Decided to go running here this past weekend and was glad there was no winding road on the drive…read moreover. Appreciated the conveniences I found, including a strong cell phone signal in the area, a parking lot on site, and restrooms at the gateway building just steps away. There was a bit of seating and several nature exhibits educating visitors about the surrounding habitats. Interactive displays included bird calls of the quail, red-shouldered hawk, and meadowlark, and animal tracks of creatures like raccoons, bobcats, deer, and coyotes imprinted with descriptions. Deer, coyote, and rabbit scat too, though I found the accuracy of this display questionable. The only actual poop I saw on the trail was horse manure... piles of it. The place had multiple trails with easy access from the parking lot. I mainly hiked the Redtail Loop which stretched through the grassy hills, with scenic views and a few benches along the way, and of course plenty of clear signs noting the connecting trails and miles on each marker as well as the path to Arastradero Lake. The gateway facility and trails appeared to be well kept, a great setting altogether for getting your steps in or just taking in the fresh air and tranquil environment.

An underrated gem hiding in plain sight Pearson-Arastradero…read morePreserve genuinely surprised me. The Arastradero Creek + Acorn Loop (~2.5 miles) packs in way more variety than you'd expect from a short trail -- you start in cool, shaded creek corridor that feels completely removed from the suburbs, then the path opens up into sweeping golden grasslands with those big, open Bay Area skies that make you remember why you live here. The difficulty sits right at that sweet spot between "actually a walk in the park" and "satisfying enough to feel like a real hike." Elevation gain is gentle but present, terrain is well-maintained dirt trail, and the whole loop flows naturally without any confusing junctions. Wildlife spotting is a real highlight -- keep your eyes up and you'll likely catch red-tailed hawks riding thermals over the hills. Early morning is magical here. So is sunset. A few practical notes: parking is free, dogs are welcome on leash, and the trailhead is easy to find off Arastradero Road. It never felt overcrowded on my visit, which for the Bay Area is honestly remarkable. If you're in Palo Alto or anywhere on the Peninsula and need a quick mental reset without a long drive, this is the move. One of those places you'll want to keep to yourself -- but can't help telling people about.

Small Wunder A…read more940-acre park nestled in the eastern Redwoods and madrone-laden slopes of King Mountain. The name of the park is derived from contractor Martin Wunderlich, who donated the land to San Mateo County. The Good: * Free to visit * Parking lot * Picnic tables available * Restroom in parking lot * Seventeen miles of trails, including several loops. * If you like horses, then this is the place for you! There's a really cool old historic stable and lots of equine action to be found. * Camping available (https://www.smcgov.org/parks/make-reservation) The Meh: * Currently, no recreational horse activities like trail rides and lessons are available. * Crazy elevation gains, as trail elevations run from ±350' to over 4,300'. Be sure to check the trail guides to make sure you don't get in over your head. * No dogs allowed The Ugly: * The restroom has no running water, just hand sanitizer. * I'll admit, I'm not a fan of horses, and having to share trails with horses isn't my idea of a good time. Conclusion: Not the biggest park in this area that's full of fantastic OSPs, but it's certainly worth a visit--especially if you're a hippophile.

Hiked at Wunderlich Park on a sunny Saturday in March! We used AllTrails for directions and we…read morereached around 9am - to our surprise, the parking lot was full by then so definitely recommend coming earlier. There were multiple cars circling around looking for a spot as well. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes before parking. We did the Bear Gulch and Alambique trail clockwise. There are some brief steep sections, but for the most part, the trail was moderate in terms of difficulty. We didn't encounter too many people despite all the cars in the lot. We spotted a small snake on the trail and there was a lot of horse manure on the Alambique portions, so we had to watch our step closely. The trail was mostly shaded which was nice, but there wasn't much of a view. Overall, the trail was well marked and maintained (minus the manure on Alambique). Good hike for a sunny day, but the parking lot situation could be improved.

"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.

Came here for the Spring Ridge Trail hike on 8/1, which is 2 miles one-way. There is a public…read moreparking lot right where the trail head is, it does get full but there is street parking right outside the lot as well. There is a bathroom outhouse right in front of the trail. This trail isn't too steep, mostly slow incline all the way up except for a few short steeper parts. The path is mostly dirt and lots of small rocks especially on the hilly parts. On the way, we saw some insects like flies, dragonflies, and a warning sign for rattlesnakes. Also saw 1 lizard.

Had my first hike of the year, and it was a beauty! The weather worked in my favor, and hitting…read moregolden hour was a bonus. I should have stayed longer to hit sunset, but that can be for another time. It was definitely windy, so be mindful of that if you decide to trek here. The views were so worth it!

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.

I joined several docent led hikes with midpen, I always enjoy the experience. The docents are…read moreusually very knowledgeable, friendly, and informative. Will join again and again

Pretty enough place but screwy maps, difficult to find and park (permit necessary). In fine print…read moreon the permit, they give the code to one of the many padlocks, and in even tinier print, that the lock has to be pushed in. We were locked in until we deciphered their unfriendly exiting scheme. Plus the map said one trail was dog friendly, but rangers were there positioning themselves to prevent dogs without a clear reason. They could do a better job with communications, cartography, and the gate. Why not have a keypad or at least a sign, "refer to your permit to get code to the lock with the red x," and paint a red x on the lock that words? They seem to send a message otherwise that we had to grant you a permit, but that's it.

I almost don't want to write a review of this beautiful little park because it's been our secret…read morefor years. But I'll let you in on it, since unless you live in the area, it's doubtful you'd drive out of your way to get here. And drive you must. Nestled in Stanford Hills, just off of Sand Hill Road, there's no way you'd even notice the place unless you (a) had a dog; or (b) had a kid; and (c) lived nearby. A bit more than three acres of grass with a small little play area for kids, it's the perfect place for dogwalking or lounging on a lazy summer afternoon. Minuses are: there are no swings (just a play structure) and limited shade during peak hours. Pluses are: there are rarely any people here, it's quiet, and you can usually spot birds of prey circling overhead. There are better equipped parks out there (Burgess, for one), but this one is pretty great.

Small, clean, and well kept park. Street parking is available. Not much to see or do.read more

This place is a pox on the neighborhood. Attracts the worst drivers I've ever seen. A driver…read moreturning out of here yesterday almost killed me by not looking as he exited the driveway. Not the first time it's happened here. And they rudely block the bike lane with no parking signs when they have events. The bike lane is already no parking so just ticket the fools who attempt to park there. If you ever get injured by someone turning out of this careless facility message me and I'm happy to send you this video to back up the claim (plus the fact I've notified management of this unsafe situation).

My experience so far has been great! Be careful though, the place is really big and it's easy to…read moreget lost. The horses were fantastic and the view was great, would definitely recommend again!