Don't get this mixed up with the Alviso Marina County Park down the road, this is a smaller and…read moresimpler outdoor recreation area (mainly for kids) behind the Alviso library, with a few picnic tables, playgrounds (why is the tire swing in the toddler area... that should be for adults!?!), a grassy meadow, and geese galore playing in and around a baseball field turned muddy pond (from the rain) on a Tuesday afternoon. There are no trails for running, though I did see a couple exercise stations along the cement walkway bordering one side of the park, so that's cool. I was going for a run in the neighborhood when I decided to explore this spot. I probably wouldn't return here though cuz the Alviso Marina is so close by and far better IMO, with hiking trails, more scenic views and the feeling of being connected to nature. You don't really get that at the Alviso Park, which seems to cater more to youth, with play structures, a sports field, and lots of space for kids to run around.

The Ravenswood Open Space Preserve is just that -- yet another local open space preserve. However,…read moreit's located along the bay. You get some great views of the area from a place that is relatively quiet. Cooley Landing Park is located here. It's a fantastic spot for a picnic or a stop while biking or running along the San Francisco Bay Trail. It is home to the Cooley Landing Education Center. Like the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center located just south in Palo Alto, it has some nice opportunities to learn more about local wildlife. One small caveat: Safety concerns. This is out on the bayside of East Palo Alto. It is quiet and clean. However, every time that I have visited Cooley Landing Park, there have been some interesting characters sitting in their vehicles while others drive up, walk up to the person sitting the parked vehicles, seemingly doing "deals" before driving off. It just looks exactly how films portray "drug deals." Obviously, this doesn't mean that something nefarious is going on. It just looks "sus." Of course, it could just be a remote place where people in their cars who sell things that they've advertised on Craigslist. Yet, I've seen this EVERY time that I've biked through Cooley Landing Park. Even during visits to Cooley Landing Park for an hour or more, I've never seen any police patrolling the park. With that in mind, you should visit this preserve and Cooley Landing Park in particular. It's definitely worth the views.

Great trail to walk and enjoy the breeze/scenery. Well maintained path. Highly recommend.read more

It had been a while since the last time I was here, more than a year ago. The area was under…read moreconstruction and not very inviting back then. This past weekend, I returned to check out the changes that had been made while going for a run, and had a pleasant experience. There's a parking lot available at the Don Edwards SF Bay Environmental Education Center in Alviso. But the gate on Grand Boulevard was closed to vehicle traffic this past Saturday. I was able to park at the Marsh View Trail which has a foot path that leads directly to the Environmental Education Center, which is the starting and ending point of the New Chicago Marsh trail. The boardwalk and gravel path is less than a mile long and allows for beautiful views of the salt marsh and wildlife in the area, especially birds. LOTS of birds. A variety of species including songbirds, geese, and black-necked stilts. Even with on-and-off sprinkling (and heavier rains days earlier), it wasn't muddy, probably due to the terrain. This short trail connects to the Mallard Slough Trail which takes you deeper into the wetlands and makes for a more ideal hike or run. I love that the place is not inundated with visitors, just a scenic spot where the surrounding nature can be appreciated in peace.

The Boardwalk into the Marsh is an easy adventure…read more This is a great spot for bird watching and enjoying the sounds of nature. I've seen pelicans in this marsh and all sorts of birds: American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts, Dowitcher and swallows that like to nest under portions of the dock. So very peaceful here. You can easily get to the Mallard Slough Trail from here which has a big loop around a larger pond. I highly recommend this spot. Parking can be had nearby the entrance of the Don Edwards Education Center.

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.

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.

The trail is really a collection of trails all over the Half Moon Bay area. You can jump on the…read moretrail quit and find it again miles from your last location. Most of the trail is paved and level making it a highly enjoyable family walk.

Lovely walk, with amazing views of the coast, would thoroughly recommend to others, great for kids,read more

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.

Long Ridge Open Space is a quieter, seemingly overlooked park in an area that has no shortage of…read morehiking trails. That's what makes it a nice, peaceful hike where you're likely to find parking. During a sunny Saturday afternoon, we only encountered about 5 other groups of hikers. I recommend parking at Grizzly Flat trailhead and following the signs for Peters Creek trail. You'll gently descend to a wooded area, cross a footbridge and make a left following the creek. I've heard after the rain there are rushing small cascades. I haven't timed it right to see them but the winter woods are still bright and mossy, making it a pleasant journey. Keep following the trail until you get to the gate for the Buddhist center, bear fight and follow a moderate set of switch backs up to the ridge itself. On the Long Ridge trail you'll have sweeping views of the Santa Cruz mountains and rolling green hills. Go about a mile along the ridge, dip down back in to the woods and follow the signs back to Grizzly Flat parking. There are not giant redwoods or waterfalls or even too many views (albeit the one spectacular one at the top of the ridge) but it is a pleasant, moderate woodland hike. For longer hikes it also connects with several other parks. Free parking, well signed help make this a great regional park for a quieter more low key hike.

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.