There are many Bay Area getaways that provide these gems - unexpected bonuses that make for great stories and lasting memories.

Here are 10 of my favorites - payoffs and surprises:

San Francisco

The Presidio: The Presidio is renowned for its history, views and shoreline trail. Every month, thousands of locals and tourists make the short walk to Fort Point near the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. The surprise is near Battery East, where there's a fairly hidden picnic site with some of the best views in San Francisco. The Golden Gate, the bay, ships, boats and windsurfers, Angel Island and Alcatraz all seem within arm's reach. Presidio Visitor Center, (415) 561-4323; nps.gov/prsf.

Fisherman's Wharf: The standard pay-off is a tour of the Wharf and a meal. But in front of the fishing boats, you'll see a friendly guy or two saying "C'mon aboard." Fifteen dollars gets you a ride on a fishing boat along the San Francisco waterfront, under the Golden Gate Bridge and over to Alcatraz. No reservations. Just get there.

Marin

Muir Beach overlook: If you are cruising the coast, there is a famous view point along Highway 1 that makes for an easy stop. The turnoff leads to a short spur road and parking area on a 450-foot perch that provides a sweeping scan of the ocean to the Farallon Islands and Marin coast, best looking to the south. At the north end of the parking area you will find the Owl Trail. It leads down to Slide Ranch (a working farm with animals), passes cypress trees (where owls occasionally are seen at dawn and dusk) and then - surprise - a rock beach and tidal reef. At low tide, this is great spot to rock hop, explore tide pools and crevices, often with scads of tiny rock crabs. Muir Woods Visitor Center, (415) 388-7368, nps.gov/goga/muir-beach.htm; Slide Ranch, (415) 381-6155, slideranch.org.

Pierce Ranch, Point Reyes National Seashore: Sooner or later, everybody drives to Pierce Ranch to look at the tule elk, right? Hike the Tomales Point Trail and you might see 50 to 100. The surprise comes if you trek all the way to Tomales Point, where you get a stunning view of breakers crashing on the rocks, a place that can feel powerful, even spiritual. (415) 464-5100; nps.gov/pore.

Peninsula

El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve: Most make the trip to see the Tafoni Monolith, a massive 50-foot- high sandstone formation full of eroded hollows, cuts and holes. There's nothing like it anywhere in the Bay Area. Another pay-off is a costal view at a lookout point on the Manzanita Trail.

The nearby Resolution Trail leads to this shocker: the ruins from a crashed DC6. It's a haunting landmark, the site of a tragedy that took the lives of 19 people, the worst air disaster in San Mateo County history.

On a foggy October day in 1953, the airliner Resolution crashed into the ridge while making an approach to San Francisco International. There's an ongoing effort to place a memorial or commemorative display at the site.

Note: Parking is scarce in front of the trailhead on Skyline. Leave your car at Skeggs Point, cross Skyline and go a short distance north to the gated service road/trailhead on the west side of the road. Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, (650) 691-1200; flightoftheresolution.org; openspace.org.

Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay: You go to see the harbor, maybe take a beach walk or bike ride on the Coast Trail, and then lunch or dinner. The surprise is you can rent a kayak for an hour's paddle in the harbor, no experience needed and all equipment provided, for $20. (650) 773-6101, hmbkayak.com.

Butano Redwoods State Park, Pescadero: The 5-mile hike to Trail Camp is a beautiful trek up a canyon through redwoods to a surprise hidden site. About a half mile away, via the Butano Rim, is an abandoned dirt airstrip with fantastic views over the Butano Canyon. (650) 879-2040, parks.ca.gov.

East Bay

Lake Chabot Regional Park, Castro Valley: The pay-offs including excellent bike trails, hiking, campgrounds for both tents and RVs, low-speed boat rentals, fishing and a target range. The bike ride along Lake Chabot to the dam is outstanding for families, and ambitious bikers can continue and climb onward above the lake. The hike through Grass Valley is one of my favorites in fall and spring, but the surprise that will realign your brain gears is the giant bass. I've fished here in my canoe and had a kick catching small trout, bluegill, catfish and bass, depending on the time of the year, then looked down into the water and seen 10-pound bass swim right under us. Every once in awhile, someone catches one; the lake record is 17 pounds, 10 ounces, and biggest this year is a 12-pounder. East Bay Regional Park District, (888) 327-2757; ebparks.org.

Berkeley Marina: People go there for bike rides, picnics and, of course, to head out on boats in the morning or windsurf in the afternoon, but try walking to the end of the 3,000-foot Berkeley Pier. It provides a unique perspective on San Francisco Bay. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Marina.

Black Diamond Regional Preserve, Antioch foothills: The standard trip here is to take the underground tour of a section of the old mines, where countless tons of coal and sand was excavated. The surprise comes on a 6-mile round trip to Jim's Place, where you can find a historic rock/cave dwelling and nearby 100-foot air shaft. East Bay Regional Park District, (888) 327-2757, ebparks.org.

Tom Stienstra's Outdoors Report can be heard at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. Saturdays on KCBS (740 and 106.9). E-mail him at tstienstra@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle