I joined several docent led hikes with midpen, I always enjoy the experience. The docents are usually very knowledgeable, friendly, and informative. Will join again and again read more

Pretty enough place but screwy maps, difficult to find and park (permit necessary). In fine print on the permit, they give the code to one of the many padlocks, and in even tinier print, that the lock has to be pushed in. We were locked in until we deciphered their unfriendly exiting scheme. Plus the map said one trail was dog friendly, but rangers were there positioning themselves to prevent dogs without a clear reason. They could do a better job with communications, cartography, and the gate. Why not have a keypad or at least a sign, "refer to your permit to get code to the lock with the red x," and paint a red x on the lock that words? They seem to send a message otherwise that we had to grant you a permit, but that's it. read more

WILDLIFE TRACKING BASICS WITH PATHWAYS FOR WILDLIFE (PART 1 OF 2) Friday, June 11, 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm Online - virtual event About this Event Wildlife is all around us in the Bay Area. Diverse species of animals filter through our urban landscapes, crossing the boundaries of our homes, cities and the protected lands that surround our region. Whether you are visiting your local parks and preserves on the San Francisco Bay, the coast, the Santa Cruz mountains or the Diablo Range, there's a great chance you'll see wildlife, or at least signs of them. But how many of us can accurately identify these signs of wildlife, or use these signs to paint a picture of what's going on in nature? Join Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) as we welcome local wildlife researchers Tanya Diamond and Ahiga Snyder of Pathways for Wildlife to share practical wildlife tracking skills with our community. They will share knowledge of how to identify various types of common wildlife tracks and other signs, and deepen your understanding of the wildlife communities living in our local landscapes. Through Pathways for Wildlife, Tanya and Ahiga are conducting groundbreaking wildlife research on the Peninsula, in the South Bay and further afield with a variety of nonprofits and public agency partners, including POST, Midpen and OSA. Using camera traps, wildlife collaring technology and other methods, Pathways for Wildlife is constructing a complex picture of how wildlife move across our landscape, and what we need to do to enhance the health of these animal communities. Wildlife tracking is one of the many skills in Tanya and Ahiga's toolbox as they survey the land and help organizations like ours plan for the health of our local wildlife. These two, 1-hour webinars are a rare chance to learn tracking from two local heroes of wildlife research. Wildlife Tracking Part 1: Friday, June 11 from noon to 1p.m. - Tracking Basics and a story about Badgers We will learn a basic framework for where and when to look for wildlife signs, the different types of signs to look for and some of the basic tracks you might see from a variety of local species. Tanya and Ahiga will also share some stories about how they are successfully tracking and monitoring one of the most elusive creatures in our region: the American badger! Wildlife Tracking Part 2: Friday July 9 from noon to 1p.m. - Advanced Tracking and Wildlife Connectivity We will expand on what we learned in Part 1 with more specifics about how to identify signs from some of the more challenging local species to track, and other tips for how to spot wildlife movement in our area. The Pathways for Wildlife Team will also share some details about the extensive wildlife movement studies they are conducting along major wildlife corridors in the region. You can register at EventBrite . This virtual event is FREE. read more

Super close to town, easy access parking but limited, and about a 5 mile hike. Lots of hills and a breeze back downhill. It is not to large but a great spot to go for a quick walk and breathe in those redwoods. read more

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While Rancho San Antonio is easily the best-known MROSD preserve, El Sereno is certainly a contender for the least-known. First, you have to know how to find this place; I didn't see a single sign. From the 17 it's 3 miles up the steep and narrow Montevina Road (and PS: who lives up here? Cuz damn). At the end, you won't find any constellation of parking lots, just a rough dirt pullout with space for 3-4 cars. Not counting a few random spurs, you have your choice of a whopping 1 trail, which is actually a dirt road. And aside from one all-too-brief stretch, there's not a sliver of shade to be found. So, why hike it? Because it's there, of course! Oh yeah, and the phenomenal views stretching from the city and Mt Tam to Monterey, with a commanding view of the entire South Bay as well. Some say this trail is best in the spring when there's wildflowers, but then, so are most Bay Area trails, and there are only so many spring weekends to go around. Personally I recommend a clear, cold winter's day instead, when smog is at a minimum and the ever-present sun is actually welcome. So, El Sereno is certainly underappreciated, but then, it's a little underdeveloped too. How about adding a foot trail somewhere, maybe as a loop, or a way to get down to Villa Montalvo or the 17? read more

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While it deserves 5-stars for simply existing, that would not allow a good comparison with other Mid Peninsula Open Space Preserves that are much nicer and more enjoyable. This is a quiet preserve with low use, probably because parking requires a (free) permit. It is pretty dull compared to other local preserves, but I am grateful that it exists. read more

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District - Parks Near Me - Los Altos, California

Pros: Hella gorgeous view. Dogs allowed (there is a God! so few parks allowing them these days). Cons: Hella crazy drive there, hella dusty, and hella heat in August. We started from the peninsula at 9AM and arrived at around 9:40ish. The drive up Montevina Road is windy and narrow. Prepare yourself for some near misses with expensive cars coming down the lane. It is a residential road dotted with ridiculously nice houses and probably a cliff on the other side, so you have been warned, keep the brakes pumping and you will be yielding to other vehicles at some point. Also good to know is the fact that there are about 4 cars worth of parking at this preserve, which is essentially the dead end of Montevina Road. The parking "area" is pretty much a turnout that you would have used to go back down the hill for anyone who drove up by mistake. The internets say it holds 6 cars but I think it's an exaggeration. Anyways, at 9:30AM there was just us and 2 other vehicles, and by the time we were done we were alone. AAAAND I can see why. While the views were gorgeous, it was insanely hot for August. I say insanely because I hiked somewhere in Woodside a few hours later and it had to be 20-30 degrees cooler. I definitely had to double take and make sure I wasn't dreaming that dogs were allowed here, but even so, it was hot as hell and our dogs were not thrilled (neither was our 11 month old daughter, but she's obviously not the sturdiest member of the family). For starters, the trail is very exposed. In the winter this would be great for getting some sunshine, but in the summer it was asking for heatstroke. It was also very dusty so one of our dogs sneezed plenty during the walk and both were coated in dust when we got home. Both dogs went through more than half a nalgene of water from the heat and I had to carry one of them down the last 100 feet or so since she was stopping in a rare shady spot refusing to walk. Note that these are dogs that have done hikes everywhere in the Bay Area and have gone on vacations expressly to hike. On the plus side, this hike had very little foxtails which is a godsend in the Bay Area. Actually, it didn't look like a whole lot of vegetation was thriving at this time of year here, lol. However, I would say the trip was worth it because you truly get lovely mountainside panoramic views and the trails going both ways were excellent viewing. I would come back at a different time of year but unfortunately parking might be a deterrent then. read more

El Sereno OSP is interesting, it is very hard to get to. It is on top of the Montevina Road, which is a drive itself (there are a lot of turns and narrow roads) The "parking" lot, if you call it that, holds only 3~4 cars, on a steep hill, so remember to pull your hand brake. Here is the trail map http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/map_ES.pdf As for the hike itself, it can be a bit challenging (although not too bad), because you start from the top of the mount and hike downhill, and then you have hike the same trail back, uphill. I prefer the other way around, when I'm hiking back, I'm already tired, the last thing I want to do is hike uphill. That's just my personal preference. There are two vista points, Loma Vista and Lexington Vista, there is only one way to both of the Vistas, you hike about 2 miles (one way) and then you will see a split to Loma Vista to get a good view of the city (It is about .5 mile one way and you have return the same way you went down), if you continue on to Lexington Vista, it is about another 2 miles one way (and 2 miles to come back up), so the total length can be anywhere between 5 - 9 miles round trip. If you download the trail map, you will be puzzled because it doesn't show the trail connection across the private property. Don't worry, there is a trail, just follow the trail and you will see the vista points. Going downhill for 3 + miles isn't too bad, but hike back up was a bit challenging for me, especially I just worked on my legs in the gym the day before. Overall, parking situation is very challenging, trails are good (especially if you like climb uphill), view of the city is great. I wouldn't put this on my must do list, especially there are some great OSP around the area, but if you have time and it is close to you, give it a shot. read more

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I have done about 4-5 hikes through Open Space and loved all of them. I really don't like hiking alone so this a great way to go with a group and lose that fear of getting lost *that's my biggest fear... get lost while hiking* What I love the most is that they have hikes every Saturday and Sunday and they do all the great trails along highway 35. All the docents have been very friendly and knowledgeable of the trails and nature. I've learned many things about insects, trees, flowers, birds and what not through their hikes. If you get easily annoyed with kids... I wouldn't recommend doing the easy kid friendly hikes. I've done a few of them and noticed that kids seem to make the hikes longer and they keep talking forever. I love kids, but not while I'm trying to enjoy a relaxing hike. To avoid kids... do the moderate hikes and make sure the little hand is not listed on the hike info! Keep checking their website for the updated calendar: http://www.openspace.org/activities/default.asp read more

If you love Fungii, bring Liza and get schooled on what mushrooms are really about. If you love Redwoods, you'll love it here. I am a Bay Area Native and I had no idea this place existed before today. BANANA SLUG! I heart Banana Slugs! Our Yelpers Rock! we did 8.8 miles roundtrip. Boy my everywhere hurts but it was well worth it! Thanks to the whole crew! read more

The best part about this place is it's the least crowded of all the Bay Area preserves I've been to. I saw two bikers in the entire preserve. There are some good views as well. On the other hand, there are not a lot of developed trails, and it is the most difficult to get to of the Bay Area preserves I've visited. It's a 3 mile drive up a one-lane road, which is a little scarier driving on than your average winding road in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There's also room for only three cars at the top, so I wouldn't recommend going during the middle of the day on a weekend because it would not be fun to make that drive up only to have nowhere to park. I knew it'd be difficult to get to with uncertain parking at the end, so I only visited this place after I'd been to most of the other preserves. I don't think you see anything special here that you can't see at one of the more accessible preserves, so I would only recommend this place if you're trying to make it to every preserve in the area. read more

So far I have been on only six hikes with Open Space, but I love it. THe docents are very passionate about nature and they provide a lot of useful information for hikers. I especially enjoy the people I meet through the hiking meets, it is nice to make friends a passion for nature that matches my own. I look forward to many more hikes through openspace and urge anyone who loves nature to give them a try. They have many different types of hikes, easy, moderate, and strenuous. The website also provides a lot of info on the preserves in case you prefer to go solo. For dog owners, they provide a list of all the preserves that allow dogs too. I just signed up for next years docent training class, I hope to become a dog hiking group docent. Maybe I will see you there. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

I got cited for riding a bike without a helmet in the East Palo Alto area. I didn't know that there was a sign stating no dogs and helmets when riding bikes. A park ranger started questioning me if I knew that I had a wear a helmet I cooperated and answered honestly that I didn't know and the ranger started asking for all my information name, address and he called it in and gave a citation. I was treated like a criminal and the ranger said that if I didn't sign the citation he would call the police and they would arrest me. I would say that a warning and education about the rules for a first timer who doesn't know the rule should be enough. Also a couple had dogs and the ranger A. Smith didn't cite them. read more

This park has absolutely zero parking, but definitely a fun main trail from Sheldon Road up to El Sereno. No views at the peak but many along the way. No facilities, not many people either. More bikers than hikers due to lack of access. read more

Beautiful views, quiet, under-appreciated. Entering via Sheldon Rd is a nice alternative (you go uphill first then), and there were many potential places for people to park in the residential area on that side. Not too muddy even after raining earlier in the day and yesterday. read more

My wife and I rented a house from open space 2 times they violated our rights,first they entered our home without notice second they with held our deposit for 5 days past the 21 days the law allows. Only after repeated phone calls did they return our money. The last and final thing we are facing is a 1200 dollar property tax bill in our name for time we'll after we moved they refuse to pay there bill and we are stuck with there bill. Pleas don't be fooled by this group they are buying up our lands and using them to pay there high salary's while there field workers Rangers and our environment suffers. They turn there cheek to illegal grows on our lands that was bought with tax payers money and stick there bills on working people. read more

This park is very accessible from Saratoga Side. We were able to drive all the way upto the gate and enjoy the hike. This place has very nice community around which make it safe to visit. We have noticed that on a clear day, you can see monterey peninsula and pacific ocean on horizon. A lot of wildlife to see here, I have seen beautiful gray fox, rattle snakes, deers, etc. read more

I live in the South Bay and an avid hiker, but I didn't know this place until last weekend. I was searching for a good day hike place where I had never been to on the internet, and I found a hike blog about this place. I had never heard of but it looked pretty. So I downloaded the official map but the trails were separated by a private property. I was confused but anyway just gave it a try. We started at the end of Montevina Road and went to all the way to the boundary of other side. There was a trail on the private property (of course necessary to stay on a trail). The view was good. From the ridge, we saw lexington reservoir, downtown San Jose, and mount Hamilton and all the South Bay over the green hills. Obviously this Open Space Preserve is not well know compared to other OSP, so we saw only 3 mountain bikers and a hiker on the entire day. We ended up hiking 9 miles. Very peaceful and nice. read more

It's great to read the positive reviews about Midpen hikes and docents. I am a volunteer docent with Midpen (we all are) and love the public to show up for our hikes. If you check our schedule at www.openspace.org and don't find a hike you want, you can suggest a topic or area and a docent may fill your request. My favorite hikes are in the redwoods at El Corte de Madera (alll about redwoods) and fast paced Nordic hikes (exercise in a beautiful place). We live right next to heaven. Don't miss out on our glorious open space. read more

We didn't even get to see the trail because there was no place to park! We started to park in what seemed to be a space on the side of the road and then got yelled at by the property owner. He said it was private property and so were the few other places that might look available. Don't waste your time driving up the long, winding road!! This is an addition to original review...we decided to walk up the winding road today. We figured a Sunday would be a good day as folks wouldn't be speeding off to work, etc. We had to balance ourselves at the cliff's edge a few times just to avoid getting hit by cars. The road is very narrow so if you're walking and two cars need to pass each other or stay on one side of a blind turn then the walker is in danger. It's a veru long scenic walk but not worth the risk! read more

The only reason I am giving 4 stars is because I can't walk now! We walked up from downtown Los Gatos so probably added an extra mile or two. It is a lot of up, up, and up from downtown Los Gatos and down, down, down on the way back. Hardly saw anyone - just a handful of people (mostly Europeans), runners and bike riders. The views are beautiful and the path is so much better than the Lexington Reservoir hike i.e. better groomed. It was hot but we had bought lots of water and when we got up to the PG & E tension tower someone had left a covered container of ice water, cups and small trash container which was so amazing (and appreciated) Our dog loved the hike too but was pooped out at the end. Up and back was 4 hours. The Europeans kept going to the Saratoga Gap (apparently another 4 hours) - you have to admire them! read more

Flying over the Bay Area you may be startled by the massive swath of largely unspoiled open space that stretches from the city and the peninsula suburbs' ragged edges westward to the roiling Pacific and south to the northen reaches of Monterey Bay. How did all this land, with spectacular views and gorgeous topography, survive the rapid urbanization that swept the east side of the peninsula, including the explosive growth of the Silicon Valley complex? MROSD is one major reason why. Created in 1972 in northern Santa Clara County and expanded into San Mateo county in 1976, this organization has secured over 50,000 acres of open space, nearly all of it west of the Skyline ridge and south of the city to northernmost sections of Santa Cruz County. Most of the land is organized into a series of Open Space preserves, including such beautiful places as Los Trancos and the Purisima Creek reserves. Hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, walking, and just breathing are forever locked away from rampant development. These preserves link many other city, county, and state parks and preserves. Many other organizations and of course hundreds of individuals can take credit for the miraculous preservation of these huge tracts of land, but MROSD is an experiment by the people of the Bay Area, especially on the peninsula, who deserve the thanks of everyone who enjoys a quiet afternoon in a warm sunny place within the sight, sound, or scent of the gorgeous Pacific ocean. To learn more, go to www.openspace.org. Another good resource is the book Peninsula Trails by Rusmore, Spangle and Crowder, which can be found in many Bay Area bookstores. read more

The district is doing a good job overall, but I was disappointed on my last group hike when the docent started spouting off opinions on controversial matters. He should have stuck to the flora and fauna. I wrote the district and complained about the docent taking advantage of a captive audience but never received a reply. Such arrogance is not becoming to a tax-supported organization. read more