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Big Canyon Park

3.5 (19 reviews)

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Jonathan C.

Tl;dr Decent hiking spot in the neighborhood for those looking to get exercise for an hour, while still getting some good views. Would recommend Eaton Park over this especially on a hot day as there is limited shade. Plenty of street parking between Eaton and Big Canyon Park. A loop around the entire area is about 1.5 miles and takes about an hour. There's areas of steady incline so I would rate the hike as mild to moderate (probably more of the latter). There's not much shade so wear sunscreen. You do get great views of the Bay and surrounding area as well. Trails are a bit narrow so you may need to stop to let people pass by. For those interested, you can include Eaton Park to your itinerary for a longer hike.

Map of Big Canyon Park trails.
Joyce H.

Big Canyon Park is a little off the beaten path compared to most parks. It's mostly hidden in a residential area. You need to park on the street of a residential area to get to this park. I would suggest parking on Brittan Ave. The hours of the park are 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. Dogs are welcome but need to be leashed. My favorite hike here is Harold Drake Trail to Oak Meadow Trail to the end of the trail (to check out the amazing view), back tracking to Meadow Loop Trail and ending back at Harold Drake. It's about 2.9 miles. Generally I like to connect this trail with a hike at Eaton Park which is south of Big Canyon Park. The views on Harold Drake Trail and Oak Meadow are really beautiful.

Joey W.

A nice and easy hike hidden in a residential area, so it's a good intro to hiking. Pretty impressed by how it felt like mini hike in the middle of a suburb. There are lots of shade on the trail. The hike wasn't long, I think the loop is around 3 miles. However, the trail is narrow so I'm glad I went around 5pm when there wasn't a lot of people. This park seems like a good place to practice trail running!

ferny creek
Wing Y.

This isn't my favorite hiking trail, but it's the one that my kids pick when I threaten to take them hiking. I'm pretty sure that it's because they've figured out that the main loop is pretty short (probably less than 2 miles; we are usually done in an hour) and that there's a bench near the middle where they can stop to eat snacks (though it was sort of broken this past weekend when we visited). They're doing some upgrades to the small bridges that cross over the mini-canyons and creeks. We usually start from Brittan Ave and go left up the hill. The trail is steep and narrow, but there's a lot of greenery during and after rainy season. This part of the trail is almost completely shaded. The trail levels out near the top where you can get a nice view of the whole (small canyon) before heading back down around the other side (which is a bit more exposed). There's an offshoot of the trail that overlooks Brittan but I'm not a huge fan of overlooking the street. There are some wildflowers here and there, and I've managed to get some nice photos over the years. Still, if it were entirely up to me I'd head over to Edgewood, which isn't that much further away.

At 1000 Crest view, San Carlos
Elaine Y.

Ample parking on the streets. Nice little hiking trail with about 50 % shade. Paths are small, enough for one person and the side of the paths are steep, not safe for young children. Saw a few people with dogs, other than that, it wasn't crowded at all for a Sunday mid day hike. A nice hidden park.

Beautiful oak; my favorite tree in the park
Dan B.

Eaton Park's "uglier cousin." Big Canyon Park is a suburban hiking park, right across the street from Eaton Park in San Carlos. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/eaton-park-san-carlos?hrid=9zuTvSyJKbcAaz_CwT8WRw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)). Like Eaton, it provides a quick escape from civilization, being surrounded by the suburbia that is upper San Carlos. Unlike Eaton, the escape is tenuous. There are almost always houses in view, and most trails are short and exposed. Poison oak is rampant here in the spring, summer and fall, so staying on the trail is a must. Yet trails can also be quite narrow in spots, and there are some abrupt grade changes, as if the builders changed their minds once or twice during construction. ("Hey, let's go steeply uphill for no reason...OK. and now steeply down!") It is possible to create a 1.5 mile loop hike here, and then extend it with a 0.5 mile there-and-back section (for a total of 2.5 miles), but it's not a favorite destination of mine, especially with so many other great places nearby. If I had a dog, though, I'd be at Big Canyon more often. (Dogs on a leash are allowed). OK, it's a bit unfair of me to call the entire park "ugly" in my opening line. There are a few pretty spots here. My absolute favorite is a beautiful, coast live oak just above the main entrance trail. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/big-canyon-park-san-carlos?select=T01fGuv8vJ_VLRc8rlgpew&utm_campaign=www_photo_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)). But it's an anomaly in an otherwise drab hiking spot. Dan's Hiking Spot list: -- Parking: Street-side only -- Bathrooms: No -- Potable water: No -- Maps provided: Signpost only, and hard to read -- Highlights: some partial views of San Carlos My Peninsula Hike Collection is here: (https://www.yelp.com/collection/qBI6U6Lz9LJQjnGjFW6ubg)

End Trail Sign by BJMartinPhotography.com

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14 years ago

Nice place to burn some calories!! A little narrow but enjoyable..

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Review Highlights - Big Canyon Park

Generally I like to connect this trail with a hike at Eaton Park which is south of Big Canyon Park.

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Twin Pines Park - Looking down from the larger playset

Twin Pines Park

4.0(42 reviews)
2.2 mi

Cute park! Great for kids (playground), picnicking (lots of benches available, tree stumps), and…read moreshort walks. Parking lot is easily accessible. It was fun to see students playing here after school. Not a place I would take dogs or if you're looking to walk several miles. But if you're wanting a brief getaway from the everyday scenery, it's a refreshing nook right next to the bustle of Ralston Ave!

Twin Pines Park is a small local neighborhood park in Belmont that is getting a very big upgrade as…read moreof this review (2025/2026). There is so much work being done, the parks is unrecognizable since my first visit in a good way. They added benches and changed the landscape. There is a creek that flows through the middle, it's go running water since CA is officially no longer in a drought as of this review. Reservations a re available. Hours are form sunrise to sunset. "A lovely, intimate park located in a ravine alongside Ralston Ave north of El Camino in hilly Belmont. The park follows a babbling brook and includes lots of picnic areas and shady places to rest. Located just down Ralston before El Camino Real, Twin Pines is a 19-acre park owned by the city of Belmont, which houses the Belmont Historical Society Museum, Belmont Parks and Recreation, and the Senior and Community Center. The park is frequented by visitors picnicking and people attending various events throughout the year, including free afternoon concerts each Sunday in the summer - Hungarian Heritage Foundation The beautiful Twin Pines Park is home to Belmont City Hall and the Parks & Recreation Department. It is truly a treasure hidden in the middle of the city, where you will find a combination of rental facilities, parks, picnic areas, and short trails. Come explore the creek or simply enjoy a nice day outside with the fresh scents of nature! There is plenty of parking available. Open sunrise to sunset. See the expanded map here or here. Reservations: You can reserve picnic areas such as Buckeye, Redwood, or Meadow. Facility rentals accommodate 25-250 people and include the Cottage, Lodge, Manor, and Senior & Community Center. For the future of the park, check out the Twin Pines Park Master Plan and the Twin Pines Park Tree Succession Plan, a recommendation of the Master Plan. Organized activities (parties, professional photo shoots, meetings, retreats, etc) must make a reservation with the Belmont Parks & Recreation Department. Individual, drop-in use is available when there are no scheduled reservations." - https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/208/509 Park description and information from the official website.

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Twin Pines Park - 07/31/2025

07/31/2025

Twin Pines Park
Twin Pines Park

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Laureola Park - lots of shade on play structures and from canopies

Laureola Park

4.1(19 reviews)
2.1 mi

Needed to kill some time with my kids before the restaurants opened up on Laurel. Laureola Park was…read moreconveniently located just a few minutes away from Downtown San Carlos. The entrance is down a side alley off of Old County Road so it can be easy to miss. However, once you pull in, there is plenty of parking. There is a big grassy area to run around in and then a playground, separated for little and big kids, but with a connecting gate. Not a huge play structure but good enough for the little ones to burn off some energy. There is also a bathroom located onsite and for a public bathroom, it was pleasantly very well maintained and very clean.

Burning some time with the kids while my wife was finishing up work, cool neighborhood park that…read morewasn't crowded and had a large play area, baseball field, basketball court, and well maintained flat field for children and pet activities. The play area has rubberized floor for safety, tents above the structures for some shade from the harsh cali summer sun, and very light touches of a log-cabin/ wood theme. For younger kids the most dangerous and sometimes fun areas are: -The larger slide, getting to the top is a bit sketchy with a small ladder you have to climb off of to the right instead of straight. The slide itself is almost hilariously tall with lots of bumps and tight curves that seem like they are designed to injure your kid, just look at the pictures. -Wave machine, if your kid is into space and nasa you can get them an early start by jumping on one end of this and launching them into orbit.

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Laureola Park - A polymer log play area

A polymer log play area

Laureola Park - Pretty fun two story slide

Pretty fun two story slide

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Big Canyon Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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