Cane here on 4th of July for a family hike. Found parking inside when we arrived around 9. Took…read moreabout 45m roundtrip to hike the Maisie's peak. We ran into a lot of friendly people. Keep in mind it gets hot with minimal shade. Overall would do again for a nearby hike.

I always love coming here for a hike. There is multiple trails available and a lot of nice views…read more Biking is allowed on the trails too, just stay clear of the people biking. The only downside is if you come in through the prospect road entrance there isn't a lot of parking spots, so it's all about luck and timing. Also, please don't double park because then people can't get out, I saw it first hand happen to someone

Picchetti Open Space Preserve is the kind of place that makes you forget you live in the Bay Area…read more-- in the best way possible. Just a short drive from the chaos of Cupertino traffic, you're suddenly in a scene that feels lifted from a Tuscany postcard. Rolling hills, old stone buildings, chirping birds, and the kind of filtered sunlight that makes everything glow a little golden. The trails are perfect for light hiking (read: no scary elevation surprises, and yes, I wore sneakers and still felt cute). I went with my 5-year-old and she had the time of her life spotting deer and pretending she was in a forest fairy movie. Bonus: plenty of shaded paths, which is a lifesaver if you're not a sun-worshipper. What makes it special, though, is the history. The old Picchetti Winery building still stands -- rustic, charming, and open for tastings on weekends. There's something quietly magical about sipping wine near an orchard while the breeze carries the scent of eucalyptus and earth. It's a rare kind of peace.

This was a pretty easy hike in my opinion! There's one section with a slight incline, but it's…read moretotally doable. The trail winds through shaded oak trees and has some beautiful views of the reservoir along the way. The best part is that the trail ends at the Picchetti winery, which is such a cute area with its old brick building and wine barrels out front. We didn't have any wine this time since we still had to hike back, but it was fun to look around. You can also drive up to the winery, so there were lots of groups having picnics and enjoying wine. Our total time was about 1 hour 25 minutes, but that included about 15 minutes of chatting and resting at the winery. The distance was roughly 2.48 miles the way we went. Great for a relaxed weekend outing. Next time we might drive up just for the wine and a picnic!

The hike along the Peter's Creek Trail and along Ridge Rd was a fun one. The duration was…read moreapproximately 2 hours given I stopped for photos along the way, and it was around a 4 1/3 mile hike in total. The creek is dried up for the most part, but at the base there are pools of water this time of the year. As you get further along the trail, there are far fewer people as it branches into different trails earlier on. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for a moderately uphill/downhill hike.

Had a good experience hiking here!…read more Came on a Saturday around 9:45am to hike the Long Ridge loop. I was initially worried about the parking situation but thankfully it was not crowded at all! Easily found street parking by the Peters Creek trailhead. There happened to be an ultramarathon that day, so we ran into some runners and cyclists along the way, but for the most part we had the trail to ourselves. Not much of a view but the trails are well maintained. Mostly shaded and spotted some pretty wildflowers. We went clockwise which had a gradual incline and steep descent - I would recommend going the opposite direction to save your knees or go slow/bring hiking poles. Long Ridge Loop took us a little less than 2 hours to complete and I would say it is easy-moderate hike as my dad was able to do it comfortably. Definitely recommend downloading the AllTrails map prior as there are not many signs and we would probably would have gotten lost without it. Overall, I enjoyed Long Ridge and would recommend for beginners or anyone looking for an easy, quiet hike.

Visited Skyline on a Saturday in July at 9am! Decided to do the Horseshoe lake, Alpine pond, and…read moreBorel Hill trail counterclockwise and the parking lot was right by the trailhead. Trail was well-maintained and there were markers throughout. Didn't encounter too many other people. Nice views of the Bay Area - the park is high up so it was cool being above the clouds! Took me about 2 hours and 30 min to finish and I would say the hike was easy-moderate! The roads leading up to the park are a bit windy so just be mindful of that. Would recommend to those looking for beginner friendly hikes!

This is a great space for stargazing and panaromic views of the bay area. I wish the drive to get…read morethere wasn't as hard as it is.

This was a great trail for my run on a Monday evening. The parking lot on Monroe Street near San…read moreTomas Expressway allows for convenience. And I'm glad I was able to check out this part of the trail, as I'm usually near Alviso (keep in mind that part of the trail, near Great America and Levi's Stadium, is closed on stadium event days). This trail was ideal for me because I normally don't want a big challenge, and the terrain here is pretty much flat the whole way except for brief dips at each underpass. I like how simple this trail is, but what really caught my attention was the beautiful plant life and artwork charming pedestrians and cyclists along the pathway, especially for those who take the time to appreciate it. Near the Monroe parking lot, if you start your way down the trail toward Alviso, you'll find a wall of colorful flowers and greenery, brief but lovely, especially on a pleasant day in July. Further down, another portion of the trail features lovely artwork by designer Linda Patterson, who researched the surrounding wildlife to create, as she describes, a "story wall interpreting the natural environment". Her 15 site-cast concrete sculpted murals exhibit various species in the natural world, including trees, grasslands, birds, turtles, even rabbits! It's definitely unique and is just one of the many reasons I'll be returning to this trail more often.

The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail is a wonderful surprise! We are used to traversing the Bay Trail,…read moreStevens Creek Trail and other trails (favorable for biking) in the Bay Area. The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail intersects with the Bay Trail. Recently, we decided to bike from Palo Alto to Levi's Stadium. So, we began on the Bay Trail. We passed our usual haunts (e.g., Baylands Nature Preserve, Shoreline Lake, NASA Ames Research Center, etc.). We pressed onward until we reached Hwy 237. Here, we eventually intersected with the San Tomas Aquino Trail. Like the Stevens Creek Trail, the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail is filled with wonderfully surprising sites and sounds. It feels much more remote than most "urban" trails (especially those located in large population centers). Moreover, it's a clean and friendly place. It takes you right up to Levi's Stadium. It has an entry ramp next to the stadium that takes you between the parking lot and stadium itself. On days when both Levi's Stadium and California's Great America are closed, you can also wander around the parking lots -- right up to the entrances of both the stadium and amusement park. Best of all, you can continue your journey through Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and even San Jose. You'll pass along some major tech offices too -- such as Nvidia's new campus. Overall, it's a fantastic way to journey through the Silicon Valley and South Bay! When I go to games as Levi's Stadium, I usually take the Light Rail. Next season, I might just take my bike to an afternoon game. It would be a fantastic and serene experience to enjoy both before and after the game.

Amazing hiking spot with geocaches if you're into that kind of thing. We did the 4 mile loop and…read morewere able to finish it within 2hrs. The drive up to the hike spot is amazing as well but would recommend downloading offline maps as cell coverage is barely there.

Upper Stevens Creek County Park shares nothing with Stevens Creek County Park except the name…read more Nope, they don't even border each other. The Upper park is the slightly larger of the two, with 1,280 acres of protected space. It borders Monte Bello OSP to the north, Saratoga Gap OSP to the southeast, and Long Ridge OSP to the west (if you don't count Skyline Blvd which runs between them). The park runs generally from north to south. The only place to park is at the Grizzly Flat Trail, where there's a dirt shoulder on both sides of Skyline Blvd. This is one of the places where the park connects with Long Ridge OSP; the other is at Charcoal Road (a fire road). Traffic from Skyline Blvd is inaudible once you're in the park. This is better than at Saratoga Gap OSP, where the Saratoga Gap Trail runs mostly within earshot of the road. Most of the trails in Upper Stevens Creek are multi-use; the one exception is the Table Mountain Trail, a single-track trail where bikes are not permitted. This trail is narrow, and two people cannot squeeze past each other without one of them yielding. Trails in this park are all mostly shaded. You lose up to 1,000 feet of elevation as you go further into the park, so be prepared to work those calves going back out! Overall, Upper Stevens Creek is fairly limited. There are no bathrooms and no potable water. No amazing panoramic views. There's no big loop that will take you all around the park, but you can make a bigger loop if you cut into and back out of Long Ridge OSP. The main appeal of this place is its relative proximity to South Bay and its connecting with other preserves in the area.

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.

A decent trail that goes along Lawrence Expressway that is not very crowded. Has some nice shade in…read morethe evening.

The Saratoga Creek Trail (SCT) is a svelt ±1.25 mile path that runs in between Lawrence Expwy and…read more(duh) Saratoga Creek. Not a whole lot going on here, so I'll be brief: Access- The SCT "begins" across from Mitty High School, and continues south until it ends at the east end of English Dr, which is about 1/3 of a mile north of Prospect High School. Here's a (hopefully) thorough list of access points: 1) Mitty High School 2) Barrington Bridge Ln 3) Bollinger Rd 4) Murdock Park/Murdock Elementary 5) English Dr Trails- The 1st ±1/2-mile is paved AC, and the remainder is decomposed granite. The trails are in adequate shape, and fairly flat the whole length. Scenery- The entire east side of the trail is mostly sound wall to shield you from all the sounds of Lawrence Expwy, and wherever there isn't sound wall you only see traffic. The west side is full of trees and what -due to the drought- is presumably a creek. The 1st section that runs between Mitty and Bollinger Rd is actually quite nice, with some gorgeous Manzanitas and Valley Oaks; the rest of the way is much less interesting and full of humdrum Live Oaks. The SCT is really more of a gussied-up sidewalk than a Creek Trail, and doesn't hold a candle to my #1 & #2 South Bay Trails: Los Alamitos and Los Gatos, respectively. You do see the occasional jogger and biker, but it's hard to get a rhythm going either when you have to stop to cross the street all the time. I'm sure it serves a purpose for the locals, but for the rest of us it's a skip.