Pretty nice day hike with many views. Unless you want extra challenge, I'd recommend just turning…read morearound at the top of the pg and e trail, the extra 2 miles doesn't add much.

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.

Beautiful! Saw some deer, chipmunks, birds and butterflies. There were also quite a bit of yellow…read moreflowers. I need to go again!

Whew! If you want a leg burning challenge, check out the hiking trails that end in Heintz Open…read moreSpace Preserve. I like to start at Belgatos park, take the Santa Rosa Trail (.4 miles) to Valley View Trail (1 mile) to Vista Trail (.3 miles). It's rolling hills going up and a great work out. If you do them all as an out and back, it's a fantastic 3.4 mile hike. Vista Trail has the best view but generally the entire hike will show you stunning views of Los Gatos and San Jose. Dogs are welcome on leashes and you're sure to encounter a few furry friends.

This is a decent trail. This one hugs the road, so it does not feel like you are away, plus getting…read moreto it from the parking lot was like playing Crossy Road, except you are the bird avoiding getting hit by the cars speeding around the bend. Also, not a fan of miscreants doing donuts in the parking lot while we were there.

Know that deer in the headlights look, right before the deer gets impaled by an unsuspecting…read moremotorist? Don't be that deer. Look both ways before crossing the street. Why do I say that? Because of the parking situation at Saratoga Gap OSP. LOCATION: ---------------- The trailhead is located on the northeast corner at the intersection of Route 9 (Big Basin Way) and Route 35 (Skyline Blvd). There's parking for a few cars on the shoulder there, but the main parking lot is on the southeast corner. That lot holds about 25 cars, and the driveway is along Skyline Blvd. That means that people have to cross Route 9 to get from the parking lot to the trailhead. The crossing is unprotected and there's a semi-blind curve around the corner, so be cautious. Don't be that deer. The preserve itself is a good half hour from Silicon Valley. The last 7 miles along Route 9 are somewhat windy and are unlit at night. TRAIL: ---------------- Most of this 1,540-acre preserve is off limits, and in fact the only trail is the single-track Saratoga Gap Trail, which runs completely through a shaded forest. This trail seems to be more popular for mountain bikers than for hikers. For a biker, the medium-sized rocks, tree roots and uneven terrain can be pretty technical to navigate. There are more ups and downs on this trail than on the stock market! Annoyingly, this trail runs parallel and pretty close to Route 9, so the sound of passing cars can be heard. When you're enjoying the serenity of nature and suddenly you hear "vroooom", that can really kill the mood. The Saratoga Gap Trail runs 1.7 miles from the trailhead to a clearing along Charcoal Road (a dirt road not accessible to cars). By this point, you're in neighboring Upper Stevens Creek County Park. From there you can either head north till you eventually hit Monte Bello OSP (www.yelp.com/biz/monte-bello-open-space-preserve-palo-alto), or cross Highway 9 and head west into Long Ridge OSP (http://www.yelp.com/biz/long-ridge-open-space-preserve-cupertino). VERDICT: ---------------- There's not much to find at Saratoga Gap OSP. It's pretty much a place to park and a trail that will connect you to other preserves. The forest path is enjoyable, but it's annoying hearing vehicular traffic the entire way. The views aren't great, since you're covered by forest. You'll get better views once you make it over to Long Ridge OSP to the west.

From 1-10(10 the most difficult, I would rate this 4-5. It was our first time here and we got…read moreinvited by our friends who love hiking and does it regularly. We got here at 8 am but had to wait for some friends so we got to start at 9. We did 6.2 miles for almost 4 hrs including 2- 10 minute breaks. I loved this place because first it was clean and has a lot of shaded areas as well. Then at the end of our hike, there were a lot of nice view spots. They have a small farm and garden where you can see some cows, goats with their kids, and hens. They are all soo cute and feels good to just watch them. We even saw a pig and it was so big and fat! Lol! We saw this part of the park because we started on the other side of the trail which was really great! It was rewarding to see them after a long hike. Then there's a lot of picnic table too next to the farm and they're all shaded so it's nice to see and know they have those. Maybe next time we'll bring some food and just have a picnic there after the hike. You can also park and enter to start walking from this side where the garden and farm is and go the other way around. There were a lot of parking spaces too(lower level) but if you come in late, you will need to park on the upper level which is a little further walk before you get to the starting point of the trail. Not sure when are we going back here coz its like 45 minutes from where we live plus we always try new trails every time we go. I highly recommend this place so go check it out!

PG&E trail is the perfect place for hikers of all levels. Most hikers can opt for the Deer hollow…read morefarm where they can find goats, sheep, cows, chickens, roosters, pigs, rabbits, and cats. Or they can hike the various trails that range from 2-8 miles. One tip is to come early as parking fills up quickly!

Visited Skyline on a Saturday in July at 9am! Decided to do the Horseshoe lake, Alpine pond, and…read moreBorel Hill trail counterclockwise and the parking lot was right by the trailhead. Trail was well-maintained and there were markers throughout. Didn't encounter too many other people. Nice views of the Bay Area - the park is high up so it was cool being above the clouds! Took me about 2 hours and 30 min to finish and I would say the hike was easy-moderate! The roads leading up to the park are a bit windy so just be mindful of that. Would recommend to those looking for beginner friendly hikes!

This is a great space for stargazing and panaromic views of the bay area. I wish the drive to get…read morethere wasn't as hard as it is.

This is one of many trails at Stevens Creek County Park and the surrounding area. I parked along…read moreStevens Canyon Road where there is limited free parking. There are also several different parking lots available for a fee (Rim Trail, Stevens Creek Chestnut, etc.). I went running here on Saturday, and though there was a bit of mud along the dirt path, I was lucky to catch a few hours of sunshine on this winter day. The Tony Look Trail is flatter and easier than other trails in the area, with manageable inclines. Alongside the flowing creek, it leads to and wraps around the Stevens Creek Reservoir until it connects to the Loop Trail. At that point, staying on Tony Look would entail more zigzagging than I was in the mood for, especially with the forecasted rains, so I split onto the Loop Trail to continue further along the water, before trekking back. There was lots of beautiful scenery to explore and appreciate, as well as a few park benches among the trees and greenery. I didn't encounter any animals nor pesky flying insects during my recent run, and there were very few people too. The peaceful atmosphere was all I could have asked for on this pleasant day.

Nice flat walk Easy…read moreand lots of people Half shaded and half open Lots of puppies :)

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.

Interesting 2.5 miles of paved trail, stretch from Santa Clara Fairwood Park to Lawrence expressway…read more(cute spiral overpass), passing the famous Saigon seafood restaurant plaza, continuing to Fair Oak avenue, pass through the luxury apartments of Encasa. It ends or begins at orchard garden park.

Just discovered this cool walking path on top of the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct! Great way to get in a 5…read moremile walk on a foggy bay morning. Have lived in Sunnyvale 36 years and am just finding this treasure ... love the BAY!!