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

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.

Cane here on 4th of July for a family hike. Found parking inside when we arrived around 9. Took…read moreabout 45m roundtrip to hike the Maisie's peak. We ran into a lot of friendly people. Keep in mind it gets hot with minimal shade. Overall would do again for a nearby hike.

I always love coming here for a hike. There is multiple trails available and a lot of nice views…read more Biking is allowed on the trails too, just stay clear of the people biking. The only downside is if you come in through the prospect road entrance there isn't a lot of parking spots, so it's all about luck and timing. Also, please don't double park because then people can't get out, I saw it first hand happen to someone

Came here for a hike on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend! Arrived at the Bald Mountain parking…read morelot around 8:30am and there were lots of spots still available. I went on the Mount Umunhum out and back trail. Still pretty green with some wildflowers! There were a decent amount of hikers, and lots of bicyclists. Seems like a very popular spot for mountain bikers! Had to watch out for cyclists most of the hike. Along the trail, there were some informational posts about the mountain's history and at the summit, there was a neat informational site, Native American pow wow example, and good balcony for pictures. Learned that Umunhum has that name because the Natives thought it sounded like a hummingbird! Partially shaded but I still recommend going in the morning. There were lots of switchbacks so the hike felt long - took me around 3 hours and 15 minutes including breaks to complete. When I came back around 11:45am, the parking lot was full and some people were parked on the side of the road. Overall, I would classify the Mount Umunhum trail as moderately difficult. Because of the switchbacks, the incline is very gradual but the hike feels longer. Good views and trails were well-maintained with markers. The constant cyclists slightly detracted from the hiking experience, but I would still recommend!

Did the Mt Umunhum trail. Mostly shaded. Free parking. Great views. Some historical stuff (WW2…read moreradar builing and Native American religious site) at the top which is a nice reward making it to the top. Can drive all the way to the top if mobility is an issue.

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.

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.

Limited parking spot in Mt. Baldy parking area…read more Paths are well maintained Brought 32 oz H2O for 8 mile round trip on a partly cloudy day and it was all gone! Great path to walk with kids, but just be weary of bicyclists Nice views of San Jose Thanks!

Have not been up here since I was a kid and wanted to check to see how it has changed. Well now…read moreit's a park and the military left, so it's been 45 years..... but the view is still gorgeous and a must see. Bay Area icon. Plus the drive is worth it.