Not only is there something for everyone at Rancho San Antonio, but it's also very close to South…read moreBay cities, making it perhaps the most popular preserve in South Bay. Good luck trying to park here on weekends. Fortunately, there are a few side entrances that are far less crowded. One of these is the trailhead at the end of Mora Drive. Parking is unavailable here, but there are pockets of street parking half a mile down the road. The trailhead puts you onto the Mora Trail, a 0.9-mile trail connecting to the rest of the preserve. To the southeast, the paved section of the trail runs downhill and connects with the Lower Meadow Trail close to the Deer Hollow Farm, a popular spot for families. Going back uphill on this section of the Mora Trail makes for a short but decent calf workout! Plus, along this section is a lookout point with a sweeping view of South Bay. And to the west of the trailhead, the unpaved section of the Mora Trail terminates at the Ravensbury Trail. From here you can get on either the Chamise Trail or the Rogue Valley Trail - both great hiking options. Personally, I've never started my runs at the Mora Trail due to the lack of nearby parking. But we'll see what happens if Rancho gets even more crowded than it already is!

Big smiles, everybody --Jonathan Mora (Earth-31916)…read more Jim Mora's playoff rant did not seem appropriate here as the lead quote. But as the days shorten, when you get a chance to hit a mid week trail head you take it! DEfinite big smiles! After Glenn G's Bohemian Rhapsody of a review, when we got together for some more Bro time, this was an easy trail to hit. Like Glenn wrote, parking is difficult to find thanks to street signs prohibiting daytime parking but there are a few good spots. This is the back ways trail into the Rancho San Antonio Open Preserve and County Park but I'd like to clear up some confusion you see on the web. A lot of people list the the Open Preserve, including my very intelligent friend, as 165 acres. When I read that number it just seemed instinctively wrong. It seems the Preserve is 3,988-acres but it is the adjoining County Park that is 165 acres. However a lot of people on the Web list the whole Preserve at 165 acres. So correct those links people so that Yelpers can provide the correct info!!! ;) The trails here are quite lovely and except on the return loop we were thankfully devoid of seeing too many humans. Except one douchebag with a pony tail who ran up behind Glenn and I, went fast in the middle between us and then yelled back as the entitled hipster he lives his life as with a :"Hey, the trails are for sharing!". I think I yelled something back like: "Yeah, I'll remember that the next time I grow eyes in the back of my f#^%&ing head you pony haired moron!" I so wanted to run that guy down and headbutt him a few times to show him how I share a trail but Glenn being the cool mediator counseled it wasn't worth it and to let it go. Other than that few minutes of ridiculousness, it was a lovely hike with beautiful views and the requisite deer and wild turkeys. When in the area, I would definitely seek this out as it is far less crowded than the main Rancho San Antonio entrances. Just watch out for the entitled pony haired freaks who think the people ahead of them read minds or have multiple eye sockets. Highly recommended (except for pony haired douches. You types stay away).

I usually go for runs at Hidden Lake Park which is attached to the Berryessa Creek Trail, but I…read moredecided to change it up this past weekend. There's nothing really special about this trail, but it was in good enough condition this past Saturday, so no complaints about the cleanliness or terrain. The paved pathway stretches from North Hillview Drive at Milpitas Town Center, past Hidden Lake Park, to N. Abel Street... a little over a mile one way, with no noticeable inclines, so definitely easy for biking or taking a stroll. And I've never seen it get crowded here. One negative is that it is disconnected at N. Milpitas Blvd with no crosswalk for pedestrians, which can cause an inconvenience if you're not willing to jaywalk and make your way through the center divide. Otherwise, it's a simple trail surrounded by neighborhood homes and the creek, of course, as well as the aforementioned Hidden Lake Park providing lovely views from above. And parking is free and easy, either directly on N. Milpitas Blvd or in the small parking lot for Hidden Lake Park.

3.99 walk/run trail. I participated in a 5K/10K fun run that took use partly along the Berryessa…read moreCreek Trail. Obviously the trail runs along a former creek bed. It was nice to discover this part of the Bay Area for exercise.

This is a nice, flat trail that overlooks 101 and parts of the Bay. I love coming here just to take…read morein the sun and scenery. The trail is very spacious so you'll encounter runners, bikes, but mostly people strolling along. Since it's along the freeway, this trail is not shaded so make sure to bring sunglasses or hats. Also, no pets allowed on this trail as some may wander too close to the water.

accessible from bair island in rwc, this is a great little trail measuring 1.75mi long, so you can…read moreget 3.5mi round trip. this is a flat, crushed dirt trail, suitable for cyclists, runners, walkers, strollers and 4-legged animals. there's no shade here so be sure to wear a hat & sunscreen if you're out in the middle of a warm summer day. there's also no restrooms and water fountains so be sure to take care of your business before starting on this trail. beautiful views of bair island, the bay and wildlife in the peninsula. a great place to see the sunset if you're in the peninsula.

Woodside is a small town off of highway 280 in the Peninsula. I'm from Kentucky, and as we would…read moresay in Kentucky, this is Horse Country. Woodside = Horses, and lots of them. Now being from KY you would think I love horses - I don't . I tolerate them at best. A 1200 lb animal with the brain of a walnut and an owner with a bigger brain but less sense is quite disturbing. However, if you ignore the annoying horses and owners Woodside is one of the best running areas on the Peninsula. Routes There are several routes you can run to tie together several main parks, or you can remain solely on the Woodside town trails and cover several miles. I park at Woodside elementary. From here you can run east or west and run several miles through the town on trails and tag on Huddart or Wunderlich park. Pros Can take dogs on all trails (except for the parks) Entire route is dirt trail Pretty and peaceful Water at the corner of Kings and Tripp road Cons Horse poo everywhere Can be hot in the summer Not good for runs over 7 miles unless you add on the parks - then you can run 50+ miles The link below show the Gmap details of all the running routes. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1143701

Great place for running on the peninsula!…read more Check out Jen. W's links for the trails. I ran with TNT and ran all over Woodside but I have no idea what areas I ran (hey, 8 miles is a lot to me and I start spacing out!). But there are plenty of little back roads to cruise around on, usually shaded, and clear of cars and noise. It's definitely NOT a flat area though; the hills are gradual but they take awhile to his the top. Saw lots of dogs/horses/other runners, and everyone was super friendly and nice. And most of the trails end back up in the business area of Woodside so you can hit the market for a post-race protein shake!

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

Easy trail with flat paved path. It leads to bridges that go over Central Expressway and 85…read more It's a nice trail to hike even in the Summer as there are a lot of sections with trees that shade the path. Lots of bike and ebike riders.

This is a short trail of the numerous trails that span the baylands. The trail starts at the East…read moreBayshore road and snakes and meanders all the way to the Interpretive center in the bay lands Parts of it meander along the San Francisquito Creek, and about half way is a bridge spanning the creek leading to another trail segment that will take you to the Dumbarton Bridge and East Palo Alto. It is paved for part then it branches off behind and alongside the Palo Alto Airport KPAO ending at the Interpretive center. There are no services along the trail but plenty of bird watching and views

Coming from the parking lot at Baylands Athletic Center, if you turn right, the concrete trail…read moreprovides views of the golf course, then when you pass the bridge (which has info boards about the changing landscape and how the creek connects various habitats), the trail becomes dirt and gravel terrain and you cross the Palo Alto Airport runway, with plenty of planes flying overhead. Then once you reach the dead end with a bench, the trail turns right where you'll be trekking toward the airport, tall blades of grass to your left, the landscape of the hills in the distance, as well as a random bench facing the creek and views, with the inscription "Tranquil beauty. Water, grasses, & birds. Enjoy." I did just that during my run this past Saturday. Soon the trail veers to the left and slightly narrows, leading to the Lucy Evan Baylands Nature Interpretive Center (inside access closes at 3pm on Sats/Suns), with a wraparound porch featuring info boards about the salt marsh, flying insects, and the surrounding wildlife. What's more, the Baylands Boardwalk in the back allows visitors to walk out to the end and stand over the water for greater views and an even more serene setting, several benches along the way. The other parking lot for this trail is located at this end, just steps away from the visitor center. But I made my way back to my car at the Baylands Athletic Center, finishing off my run (less than one and a half miles one way). Nothing too exciting here, but the scenery of the marshland was soothing, the trail was simple (there's no way you can get lost), and I encountered plenty of lovely birds along the way (seagulls, geese, ducks, and more).

i happened to stumble onto this semi-hidden trail while walking to class, who knew that the…read morenarrowly paved roads that lead students to their classes also double as a fitness trail! since foothill college is a hilly campus, this fitness trail will be quite challenging as you will walk uphill and downhill and make many turns along the way. on a clear day, the view is quite nice from the higher elevation points on this trail.

This trail connects the Foothill College campus with adjacent neighborhoods. It's just a quick,…read moreeasy jaunt out my front door to the nearest part of the trail, and before long I'm strolling through neighborhoods and cruising by small family-owned farms and vineyards and all the while I'm getting a bit of vitamin D and a little exercise and some precious alone time. It's not an extensive trail network, nor is the trail very long, but it does wind through some very pretty neighborhoods that are awfully pretty and interesting to explore in themselves. If you run out of real estate on the trail, simply start exploring the nearby neighborhoods off the trail. It's sufficiently hilly and I've only once ever seen anyone else on it. I docked a star partly for how short the trail is, but mostly because it's often hard to determine exactly where the trail goes. Once I ended up at the far end of a giant field, feeling certain that the trail must go in this direction, only to discover that I was suddenly in someone's backyard with no sign of the trail to be had. Reluctantly I retraced my steps and ended up running on the road rather than trying to bushwhack through the woods or zig-zag across open fields. Otherwise, the trail is beautiful and serene and a great opportunity for some exercise and fresh air.

i recently started a new job working in downtown redwood city. since we get regular breaks during…read morethe day, i'm always looking for new places to walk around and explore. having lived in redwood for over a decade, i've explored pretty much everywhere there is to walk. however, one day, i stumbled upon this short trail just a few blocks from the office and it looked newly paved with a couple of benches along the path. i think not many ppl know about this walking path so it was pretty quiet and non-populated. i strolled back n forth and enjoyed the sunshine then went back to work. a great little hidden spot to take a break if you're working in downtown rwc or the nearby kaiser hospital.

Redwood Creek was discovered and named in 1851 by the settlers. It run off of San Francisco Bay…read moreinland to Red Woods City area and was used by the lumber companies to ship wood and logs from the redwood forests in the peninsula hills to San Francisco. Redwood City and Redwood Creek were originally known back in 1854 as Red Woods - famous for Sequoia sempervirens trees, or Coast Redwoods. In 1851 the first schooner named Redwood was built by G.M. Burnham, starting the shipbuilding industry in Redwood City, which remained active for 32 years. The last wooden ship was launched in 1883 and was called the Perseverance.