GRASSHOPPER LOOP TRAIL REVIEW: The open space preserve is large, with many trails, but this review…read moreis just for the newly open Grasshopper Loop Trail (open June 2022). This is a great trail for older folks and little kids. It's pretty short (just 1.3 miles), flat, and mostly shaded. The start of trail is open but you soon reach a gate where you enter a redwood forrest. The path is very new and pristine. The redwoods are spectacular. Some of the trees were covered in a fuzzy type of moss (spanish moss or lichen moss?), so you'd think you were in the bayou or something. We were hoping to see more birds and butterflies, but didn't see any wildlife. Before we knew it, we reach another gate, where you exit the redwood part of the loop and back to the parking lot. If you wanted to extend the nice part of the trail, I suggest turning around when you reach the exit gate and backtrack through the redwoods again to the start of the trail. Overall, I enjoyed the redwood portion of the loop, but the loop was too short. Driving to the trail head involves driving through miles of winding roads with bicyclists popping up at every turn. It was not so fun to drive up here, so for a 30-minute hike, it wasn't quite worth it. There are many other trails to explore here, but there didn't seem to be much to see.

There are actually two, separate sections of La Honda Creek OSP, an upper section and a lower…read moresection. These are not connected, nor close, and they are entirely different, so it's too bad the Open Space system (and Yelp) has them lumped together as one. Most reviewers have just reviewed one section; I'll cover both. [UPPER SECTION] Access is off Skyline Blvd. As mentioned by others, this section is accessible through a free permit system, so some advance planning is required (See OSP website for details). It took only a day for me to obtain the combo for the gate lock, but others have reported longer. The good part of this permit system is that it keeps out the masses, so a hike here is likely to be full of solitude and quiet. I saw one other small group the entire time I was here. Ambiance: Ridgetop hills of mixed forest and meadows with views to the west. There's the typical selection of native trees here, but there are a couple of giant, old-growth redwoods you can visit as well. (Only one is shown on the map, but a few others are hidden off-trail). No bathrooms or amenities here. My main issue with this upper section is that it is quite small; it really isn't a place to do a big loop, only a small loop with a few there-and-back side trips. I visited every trail and only hiked 5.5 miles. I prefer to do more. (3*) [LOWER SECTION] Access is off La Honda Rd (Hwy 84) near the town of La Honda. No permits needed. At the entrance there's a newish, paved parking lot and a unisex pit bathroom. Ambiance: Rolling grassy hills with plenty of cattle - it felt very much like an East Bay hike to me. Trees are limited to a few, stream-side groves. Nice views of the ocean can be found here, though it will take 3 miles to reach that spot - and of course 3 miles back. You'll likely be sharing the view with cows (and dodging their patties). This lower section is much bigger than the upper section but still doesn't offer any full loops (only a "lollipop"). Nevertheless I enjoyed my 9-mile hike here. I may bring friends back, just to show them something new; but it's not a destination I need to visit often. My curiosity itch has been scratched, and grading on a curve against other OSPs, it's just OK. (3.5*) My Peninsula hike collection is here: (https://www.yelp.com/collection/qBI6U6Lz9LJQjnGjFW6ubg) Hiking Spot Checklist: -- Parking: Small, paved lot at both sections -- Bathrooms: None at upper section; Yes at parking lot of lower section -- Potable water: No -- Maps provided: Yes (except during covid) -- Highlights: Nice views to the west in both sections

Nicely shaded. Just wish we knew where the trail starts. A yelper helped by saying the cross…read morestreet of campus and oak. We parked all the way up the hill where the houses were. That was the toughest. The trail was nice and flat or manageable. Shaded. If no shade, super sunny and hot. You can hear the tiny stream. Picnic tables to eat and sit. I took pictures of map. They even have markers on how far you've walked. Next time we will start at the East Ave Park. Hayward has such a cool community.

Five stars for the mostly shaded trail that has trees, little creek, up and down hills for hikers…read moreof all levels, occasional wildlife sightings, and such an enjoyable outing when it's warm. However, either the park/city management does not take trail maintenance job seriously, or visitors/residents of Hayward have no self-respect to keep this little piece of green jewel presentable. There are trash along the trail, what looks like discarded tent/clothes/bedding not far from the trail, and graffiti sprayed around the park. One star for the trail conditions.

We drove to the Purisima Creek Road Parking Area, arriving at 9:50 on Friday as the 5th car in the…read more7 spaces lot. Toilet at trailhead; out of TP by afternoon so BYOpaper just in case. Walking next to the creek was easy and tranquil. Looped up Craig Britton Trail for vista views. Had a trail lunch at a u turn. Later at Harkins Ridge Trail, we were treated to see and hear a beautiful bird pecking on a tree trunk. I think the best part of hiking this trail is the lack of people; we had the forest to ourselves. We finished this 7.4 miles loop in 4 hrs, including a lunch stop.

Did the Whittemore Gulch and Harkins Loop trail a few weeks back and boy oh boy, the the hike was…read moreamazing. Route was strenuous, as advertised but awesome. The hike was about 80% shaded in some of the most gorgeous redwood forests, with crisp woodsy air, and lots of flora and wildlife. Wooded trails were nice and cool, which afforded a welcome respite from the warmer ambient temperature (non forested). Saw a lot of banana slugs, some dear, and a bunch of flowers of different types-some endemic and sadly some invasive to the bay. The hike offered views of the bay (at the expense of no shade) on top of the ridge, which was neat. Elevation gain of the hike was approximately 1500 feet, which was gradual in some parts but more steep on others. Didn't use a hiking pole, but wish I did because my legs felt like jello afterwards! The hike which was advertised as around 7 miles took my friend and me about 3h45m (advertised recommended time as 4h-4h30m) with a bunch of rest breaks. Definitely would be back to explore the other trails and get a good dose of trees and nature.

This is not a review of Garin Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park, but instead it is a review of a loop…read moretrail of segments from High Ridge Loop Trail, Pioneer Trail, and Meyers Ranch Trail. These three trails occur in Garin Dry Creek Regional Park. The common trailhead for both Meyers Ranch Trail (takes you north) and High Ridge Loop Trail (takes you south) occurs about 50 feet away from this parking lot. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LOOP TRAIL: My photographs show trees shaped like giant mushrooms, where the cap of the giant mushroom-tree is about 30-feet wide. Other photos show rolling hills in the distance, with dense groves of trees situated in the ravines between rolling hills that are far in the distance, and rolling hills closer to the hiker. My photos also show a gnarly tree with trunks looking like octopus arms, with huge 1-foot wide tentacles growing from the tree trunk. Other photographs show a herd of black cows, resting near each other in the grass. Other photos show plush toys (quails, a frog, and a turtle) residing at various places near the loop trail. Another of my photographs shows a triangle-shaped stone, where I used enamels to paint a trail map on the stone. Toy cows sit on the stone. The toy cows know that they should not sit on the enamel-painted trails and, for this reason, these cows are smart and well-behaved BIG LOOP TRAIL CONSISTING OF SEGMENTS OF 3 DIFFERENT TRAILS. I took photos of a group of about 20 black cows, sitting peacefully on the grass in a shaded area next to High Ridge Loop Trail. Continuing in a counterclockwise hiking path, High Ridge Loop Trail includes a hairpin loop and, just beyond this hairpin loop, the trail gets steeper and steeper, and the view gets grander and more beautiful. From the steep part of this trail, one can gaze into the steep ravine by the north edge of the trail, and wonder in amazement at the fact that large trees grow out of the slope above the ravine, despite the fact that the slope is at a 45 degree angle. Looking to the west are more sights that evoke wonder and amazement, and these take the form of rolling hills in the distance, where patches of trees occurring in groves reciding in steep ravines. Some of the hills are entirely covered with trees. FROG AND TURTLE IN THE DRY CREEK BED. Regarding the dry creek running parallel to Meyers Ranch Trail, I went off-trail and hiked along the dry creek bed. I encountered a large puddle, and posed my frog and turtle on top of stones situated in the large puddle. In the dry creek bed, I found a triangle-shaped stone. I painted a trail map on the stone, and then posed some cows on the stone, and took a photograph of the prepared stone. See, attached photo of triangular stone. The cows are from Hobbies Unlimited on Manor Blvd. in San Leandro. On the stone, I used enamel paints, to paint the names of Meyer's Ranch Trail, Pioneer Trail, High Peaks Ridge Trail, May Trail, May Road, and Tamarack Drive. The enamel paint is from Hobbies Unlimited. The frog is from the gift shop at Henry Coe State Park. The turtle was made by Folkmanis Puppets in Emeryville, CA. Several feet away from Meyers Ranch Trail, I inserted a metal rod into the hard earth. This metal rod has a hook on the end of it, and the hook held a sign reading, QUAIL CROSSING. I put two California quails on the ground next to the sign. The QUAIL CROSSING sign is available by mail order from the gift shop at Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The quails are from Wild Republic. See, attached photo of the sign and the quails.

Great trail for everyone, we had kids on boards, electric…read morebikes, dogs, strollers, seniors, and everything in between sharing the trail with us. It's a great trail, again, can't say it enough..views that are unparalleled...we will be back.

Well maintained hiking spot! We chose this hike because…read moreafter we were headed to Alpine Inn for dinner. We found the last parking spot along the road and headed up to the start of the hike. There are maps available or you can take a picture of the posted map. After hiking a short way we found a door to the entrance to the coal mine trail. Once at the top we found amazing views of Bay Area. We found an amazing tree to eat a snack under. There was a beautiful rose on the tree so this must we a known place to have a romantic picnic at. The weather was perfect so not a problem with the trails. There was a well maintained bridge as well. It was a moderate hike.

I've only been here twice, and only when my daughter attends the birthday party of a classmate who…read morelives in Portola Valley. Maybe I'm not paying attention on other trails, but this is a great place to find interesting mushrooms to photograph. There's shade, nice views of the valley, a few short bridges, and lots of interesting vegetation, from the ferns to the fungi. In the winter it's wet and lush. The trail is quite narrow in places, and it was slightly muddy due to the recent rains, but I was able to avoid getting too dirty. There's a network of trails that's accessible from this trailhead. I don't really have a destination in mind when I come here - usually I just hike for about an hour and turn back. There were a good number of cars parked near the trailhead, but I didn't run into that many people on the trail itself.

Fun hike lots to see and amazing views. Long with many different view points. One of my favorite…read moreplaces to hike.

"Unique Adventure with Giant Stones"…read more If you're looking for something unique to try, this one is for you. The artist, Susan Dunlap, somehow managed to haul tons of large stones up here to create this long meditation trail. I'm pretty sure she did not personally haul all these stones up here, unless she's really strong. Each stop is accompanied by a brief information plaque, which includes a poem of tranquility, and gives the background for this particular arrangement of stones. Most of the structures are in pretty good shape, but some not so much. Nevertheless, I appreciated the kind, encouraging words at each stop. The idea is to promote peace and tranquility. The day that I visited, it was approaching 100° so I only attempted half the trail. It's not particularly steep, But be sure to bring plenty of water. At the beginning of the trail, there's a place for brochures, but there were no brochures that day I visited. I wish there were.

The High Ridge Loop Trail is part of the Garin/Drycreek East Bay Regional Parks. This trail might…read morebe considered one of the more strenuous hikes, but also one with great views. You can access this trail from the main entrance "down below," or via the Whipsnake trail. Trail was in good shape today. I was able to traverse it with my mountain bike without any trouble. Not much cover, so can be really hot!

Straight forward out and back hike with very gradual elevation gain. The trail was nice and wide in…read moremost areas. Portions of the trail were well shaded and others were pretty open to the sun, great to do on a nice weather or cooler day - may get too warm in the sun on those hotter days. If you go a bit further past the barn the trail does start to narrow and the branches and brush become a little more intrusive, no bushwhacking needed, just not as open as the rest of the trail. There's some good history about the barn once you reach it. You can easily walk all the way around it and peek inside too. Parking lot was very small, could probably accommodate about 15-20 cars, recommend getting there early unless it's a weekday. Saw lots of bunnies (probably 20-30), birds, and butterflies on the hike. Also heard a lot of bees, didn't see too many but could hear quite a bit of buzzing, especially on the trail past the barn. There were two port-o-potties along the trail.

Located close to Half Moon Bay, it's a 4 mile round trip journey. There's a small parking lot in…read morethe front that was pretty empty when we went on a Saturday afternoon. For the first mile, the road is paved and wide enough for a call, and ends at a large barn. The second mile is more of a regular trail and takes you to some water tanks, which marks the end of the trail. We didn't see much wildlife and it's not the most scenic trail. There are some thimbleberry bushes that you can eat though! Overall, there's minimal elevation and would rate it as easy. Overall, I will say that it's not the most exciting trail. If you are looking for an interesting trail, while you are in the area, I would recommend sticking with the coastal