Took the kids hiking today after brunch and was only expecting to see banana slugs but there was…read morequite the bloom of fungi everywhere! My daughter loves spotting mushrooms so I've been encouraging her to learn their names and identifying them. I've taught her that all mushrooms are okay to touch but not all are edible. We are nowhere close to being expert foragers. Anyway, here are some of our fungi findings!

Space Case 308-acre…read morepreserve located not too far from the Saratoga-Cupertino border that's quite the hidden gem. The Good: *Free! *Fairly large paved parking lot *Restroom at the beginning of the trail near the winery *And speaking of winery, historic Picchetti Winery is right there so you can do a hike and schedule a wine tasting on the same day. Great spot for dates (hint hint). *Great place for wildlife and wildflowers! *If you have a kid that's obsessed with lizards, bring them here. So many salamanders! But please, don't let your kids harass them. *Equestrian trails (only certain ones) *Lots of options for small loops *Trails are in pretty good shape and mostly shaded. The Meh: *No dogs The Ugly: *The actual park only features a paltry 3.7 miles of trails, but their trails do connect to Stevens Creek County Park to extend your hike, if you wish. Conclusion: Great park for visitors of all ages, but especially if you're a wino.

This trail is challenging. Proceed only if you can handle elevation of uphill all the way for the…read morefirst appro. 1 mile. We started off at rhus ridge trailhead. Trail was steep and mostly in shade. Nice valley view along the way to look at and you can see the bay afar. Very quiet and unpopular trail. At many points, you'd feel there's only you and your companion in the whole mountain. There's a warning sign of mountain lion but we didn't see any, not that I wanted to. :) Recommend to use hiking stick. It'd take about 4 hours to complete the whole trail. If you walk slower it'd be longer.

This was my 8th and last Peak in 2024 which I hiked solo in late Dec…read more I was ill prepared for the rain because I did not believe it would happen. I did not bring an umbrella, and I wore a fleece instead of a windbreaker. It was drizzling on and off, I had to take shelter under trees to wait out the heavier rain sections. The good part of today was that I practically had the whole mountain to myself, it's really being alone; I crossed paths with 7 other solo hikers. The bad part was that I am afraid of getting lost by myself. Here are my observations on this hike. Saw some animals up close: deer, rabbit, and a big black loud bird. Climbed over a down tree on the trail. Noticed lots of ferns and moss, so it must be shady and wet here year round. Noticed the dirt near the top is black while the dirt near the bottom is red. Started the trailhead from the Old Quarry at 10:30am, 12 miles round trip. 2.5 hrs up; 1.5 hrs down

First hike of 2025 was here, and I'm really glad that I was able to come here. Big shoutout goes to…read morethe City of Saratoga and Public Works for keeping these trails open even on official holidays like today, on New Year's Day. There are endless amounts of trails that you can look towards -- some roll around in a circle, and some lead all the way to Sanborn County Park. While many people say these trails go nowhere, they do lead to the opening of trails that lead into the Santa Cruz Mountains. The only improvement that I would give to this park is the narrowness of some of the trails that we had to encounter -- and while there were spectacular views of the South Bay, what was lackluster and disappointing was the fact that there were barely any labels that were telling us where we were going. The bridges were a very good view of how close or how far we were from the very beginning of the entrance of the park, however, so that was a very good sign. If you're looking for a park that challenges you as much as going to Almaden Quicksilver Park, but without driving so far, then the Saratoga Quarry Park is just for you. I'll definitely be back to challenge myself to climb these hiking paths more.

Great place for a rest stop, there is a men and women's bathroom as soon as you drive in. They have…read morea cool old structure that was part of area where they quarried the rocks with cool pictures inside of the " tunnel structure" There are also walking trails here "not really for me as I like hiking more on riverbed boulders, and things like that. Bottom line "for me this is a good place for a quick rest stop or a picnic.

Not much more to say that wasn't already written. This is a great place to hike. Note that no bikes…read moreare allowed which makes for a safe and comfortable hiking environment (coming from someone who enjoys cycling). They do have a lot of bike rack parking at the base of the hill, and there is often a ranger or someone at the booth, which is nice as this means someone can keep an eye on your bicycle. I really like that it's paved in a nice circular path, with ample room for people to pass each other on the path. Also, the hike has a nice mix of undulating hills and incredible views, so there's a variety along your hike. I always spot wildlife when I'm hiding, so just keep your eyes open. There is one large portable bathroom at the base of the hill, but otherwise, no other facilities (I believe no access to drinking water on the path either). As other reviewers have mentioned, parking can be quite difficult to find, even if you're willing to walk. The best thing is to get there early!

Nice place to get a decent workout in with gorgeous views of Palo Alto…read more Have to park but of a ways down from the entrance which could be street parking if you're lucky or parking at the high school. Can take various trails around the dish. It's not a very shaded hike, so should have hats/visors/sunnies ready. If you're lucky, may even see some adorable wildlife. Good majority is paved.

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

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.

Hiked at Wunderlich Park on a sunny Saturday in March! We used AllTrails for directions and we…read morereached around 9am - to our surprise, the parking lot was full by then so definitely recommend coming earlier. There were multiple cars circling around looking for a spot as well. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes before parking. We did the Bear Gulch and Alambique trail clockwise. There are some brief steep sections, but for the most part, the trail was moderate in terms of difficulty. We didn't encounter too many people despite all the cars in the lot. We spotted a small snake on the trail and there was a lot of horse manure on the Alambique portions, so we had to watch our step closely. The trail was mostly shaded which was nice, but there wasn't much of a view. Overall, the trail was well marked and maintained (minus the manure on Alambique). Good hike for a sunny day, but the parking lot situation could be improved.

Went to Russian Ridge Sunday of Memorial Day weekend around 8:15am and there was lots of parking…read moreavailable by the trailhead. One thing to note is that the roads leading up to the trailhead are very windy. Took me about 20 minutes just to get from the base to the trailhead. Watch out for cyclists. I completed the Borel Hill and Windmill via Ridge and Ancient Oaks Trail in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I did it counter-clockwise and would recommend this direction if you are going in the summer/starting late as ancient oaks has good amount of shade. Weather was great in the morning (slightly foggy). There were some wildflowers and the hills/trees were still green. The trail itself is nice but the views are average. Part of the ridge trail and Hawkins trail was overrun by tall grass so I had to push through it to continue the hike. Difficulty wise, the trail was easy with little elevation gain. I wore hiking shoes but it's not necessary. Overall, the Ridge and Hawkins trails could be better maintained in terms of the grass overgrowth, and there aren't any notable viewpoints, but there were lots of trail markers, greenery was nice, and the hikes are not too complicated so would possibly recommend for beginners. Very safe to do solo. I rate Russian Ridge a 3.5, rounding down to 3 as I think there are trails that are easier to access with better views nearby. Would possibly recommend for a beginner

this is a good place to stop by and enjoy the views. There are some benches if you follow the short…read morepath by the parking lot and next to the bathroom that takes you to an area that has some benches to sit on. The path is accessible, however, the end of the path has steps down into the benches. But if you are using a wheelchair, you could just stop towards the end of the path and still enjoy the views from higher above where the benches are. You can enjoy beautiful views of the redwoods and the mountains. There's also a restroom. if you start walking towards the trail on the right side of the bathroom, where there is a bridge, there are tons of Poison oak. we did not try any trails, but just stopped to use the restroom and taking the views.

Been coming here for a while now and I love the community of dog owners here. The park is great for…read moremy dog. She gets a ton of socialization and the owners of her dog friends are so friendly. The park is really long so a lot of dogs play fetch here. It's awesome how far you can throw a ball and not have to worry about the ball going into the street. There are lots of trees for shade in the summer. Overall I've really changed my mind about the place and really feel like it's a fantastic park for dog lovers like myself. Also, because the people around here are so dog friendly, they help you keep an eye on your pet if you have to pick up poop or throw something away in the garbage. I love the community of dog owners here.

I came here for the 37th annual Fine Arts in the Park event. I attended the pet parade and noticed…read morea variety of people and dogs walking towards the park. I had my canine companion Chewy with me and thought it would be a nice day to stroll throught the park and view art. Chewy and I thought the grass was very nice and the large trees offered lots of shade. The park is well kept and close to an expressway. The park is long but small in size overall. Think of a twinkie. The park is long vertically but short horizontally. I can foresee many walks at Lincoln Park and tours of downtown Los Altos in my future. Los Altos is a very dog friendly city. The downtown area is a five minute walk from the park. Check out my Yelp list for more dog-centric spots, http://www.yelp.com/list/chewys-dog-friendly-hangouts-sunnyvale-3