Trail Off Manmade…read morelake that was a former landfill site and was first conceived back in 1968 by the City of Mountain View to give it's residents a place to play by the water. It wasn't until 1983 when it was actually dedicated, but it's been a staple of the area since. The Good: *Watercraft rentals *Free to visit *Large parking lot *I guess there's a restaurant of some sort but didn't visit or check out. *Access to the SF Bay Trail that take you around various sloughs and to other parks, if one is into a longer hike. *Great birdwatching due to the proximity to The Bay. The Meh: *Very busy place and the parking lots full up fast--especially during the summer. *Be aware part of the Bay Trail does allow puppers, but the other part DOES NOT. So, be aware of signage. The Ugly: *No shade on the Slough trails *Lots of bugs, so wear your DEET. Conclusion: Great shoreland park with plenty of amenities, but it's popularity is it's biggest curse. That and the bugs. But mostly the popularity.

I lived in Mountain View for a little bit and always wanted to go boating here, but somehow never…read morewent. I recently visited for a stroll around the North Shore recreational area, and found it really fun and peaceful. The parking was free, easy, and there weren't too many people, though I suspect it could get popular during weekends or the summer due to the various activities to be had here. It's next to a local landmark, Rengstorff House, and a golf course and Shoreline Amphitheatre. Shoreline Parklands is mainly host to a large park and trail where you can walk, bike, and observe nature, and a large lake where you can sail on various boats. They also offer paddle boating, which could be a fun organizational offsite! There is virtually no shade if that matters to you, but the grounds are more or less flat. At the time, a company was renting out the boat house space for a party. The boat house also does equipment rentals (you can book online) and have tons of lockers. We saw huge groups of coots and geese, and a lot of squirrels with their own personalities. In fact, some squirrels looked like hybrid squirrels... It was definitely interesting observing the thriving nature in this area. We even witnessed some squirrels in heat.

This is such a nice park! There are many areas to park and enjoy…read more I used this spot to get in a few steps during the day, and the trail is really nice. There are tennis courts, a playground, a track, a long jump area, swings, and so many other things to enjoy. The trees are beautiful, and there are bathrooms as well. This place is a win!

I reserved BBQ grill 1 for a friday evening through the MTV rec center website. Even got an alcohol…read morepermit. So here's why i knocked off a star. I arrived at 4PM and the grill was locked. I had to call the rec center and someone came 30 minutes later to unlock it. That was annoying. The fine print says there's a ranger available every 30 minutes. No there isn't. And no one ever checked my permit or my alcohol permit. Do what you will with that information. Anyways, the area is nice. The ground is loose dirt though, my sneakers got covered in it but I was running around a lot. There's no harassing bugs and there's a sink right next to the grill (bring a small hand soap) and a ton of trash cans around. The grill is really big, so bring a lot of charcoal My bbq guests really liked the park.

Nice park with easy trails. Suitable for everyone. Enjoy the plantation and lots of birds.read more

The reservoir is pretty nice, you can see large bass patrolling territory on the dam side if you…read morewake up early enough and carp school in the morning too. Come 9 am on Saturday the Sunnyvale Rod and Gun Club opens and it is a busy range, so expect to hear distant gunfire. The reason why this rating is lower than average is because some of the people on the reservoir have a lower than average iq. Normally everyone here is respectful but this morning I watched some paddle-boarder head right for some fisherman's line.. the reservoir is massive with so much space.

This is a place I have been visiting since childhood. I grew up nearby and attended Covington…read moreJunior High, and we often biked to this park as kids. As we move beyond our teenage years into our 20s and beyond, we start to cherish vivid memories of our past. If you're looking for a great spot to take a leisurely walk, not far from the preserve, where you can enjoy the laughter and cries of people and children, I highly recommend Shoup Park. It's a peaceful and serene place to escape and unwind.

A small park near Los Altos downtown with playground, shaded grassy picnic area surrounded by big…read moreredwood trees, public restroom, event hall and a short walking trail. It's located next to Redwood Grove Nature Preserve, there is a trail connected both parks. The barbecue grill area is quite new and spacious. The grill, sink and tap water are all well-maintained. Ample of free parking.

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.

Nice park for little kids. 2 playgrounds. Green grass, volleyball area and tennis courts.read more

I lived near here at one point, and there's a lot to like about Sylvan Park…read more First, the grounds are well maintained. Aside from sand constantly getting everywhere around the playstructures, it was generally very clean. Note this doesn't extend to the bathroom, which was average for a park. Second, the play structures are great for small children. I think around 6 or 7 you'll probably find the park a bit boring, but for kids in the 3-5 range it's very nice. They have tennis courts, too, although they weren't in the best condition. There's a good amount of space here, too. It's definitely not a small park. There's plenty of room for sports or just hanging around, and lots of dogs come. There's also a nice trail that winds around the perimeter. I do wish there was a fence around the play structures to keep kids out of the street. Even some small barrier would be nice. Also, parking can be tough. The lot is tiny, and that leaves it up to street parking. This can be annoying. If you live nearby then it's a good choice, but it's not worth going out of your way, especially when Cuesta Park isn't too far away.

Lovely trail but no shaded areas. Parking at the street or at the parking lot of Lick Mill Park…read more Easy trail to explore and enjoy the wild flowers. Not too busy during weekday evening.

This is not a park, but it's right next to Lick Mill Park if you're looking for certain amenities…read moreor features not offered here. We visited both, this past weekend, and had a wonderful time. Ulistac Natural Area is a great lil spot for running along the trails, bird watching, and observing nature. It's not exactly the season for seeing birds around, or trees and flowers in bloom, as winter is far from over, but on this warm Sunday afternoon, we still found the whole place to be beautiful. We strolled along the different pathways, read the educational boards, learned about the surrounding vegetation, and shared interesting conversation as we passed by birdhouses in trees and plants with funny names. We saw some California coffeeberry, sticky monkeyflower, California buckwheat, California Wildrose (just the thorns for now), and the only color during the winter season coming from the bright pink island mallow flowers (which bloom in late winter) and red toyon berries (lots of this to be seen here). We also saw random mushrooms and lots of sage among the plants and wildlife. My favorite part was spotting the rabbits in the sage, and watching these adorable long-eared cottontails run around (we saw at least 3-4 of them). It's a small nature preserve, but still plenty to see and appreciate, even in the winter. And for runners, it connects to other trails so there's no shortage of space for getting active around here.

This is a nice little park. It is not a fancy park but has plenty of trees and benches and a…read morecircular walking path. There's also a community veggie garden. Volunteers are welcome on Saturday to help with the gardening. Also located in the center of the garden is a cute little immigrant house. Street parking available for a handful of cars.

A nice shaded small park to head to when you want to enjoy a picnic, read a book, or just being…read moreoutside! Too small to offer much of a walk though.