The Best 40 Short Hikes on the Peninsula

The Best 40 Short Hikes on the Peninsula

July 2003

"About and lighthearted, I take to the open road:

Healthy, free, the world before me;

The long, brown path before me leading

Wherever I choose.” - Walt Whitman, ‘Song of the Open Road”

On July 9, I will be presenting what arguably can be called “The Best 40 Short Hikes on the Peninsula.” This presentation will be at Mills Health Center, 100 S. San Mateo Dr., San Mateo, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Hendrickson Auditorium. The program is sponsored by Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Community Education. Admission is $12 ($8 - age 62-plus). Call the Health Center at 1-800-654-9966 for details, or pay at the door.

So much for the commercial. If you have been following this column and would like to know more about short (three miles or less) Peninsula trails, you will want to attend this event on July 9. I will talk about and show slides of 40 trails in four geographic zones—coast, ridge, rift, and bay. And for your physical well being, Jennifer Scopazzi, Mills-Peninsula exercise physiologist, will cover the fine points of stretching before, cooling down after, and dealing with other bodily needs while hiking.

This is a list of the trails we will cover. All, or most, are three miles or less with larger hike extensions if you choose. They are all included on www.weeklywalker.com under “Walks by Interest” and “Short Walks” in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

The following is a summary listing of hikes we will cover by zone, from north to south.

Coast Zone

Loop Trail to Brooks Falls – San Pedro Valley County Park, Pacifica
Fitzgerald Marine Preserve – Moss Beach
Coastside Trail – Half Moon Bay
Blufftop Coastal Park – Half Moon Bay
Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park – Half Moon Bay
Pescadero Marsh – Pescadero
Jackson Flats Trail – Butano State Park
Elephant Seal Walk – Ano Nuevo State Reserve
Berry Creek Falls – Big Basin State Park

Ridge Zone

Saddle Trail – San Bruno Mountain County Park
Bog Trail – San Bruno Mountain County Park
Sweeney Ridge – Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Sunset Hike – Purisima Open Space Preserve
Redwood Trail – Purisima Open Space Preserve
Tafoni Formations – El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve
McGarvey Flat – Huddart County Park
Skyline Trail – County Park
Alambique Trail – Wunderlich County Park
Anniversary Trail – Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Schilling Lake, Thornewood Open Space Preserve
Best views of spring flowers – Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
Ancient Oaks Trail – Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
Horseshoe Lake – Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Alpine Lake – Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Sandstone outcroppings – Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Rift Zone

Sawyer Camp Trail – County Park
Great views and great oaks – Junipero Serra County Park
Ed Taylor Trail – Mills Canyon Nature Area
Waterdog Lake – Belmont
Polly Geraci Trail – Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve
Wildflower walk – Edgewood County
Eaton – Big Canyon Park - San Carlos
Stulsaft Park – Redwood City
San Andreas Fault Trail – Los Trancos Open Space Preserve

Bay Zone

Bay Trail – Brisbane to Palo Alto
Bayside- Sunrise Walk – Redwood Shores
Bair Island – San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Great Spirit Path – Bayfront Park, Menlo Park
Restored marsh – Ravenswood Open Space Preserve
Through Environmental Art – Byxbee Park, Palo Alto

Glancing over the list, you soon get the message. Walks by the ocean, to waterfalls, along creeks, through the marsh, next to redwoods, around lakes, along fault lines, in city neighborhoods, through landfills, and long, long views. An expanded summary of each walk will be available at the presentation, plus slides, and a lively discussion.

See you July 9 at Mills Health Center.

Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome.

E-mail <tom@tomdavids.com>

Footnote: Check out the Weekly Walker Web site at www.weeklywalker.com.

| Home | - | Featured Walk | - | By Interest | - | By Location | - | "Foot" notes | - | Links |

______________________________________________________________________________________