I love this park. Especially in the spring time, when things are green and the wildlife is out and…read moreabout feasting on new growth. It is peaceful here and not a far drive from residential areas. A nice escape for a day or even an hour.

This is a great 2 mile loop walk. There is plenty of FREE parking…read more The trail has a tiny bit of incline for those walking with strollers or wheelchairs. The trail has minimal shade so make sure to wear a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. There are portable toilets. If you are a hiker, there are different trails to choose from. The popular one is the steep one that leads you to the top and has a beautiful view. The hike has no shade so definitely wear sunscreen and a hat. Dogs, horses, carriers, strollers, wheelchairs, bikes are all welcome. There's a sign at the entrance that lets you know what time they are closing.

Wonderful park to explore and hike if you are ever in the Carmel Valley area. Plenty of parking…read moreboth on the street as well as in a designated parking lot. Much of the area in the lower section is flat and easy to walk around, however, there are also some trails with steeper elevation climbs for those who want to get more of a scenic view of the area. Cool historic barn is easy to get to and on hotter days you will definitely want to take some water as some of the trails are exposed to the sun. There is a public bathroom area by the visitor center.

Garland Ranch Regional Park -- Where Nature Went to College and Got a Degree in Enchantment"…read moreOh, you think you've been on a hike before? No. You've merely walked on ground. Garland Ranch Regional Park is where the Earth decided to get fancy -- rolling hills, whispering trees, and trails that seem designed by a benevolent chaos god who wanted you to get lost just enough to find yourself. The Vibe: This place doesn't just have nature -- it radiates personality. The air smells like enlightenment and expensive essential oils. Every oak tree looks like it has witnessed ancient wisdom and is judging you for not bringing reusable water bottles. The wind flirts. The grass gossips. The clouds... perform interpretive dance. The Trails: Sky Trail: Don't let the name fool you -- it's 80% up, 20% existential crisis. But at the top? A view so stunning, I briefly ascended into my third chakra and forgot my email password. Waterfall Trail: There's water. There's falling. There's also a high chance of spotting a woodland creature that may or may not be a druid in disguise. Saddle Trail: Not for the faint of calf. You'll meet at least one hiker who swears they saw Bigfoot running a mindfulness retreat. Wildlife Report: The deer here are too confident. They'll make eye contact like they know you left your stove on. Lizards do push-ups just to assert dominance. A hawk once circled above me for 20 minutes; I think I passed its vibe check. Local myth says the coyotes form an a cappella group at dusk. Their debut album, Howl to the Moonlight, drops every full moon. Random Fun Facts (Questionable Accuracy Edition): The park's elevation shifts based on how hydrated you are. 47% of the trees are rumored to be undercover dryads doing field research. If you say "Garland Ranch" three times at the visitor center, a ranger appears and hands you a perfectly ripe trail mix. Final Thoughts: Garland Ranch isn't just a park. It's an experience. It's Narnia with better signage. It's where fitness apps go to prove themselves. I came here seeking a light jog; I left spiritually rearranged, emotionally hydrated, and slightly sunburned.

Have been doing this hike for YEARS! At least once a year and I have 3 young boys who love it as…read morewell. It gets a little intense but go at your own pace and all will be good. If you have asthma def bring your inhaler! Lol Also, came across a POISON OAK plant near the top/edge so BE CAREFUL!

I hiked Pincushion on New Year's Day. I start the hike at the Finegold recreation area, I recently…read morelearned this is the true trail head. It's about 3 miles round trip. It's not too hard, I would rate it moderate, but you should be in decent shape to attempt this hike. It is all uphill, it's moderate uphill. The last section right before you get to the peak is more of an intense uphill climb. The intense part doesn't last too long though. This hike offers beautiful views of the lake and Table mountains. Hiking the peak can be a bit tricky. Rocks are slippery, so wear good shoes with grip and ankle protection. This hike is unbearable in the summer, it's too hot. Winter months and early spring are my fave times to hike it. Parking is free if you park along the road. If you park in the parking lot day use area, I think it's $5. There is a public restroom, sometimes it's closed and a portopotty is available.

Tucked away in the Godlen Eagle gated community, Augustin Bernal Park is truly an eastbay hidden…read moregem. It's a 237 acre part on the east side of the Pleasanton Ridge. Its boundaries include the EBRPD Pleasanton Ridge regional park. It seems the park was gifted to the city around 1971 but its history (and name) date back to the Spanish settler who originally owned the land. This is one of the few shaded hikes I found in the east bay hills that offers really good views and some perfect hiking loops. There's also mountain bike trails with some being only for bikers and equestrian trails as well. The only issue that makes this a less-than-perfect park is the access. This year, they started requiring non-residents of Pleasanton to have a pass which is now on a fee basis; if you're a resdient of Pleasanton then it's no big deal to get in. I know there is a another access point via walking on Longview drive and that used to be no permit required but I have not tried it recently. Technically, one could also hike here from the Pleasanton Ridge regional park via the ridgeline trail too. At the time of this review, it seemed to be 10 dollars for a week pass via https://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/your-community/parks-trails/ .

Don't you hate when you ride a new trail system and it takes dozens of rides to figure out the best…read moresections. It always helps to have buddy that knows the trails...Darrin is, "that guy." He knows the trails, the conditions, he'll ride your speed, and match your skill level to the trails. He's not only a great rider, he also knows the biological and historical significance of each area. Darrin is a sharp dude that will offer you tips on what you're about to ride so you know what you're getting into. He does a great job setting expectations and will help you get the most of your time in the area. This business is only going to grow...I'm excited to see what else they'll do next.

Had an awesome ride with Darrin this past weekend. He was punctual, fun to hang out with and helped…read moreus experience an awesome part of the Santa Cruz mountains. He asked a handful of questions in advance and was able to quickly assess our skillset in person; he then took on on trails we would have never discovered on our own...we had a blast Would highly recommend Darrin.

Pedal Forward is absolutely legit. Great service, tons of inventory, super friendly to…read moreout-of-towners. What really sets them apart though is they actually give back - they're heavily involved with trail stewardship days and support the Yosemite South Gate Trail Cooperative with both time and money. If you're in town looking to ride, stop by. You won't regret it.

I grew up at Bass Lake in the early '90s, right as mountain biking was taking off. I still come…read moreback every summer, and I'm grateful a shop like Pedal Forward is here. Serving locals and helping visitors find the good stuff. Now that I live in Seattle, I've love watching all their YouTube trail videos. They've filmed all the classic trails, even some new ones like 'Blind Squirrel,' and make planning rides easy. Over July 4th, I rented a Specialized Turbo Levo. They did a professional fit adjustment, free of charge, and the staff pointed me to new trail improvements I would've missed, even as a former local. Thirty years on, the sport keeps evolving. Shops like Pedal Forward are a big reason why. Keep it up, brothers.

Always loved hiking here and it hasn't lost its beauty. The only problem is you do share the trail…read morewith bike riders. Who sometimes do not announce a warning as they rush by. Overall a gorgeous trail. Large wide open trails and views of Salinas farmlands when you get to the top. Plenty of parking and few toilets in the parking lot. No parking pass needed. Keep valuables hidden. Get out and enjoy the sunshine!! SYOY!

I might be somewhat biased about this area, born at Fort Ord when it was still an active army base…read moreand lived around Monterey Bay all my life. It really is beautiful. All that keep the BLM lands clean and in usable conditions are not thanked enough...thanks again. Walking,hiking,trail running,mountain biking and horseback riding it can all be done here. Plenty of trails for all levels of fitness. Wide open fire roads to tight single track with well marked signage. Restrooms at the well maintained parking areas where you can pick up a trial map. Dogs are allowed and welcome. Last words...it's free!

I had a great time riding with Dave. I had been told by several people not to ride solo in Santa…read moreCruz, and they were all right. The trails around UCSC are a maze, but Dave knows them incredibly well and even had a hand in building them. It was more like riding with a buddy than a guide. I highly recommend that you book Dave if you want to have a great mtnb experience!

Dave is friendly, knowledgeable, flexible, and non-judgmental. Just an excellent experience all…read morearound. Highly recommend!

Great trail - leads to several other networks of trails through LG and SJ. We liked the horses and…read morethe deer and even a coyote! Beware of Ticks!!! Trail moderate in difficulty winds between houses and pastures. It's a nice mix of rural and suburban. Trail holds up well after a rain until the bridge...after that it was a bit messy with sticky mud that makes your shoes weigh 3 times as much as normal! But it was fine - it was a risk I take when I decide to take my dog out after three days of rain! Only drawback is that you really do have to take this trail back to Shannon/Hicks because if not you are stuck walking down Shannon Road which isn't all that safe really. My dog and I took a trail that lead to some others and it was all good except we were tired and I didn't want to walk back up large hill of the cul-du-sac to take this trail back...totally my bad. I underestimated the distance I'd have to walk down Shannon. Shannon has no shoulder on that stretch and is windy and I found myself having to cross back and forth on the road so that on-coming vehicles could see us before it was the last minute. But, like I said, that was my bad...nothing to do with the trail.

One of the hardest and rockiest trails in the area for mountain biking. Not too crowded. very…read moresteep hills, lots of loose gravels and narrow. After the a good 3 Miles of straight uphill climbs, you will be rewarded with beautiful views and a nice 2 miles down. Highly recommended for mountain bikers and hikers.

Another great Ca.state park. A short drive from Carmel down the Hwy 1. Plenty of parking. A nice…read morevariety of walking trails. Some short flat trails. We saw a lot of campers heading out on the trails for some overnight camping. Nice to see some hard to find California native flowers. FYI no cell service. Download your maps, or bring a paper map

We stayed two nights at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and while the scenery is absolutely stunning…read more(as expected for Big Sur), the experience was seriously impacted by poor enforcement and lack of oversight from staff. Right off the bat, our check-in experience was frustrating. We had reserved and paid for an ADA campsite, only to arrive and find someone else already occupying it. Apparently, there is no system in place to verify IDs against reservations, which seems like a huge oversight--especially for ADA-designated spots. After spending time sorting that out, things settled temporarily. Our first night at the Weyland campground quickly went downhill once "quiet hours" (10pm-6am) began. Instead of quiet, the majority of the campground was loud, playing music, and talking well into the night--until nearly 4am. There was zero enforcement of quiet hours, and no visible presence from a camp host or ranger to address it. It honestly felt more like a free-for-all than a state park campground. Hoping for a better experience, we moved to the South campground for our second night. Unfortunately, things got worse. The bathroom across from Site 45 was in unacceptable condition. The ADA shower stall took three of my paid shower tokens without working, and to make matters even worse, there was literal human feces on the floor. Not just dirty--completely unsanitary and clearly not being maintained. We attempted multiple times to contact the camp host about both the bathroom situation and earlier noise issues, knocking several times with no response. It was incredibly frustrating to have no support or accountability when problems came up. It's really disappointing because this park is naturally beautiful and has so much potential. But the lack of basic management--no ID checks for reservations, no quiet hour enforcement, and poorly maintained facilities--completely takes away from the experience. It honestly feels like the park is being let down by the very people responsible for running it. Would love to return someday, but until there are major improvements in oversight and maintenance, it's hard to justify coming back.