’ Thousands Of By-The-Wind-Sailors Are Once Again Washing Up On Bay Area Beaches

Thousands of Velella velella, also known as By-the-Wind Sailors, are once again washing up on beaches along the Northern California coast. News articles and social media posts place them most recently at...

This Coastal State Park 1 Hour From SF Has Tripled In Size — It’s Home To The Tallest Lighthouse On The West Coast

Last week, Governor Newsom announced "State Parks Forward," a significant expansion of California State Parks, which involves adding three new park units and thousands of acres of new land. Here in the...

Things To Do

California Is Hosting A Week Of 171 Free Activities Across State Parks

The fifth California State Parks Week returns from June 10-14, 2026, with dozens of planned activities across the state! The program, which coincides with California's 175th anniversary of statehood, will...

Things To Do Wellness & Nature

National Geographic Named This Unfinished 400-Mile Bay Area Trail Among Its ‘100 Hikes Of A Lifetime’ — After Nearly 40 Years Of Development, It’s About 70% Complete

This April, National Geographic's Stephanie Pearson published 100 Hikes of a Lifetime U.S.A., a stunning new book chronicling the country's most scenic bucket-list trails alongside beautiful Nat Geo photo...

Wellness & Nature

California Is Turning An Old Railroad Into A 300-Mile Trail From SF To Humboldt, Opening A Wild Stretch Of Once-Inaccessible Terrain Along The Eel River

California's Great Redwood Trail (GRT) is shaping up to become one of the longest rail-to-trail conversion projects in the country. It just hit a milestone this past March, when the Great Redwood Trail Ag...

Escapes

Petrolia Was The Birthplace Of California’s Oil Industry. Now, It’s A Gateway To The Nation’s Longest Undeveloped Coastline.

High up in Northern California, the 75-mile Lost Coast stretches from Rockport in the south to Ferndale in the north. It's a pristine, rugged, and nearly untouched coastline hiding a few hidden gems such...

Escapes

This 31-Mile Highway In Northern California Passes Through The World’s Largest Remaining Stand Of Old‑Growth Coast Redwoods

We all know that California is famous for its unbelievable giant sequoias, which are the largest trees on the planet. But even many lifelong Californians have never experienced the Avenue of the Giants...

Wellness & Nature

A 6,800-Mile, Coast-To-Coast Trail Begins Just 1.5 Hours North Of San Francisco — This Summer, It’s Hosting A Historic Relay Race To Carry A Copy Of The Declaration Of Independence Across The Country

Did you know that there's a coast-to-coast trailhead just 1.5 hours north of San Francisco? Point Reyes is the western terminus of the American Discovery Trail, a 6,800-mile trail route traversing San...

Wellness & Nature

California Is Transforming An Abandoned Railroad Into A 300-Mile Trail From SF To Humboldt — Here’s The Next Segment Opening This Weekend

This past March, the Great Redwood Trail Agency board approved a master plan to design and construct most of the Great Redwood Trail (GRT). The project aspires to build a 300-mile, multi-use trail alo...

Culture Secret Guides

11 of the most famous songs about San Francisco that we can’t stop Singing

Any local music fan knows that the Bay Area is a major contributor to the global music scene, bringing up big names including Journey, the Grateful Dead, Too $hort, Green Day, and so many more. We c...