I love this place I lived there as a child before it was a park it was Wonderlich Ranch owned by…read moreMartin wonderlich when he passed away the property was donated to become a park .the parking lot is where the house used to set . that large oak tree in the middle of the parking lot is the tree I used to sit under with my grandfather for lunch. Near the ice House where the creek runs on the side as you come up the main driveway sat another building a two-story Barn with rooms on the second story and a wood shed next to it.when we moved there a man named Ray and his wife Lucy lived in that Building which we always assumed was the old caretakers barn.he lived there until early 7'0's when he passed. when we moved into the main house there was also an older lady living in the master bedroom her name was Agnes she remained there until she passed. I remember growing up with these two people that came with the house when we moved in it They were wonderful they had great stories to tell they had worked there for many years and apparently were the last two employees to still be there when we moved in we also had horse corrals chicken coops a wood shed and a small barn in the same area that is now a parking lot .My Dad Robert Maldonado was the caretaker of the wunderlich Ranch until 1975 when it was given to the county. Easter picnics in the meadow were my favorite. Camping as a child where ever we chose to. Playing in the creek. It is a beautiful place.

Small Wunder A…read more940-acre park nestled in the eastern Redwoods and madrone-laden slopes of King Mountain. The name of the park is derived from contractor Martin Wunderlich, who donated the land to San Mateo County. The Good: * Free to visit * Parking lot * Picnic tables available * Restroom in parking lot * Seventeen miles of trails, including several loops. * If you like horses, then this is the place for you! There's a really cool old historic stable and lots of equine action to be found. * Camping available (https://www.smcgov.org/parks/make-reservation) The Meh: * Currently, no recreational horse activities like trail rides and lessons are available. * Crazy elevation gains, as trail elevations run from ±350' to over 4,300'. Be sure to check the trail guides to make sure you don't get in over your head. * No dogs allowed The Ugly: * The restroom has no running water, just hand sanitizer. * I'll admit, I'm not a fan of horses, and having to share trails with horses isn't my idea of a good time. Conclusion: Not the biggest park in this area that's full of fantastic OSPs, but it's certainly worth a visit--especially if you're a hippophile.

Leaf It All A…read morenearly 1,000-acre county park features over twenty-four miles of trails and many other family-friendly amenities. The Good: * Camping (see website for details) * Trails range from very easy and flat to more challenging. * Large parking lot * Restrooms in the parking lots * Trails are mostly shaded * Horses allowed * Reservable and non-reservable picnic areas * BBQ pits * Archery range * Playground near the Werder Picnic Shelter The Meh: * No dogs allowed * $6 per vehicle entrance fee The Ugly: * The drive up Highway 84 to get here, while fun, is somewhat ruined by all the speed demons and bicyclists you have to avoid on the way up and out. Conclusion: Fantastic park with great trails and lots of amenities.

Its been years since I visited this part, but it was cute, good for hiking and some nature time…read more Its great to see the redwoods, peaceful and fairly calm. The trails are fairly easy to navigate

We arrived to Alpine Rd parking area at 8am on a hot Sat. 7…read moremiles with 1400 feet elevation gain. Finished by 10:30 We took Hamms Gulch Trail to Lost Trail to Anniversary Trail to Spring Ridge Trail. Going up was mostly in shady forest, Coming down was mostly exposed open land. Nice views of the peninsula and the bay. Came across lots of trail runners. It was a nice hike.

Came here for the Spring Ridge Trail hike on 8/1, which is 2 miles one-way. There is a public…read moreparking lot right where the trail head is, it does get full but there is street parking right outside the lot as well. There is a bathroom outhouse right in front of the trail. This trail isn't too steep, mostly slow incline all the way up except for a few short steeper parts. The path is mostly dirt and lots of small rocks especially on the hilly parts. On the way, we saw some insects like flies, dragonflies, and a warning sign for rattlesnakes. Also saw 1 lizard.

I wish they had a bathroom. Everything else was cool. Did the Fir Trail and Tafoni Trail to the…read moreSandstone Formation and tacked on the vista point which was about 3.5 miles total. Be careful crossing the street to get to the trail. The main El Corte de Madera area has restrooms and it's just a 5 minute drive away.

Lovely hike with lots of shade. This would be wonderful in warm weather too. Our goal was to visit…read morethe Tafoni sandstone structure. We parked our car at Skeggs Pt. Parking lot. We hiked along the Tafoni trail to get to the sandstone structure and returned to the car via the higher Fir trail. This was an easier hike exiting the park.

Loved this hidden trail that was super easy to find! It was a ridiculous hot day, but the…read moresurrounding tall trees offer SO much shade that you forget about the heat. There is easy accessible parking, however there aren't too many parking spots. We refreshed our hands in the cold mini waterfall and had a cute photo opportunity. The hike is fairly easy for beginning hikers. There are areas that can be steep but there are many flat areas to take a break. We did miss a signed etched in a tree log and missed a pathway. But overall, a straight shot up and back, easily an hour or so round trip!

Lovely hidden trail with beautiful views and a true forest bathing vibe. It was a bit confusing…read moremaking our way on the trail as we hit a few dead ends but really great views.

We really enjoyed this hike at Purisima Creek Redwoods. We started at the North Ridge parking area…read moreand followed North Ridge Trail Whittemore Gulch Trail Harkins Ridge Trail, returning to the same parking area. The entire loop ended up being around 6.5-7 miles. About 75% of the hike was shaded, much of it through beautiful redwood forest, with a small creek alongside portions of the trail. There are also some more exposed sections with great views. Be prepared for the elevation changes! The extended downhill sections are harder on the legs and knees than you might expect, and the return on Harkins Ridge is a long, sustained and quite strenuous uphill climb. It was probably one of the more strenuous hikes I've done in California in many years. That said, it was absolutely worth it. Beautiful scenery, lots of shade, peaceful forest, and a great workout. I'd definitely do this loop again -- I'd just be mentally prepared for that climb back to the parking lot!

I think my mainest girl is trying to eliminate me. I don't know why, but she thinks I love taking…read morelong arduous hikes through the woods and huffing and puffing through beautiful scenery. Levity aside, this is a stunningly beautiful park to commune with nature. But be warned, if you're a novice (me), don't have broken in hiking shoes (me) or could be in better shape (also me), it will be challenging. Steep inclines and declines are the order of the day. Also plenty of banana slugs. The park is beautiful, the silence is eerily beautiful, and you will enjoy all of it.

Fantastic hike next to the more well-known Purisma Creek. We took Lonely Trail, then Raymundo…read moreTrail, then Mt. Redondo trail and back up the Lonely Trail. It was about 6 miles. There's parking on Skyline Boulevard past Kings Mountain Fire Brigade -- just a handful of spots by the side of the road. It's downhill until you get to the juncture of Raymundo and Mt. Redondo, then straight back up again. My thighs were burning up and I had to stop and rest a bunch of times. Overall, the hike too about 3 hours and 15 minutes. My favorite part was the Raymundo Trail because you hike right next to a stream. There was plenty of water in the stream, probably because it has rained recently. Actually, most of the hike was next to a stream of some sort. You could hear water the whole time which was cool. Another great thing about this hike is that it's shady the whole way. Lots of pretty redwoods to look at. There were lots of very muddy parts on this trail. Also, the Miramontes trail, which connects Mt Redondo trail to Huddart County Park, was closed, due to the rain. We ran into three other couples on the trail during our hike. Very quiet trail! Really quite a hidden gem.

Beautiful and quiet park that is currently run by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Phleger…read moreEstate can be accessed via Huddart County park or by a roadside lot off Skyline Blvd. The benefit of parking at Huddart (albeit with a $6 parking fee) are clean restrooms and the fact you are doing most of the uphill at the start of your hike. Hiking in from Huddart, the crowds thinned and I only saw 3 other hiking groups the whole time-unusual for a beautiful Saturday in August. The park is well signed and I took the Miramontes trail which meanders along what is now a dry creek, gently uphill to a fork (again well signed) that points you to the Raymundo or Mt Redundo trails. I veered right to the Raymundo trail which is a steady but not too steep climb through mixed redwood forest and what is now a dry creek. Would love to do this trail again in rainier years to see the creek flowing and find newts and banana slugs. Still, despite a dry year, the trails were pretty green and lush. The Raymundo trail ends and another fork to the right can take you up to Skyline via the Lonely Trail or stay straight on the Mt Redundo trail which takes you back to the start of the loop and the Miramontes trail (which is out and back to Huddart County park). I headed back on Mt Redundo and it was a bit steep downhill with some roots and rocks making for uneven footing. It also has some steep ravines so mind your step. This part of the trail was eerily quiet and not as bright, so I was happy to get back to the Miramontes trail that led me back to the more well traveled Huddart County park. Really lovely park with some of the nicest redwood trails on the peninsula. Review #49 of 100 review goal in 2021

Creek Squad…read more +2,900-acre preserve managed by Mid-Pen that features over 34 miles of trails across a variety of terrains. The Good: * Free to visit. * Restroom in the main parking lot * Horses OK * Mountain biking OK on designated trails (check signage and maps) * Main parking lot as well as several roadside parking lots available off Skyline Blvd (aka Hwy 35). * Trails are in pretty good shape for the most part, and they're mostly shaded from what we can tell. There are several loops of varying difficulties, so check AllTrails for suggestions. * Several points of interest to check out, including the Tafoni skulls and the Methuselah Tree. * Some of the largest banana slugs we've ever seen! The Meh: * Roadside parking fills up quickly on weekends. Lots of cars waiting when we left around 11:30-ish. * No dogs * No camping The Ugly: * Beware of the mountain bikers who come ripping through the trails like they own them. You'll usually hear them before you see them, so keep the music down. * Driving here is no picnic on very windy roads, so please take your time and slow down, especially on weekends where you'll see hordes of bicyclists on the Hwy. Conclusion: Fantastic park with some great trails, beautiful forests, and huge banana slugs!

This place is stunning ! There are so many trails to choose from, and a number of parking spots so…read moreeven during late morning my husband and I were able to find parking in one of the lots. We decided to just go see the giant sandstone, which did not disappoint ! I really appreciated how well the trails were marked so that you knew clearly where you were going. On the way to the sandstone, it was also coo lto see some ocean views as well as random open fields in the dense woods here and there. Definitely a worthy hike to try ! This place is stunning ! There are so many trails to choose from, and a number of parking spots so even during late morning my husband and I were able to find parking in one of the lots. We decided to just go see the giant sandstone, which did not disappoint ! I really appreciated how well the trails were marked so that you knew clearly where you were going. On the way to the sandstone, it was also coo lto see some ocean views as well as random open fields in the dense woods here and there. Definitely a worthy hike to try !

I just discovered this hiking spot and I love it. There's wildflowers and wildlife, lots of trees,…read morewell defined trails, and 2 parking lots. We came here around 10am on a Saturday and had no trouble parking. There's a map at the entrance, and we decide to start with the Old Stage Road, which is paved. It's almost all uphill for about 3/4 miles, and then the rest is pretty flat with great views. There are lots of different trails to take, and there are markers to keep you on track. We did about a 3-ish mile loop. As we approached a herd of deer, we remained very quiet and kept our distance, and they just continued grazing. There are interpretive signs along the trail, which we used as a scavenger hunt list. I don't think we would have noticed the turkey tail mushrooms if it weren't for the signs. We look forward to returning in Spring to catch even more wildflowers.

This is a great place to check out the wildflowers. I've only been here once 6 years ago so I guess…read moreit's time to bring John here so I can write a more updated and more detailed experience.

Wonderful fully off-leash dog area to hike, which can be hard to come by in the area. Please note…read morethere are 17 acres of off leash area, I do not recommend brining a leashed dog into the area. There are plenty of side trails that require leashes that are better suited for you and your dog if you aren't letting them off leash. I have seen far too many people with leash reactive dogs in the off leash area or people panic when a few dogs are having a bit of fun running about together and get near their dog on leash. All the off leash dogs I've encountered have wonderful recall and are well socialized, the biggest issues come from dogs on leash.

It's Chris' first time here and he loved it, it was a late nite walk/hike and wasn't too bad. The…read moredoggies loved it, so many friendly people and dogs alike and different routes are plenty. Weather was perfect & parking wasn't too bad. FYI, there's areas that "No-Leash" required for Dogs, it has signs as a warning, which is cool for those dogs who are well trained and don't run away lol. I tried it w/ Sadie and gave me the look are you for real, Mom? Lol Overall it was a great 3 miles workout for us rookies as it's been awhile since we took our dogs out for a hike!