A Ridge too Far…read more Máyyan 'Ooyákma ("Coyote Ridge" in the native Chochenyo language) is an 1,800-sq ft Open Space Preserve located in the South San José foothills adjacent to the scenic Hwy 101 freeway. Weekend reservations are required for weekend hikes in March - May (book through Eventbrite), and a Butterfly Pass is required to visit this park. The Good: * Free to visit * Private parking lot (no street parking) * Restroom (pit toilet) in parking lot * One of the few places in the Bay that you can (allegedly) see Tule Elk in their natural habitat, and it's the closest place to home for most of us South Bayers. We visited during a Tule Elk guided hike and didn't see bupkis. According to the guide, later in the day, closer to sunset (after 5 p.m.ish), is the best time of day, as that's when the herds start looking for food. * Access here used to be limited to guided hikes only, but now it's more freely accessible except for certain times of the year (see above). * Guided hikes are still available (see website). * Approx. five miles of trails which are in reasonable shape except for the Serpentine Spring Trail (see below). The Meh: * No running water in the restroom, only hand sanitizer. * Trails have no switchbacks on the uphill and downhill. Just straight up and down for 1,000' of elevation gain. The Ugly: * Absolutely zero shade on the entire property, so definitely avoid this place during hot days and in the summer in general. * Coming downhill on the Serpentine Spring Trail was an absolute nightmare; the entire trail is full of really loose pieces of shale that in and of themselves are no bueno, but combine that with a really steep downhill decline and you have a recipe for disaster. I highly, highly suggest if you're coming here to do the 5 miles of trails, go clockwise from the parking lot: Serpentine-to-Tule Elk-to-Butterfly Trail and then back to the parking lot. Conclusion: I rarely give parks a low rating, but honestly, this place was not our cup of tea. With the lack of shade and steep, dangerously slippery trails, I just don't foresee us ever coming back.

Second time at Coyote Ridge OSP Sat 3/28/21. For Covid19 they have self-guided hike, need to RSVP…read morefor your car pass. One pit toilet that was full already at 9am, why don't they bring 2-3 pit toilets because 1 isn't enough! We started on the Left-hand side which was bit steep but lots of poppies & goldfields on the purple line. Then did the blue line no flowers there, then down the green line, tidy tips, poppies. All 3 trails was only 5.8 miles. There is 1 more Fri-Sun hike scheduled if you want to check it out for Spring.

Great place to hike, visit a museum and see their native plant garden. This organization does great…read morework.

You'll Slough the Day…read more 1,700-acres Marsh and tidal preserve located in scenic Moss Landing and overlooking the Monterey Bay. The Good: *Free entrance *Visitor's Center with restrooms *Spectacular views of the water and great spot to view native wild birds and sea life. *You can probably explore the whole park in one day, as there's only ±5-miles of trails to navigate. *Trails are very flat and easily navigable *If you have a kid who's a rail fan, then this would be a great spot for trains and nature. The Meh: *Closed Mondays & Tuesdays The Ugly: *No shade on the trails, so it's not a great option on really hot days. TLDR: Great place for nature and ocean lovers and a really great place to bring young kids to introduce them to hiking and nature.

Nice clean park! My kids always had there soccer games…read morehere! very well taken care of:)

Very nice and well kept up with! Clean , the parking lot…read morewas probably the only thing that made no sense to me! Small parking lot for a "sport" park But it's a great place to go I'd say

We came here for a kid's birthday party, and this park is so nice!…read more It's very spacious, lots of free parking, and lots of features. There is an extensive playground with different types of swings, merry-go-round things, a large playhouse thing, and several slides on a little hill on the playground. In the area with the slides they have turf material and there is a recycling box with cardboard so that kids can use it and also sled down the hill. They have different types of courts like for basketball, pickleball, tennis, baseball. There is lots of space to walk on the gravel path, and there is sort of a pond area (which appears to be less maintained). There are many picnic areas that are shaded too. I really liked that the area the birthday party was located had a gate so that kids wouldn't run out and away. The playground also had a gate on it too, which is great for childrens' safety and parents' ease of minds! We noticed the bathrooms are somewhat high tech with lights to activate the automatic doors and lights to indicate that the bathroom is occupied. I didn't go in, so I can't comment on cleanliness/upkeep. Wish this kind of park was more common. I would highly recommend this park!

The fact alone that this park has bathrooms makes it awesome…read more I have been coming to this park my entire life. It has definitely gotten some upgrades. New magical bridge playground opens this weekend. It's not even open yet and it looks beautiful so far :) It has a dog park, a trail, a basketball court, a tennis court, and a baseball field. I almost forgot, the ducks! It has a lake with ducks! I like walking the trail because there are plenty of trees which creates shade, so it's not just sunny. The bathrooms are located in between the tennis courts and the baseball field. Also, parking is free! Anyone can come with children, strollers, solo individuals, people with dogs, anyone. Everyone is in their own world, living their life with nature.

Ranch Out Opened in…read more2004, this ±5.7k-acre Preserve sits in the oak-covered foothills nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's a short ±30-minute drive from Silicon Valley, but you'll feel like you're miles away from civilization, which is a really good thing these days. The Good: * Free to visit * Multiple parking lots with horse trailer parking available * Restroom in the main lot * Twelve miles of trails throughout the preserve (5.5 miles of which are designated as part of The Bay Area Ridge Trail) * If you're looking for a nice loop, there's a semi-moderate 4.5-mile loop available: Mayfair Ranch Trail to Longwall Canyon Trail to Baldy Ryan Creek Trail. * Horseback riding on certain trails (see map) * Biking allowed on certain trails (see map) The Meh: * No dogs allowed * Trails for the most part were in pretty decent shape, but there were a few areas where they need some TLC. The Ugly: * Much like the EBRPD, they use cows to try and control the non-native grasses, but there were no cows during our visit. :( Conclusion: Great place to escape from civilization and commune with Mother Earth.

Sat 4/17/21 hiked at Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP after already doing 4mi at Coyote Ridge OSP…read more Parking at the first lot was full, so had to park in the Overflow Lot that's further away. Went over the fence to get to the paved Llagas Creek Loop 0.6 miles, lots of lupines! Then did the Mayfield Ranch to Longwall Canyon, lots of climbing that's moderate. I felt really tired near the end because it got temperate Hot and I hate hiking in hot weather! There was a bunch of wildflowers and saw turkeys and 1 snake! Overall, good day for a Spring hike.

Great trail for running and biking along the creek with both dirt and paved paths. Off street…read moreparking at various locations along the trail but walkable from nearby homes and several entrances on santa Teresa

We were staying in Gilroy and looked up this bike path. We had a thoroughly enjoyable ride on our…read morerecumbent trikes. Nearly all flat riding and paved. Mostly locals and even saw a soccer match along the way. Highly recommend it.

This is a small park near the Nob Hill Trail Park. There is a really nice picnic area, and it…read moreboasts the Peace bridge. It is a peaceful area with the mountains in the background.Some educational signs and a bronze statue of the California grey fox are there too.Nice photo opportunity when the weather is right.

We entered from the very steep paved hill (behind Ladera). It'll test your stamina to go uphill…read more Once you made it, it has a nice view of Morgan Hill and with 2 slides. The first slide is shorter and the 2nd slide is more windy and longer. It's pretty fun to go down the slides and enjoy the view. You can follow the trail to hike down the other side. It's a great little hiking trail to explore the view and it's not crowded.

Cute little park hidden behind downtown Morgan hill. There are two points of entry - one with a…read moresteep dirt path, and the other a steep paved hill. On the top there are work out areas that you can use to do cricut workouts. There are also some fun slides to go down - one long and one short. If you go with kids, would recommend an adult to go down with them. One certain days you can see cows across the fence as well. Cute little hidden gem!