This 493-acre, crescent-shaped preserve is located on the east side of Skyline Blvd., across from Russian Ridge OSP. The southern corner of it is on the north side of Page Mill Road from Monte Bello OSP, a short distance up the road from Los Trancos OSP. Coal Creek has 5 miles of trails, mostly on old ranch roads. The preserve was named after Coal Creek, which in turn was named for the thin coal veins found here. Coal Creek runs through the northern corner of the preserve. The park has grassy meadows that are covered with wildflowers in the spring as well as shady oak and madrone woodlands. Here is a link on the Coal Creek loop, one on hiking the Coal Creek meadows, and another on hiking Upper Alpine Road.
This 2788-acre preserve is on the west slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, just below the summit. It is just south of Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP and across Skyline Blvd. from the upper corner of Wunderlich County Park. El Corte de Madera Creek OSP is centered around the headwaters of El Corte de Madera Creek and its tributaries. It has an extensive networks of trails, mostly old logging roads. The park's redwood forests were heavily logged, even up until 1988. However, the canyons and ridges are covered with second-growth redwoods. The preserve ranges in elevation from 700 feet at its lower boundary to 2400 feet at Sierra Morena. Some trails cross through deep redwood and douglas fir forests, steep canyons, and high ridges. Others run through oak woodlands, rolling grasslands, and chaparral. A vista point provides views down to the coast. One of the park's most popular attractions is a large sandstone formation with caves, columns, and honeycomb depressions, much like Castle Rock, except rock climbing is not allowed. Here are some El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve hikes.
This preserve is located on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains on the east side of steep Lyndon Canyon. It overlooks Lexington Reservoir, Hwy 17, and the Sierra Azuls. The trail starts at the end of winding Montevina Road. There are only a couple of parking spots at the trailhead. The trail is mostly open, passing by hills covered with short, scrubby chaparral, though there are some shady sections. It drops downhill to a meadow, with great views of the southern Santa Clara Valley. Unfortunately, it's a long, sunny, mostly shadeless climb back up. This is a popular downhill rolller coaster ride for mountain bikers, who don't seem to care about the 15 mph speed limit, so watch your back. Fortunately, the trail is wide.
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is a 739-acre preserve located in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains above Cupertino, next to Stevens Creek County Park. It is on ranchlands that were once owned by former San Francisco newspaper editor, Fremont Older. Trails through this hilly park run through shady creeksides, open hayfields, and along broad ridgetops. The high point of the park is 1160-foot Maisie's Hill, which has panoramic views of the area. Hunter's Point, in the hayfield area, also has great views. Trails lead down into Stevens Canyon above and below Stevens Creek Reservoir. Here are some Fremont Older Open Space Preserve trails. Here is a link on the plants and wildlife at Fremont Older OSP.
View from Hunter's Point, Fremont Older OSP, looking northeast towards Cupertino
Long Ridge is a 1551-acre preserve located on the western side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, near the crest. It's located in the middle of a complex of public lands and its trails can be taken into these areas. It adjoins Skyline Ridge OSP, Upper Stevens Creek County Park, Saratoga Gap OSP, Castle Rock State Park, and Portola State Park. Long Ridge has 12 miles of trails. They lead through narrow, lush Peters Creek Canyon, up through shady oak woodlands to open wildflower-covered grasslands at Long Ridge, with panoramic views of the surrounding parklands in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ward Road leads down through the redwood forests of the Pescadero Creek canyon and connects to the Slate Creek Trail in Portola State Park. Part of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail passes through the southern segment of the park. Most of the trails are old ranch roads, which makes them wide enough for hikers and bikers to share without running into each other. There are a few narrow trails here also open to bikes, however, particularly the Long Ridge Trail, so watch your back here. A scenic, shady 1-hour hike is to take the trail down to Peters Creek from the Grizzly Flat entrance. The trail crosses over Peters Creek on a wooden bridge after a 1/2 mile, then follows the creek through a shady, fern and moss-covered canyon. It then emerges into a sunny valley which was an old apple orchard, with willows surrounding the creek. Soon a wide trail leads upwards to the right. You can take this, which gently climbs up a fir-shaded slope for 0.4 miles to join the Long Ridge Trail. The Long Ridge Trail circles back for 0.7 miles through fir, oak, and toyon-shaded forests and drops back down to Peters Creek, completing the loop. If you continue on the flat, straight, shady Peters Creek Trail for another 0.7 miles, you'll end up at the edge of a scenic pond, part of land owned by a Zen Buddhist retreat. The trail zigzags upwards for a half mile to join sunny, wide Long Ridge Road, which has beautiful views of the forested valleys and mountains to the west, but can be hot on a mid-summer day. Long Ridge Road runs north for a half mile to hit the Long Ridge Trail. At the intersection is a stone bench dedicated to the famous poet Wallace Stegner. The narrow Long Ridge Trail ducks back into the forest and heads north for 0.8 miles until it is joined by the connector trail from Peters Creek mentioned above. If you take Long Ridge Road south, it becomes a narrow sunny trail again until it hits the Hickory Oaks Trail after 0.3 miles. The Hickory Oaks Trail is a wide, sunny trail for a half mile. It then enters the welcome shade of an oak forest. A side trail leads upwards to the right. This trail tops a grassy hill at the highest point in the park. At the top are some unusual boulders, which was a gathering place for Ohlone Indian shamans. This trail circles back to the Hickory Oaks Trail, which drops down through more oak-shaded forests and eventually ends at a parking lot on Skyline Blvd. Here is a "Cyberhike" through Long Ridge. Here is a mountain biker's guide to Long Ridge.
This Preserve is located across Page Mill Road from Monte Bello OSP. The San Andreas Fault cuts through the middle of the park. The most significant feature of this park is the earthquake fault trail, which is a self-guiding trail that demonstrates features associated with earthquakes, such as sag ponds and pressure ridges. A fence there has been split apart and separated by the fault, showing how much the land has moved. Other trails in the preserve lead through forests and meadows, with great views of Palo Alto and the Bay Area below.
"Monte Bello" means "beautiful mountain" in Italian. It's aptly named. It's a beautiful area, which includes Monte Bello Ridge, Black Mountain, and the headwaters of Stevens Creek. It's one of the larger open space preserves, with 2758 acres and 15 miles of trails. It's main entrances are located on Page Mill Road just below Skyline Blvd. The San Andreas Fault runs right through the middle of the reserve, splitting it into 2 distinct ecosystems. The slopes to the west of the fault are covered with conifer forests. The hills and ridges to the east are covered with grasslands, oak woodlands, and chaparral. Stevens Creek itself follows the fault. The nature trail in the preserve runs along the lush, shady riparian corridor of Stevens Creek. The cool shade and waters of the creek make this a great stroll on a hot day. Higher above the creek, but still mostly shaded, is the long Canyon Trail, that runs for most of the length of the park. Running parallel to this along the crest of Montebello Ridge is Monte Bello Road. This is a partially paved road that is closed to unauthorized automobile traffic, but open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. The Indian Creek Trail and Bella Vista Trail are connecting trails that run between the Canyon Trail and Monte Bello Road. These pass through open grasslands covered with springtime wildflowers. These are both narrow trails, but mountain bikes are allowed on them, so watch out. They have great views of the San Andreas Fault Zone, Russian Ridge, and Skyline Ridge. The Bella Vista Trail has a firmer surface, so is a better trail to take downhill. Between these 2 trails on Monte Bello Road is the Black Mountain Trail Camp. The camp is a shady oasis on the often hot, shadeless ridge. It has hike-in campsites, piped water for washing, a pay phone, and a chemical flush toilet. Nearby is the 2800' top of Black Mountain, which is studded with antennas. It has great views of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the San Andreas Rift Valley all the way from Crystal Springs Reservoir to the Sierra Azuls. The Bay Area cities are visible to the east. The Monte Bello Road has great views, but the open paved road is not a great hiking trail. It tends to get hot, and it's a freeway for mountain bikers. It's better to take side trails, like the Old Ranch Trail, which winds around the hills west of the road, and the Adobe Creek Trail, which runs through a shady woodland to the east. Monte Bello's trails connect to other adjacent public lands. The Black Mountain Trail goes down from Monte Bello Road to Rancho San Antonio OSP. The Canyon Trail runs through Upper Stevens Creek County Park, and then to Stevens Canyon Road. The Skid Road Trail ends at Skyline Blvd. Across the road is one of the entrances to Skyline Ridge OSP. Across Page Mill Road from Monte Bello OSP is Los Trancos OSP, whose main parking lot is close to Monte Bello's. Monte Bello Road heads southeast and eventually becomes a public road that leads down to the Stevens Creek County Park area.
Bella Vista Trail, Monte Bello OSP, looking north towards Page Mill Road
Pulgas Ridge is a 293-acre preserve located in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Moutains west of San Carlos at the northeast corner of Edgewood Roach and I-280. It is across Edgewood Road from Edgewood County Park. It is on the site of a former tuberculosis sanitarium that was purchased by the MROSD in 1983. The hospital buildings were removed 2 years later, and the land is reverting back to a natural state. The preserve is centered around Pulgas Ridge. It has 3 miles of trails that pass through shady canyons and open hilly meadows. Here are some Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve trails
This park contains the northernmost major redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's a steep, 2633-acre park on the upper western slopes of the mountains. It starts at the 2000-foot level along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains and extends downwards to the west through steep canyons along the upper reaches of Purisima Creek and its tributaries. It has 21 miles of trails, some new, some old logging roads. Redwoods were logged here until the 1970's. It has deep, cool second-growth redwood forests in the canyons, with some large old-growth trees. A wheelchair-accessible trail runs through a redwood grove at the southern entrance to the park on Skyline Blvd. Some of the biggest redwoods are near the park's west entrance at Higgins-Purisima Road. The west entrance is good for hikes that start by going uphill and return by going downhill. Hikes that originate from Skyline blvd. go downhill first, then return uphill. Here are some Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve hikes.
The Rancho San Antonio complex in the hills behind Cupertino and Los Altos consists of several areas that are open to the public. There's 165-acre Rancho San Antonio County Park, run by Santa Clara County. Adjacent to it is the much bigger 2135-acre Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve and Duveneck Windmill Pasture, run by the MROSD. Within Rancho San Antonio OSP is the Deer Hollow Farm, run by the city of Mountain View. Next to Duveneck Windmill Pasture is Hidden Villa, a farm run by a private foundation and open to the public. The county park end has paved parking lots, a nice restroom, playing fields, and racket ball courts. There are 23 miles of trails through shady, wooded canyons, along lushly vegetated creeks, over broad open meadows, and along steep canyon walls. Rancho San Antonio is a very popular park, probably because it's big, close to the city, easy to get to, and has lots of activities to offer. Even though it has big parking lots, they can fill up. If you're looking for solitude, you won't find it here. The Duveneck Pasture end is much less crowded than the county park end, however. The good thing for hikers, however, is that mountain bikes aren't allowed on most of the park trails, so you don't have to watch your back. Horses are allowed, so you still have to watch your step. Here are some Rancho San Antonio County Park trails. Here is some information on the trails and wildflowers at Ranch San Antonio. Here is some information on Duveneck Windmill Pasture, Black Mountain Trail.
View of Mindego Hill and Santa Cruz Mountains from the Ridge Trail, Russian Ridge OSP
This preserve, along the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, has some of the best views of the Bay Area, a nice view of the Pacific Ocean, and wide open fields of springtime green grass and wildflowers. It's at the intersection of Page Mill Road and Skyline Blvd. Easy trails lead through the open meadows and along the ridge. The high point is at Borel Hill, the highest named point in San Mateo County, with unobstructed 360 degree views. The Ancient Oaks Trail (currently closed for a grasslands management experiment) leads through shady forests with huge oak trees. The Mindego Ridge Trail winds down through pasturelands, canyons, along Mindego Creek, and up to the lower slopes of Mindego Hill, which is a flat-topped extinct volcano cone. Here is a link on this El Nino year's awesome display of wildflowers at Russian Ridge.
Wildflowers at Russian Ridge OSP, overlooking Palo Alto, Stanford U., and SF Bay
Saratoga Gap covers a good 617 acres, but only a tiny portion is accessible by trail. Its main trail is the Saratoga Gap Trail, which runs along the upper section of the preserve, following Skyline Blvd for the most part. This major road is usually out of sight, but within earshot of the trail. The trail winds through shady forests of oak and douglas fir, along the sides of steep, shady canyons. There are moss-covered sandstone boulders and rock formations along the way. It's a scenic and cool route, a good one to take on sunny days. This narrow trail is a very popular route for mountain bikers, which makes it a real pain for hikers. While hiking this trail, I got tired of having to stand on the side of the trail every minute to let the bikes pass. I finally gave up and turned back in disgust, along with some other hikers, dodging more bikes on the way back. I resolved to either file a protest or buy a mountain bike and join the crowd. The Saratoga Gap Trail is a route to Long Ridge OSP. The same bikers who passed me by in Saratoga Gap OSP later passed me by (with more room on the trail) at Long Ridge OSP.
View from the Kennedy Trail of the lower part of the trail, Los Gatos, and West San Jose
The Sierra Azul range is part of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but lies east of the San Andreas fault at the southern end of the Bay Area. Its name means "blue range." (The part of the Santa Cruz Mountains that lies along the Peninsula is called the Sierra Morenas, or "dark range.") The Sierra Azul range forms a steep towering wall that dominates the view of the South Bay. The dark green of its heavily vegetated eastern mountain slopes contrasts sharply with the dry brown (in the summer) slopes of the hills and ridges to the east. Much of the land in these mountains is still in private hands. Access is limited and in some cases, controversial. Ironically, the Sierra Azul OSP preserve is the giant of the MROSD. The Mt. Umunhum section of the preserve covers 6843 acres, the largest preserve by far, but probably the least accessible. The Kennedy, Limekiln and Cathedral Oaks areas cover 3836 acres, making it the second largest preserve. One of the highest points in the range is at 3486-foot Mt. Umunhum, which is topped by a huge 9-story building, the remains of an old Air Force radar station. The mountaintop, which is the most prominent and visible feature in this part of the BayArea, is currently not open to the public until the Air Force cleans it up. The open space preserve is an irregularly-shaped jigsaw puzzle, with missing pieces consisting of private inholdings. The trails here are among the longest, hottest, steepest, and toughest in the area. These trails are very popular with mountain bikers, who enjoy the long roller coaster ride down. They are not as popular with hikers. It's a real endurance test to scale these mountains on foot, particularly in the summer. The Kennedy Trail, which begins at Kennedy Road, is the most scenic route, with a long, winding 1600-foot ascent up a dirt road, passing by steep canyons and through shady ravines on the way. The Limekiln and the Priest Rock Trail begin within a short distance of each other above the shores of Lexington Reservoirs. The Limekiln Trail is the cooler trail, passing through tree-shaded canyons and past a rocky waterfall until it crosses the Priest Rock Trail. It continues on along the ridge to join the Woods Trail. The Priest Rock Trail is a real butt-kicker of a trail. It's almost all open, hot, dusty, and incredibly steep in places, particularly where it shoots straight up the mountainside to join the Kennedy Trail at over 2600 feet. If it were any steeper, you would need rock climbing gear. Still, the incredible views are worth it, and it's good exercise. The Woods Trail leads up the other side of the mountains, from the intersection of Hicks Road and Mt. Umunhum Road, however there is some legal wrangling over access to this area. You can get to Bald Mountain, however, which is a grassy knoll below Mt. Umunhum. It's only a half mile hike from the parking lot on Mt. Umhunhum Road at Gate SA7 and has great views of the Almaden Valley and Mt. Hamilton range. Even though you can't hike to the top of Mt. Umunhum, you can see the view from it at this link. Here is a mountain biker's description and opinion of the Kennedy Trail and the Priest Rock and Limekiln Trails.
View from the middle of the Priest Rock Trail, looking up to its junction (top left of picture) at the top of the ridge at the Kennedy Trail.
Alpine Pond and David C. Daniels Nature Center, Skyline Ridge OSP
This is one of the most interesting of the open space preserves, with a pond and nature center at one end, a lake and Christmas tree farm at the other, high rocky ridges, deep forests, and panoramic views of the Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains in-between. It is located at the southwest corner of Skyline Blvd. and Alpine Road. To the north across Alpine Road is Russian Ridge OSP. To the east across Skyline Blvd. is Monte Bello OSP. Diagonally to the northeast is Coal Creek OSP. Skyline Ridge has 1612 acres, 10 miles of trails, and 2 1-mile trails that are wheelchair and stroller accessible. There's a large parking lot at the corner of Alpine Rd. and Skyline Blvd. at Russian Ridge OSP. A path through a tunnel under Alpine Rd. leads into Skyline Ridge OSP at Alpine Pond. This a lovely pond surrounded by reeds. A path leads around it. The Daniels Nature Center is built on a deck overlooking the pond. A nearby short pier extends over the pond. Large bluegill and bass (no fishing allowed) can be seen in the shallows. Farther down Skyline Blvd. are large parking areas near the Christmas Tree farm. Short trails lead from the parking lots to Horseshoe Lake, which is shaped like a horeshoe. Paths, including a wheelchair-accessible one, lead around the lake. One path leads up a hill to a shady picnic spot above the lake. Other park trails lead through deep forested canyons, around and over rocky ridges, and past broad wildflower-coverd grasslands. There are great views here of the Santa Cruz Mountains and nearby parklands. Here are some hikes.
East arm of Horseshoe Lake, Skyline Ridge OSP
View of Los Gatos from St. Joseph's Hill
This is a small preserve at only 170 acres, but it seems much bigger because of the commanding views from its slopes, particularly from the 1253-foot summit of Saint Joseph's Hill. The preserve is located between Los Gatos and Lexington Reservoir. It overlooks both, as well as the Sierra Azuls and most of the South Bay. It has 3 entrances. The shortest is the very steep but short Jones trail from the parking lot at Lexington Reservoir. This trail segment is actually part of Lexington County Park. A longer trail starts along Los Gatos Creek at the Forbes Mill Museum. It follows the creek and winds up the hill on the narrow Flume Trail, which was once carried a water flume. A flatter trail starts up in the hills at Novitiate Park. 2 trails lead up to the top of Saint Joseph's Hill itself. The Novitiate Trail goes up the shadier and more heavily wooded north side. It splits off, with one leg to the left dead-ending at the closed Guadalupe College. The right leg climbs up the hill, with the best views of the Bay Area. The Manzanita Trail is longer and approaches from the south side of the hill, along the dry, sunny, chaparral-covered slopes. Views from here take in Lexington Reservoir, Lyndon Canyon, The Sierra Azuls, and the Limekiln Trail. From the flat top of Saint Joseph's Hill, you get a 360-degree view of the whole area. Here is a "Cyberhike" up St. Joseph's Hill.
This aptly-named 1132-acre preserve with 14 miles of trails is located on the eastern crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains between Skyline Blvd. and Portola Rd. The bald, windswept knob of Windy Hill offers great views of the Bay Area. Trails descend along the grassy slopes of the hill and into steep stream canyons with redwood, fir, and oak forest. Here are some hikes.