Best hikes west of Silicon Valley

Overview: The Santa Cruz Mountains illustrate why the Bay Area is hiker heaven: redwoods old and new fill hillsides facing the Pacific Ocean, which is visible from many high ridges on a clear day.

Well-maintained trails pass through many of the prettiest places in the Santa Cruz Range, and fascinating rock formations offer reminders of a distant age when all this land was under water.

Locales in this bundle, at a glance:

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve -- Alpine Pond is one of two scenic and serene ponds in this park along Highway 35 west of Palo Alto.

Wunderlich County Park -- This park west of Woodside has an abundance of second-growth redwoods and easy-to-navigate trails.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park -- Find out why the Berry Creek Falls loop here is one of the most popular in the Bay Area.

Castle Rock State Park -- Another South Bay favorite, famous for its tafoni rock formations.

Sanborn Skyline County Park -- Great site for hiking and camping southwest of San Jose.

Tips: Redwood hikes can be very chilly in the morning; be sure to dress in layers.

Make sure you bring enough snacks and water for longer hikes.