It's makes for a quick hike, where you get to see cows. Be careful going very off-trail; there may…read morebe homeless camps in the bushes. The paths are so easy that I saw someone using a walker. Parking is on-street, and generally OK. You can stop by Bottega Del Lago for sandwiches beforehand.

Easily accessible and educational trail for learning about the endangered species of tarplant and…read morenatural wildlife that make up lovely Santa Cruz. Plus, so many cows!!! The trail is clean, paved, and has clear signage so I never felt lost. Residential street parking is free and readily available. Definitely recommended for those wanting a low maintenance nature walk with many opportunities to safely see some friendly cows.

Los Trancos is one of several open space preserves in the area. There are similarities to the…read moreothers, and also some differences. The big difference is the ability to walk on the infamous San Andreas Fault. I did not go on the trail dedicated to the study of the Fault. But there are posts in the ground near the parking lot, showing the location of the actual fault. Similar to the Earthquake Trail at Point Reyes. Go down the Franciscan Loop Trail a little ways, and there is a depression several feet deep, an indication of where the plates meet. The Fault is clearer here than anywhere else. Other than that, the geography is similar to other parks on the Peninsula. An alternation between oak forest and open grassland. Several nice spots to put down a blanket and have a picnic. Because it's smaller than the other preserves and across the street from mighty Monte Bello, it may be hard to escape the people. But if you're in shape, you can hike all the way into Palo Alto's exclusive Foothills Park to intersect with its long Los Trancos Trail (which I did). My favorite part was the Lost Creek Trail, looping through a pretty forest to a babbling brook complete with tiny waterfalls. Makes you wonder why they went to the trouble to make an open space park out of this land. I can think of a big reason: potential development. You can see houses from this land, some located on or near Page Mill Road and very close to the trail. Mid-Peninsula OSP, and I, think that if Los Trancos had not been preserved, it would have been filled with McMansions by 1994. Instead, it's now a place to rejuvenate yourself. If you're in the area, you have many days worth of hiking that you could do. And Los Trancos Preserve should be part of that adventure.

Excellent hike for tourists and locals alike. No better place for an interpretive, educational hike…read moreabout the San Andreas Fault. Excellent guide brochure and easy to follow Trail. Numbered guideposts correspond with printed narrative. Before going, read up on the geology and the San Andreas Fault. Even if you're not a geology buff, it's interesting to know that you're standing at the place where the 1906 earthquake had so much effect. Entrance is free of charge. Google Maps takes you to the wrong location. But there is a sign at the wrong location pointing you 1 km down the road to the right location. The parking area and trailheads are well-marked on Page Mill Road.

All I need to say is that this is the birth place of Sunset Magazine. I cannot believe this place…read moreis 2 miles from my house. Gorgeous for day hikes and watching wildlife. I've seen so many different bird species here it's unbelievable. Oh, and plenty of foxes, deer, and of course pumas.

Nice place to hike and walk about. Ponds, hiking trails. Little museum and some wild life.read more

Berry Creek Falls is absolutely stunning! If you're coming to Big Basin Redwoods State Park and…read moreyou've never hiked to the falls, you MUST do it. Don't come all the way out here and miss out on this gorgeous waterfall. We did an 8 mile out and back hike to the falls via the Skyline to Sea Trail. The hike is moderate and begins on a downhill slope into the forest. Going down is always the easiest part for me, especially when a trail starts off descending. The real challenge is going back up once you reach the falls. It's nothing too strenuous but I'd definitely bring plenty of water and bug spray because there are lots of bugs on the trail. The trail itself is mostly shaded and features an abundance of beautiful redwoods, vibrantly green foliage, and scenic viewpoints. The waterfall is definitely the highlight of the hike! The falls were still flourishing in mid-July which worked out for us because we were able to take full advantage of the scene. When you make it up to the falls, there's a small deck area with two benches where you can sit and enjoy the picturesque views of the falls. Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded on a Saturday afternoon in mid July. You may have to wait your turn to take a picture next to the falls. People were really courteous and didn't spend too much time which allowed for others to capture the moment. Bring your lunch and take a break here before continuing on your hike back. The scenery is so amazing here. Definitely recommend a hike to Berry Creek Falls is you're visiting Big Basin Redwood State Park.

AMAZING PLACE…read more Beautiful views and scenery. We did the Redwood Trail to the Skyline to the Sea to the Berry Creek Falls to the Sunset back to the parking lot. There are so many beautiful waterfalls along the trail. Some parts of the trail near the falls are muddy so wear good hiking shoes Note: This is a long trail (11 miles). Pack water and lunch and stay on the trail. You pay for parking with the rangers (10$ cash or card). Bathrooms at the park entrance are nice!

As many times as my mom and I have driven right past this entrance to Big Basin on highway 1, we…read morenever knew this area was accessible as more than an exit from the skyline to the sea trail. We read about a new nature center, which introduced us to and peaked our interest in checking out Rancho Del Oso. Turns out, they actually have two nature centers! There's the original one, which is what this review is for, and then the new one on the other side of the marsh trail (0.7 miles one way). The centers are only open for a few hours on Saturdays and Sundays, and due to an Ironman race shutting down highway 1 when we visited, only the original one was open on time that day. This original center was great though! Probably the best I've been to! They have a good mix of history, information about animals and the landscape, and very knowledgeable docents (shout out to Denise)! There's two short trails over in the area, the marsh and Hoover trails, we did the marsh, but I'll be back to do the Hoover since the docent mentioned it's a great area to see how the mountains are recovering after the fire a few years back. Great stop to add to a highway 1 adventure/cruise day, or to check out if you're in the mood for an easy walk and some cool history!

Cute little center with information regarding history of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. We tried…read morethe Marsh trail from here which is a short, 20 minute hike. The other trails are still not open but will hopefully open soon

Trailhead with street parking. Little gem in the Parker Ranch neighborhood. Easy to medium hike,…read morestairs to the top with a lonely tree (vista point), the view is spectacular with lot of greenery (steep grass hill). We hike further to Saratoga head trail and star ridge loop trail, overlooking the Saratoga country club.

Considered a hidden gem by cognizant locals. The public entrance is somewhat obscured by a…read morebusiness at the end of Green Hills Road (parking in their lot should be a non-issue on weekends; this is expected as there is really no alternative). Occasional mountain lions in the area; they are generally invisible, but to be safe ... do not hike after dark. You can just do the loop trail, or add some hiking distance using the (nearly) intersecting maintenance road at the top of the loop. I say "nearly" as there is a short connecting trail (less than 20 yds long). There is a giant green cell tower on a short spur road (keep turning right and you'll get there). For the curious, the maintenance road is an easement off private property (locked gate!) that is used by park people, SVWD, fire, police, and so forth.

So going into this hike we had high spirits and a positive attitude. Leaving however I felt like…read moreSatan him self came down and stung my ass from how many wasp attacked me and my friends, which btw gave me a free eyebrow piercing I never asked for. If u want to take someone u despise I would recommend taking them there and leaving them. P.s tell them to wear full black.

This is a decent trail. This one hugs the road, so it does not feel like you are away, plus getting…read moreto it from the parking lot was like playing Crossy Road, except you are the bird avoiding getting hit by the cars speeding around the bend. Also, not a fan of miscreants doing donuts in the parking lot while we were there.

Know that deer in the headlights look, right before the deer gets impaled by an unsuspecting…read moremotorist? Don't be that deer. Look both ways before crossing the street. Why do I say that? Because of the parking situation at Saratoga Gap OSP. LOCATION: ---------------- The trailhead is located on the northeast corner at the intersection of Route 9 (Big Basin Way) and Route 35 (Skyline Blvd). There's parking for a few cars on the shoulder there, but the main parking lot is on the southeast corner. That lot holds about 25 cars, and the driveway is along Skyline Blvd. That means that people have to cross Route 9 to get from the parking lot to the trailhead. The crossing is unprotected and there's a semi-blind curve around the corner, so be cautious. Don't be that deer. The preserve itself is a good half hour from Silicon Valley. The last 7 miles along Route 9 are somewhat windy and are unlit at night. TRAIL: ---------------- Most of this 1,540-acre preserve is off limits, and in fact the only trail is the single-track Saratoga Gap Trail, which runs completely through a shaded forest. This trail seems to be more popular for mountain bikers than for hikers. For a biker, the medium-sized rocks, tree roots and uneven terrain can be pretty technical to navigate. There are more ups and downs on this trail than on the stock market! Annoyingly, this trail runs parallel and pretty close to Route 9, so the sound of passing cars can be heard. When you're enjoying the serenity of nature and suddenly you hear "vroooom", that can really kill the mood. The Saratoga Gap Trail runs 1.7 miles from the trailhead to a clearing along Charcoal Road (a dirt road not accessible to cars). By this point, you're in neighboring Upper Stevens Creek County Park. From there you can either head north till you eventually hit Monte Bello OSP (www.yelp.com/biz/monte-bello-open-space-preserve-palo-alto), or cross Highway 9 and head west into Long Ridge OSP (http://www.yelp.com/biz/long-ridge-open-space-preserve-cupertino). VERDICT: ---------------- There's not much to find at Saratoga Gap OSP. It's pretty much a place to park and a trail that will connect you to other preserves. The forest path is enjoyable, but it's annoying hearing vehicular traffic the entire way. The views aren't great, since you're covered by forest. You'll get better views once you make it over to Long Ridge OSP to the west.