If I need a place to get away and pray and meditate or just quiet my mind, take a walk or be in…read moreamazement at nature, this is one of my escapes. Let nature speak to your soul.

A small and cozy redwood forest in the middle of the Los Altos neighborhood area, it's a little…read moregem, the park features a short boardwalk, creek (winter to early spring, dry out in summer) and shaded short trail about 1 mile loop. No public parking lot, have to park on street at University Ave, or park at Shoup Park nearby. There is no public restroom, the closer one is located at the Shoup Park, a short trail connected to Shoup Park.

Have long eyed the Castle Rock State Park and glad we finally went! The park charges a nominal…read moreparking fee ($10 at time of writing); the parking fee is waived if you have one of the supported passes. Check their site for more info: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=538# We really enjoyed our hike here. The space is beautiful, and the trails are well-maintained. The trailhead had plenty restrooms as well. We made it up to Goat Rock Lookout, back down, then detour to the waterfall. It took ~1.5 hours in total, which was perfect for a end-of-day hike before the park closes at sunset. The view up at Goat Rock Lookout was breathtaking!

If you're looking for another place that has breathtaking views surrounding the whole Santa Cruz…read moreMountains (but don't want to go all the way to Portola Valley), Castle Rock State Park is the place for you. This place is usually my go to when the weather is just perfect and you want good views of the mountains viewing the Monterey Bay and the Santa Clara Valley. In addition, the park is even open during the cold winter season, where it occasionally will snow (because of how high the elevation is, the main base is situated at about 3,200 feet above sea level). This place has been my go-to park for hiking for a while, because of its terrain. At the same time, it's also been because of how much snow they get when cold fronts come into effect. They are also open year-round, so definitely swing by this state park when you do get the chance to! It's a decision you'll never regret.

Rancho San Antonio is one of our favorite places to go hiking. While the most popular trail is to…read morewalk to the Deer Hollow Farm and then back to parking lot (probably 60% of visitors just do this part), there are a lot more trails to explore. That particular round trip is probably less than 2.5 miles round trip, mostly flat, and much of it you have a choice of walking on paved roads/trails so good for strollers. The farm is open until 4pm most days, but be aware this is not a petting zoo, you just get to see the sheep, goats, pigs, cows, rabbits, ducks etc. Still fun for kids, my son loved it when he was little. My favorite hike is to go past the farm and then take the Wildcat Loop trip, you get some great views from up there, that's about 4.5 miles round trip from parking lot with some elevation gain. Our new favorite trail is the Mora Trail which branches off before you get to the farm and goes up to beautiful open vistas. Parking - very hard to find parking on weekend mornings and early afternoons. And don't park illegally, they will ticket you. Trails past the farm tend to be much less used.

Hiked in the middle of winter and it was still nice. Ground was not too muddy…read more There's some winding trails and gradual climbs. I'm a beginner hiker so it's challenging enough to give me a workout. Most of the trail is exposed with greenery around but could be hot in the Summer. There's an educational center with farm animals (goats, huge pigs, cows) and a volunteer supported garden, Deer Hollow Farm. It's open to public most of the week. There's also a historic cabin built in the 1850's preserved and look like a small museum that showcases what life may have been like back then. There's a permanent restroom at the parking lot. Along the trail, there's also a smaller porta potty type but permanent restroom. Plenty of parking.

This trail is challenging. Proceed only if you can handle elevation of uphill all the way for the…read morefirst appro. 1 mile. We started off at rhus ridge trailhead. Trail was steep and mostly in shade. Nice valley view along the way to look at and you can see the bay afar. Very quiet and unpopular trail. At many points, you'd feel there's only you and your companion in the whole mountain. There's a warning sign of mountain lion but we didn't see any, not that I wanted to. :) Recommend to use hiking stick. It'd take about 4 hours to complete the whole trail. If you walk slower it'd be longer.

This was my 8th and last Peak in 2024 which I hiked solo in late Dec…read more I was ill prepared for the rain because I did not believe it would happen. I did not bring an umbrella, and I wore a fleece instead of a windbreaker. It was drizzling on and off, I had to take shelter under trees to wait out the heavier rain sections. The good part of today was that I practically had the whole mountain to myself, it's really being alone; I crossed paths with 7 other solo hikers. The bad part was that I am afraid of getting lost by myself. Here are my observations on this hike. Saw some animals up close: deer, rabbit, and a big black loud bird. Climbed over a down tree on the trail. Noticed lots of ferns and moss, so it must be shady and wet here year round. Noticed the dirt near the top is black while the dirt near the bottom is red. Started the trailhead from the Old Quarry at 10:30am, 12 miles round trip. 2.5 hrs up; 1.5 hrs down

Be aware: The most commonly reviewed part of Stevens Creek Trail is the stretch from Landels Park…read moreand School on the south to Shoreline Park. A lesser known fragment of the trail exists between Stevens Creek Blvd to Linda Vista Park. I review these two pieces, and not the third stretch, which is a strenuous hiking trail that goes from the Stevens Creek Chestnut Parking Lot off Stevens Canyon Road up the Stevens Creek Trail through Stevens Creek Park past the Stevens Creek Spillway to the Stevens Creek Reservoir and the Stevens Creek Quarry to the Steven Creek Bathrooms where you can take a Stevens Creek Leak. Landels Elementary was a safe place to park and start the 3.2 miles toward Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area Preserve. Following the shallow creek, the path is relatively flat, straight, and shady, with no detectable change in elevation. Because it parallels the 85, passes by numerous transponders, crosses the 101 with a long bridge, and then splits Microsoft/Google and NASA, it is not as bucolic as Coyote Creek (separate review). That said, the smell of the landscape as you pass a tree nursery is surprising and refreshing. I am guessing it is eucalyptus and lemongrass, or a koala bear dusting furniture) What makes this trail better than the Los Gatos Creek trail (separate review) is that you have the option to ride a portion of the Bay Trail past the shoreline, with the wind-rippled bay on one side and mossy water on the other, both filled with waterfowl, like black-necked stilts, mallards, snowy and great egrets, great blue herons, cormorants, pintails, and maple-necked strats. OK, that last one is a guitar. Are they ponds? The ocean? I don't know, the sign said SLOUGH, so I decreased my speed. The view is a little surreal: half natural and half industrial but with barbed wire fences protecting Google and NASA's irregularly shaped buildings, with a few fighter jets taking off. Be warned: that trail has loose sand and constant cold winds- even in late June it was chilly. PART 2. The trail from Linda Vista Park to Stevens Creek Blvd is what Google Maps recognizes as the trail. It makes for a nice walk, but the trail was too short for a workout or leisurely ride worth packing the bikes, but also too dodgy for kids, unless you know what to expect. Parking at Linda Vista Park, we rode down an unpaved and slightly pebbly yet "flat" trail about 1/3 a mile between backyards and lawns/golf course to McClellan Road. The incline might be too much for kids- even with an electric bike you must brake going down and pump going up. Right before reaching the cross traffic of the desolate McClellan Road, the lane abruptly turns into a narrow S-curve through two gates so be prepared to stop unless you were good at Nintendo Paperboy. Crossing McClellan Road into McClellan Ranch (separate review), we accidentally went toward the garden, riding past people to a No Bikes Sign. So keep right. You will see a few goats at the ranch. Another 1/4 mile brings you to the sand volleyball courts and bocce ball court of Blackberry Farms (separate review), which was a nice surprise worth a stop (public pool and golf course). From there, you can drive by "You can't sue us if a golfball hits you" signs another 2/5 of a mile to the uneventful end at Stevens Creek Blvd. Total one way estimate: 1/3 + 1/4 + 2/5 = about a mile.

Was looking for a simple trail to walk with my parents when I found Stevens Creek on All Trails…read more Went on a Saturday around 10am and it was pretty busy. It's an out and back trail - we started near Cooper Park, walked about 2 miles and then turned back. Trail is well maintained, but it felt a bit crowded at times as with all the pedestrians and cyclists. It was somewhat shaded, but the portion we walked did not have much of a view. The bridges also pass over highways and busy roads so it didn't really feel like we were in nature. Overall, Stevens Creek is an easy and conveniently located trail, but fairly average in terms of scenery. I would consider coming back on a weekday if I am looking for a relaxed stroll

We hosted a team spring event here and it was a perfect venue for a lovely fun filled time…read more The event manager Christina was super helpful in helping us select the food options and activity packages. Julian and other staff were super helpful during the event even though there were other 2 big events going on at the same time. The team participated in various water sport including paddle boat, row boat, sail boat and kayak.

The place is big, beautiful and very well maintained, the lake water is very clean. We rent bikes…read moreand boats here, the price is okay. The bike trails are good. The parking lot is limited and the spots are very narrow.

"Beautiful Mountain" Yes, indeed!…read more PSA: No dogs allowed - I had to leave mine at home. It's ok, you can enjoy this one alone! Take the drive! Yes, the road is windy and please slow for cyclists on your way up. Come along, sing a song. Dancing feet, magical retreat. Bring a friend or brave alone, it'll be worthwhile - 2, 4, or 7 miles! Our small group hiked the 7 mile loop, and had many photos stops along the way. Our leisure hike took approximately 4.5 hours. We spotted a tarantula early on the trail, other hiking groups, a backpacking group, bikers in groups and a few solo peeps. Shaded Hike & Open Space Sunny Hike: If you're wanting a shaded hike, start on the White Oak Trail located to the right of the Monte Bello parking. If you begin your hike on Bella Vista Trail, it's more of an open space with direct sunlight. Start early and enjoy! =)

Monte Bello is a hidden treasure for the Mid-Peninsula area…read more Funny thing, though. For being hidden, it's sure well known. To get there, you drive seven miles up a narrow, windy road. You're wondering if there's anything here besides big houses on tree-filled hills. Make a sharp left at Foothills Park - oops, never mind, you don't live in PA, you can't drive in here. More driving, more driving . . . and you finally get there, only to find a spacious parking lot crammed with cars. Here's why I gave it five stars: At first, it looks like typical landscape on this part of the Peninsula. But then I went down the narrow Stevens Creek Nature Trail. And ended up in a deep, dark forest with a babbling brook, pretty wildflowers, romantic bridges, and interpretive signs to explain what you're gazing at. If you felt like you got away from it all by driving up Page Mill Road, now you *really* feel like you're away from it all. Monte Bello also has a few peaks to climb up, and a backpacking camp. I'm itching to come back to try these out. I was not here long enough to really appreciate Monte Bello, but I saw enough to appreciate it a LOT. I had written about Russian Ridge that it's part of a conglomerate of Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserves that gives you a few days of outback hiking. Monte Bello is part of that conglomerate, which combines with Los Trancos (and Foothills Park, but don't tell anyone, shhhh) to give you even more wandering. And bring a lunch, because you'll be so mesmerized that you may forget to leave and get food.

Fun spot to come for a hike if you want to see some horses and experience a variety of scenery…read more You start in a pretty big open hilly field, this area is mostly brush, though there is a clear trail. There's a tree at the top of the hill, though no shade other than that. This is the area where we saw the horses. We tried following along with All Trails, but the route on there did a lot of figure 8's and was hard to really comprehend. Luckily with the guidance from other hikers we were able to extend our hike out of this immediate area and make it back to the car. The trail continues out of this fenced in area with multiple different ways to go. There is some signage, though it's rather old and you can tell that some of the directional signs have fallen off. We headed down the hill, out of the gate, next to a house with a vineyard, then down into a tree covered path that went next to the mostly dried up creek. This area was nice and shaded, a little steep in some areas, but not too bad. I liked that you had a number of different routes you could take to make this hike longer or shorter depending on your adventure, but more and better signage would be a welcome addition. We parked at the trail head, it was a pretty big lot with a lot of spots. By the time we got back, it was pretty packed, but there was another area before you enter with some extra parking if this area is full. We were pretty surprised to see so many cars, as the trail didn't feel crowded and we often went long stretches without seeing anyone.

This is a great hidden spot for hiking. It's a 55-acre nature preserve in Los Altos Hills. It's…read morequiet and peaceful with a great change of scenery. If you park in the parking lot on Altamont, you see rolling hills and pasture. Once you walk into the preserve it becomes more of a wooded and shaded area. The paths are well worn and well marked. Please be careful when it rains. The path looks like mostly clay and is really slippery. Look out for horses because it's a horse path. Dogs need to be on leashes for this park.

I love this place. This place or the location perplexes me. The reason why is technically it is…read morelocated in Los Altos Hills, but years ago, and probably still is run by Palo Alto/ Now it's a bit more open to people, but it always made me wonder what this is about? With so many places to walk around and hike, take pictures, hang out, play frisbee, or what have you. Years ago, I used to come out here with a good friend, and we played frisbee and hung out numerous times with other friends and family. If you would like a great escape from this world...here you go. :-)

If you enjoy hiking or taking leisurely walks, you must visit this park nestled in the foothill…read morearea of Palo Alto. We discovered it one afternoon when we wanted to take a stroll after lunch, arriving around 2 pm PST. The park has an entrance fee of $6. It offers a variety of activities such as fishing, picnicking with BBQ areas, walking, biking, and even camping. The park is quite expansive, featuring many flat areas and opportunities to spot wildlife. Although there is plenty of parking available in different sections of the park, finding a spot might be challenging during busy times. This park is a good place if you want be in quite place , me time and enjoy nature. You can also drive around the park to explore its different sections. I plan to visit again in the morning, bring lunch, and walk around to fully enjoy all the areas this park has to offer.

Had my first hike of the year, and it was a beauty! The weather worked in my favor, and hitting…read moregolden hour was a bonus. I should have stayed longer to hit sunset, but that can be for another time. It was definitely windy, so be mindful of that if you decide to trek here. The views were so worth it!

Stunning views!…read more I've been wanting to go to Windy Hill for a while and finally got to hike the Windy Hill loop today (Saturday). I got to the park around 7:45am and there was a decent amount of street parking near the trailhead then. I went clockwise (up Spring Ridge and down Hamms Gulch) - steep initially but the hike got easier as I went along. The trail was well-maintained, with benches throughout. The scenery was amazing, especially with all the green hills! Felt like a Studio Ghibli film. Weather was great as well - perfect hike for spring time. The trail got more crowded as time went on so I recommend going before 9am. Very safe for solo hikers. Highly recommend!