Had a good experience hiking here!…read more Came on a Saturday around 9:45am to hike the Long Ridge loop. I was initially worried about the parking situation but thankfully it was not crowded at all! Easily found street parking by the Peters Creek trailhead. There happened to be an ultramarathon that day, so we ran into some runners and cyclists along the way, but for the most part we had the trail to ourselves. Not much of a view but the trails are well maintained. Mostly shaded and spotted some pretty wildflowers. We went clockwise which had a gradual incline and steep descent - I would recommend going the opposite direction to save your knees or go slow/bring hiking poles. Long Ridge Loop took us a little less than 2 hours to complete and I would say it is easy-moderate hike as my dad was able to do it comfortably. Definitely recommend downloading the AllTrails map prior as there are not many signs and we would probably would have gotten lost without it. Overall, I enjoyed Long Ridge and would recommend for beginners or anyone looking for an easy, quiet hike.

Long Ridge Open Space is a quieter, seemingly overlooked park in an area that has no shortage of…read morehiking trails. That's what makes it a nice, peaceful hike where you're likely to find parking. During a sunny Saturday afternoon, we only encountered about 5 other groups of hikers. I recommend parking at Grizzly Flat trailhead and following the signs for Peters Creek trail. You'll gently descend to a wooded area, cross a footbridge and make a left following the creek. I've heard after the rain there are rushing small cascades. I haven't timed it right to see them but the winter woods are still bright and mossy, making it a pleasant journey. Keep following the trail until you get to the gate for the Buddhist center, bear fight and follow a moderate set of switch backs up to the ridge itself. On the Long Ridge trail you'll have sweeping views of the Santa Cruz mountains and rolling green hills. Go about a mile along the ridge, dip down back in to the woods and follow the signs back to Grizzly Flat parking. There are not giant redwoods or waterfalls or even too many views (albeit the one spectacular one at the top of the ridge) but it is a pleasant, moderate woodland hike. For longer hikes it also connects with several other parks. Free parking, well signed help make this a great regional park for a quieter more low key hike.

I biked the Sunnyvale Bay Trail for the first time recently and had a really good time! The trail…read moreis paved, mostly flat, and easy to ride, which was perfect for me as it had been a while since I last biked. There were some really pretty views of the bay along the way, and it felt peaceful even though there were other people out walking and biking. It's a big trail so you can go for however long you want - we started around north Sunnyvale, rode to Shoreline Park in Mountain View, and then turned around which took us around 4-5 hours with breaks. Had signal throughout the trail and I would recommend using AllTrails as we did accidentally take a few detours. Will be back either for another bike ride or walk!

This was a great spot to go for a run this past weekend. I found street parking on West Caribbean…read moreDrive at Borregas Ave. It was quiet on the trail with very few people around on a Sunday afternoon. At times it felt like just me and the birds, which included seagulls flying low and foot paddling in the water, egrets, and ducks galore, even little ducklings swimming in the ponds on this beautiful day. Near the sewage treatment, the water was really green, and there was a bit of a stench in the air. But the views were just lovely. Plus, there weren't a lot of pesky flying insects bothering me during my recent visit in late May, which made for a more pleasant experience. The terrain was mainly gravel and the trail mostly flat, which is what I prefer. There were also more forks along the way than expected, it's good I had time to explore. The paths connect to other trails in Mountain View, so it's ideal for those looking to do a longer distance. Me, I kept it under three miles, as I didn't wanna get stuck out there after dark. Everything worked out.

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.

Shoreline Parklands is one of the best "easy outdoor" spots in Mountain View. It's a big regional…read morepark by the Bay with a ton of space and different things to do. What I like: Free entry, huge free parking lot, and bathrooms. You can keep it simple with a walk or bike ride on the trails, or make it more of an activity day with the lake. The lake is manmade and they have a boathouse where you can rent equipment. Sailing, paddle boating, that kind of vibe. I've also seen the boathouse area used for group events, so it's good for a casual outing or even something organized. A few practical notes: It's mostly flat, which is great, but there's very little shade, so if it's sunny bring water and plan accordingly. Weekends can get crowded, especially when the weather is good. Overall, it's a clean, convenient park with enough variety that you can keep coming back and not get bored.

Meh. Open space at former dump that favors motor vehicles and bikes over walkers. Most paths are…read morepaved and the park seems obsessed with keeping pedestrians on them, a hallmark of industrial recreation. Most open areas are off limits supposedly to protect wildlife but Mountain View sold off habitat to Google.

Went to Russian Ridge Sunday of Memorial Day weekend around 8:15am and there was lots of parking…read moreavailable by the trailhead. One thing to note is that the roads leading up to the trailhead are very windy. Took me about 20 minutes just to get from the base to the trailhead. Watch out for cyclists. I completed the Borel Hill and Windmill via Ridge and Ancient Oaks Trail in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I did it counter-clockwise and would recommend this direction if you are going in the summer/starting late as ancient oaks has good amount of shade. Weather was great in the morning (slightly foggy). There were some wildflowers and the hills/trees were still green. The trail itself is nice but the views are average. Part of the ridge trail and Hawkins trail was overrun by tall grass so I had to push through it to continue the hike. Difficulty wise, the trail was easy with little elevation gain. I wore hiking shoes but it's not necessary. Overall, the Ridge and Hawkins trails could be better maintained in terms of the grass overgrowth, and there aren't any notable viewpoints, but there were lots of trail markers, greenery was nice, and the hikes are not too complicated so would possibly recommend for beginners. Very safe to do solo. I rate Russian Ridge a 3.5, rounding down to 3 as I think there are trails that are easier to access with better views nearby. Would possibly recommend for a beginner

this is a good place to stop by and enjoy the views. There are some benches if you follow the short…read morepath by the parking lot and next to the bathroom that takes you to an area that has some benches to sit on. The path is accessible, however, the end of the path has steps down into the benches. But if you are using a wheelchair, you could just stop towards the end of the path and still enjoy the views from higher above where the benches are. You can enjoy beautiful views of the redwoods and the mountains. There's also a restroom. if you start walking towards the trail on the right side of the bathroom, where there is a bridge, there are tons of Poison oak. we did not try any trails, but just stopped to use the restroom and taking the views.

The Ravenswood Open Space Preserve is just that -- yet another local open space preserve. However,…read moreit's located along the bay. You get some great views of the area from a place that is relatively quiet. Cooley Landing Park is located here. It's a fantastic spot for a picnic or a stop while biking or running along the San Francisco Bay Trail. It is home to the Cooley Landing Education Center. Like the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center located just south in Palo Alto, it has some nice opportunities to learn more about local wildlife. One small caveat: Safety concerns. This is out on the bayside of East Palo Alto. It is quiet and clean. However, every time that I have visited Cooley Landing Park, there have been some interesting characters sitting in their vehicles while others drive up, walk up to the person sitting the parked vehicles, seemingly doing "deals" before driving off. It just looks exactly how films portray "drug deals." Obviously, this doesn't mean that something nefarious is going on. It just looks "sus." Of course, it could just be a remote place where people in their cars who sell things that they've advertised on Craigslist. Yet, I've seen this EVERY time that I've biked through Cooley Landing Park. Even during visits to Cooley Landing Park for an hour or more, I've never seen any police patrolling the park. With that in mind, you should visit this preserve and Cooley Landing Park in particular. It's definitely worth the views.

Great trail to walk and enjoy the breeze/scenery. Well maintained path. Highly recommend.read more

Not my first time here, but I checked out the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, the…read morePalo Alto Duck Pond, and the Mundy Marsh this past Sunday. Parked in one of several parking lots on site, with signs clearly stating that gates lock at 9pm (in summer). Saw a variety of birds (song sparrows, pigeons, ducks, geese, egrets, and pelicans) in the saltmarsh and mudflats and along the trails, as I explored displays about the lovely creatures, their bird calls, habitats, and more in the nature center (open on weekends). There's even a great boardwalk and observation deck stretching out back, offering scenic views and a peaceful atmosphere. The trails here are awesome for running if you want to be among nature, and the variety of terrains, especially the dirt and gravel pathways, are ideal if you wanna go easy on your joints. I certainly took advantage during my recent visit.

At nearly 2000 acres, The preserve is one of the biggest areas of protected marshlands on the Bay…read more It is teeming with wildlife and the like and parts of it are part of the SF Bay Trail. There is an established trail system and as both a biker and a pedestrian, both sides need perhaps a bit more civility on the trails. I am also perpetually dismayed by the amount of litter and yes those blue dog poop bags (Like you already bagged then left it?). It is a great spot for kids and the duck pond, Byxbee Park, and the Interpretive center will keep things interesting. Some services like bathrooms and water fountains but they may be closed depending on the time you are there.

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.