hiking

A Piece of the Bay Area Ridge Trail

Classic vista from a piece of the Bay Area Ridge Trail in the Long Ridge Open Space Preserve.

This short out-and-back hike starts from the Grizzly Flat parking area, and is great for dog-walking and horseback riding.

Peters Creek Trail to Long Ridge Road Loop

The stunning view of the Santa Cruz Mountains all the way down to the Pacific Ocean from Long Ridge Road.

4.6 miles; 2.5 hours on foot; moderate
Peters Creek Trail —> Long Ridge Road —> Long Ridge Trail

This (literally) awesome loop offers spectacular vistas, redwood forest and even a pretty little ridgetop pond.

Gordon Mill Trail

Happily, there is shade and plenty of scenery on Gordon Mill Trail in El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. Photo by L. Clark Tate.

A relatively easy-to-follow, wide-open dirt road diving deep into mountainside forests.

Tafoni Trail Loop

Tafoni is fragile, so look but don't touch! Photo by L. Clark Tate.

See a plane crash memorial, ocean view, and remarkable sandstone formation on just one walk through the woods.

Tarwater Trail via Pescadero Creek Park

Big trees galore on the Tarwater Trail. Clark Tate photo.

A nearly 5-mile hike featuring gas and oil deposits, a dairy farm and one of the largest redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Butano Ridge Loop Trail

Butano redwoods. Photo by Chmee2 / CC

A journey hike (i.e. a hike bereft of climatic destination) the Butano Ridge Loop is an excellent mediation on the consistent beauty of Santa Cruz Mountain forests.

A Bouquet of Nature at Russian Ridge

Tidy tips are recognized by their white outer edges.

A "Bouquet of Flowers" hike at Russian Ridge includes spring wildflowers, birds, butterflies and all the best parts of nature.

Rancho San Antonio

On Sunday afternoons, trails in the lower section of the park double as community promenade. Traci Hukill photo.

Maybe the Peninsula's most beloved park.

Chamise Trail at Rancho San Antonio

Chamise Trail in its best spring outfit.

The northernmost trail at Rancho San Antonio park in Silicon Valley climbs 1000 feet in 9.2 miles and traverses chaparral, oak woodland and beautiful meadows.

Butano State Park

A creek crossing on Mill Ox Trail. Kelsey Farabee photo.

Redwood camping near the coast.

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