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

Loved the trail, but FYI there are a ton of ticks. We're lucky our dog is on Simparica Trio, but we…read morestill found one biting and stuck on her belly. Make sure to check your pups carefully after!

First time hiking this trail. Heard about it via friend. The entrance we used was tucked in behind…read morea residential area. Once we walked through the gates you see the steep slopes you are about to engage, there is no gradual beginning. Put your big kid undies on and get er done. Once you get up the initial incline, the trail is pretty consistent. There are a few more hurdles, nothing too difficult. However, it was quite muddy due to the recent rain. That added a minor level of difficulty with attempting not to fall. Beautiful views of snow capped Mount Hamilton... there are different trails to choose from. Nonetheless all views are breath taking. I will definitely go back.

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.

A lovely and peaceful county park in the foothills of Saratoga. Getting here is a pretty easy shot…read moreup highway 9 before it gets too windy, though there are still many curves. Since it's a County Park, there is a $6 entry fee, though you can also park outside of the park and still enjoy the trials. The outside parking is quite far from the actual entrance, so I wouldn't park there if you're trying to enjoy the picnic or main grounds. There are a couple of easier short trails, and then some longer steep trails, but not a ton in between. Parts of the park are ADA accessible, including the deck in the circle of trees. There are a good number of picnic tables and picnic areas, with many of the picnic tables having charcoal grills at them. I was here on a warm winter day and some were in use, but most were open. One of the parking lots was closed when we were there, but there was still plenty of parking since it was winter.

Pine in the Ass…read more +3,400-acre park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains that's just a short--but windy--drive from Downtown Saratoga along scenic Hwy 9. The Good: * It seems like they've upgraded their parking situation quite a bit, as they have several large lots. * Restrooms in aforementioned parking lots * RV camping year-round (check website) * Hike-in Campsites (check website) * Open picnic tables and reservable areas * Leashed dogs okay on certain trails (check signage) * Equestrian trails okay (check map) * Biking (check maps) * Good place to see salamanders thanks to the lake * 22 miles of trails The Meh: * $6 entrance fee * We did a nearly five-mile loop (look up San Andrea & Madrone Loop on AllTrails), and I just found the trails to be pretty mundane and not nearly as exciting as other parks we've visited recently. The Ugly: * Why do they have to have the parking machine at the entrance of the park? This just causes traffic to back up unnecessarily as everyone has to stop, get out, pay, get back in their car, and then drive off. Seems like a silly place to put them, but what do I know? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Conclusion: Not a bad park overall (probably 3.5*) but just didn't have that "can't wait to come back" feeling that I usually get after a nice hike.

"Beautiful Mountain" Yes, indeed!…read more PSA: No dogs allowed - I had to leave mine at home. It's ok, you can enjoy this one alone! Take the drive! Yes, the road is windy and please slow for cyclists on your way up. Come along, sing a song. Dancing feet, magical retreat. Bring a friend or brave alone, it'll be worthwhile - 2, 4, or 7 miles! Our small group hiked the 7 mile loop, and had many photos stops along the way. Our leisure hike took approximately 4.5 hours. We spotted a tarantula early on the trail, other hiking groups, a backpacking group, bikers in groups and a few solo peeps. Shaded Hike & Open Space Sunny Hike: If you're wanting a shaded hike, start on the White Oak Trail located to the right of the Monte Bello parking. If you begin your hike on Bella Vista Trail, it's more of an open space with direct sunlight. Start early and enjoy! =)

Monte Bello is a hidden treasure for the Mid-Peninsula area…read more Funny thing, though. For being hidden, it's sure well known. To get there, you drive seven miles up a narrow, windy road. You're wondering if there's anything here besides big houses on tree-filled hills. Make a sharp left at Foothills Park - oops, never mind, you don't live in PA, you can't drive in here. More driving, more driving . . . and you finally get there, only to find a spacious parking lot crammed with cars. Here's why I gave it five stars: At first, it looks like typical landscape on this part of the Peninsula. But then I went down the narrow Stevens Creek Nature Trail. And ended up in a deep, dark forest with a babbling brook, pretty wildflowers, romantic bridges, and interpretive signs to explain what you're gazing at. If you felt like you got away from it all by driving up Page Mill Road, now you *really* feel like you're away from it all. Monte Bello also has a few peaks to climb up, and a backpacking camp. I'm itching to come back to try these out. I was not here long enough to really appreciate Monte Bello, but I saw enough to appreciate it a LOT. I had written about Russian Ridge that it's part of a conglomerate of Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserves that gives you a few days of outback hiking. Monte Bello is part of that conglomerate, which combines with Los Trancos (and Foothills Park, but don't tell anyone, shhhh) to give you even more wandering. And bring a lunch, because you'll be so mesmerized that you may forget to leave and get food.

Gorgeous! My friends and I went during some lights rain and didn't regret it at all…read more It was still super gorgeous. I guess it was considered a moderately difficult hike but for me it seemed fine because it was pretty short. 10/10

Another one of my favorite spots to go a nice walk! It is hard to distinguish where the St Joseph's…read moreOpen Preserve ends and this starts. It does not matter really. Just go and enjoy!

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.

Amazing hiking spot with geocaches if you're into that kind of thing. We did the 4 mile loop and…read morewere able to finish it within 2hrs. The drive up to the hike spot is amazing as well but would recommend downloading offline maps as cell coverage is barely there.

Upper Stevens Creek County Park shares nothing with Stevens Creek County Park except the name…read more Nope, they don't even border each other. The Upper park is the slightly larger of the two, with 1,280 acres of protected space. It borders Monte Bello OSP to the north, Saratoga Gap OSP to the southeast, and Long Ridge OSP to the west (if you don't count Skyline Blvd which runs between them). The park runs generally from north to south. The only place to park is at the Grizzly Flat Trail, where there's a dirt shoulder on both sides of Skyline Blvd. This is one of the places where the park connects with Long Ridge OSP; the other is at Charcoal Road (a fire road). Traffic from Skyline Blvd is inaudible once you're in the park. This is better than at Saratoga Gap OSP, where the Saratoga Gap Trail runs mostly within earshot of the road. Most of the trails in Upper Stevens Creek are multi-use; the one exception is the Table Mountain Trail, a single-track trail where bikes are not permitted. This trail is narrow, and two people cannot squeeze past each other without one of them yielding. Trails in this park are all mostly shaded. You lose up to 1,000 feet of elevation as you go further into the park, so be prepared to work those calves going back out! Overall, Upper Stevens Creek is fairly limited. There are no bathrooms and no potable water. No amazing panoramic views. There's no big loop that will take you all around the park, but you can make a bigger loop if you cut into and back out of Long Ridge OSP. The main appeal of this place is its relative proximity to South Bay and its connecting with other preserves in the area.