This is a nice little 6-acre open space area in a residential neighborhood. I like it because you…read moredon't have to go far into the hills to see the redwoods, it's close to town. A short boardwalk trail goes around the trees. The preserve has a trail to Shoup Park, it's about a mile there and back with the preserve loop trail. I think this place would be much better in the wintertime when the streams are full of water. In the summer it was dry and hot even in the shade. This would be a good place for a birder; I heard many birds throughout and saw a few woodpeckers.

If I need a place to get away and pray and meditate or just quiet my mind, take a walk or be in…read moreamazement at nature, this is one of my escapes. Let nature speak to your soul.

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 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.

This is our favorite location to hike. It has trails for every level and all ages of hikers…read more The easy trail leads to a farm. The more difficult one leads to the higher ground for a good view of the Bay Area. On the trails, people can see various wild animals. For example: deers, turkeys, and squirrels. We have not encountered any mountain lions yet. Parking will be easier if one comes: -- early at 6AM for the first wave -- 2nd wave would be 8:15AM

Rancho is a family favorite spot for so many reasons. Parking can be a little tricky, especially on…read moreweekends, but it's worth a stop! Love the farm animals, and being in nature! Bring a lunch and spend the day outside!

We brought our kids to play at the magical bridge while on vacation. This was one of the best…read moreplaygrounds that we have been too. The design and layout of the playground was awesome. The magical bridge playgrounds are designed to be accessible for all kids and this was evident by the low slides, wheel chair accesible merry go round and more. We loved that there was a shady area w places to sit and tables to have a meal. The little house w the stage was also super cute.

Awesome little park that's accessible to all kids. Lots of shaded area to eat and fun playground…read moreoptions. My daughter enjoyed performing on the little stage while we ate our lunch.

I love this place. This place or the location perplexes me. The reason why is technically it is…read morelocated in Los Altos Hills, but years ago, and probably still is run by Palo Alto/ Now it's a bit more open to people, but it always made me wonder what this is about? With so many places to walk around and hike, take pictures, hang out, play frisbee, or what have you. Years ago, I used to come out here with a good friend, and we played frisbee and hung out numerous times with other friends and family. If you would like a great escape from this world...here you go. :-)

If you enjoy hiking or taking leisurely walks, you must visit this park nestled in the foothill…read morearea of Palo Alto. We discovered it one afternoon when we wanted to take a stroll after lunch, arriving around 2 pm PST. The park has an entrance fee of $6. It offers a variety of activities such as fishing, picnicking with BBQ areas, walking, biking, and even camping. The park is quite expansive, featuring many flat areas and opportunities to spot wildlife. Although there is plenty of parking available in different sections of the park, finding a spot might be challenging during busy times. This park is a good place if you want be in quite place , me time and enjoy nature. You can also drive around the park to explore its different sections. I plan to visit again in the morning, bring lunch, and walk around to fully enjoy all the areas this park has to offer.

Hillview Park is a small green space near the village of Los Altos that shares a parking lot with…read moreLos Altos library. There are no swings or play structures but there are multiple park benches. It is also a full size soccer field. The grass is very well maintained and the space seems to be pet friendly. Cheers!

Hillview park is part of the Hillview Community Center (listed at the same address at 97 Hillview)…read moreand it's basically a large grassy soccer field by the library preceding Los Altos Stage Company and Bus Barn, off Hillview Ave, across from the library and history museum. Facilities are in the structure at the corner. There's a chicken wire fence on the street side. I go by this park almost every day on our dog's walks. There are often groups of kids and/or adults, either training or playing the game. It's a nice green space otherwise.

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.

We love this park! Mostly because of the butterfly theme throughout everything - even the water…read morefeature in the sandbox is a butterfly shape- and the SHADE which is hard to come by at the playground 2 play structures one for toddlers and a larger one for 5-12 age group Sooo cute one of the best parks in MV

Really cute quiet little neighborhood park with a butterfly theme…read more The park is on the smaller side, but has everything a toddler would need to be entertained. There are two structures, one much smaller than the other- both I would say are geared toward toddlers and young kids. There are also swings, and a sand box. The whole surface is padded which is also nice for the young ones. I loved the butterfly theme including butterfly pictures on the structures, caterpillar statues, and the whole padded surface being butterfly colored. Park is almost entirely gated/walled except for the two entrance areas. There are picnic tables. No bathrooms.

Ohh Nealon Park, how I love you. Let me count the ways:…read more 1. You are a fully accessible park with activities for everyone. 2. You have room for your small and large friends alike, including parents, which makes my achy back and knees so happy. 3. You're well-maintained with plenty of parking, manicured landscaping, and all park equipment in good working condition. 4. You're fully fenced in so I don't need to worry about my child running into traffic or straying too far. 5. You're close to coffee and food shops. 6. You're great for birthday parties, with tons of space and tables! Whether you're a parent of a human child or a dog child, this park is fantastic. Fenced in playground, large open grass area, and plenty of shade. Wonderful little gem that we're lucky to have in the area!

Loved this park. Great fenced in playground with multiple structures that catered to big and small…read morekids, including this merry go round structure that the kids were obsessed with. There's a huge green space, tennis courts and it's great for picnicking. There's side of street and also some limited lot parking. The green space is pretty dark after sunset and isn't well lit, playground was still usable after dark. Overall, great location!