Guides
3-day hike showcases best of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Campers flock to the forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco; most are content to pitch a tent plucked from the trunk of their car, but hardy hikers prefer roughing it with all they need strapped on their backs. Two of the Bay Area's most popular hiking locales -- Castle Rock and Big Basin Redwoods state parks -- promise one of...
Long hike through old-growth redwoods to shimmering waterfalls is a Bay Area favorite.
Redwoods and waterfalls make this the best hike in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you're up for 11 miles and a thousand feet of elevation gain spread out over a half-day, you'll be amazed to see the strain melt away in this land of the giants. Veteran Berry Creek Falls hikers recommend a counter-clockwise loop starting on the Sunset Trail,...
A nice quick escape for Peninsula hikers in need of a fix and a good workout.
This is a good hike to knock out if you're short on time, live in the area and don't want to waste time driving. You still get great scenery, a bit of wildlife, moody weather, and more and yet you can launch just outside of Portola Valley. But on the flip-side you'll see a lot of people and hear some road noise once you near Skyline. Last time I...
Towering redwoods and eye-opening vistas make this hike a great escape from the stress of Silicon Valley.
This hike at Wunderlich County Park takes you through some of the most common ecosystems in the South Bay: second-growth redwood, oak, madrone and open meadows. The park, just outside of Woodside on the west side of Silicon Valley, draws crowds on the weekends, and it can be hard to find a parking spot. That's why I recommend taking a day off from...
Nice 1.4 mile trail for a quick hike with kids. Also suitable as an extension to other trails in Arastradero.
Arastradero Park offers nice trails for hiking, mountain biking and horse back riding. This guide describes the Redtail Loop Trail, which is the only trail on this site of Arastradero Road. The majority of trails is at the other site of the road. The Redtail loop is a short, 1.4 mile trail that provides an achievable goal for little kids. It has...
A scenic 4-mile loop on steep, paved trails with great views on Stanford University and the San Francisco Bay.
The Stanford Dish loop is a popular route for Stanford University students as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Its steep paved trail is suitable for running, walking, and hiking. Bicycles are not allowed. Opening hours vary depending on the month of the year: January 6:30 AM-5:30 PM February 6:30 AM-6 PM March 6 AM-6:30 PM April 6 AM-8 PM May...
This 8-mile hike explores the best features of Huddart County Park west of Woodside, Calif., and Silicon Valley
Combine two fine loops in one great hike on this eight-mile route at Huddart County Park west of Woodside. The abundance of redwood forests and mixed evergreens along this route is a stark contrast to the busy picnic areas of the poplar park and the massive sprawl of Silicon Valley just a few miles to the east. Trails on this hike: Dean Trail...
6.2 mile trail near Woodside, California
Phleger Estate is a nice little hideway compared to the relatively busy Huddart Park, which is typically where you enter the estate. Park at the Zwierlin trialhead in Huddart Park and follow the Crystal Springs Trail down to the riverbed where you'll see signs leading you to Phleger, part of the GGNRA. Keep an eye out for exotic mushrooms in winter...
The San Andreas Fault runs nearly the length of the state. See it up close and personal.
Most Bay Area residents have felt the earth move—quite literally. You probably know that the San Andreas Fault runs nearly the length of the state. But did you know that you can see the fault for yourself? As you follow the lines of posts that mark the various fault breaks in the Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, you can find out what's happening...
Get your nature fix and add a short hike at this bucolic pond in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.
Alpine Pond is one of the prettiest places in the string of open-space preserves along Highway 35, also known as Skyline Boulevard. That's saying something, given the abundant beauty in this stretch of the Santa Cruz Mountains between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. A nature center looks out over the lake. While it's possible to hike more than...
Easy-to-moderate look hike provides a shady getaway from festivities at the popular park
Huddart County Park west of Woodside, Calif., has popular picnic areas that attract noisy crowds; fortunately the hoots of hollering kids fade into the tweets of singing birds within minutes of hitting the trails. Huddart has a nice mix of redwoods and mixed evergreen forests plus a few expanses of open chaparral. This hike has a just-right mix...
Multiple viewpoint loop hike along Skyline
This hike passes through 4 different Midpenninsula open space preserves. Monte Bello, Skyline Ridge, Russian Ridge, and Coal Creek. Along the way you will get some of the best long range views available on the penninsula, weather permitting. Begining in Monte Bello, you hike the easy route to the summit of Black Mountain via the Canyon and Bella Vista...
A moderate 5.3 mile loop with a 900-foot climb. A great springtime wildflower hike!
Spring in the Silicon Valley is an amazing time! The hillsides turn vibrant green and wildflowers sprout up everywhere! Only 20 minutes off Interstate 280, Monte Verde Open Space Preserve is a great place to view wildflowers! Directly from the parking lot, we started on the Stevens Creek Nature Trail, expecting to meet up with the White Oak Trail...
A family-friendly audio guide to a wildlife mecca in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
MROSD docent program manager Renee Fitzsimons and docent Sharon Thomas lead a 0.3-mile-long hike around Alpine Pond. Along the way, they explain where to look for brush rabbits, cormorants, crayfish, banana slugs, and pond turtles. They even make the shrubbery interesting, with stories about age-old human uses of cattails, willow, and oaks.
Best way to see a luscious - and little-known - redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Silicon Valley
Phleger Estate is a gorgeous swath of second-growth redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains just west of Silicon Valley. It's a remote section of Golden Gate National Recreation Area that gets few visitors, making it a prime getaway if you need a break from civilization. This route starts on Skyline Boulevard, AKA Highway 35. Parking is free in...
Great hike from Los Altos Hills, towering 2812' over Silicon Valley.
Towering over Silicon Valley, waaaay back to the rear of Rancho San Antonio, lies 2812' Black Mountain. Starting at the little-known Rhus Ridge parking lot, you can enjoy a healthy workout and a grand panoramic view of Silicon Valley! The unusual snow picture was taken in December 2008. Your hike is much more likely to be sunny and dry! Other...
A family-friendly audio guide to a wildlife mecca in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
MROSD docent program manager Renee Fitzsimons and docent Sharon Thomas lead a 0.3-mile-long hike around Alpine Pond. Along the way, they explain where to look for brush rabbits, cormorants, crayfish, banana slugs, and pond turtles. They even make the shrubbery interesting, with stories about age-old human uses of cattails, willow, and oaks. The audio...
1.4 mile trail near Vista Verde, California
One of the top easy hikes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and perfect for just about anyone, no matter their size or ability. And it's got a lake, which always adds to the pleasure of a hike. The trail tread up to the dam is easily wheelchair accessible, and beyond that is a little more difficult, including a hillside traverse - not recommended for strollers...
This 15-mile loop passes through five parks that promise some of the best hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area.
If you've got the legs for 15 miles of ups and downs along the fabulous terrain near California Highway 35, aka Skyline Boulevard, then this hike deserves a spot on your to-do list. The route passes a bucolic pond, forests of oak and Douglas fir, and wonderful vistas overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains west of San Jose and south of San Francisco....
A hike in Sam McDonald County Park promising both old-growth redwood trees and sweeping mountaintop views.
In the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains and roughly on a parallel with San Jose, you’ll find Sam Mc Donald County Park a great place to explore. Our recommended route around the Heritage Grove Loop will take you to grasslands with sweeping open views of neighboring mountain ridge tops, before leading you down into a valley of old growth redwood...
5.8 mile trail near Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
A Sunny Spring Hike Around Bald Knob is about 5.8 miles long and located near Grabtown, California. The trail is great for hiking and normally takes 1-3 hours. I did this hike last August while the Lockheed fire raged around Bonny Doon. The resulting view was hazy at best, and downright unseamly at worst. Today was a different story, however. It...
Open space preserve in the Midpeninsula region.
The preserve is located on the weestern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Half Moon Bay. The open space features not only redwoods, but ferns, wildflowers, coastal scrub, several babbling brooks which can grow to sizable creeks in the winter. The elevation can dips down almost 1600 ft from Skyline Blvd and depending on the route, some sections...
All-day hike to grove of ancient redwoods in Portola Redwoods State Park is a must if you can do the distance
Delayed gratification is the story of this hike at Portola Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Silicon Valley. The first six miles are nice enough -- lots of ups and downs in second-growth redwoods -- but the real payoff is at the midpoint: Peters Creek Loop tracks through one of the last remaining stands of old-growth redwoods...
3.3 mile trail in Edgewood Park, California
Edgewood Park Serpentine Trail is about 3.3 miles long and located near Emerald Lake Hills, California. The trail is great for hiking and normally takes 1-3 hours
Vigorous and diverse six-mile hike takes samples the best of Portola Redwoods State Park west of Silicon Valley.
This is the essential loop at Portola Redwoods State Park. In just over six miles it ascends two ridges and stops in on the most impressive old-growth redwood in the park. It starts out near the park headquarters, climbs up Coyote Ridge, descends to Peters Creek, climbs again up the Slate Creek Trail, then descends via the Summit Trail, and takes...
Beautiful redwood hike to Slate Creek Trail Camp at Portola Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
This is an excellent moderate hike through the second-growth redwood forest at Portola Redwoods State Park. It ends at Slate Creek Trail Camp, a popular overnight camping destination. The park is in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Highway 35 in one of the best hiking regions in the San Francisco Bay Area. While ancient redwoods are scarce because...
Explore 4 plant communities—riparian, forest, chaparral, grassland—in a short, scenic hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
A lively, sound-rich introduction to Skyline Ridge, one of the most beautiful and intriguing preserves in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The adventure starts at the David C. Daniels Nature Center. Then you move to the watery world of cattails and willows at Alpine Pond, climb up through a mixed evergreen forest, weave through some scented...
A family-friendly audio guide to a wildlife mecca in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
MROSD docent program manager Renee Fitzsimons and docent Sharon Thomas lead a 0.3-mile-long hike around Alpine Pond. Along the way, they explain where to look for brush rabbits, cormorants, crayfish, banana slugs, and pond turtles. They even make the shrubbery interesting, with stories about age-old human uses of cattails, willow, and oaks. The audio...
10.4 mile trail in Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP, California
This is a wonderful hike that usually takes no more than 4 hours.. There are terrific views from up top and nice redwoods along the way.
"I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people,"
The Pulgas Water Temple was built at the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct as a monument to the new water system. It’s located within the watershed, just south of Crystal Springs reservoir. An inscription at the top reads, "I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people," a biblical quote from Isaiah. The...
A ramble along Peters Creek past Wallace Stegner's bench.
This hike wanders through a little valley to the headwaters of Peters Creek and then out onto a ridge with striking views almost to the coast. It opens with a dangerous dash across Highway 35 (often busy on weekends) but soon leaves that behind as you descend into the valley of seasonal Peters Creek and follow it upstream. As you move up towards the...
10.5 mile trail near Halfmoon Bay, California
Purisima Creek - Whittmore Gulch hike is about 10.5 miles long and located near Half Moon Bay, California. The trail is a moderate hike and can take about half a day. This is a slightly longer version of the popular Purisima Redwood Preserve area hike and starts on the eastern trailhead on the coastal side. The trail begins at the point where 3...
Escape the crowds and take in the sights on this loop at the popular park west of Cupertino.
This route at Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Reserve ventures beyond the popular sections of the park to offer a diverse introduction to the terrain on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rancho, as the locals call it, draws big crowds with its abundance of flat trails and attractions at Deer Park Farm, but few visitors...
Easy hike to a barnyard full of cows, chickens and other critters is a favorite spot at the park west of Mountain View
An easy walk to a working farm makes Deer Hollow a prized family outing in the South Bay. Cows moo, hens cackle, roosters crow -- all on a farm maintained by the city of Mountain View. The farm also features sheep, pigs, gardens, farm implements and a chance to look into the bedroom window of a 19th century farmhouse. Kid-centric events are staged...
Great mix of redwoods and Santa Cruz Mountains terrain on this hike near Portola Redwoods State Park.
This is one of the better redwood hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area -- which is nice because not so long there was no forest left here: almost all of it had been clear-cut. The second-growth redwoods at Pescadero Creek County Park demonstrate a forest's uncanny ability to regenerate itself, if people give it the chance. Several groves of skinny...
Hiking above the reservoir at Stevens Creek Park
The Tony Look trail starts just upstream of the Stevens Creek Reservoir and continues downstream as it climbs the adjoining bluffs. It starts in a heavily forested area but opens up to chaparral and grassy hillside with increasing elevation. I've marked the trail as Moderation, but the climbing is not to difficult and the views are very nice. On...
2.6 mile trail near Cupertino, California
Seven Springs Trail is about 2.6 miles long and located near Cupertino, California. The trail is great for hiking and normally takes 1-3 hours. The trail-head starts at end of Prospect Road and there is plenty of shaded parking spaces. This route follows the seven springs trail up and the woodhills loop trail down to rance road and back to the...
Scanning it's expanse, you can see ocean beach, streams, grasses, bushy scrub, and tall, ancient trees.
Pescadero State Beach, a mile-long stretch just south of Half Moon Bay in Northern California is no simple place. If you look more closely you can spot some of the more than 250 species of birds that make their home here. The landscape, especially at the water, is never the same two days in a row. This Exploration created in collaboration with the...
Great views, challenging hiking in the hills southwest of Silicon Valley.
With lush woods, gorgeous vistas, challenging trails and remarkable stone formations, Castle Rock State Park is a highlight reel for hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll find a fascinating mix to trees -- gnarled oaks, towering Douglas firs, bark-shedding madrones -- but the rocks steal the show. Large formations called "tafoni" (which look...
