Los Trancos Open Space Preserve

"The age is dull and mean. Men creep, not walk.” John Whittier

Directions: Take Highway 92 west to Skyline Boulevard, then go 20 miles south to intersection with Page Mill. Turn left, proceed one mile, and look for parking area on your left. The Monte Bello Open Space Preserve is directly south of Los Trancos.

Grade: Moderate. Elevation loss of about 500 feet.

Distance: 3 miles.

Time: Two to three hours.

Special Conditions: Toilet facilities across Page Mill Road in the Monte Bello parking lot. No dogs on trail. No drinking water. Bikes permitted on all preserve trails except for the San Andreas Fault Trail. Watch for poison oak at trail side. Check for ticks, and watch for rattlesnakes. Preserve is managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Phone: (650) 691-1200; e-mail: mrosd@openspace.org

Last week’s walk featured the San Andreas Fault Trail in the upper portion of Los Trancos. This week, our walk takes us to the lower reaches of the park into a deep canyon with a full, running stream and a cool, shaded forest.

The Los Trancos Open Space Preserve includes 274 acres and is one of the eight preserves that make up the South Skyline Region of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. All these preserves are centered around the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Page Mill Road. In a future column of the Weekly Walker we will feature a long loop hike of 20 plus miles that will connect seven of the eight preserves. But for now, we return to Los Trancos in search of Lost Creek.

The Lost Creek Loop Trail is one of three loop trails in the preserve, the other two being the Franciscan Loop Trail and the San Andreas Fault Loop Trail. The name “Lost Creek” does not appear to have any particular significance in the geology or history of the area. In fact, the trail map available at the parking lot trailhead does not show Lost Creek, only Los Trancos Creek. I can only assume that the seasonal creek along the lower portion of the loop trail is Lost Creek and that it feeds into Los Trancos Creek.

The hike begins at the parking lot trailhead. Note that the highest point in the preserve is along Page Mill Road, and from this ridge, the waters of Stevens Creek move south and the waters of Los Trancos Creek and Corte Madera Creek flow north. After a short distance, you come to the first junction with a trail sign marking the way to the Fault Trail (right), Franciscan Loop Trail (left or right), and Lost Creek Loop Trail (left). We suggest that you turn right and descend down the Franciscan Loop Trail for a more complete tour of the preserve. The trail passes over grassy hillsides and through oak and bay forest for .3 mile to the next junction. Continue straight for a short distance to another junction, then turn left, crossing over the headwaters of Los Trancos Creek, and descend along the creek channel for .2 mile to the next junction. Here you can choose to continue straight or turn right for a .7-mile hike over grassy hills to gate LT01 at Page Mill Road. We took the latter and enjoyed the warm sun and good views to the west. At gate LT01, turn left and quickly descend into the Lost Creek canyon. After .2 mile to another junction, take the right branch and continue along Lost Creek. Another .1 mile, brings you to another junction. Continue left (or straight) along the Lost Creek Loop, or turn right and take the Page Mill Trail to the north meadow. This adds another 1.6 mile to your hike, but if you have the time, you will enjoy long views of Coal Creek, Windy Hill, the Bay, and on a clear day, all the way to Mount Tamalpais. The Lost Creek Loop Trail ends its canyon meander and heads up along the Los Trancos Creek watershed. When we visited the park in early June, the water was running high, and we found several fine places to picnic near the creek. From there, your hike back to the parking lot gains about 500 feet. Turn right at the next junction, and in .6 mile, you are back at the parking lot. Along the way, you probably noticed characteristics of the earthquake fault zone reviewed in last week’s walk. More information on the area is available through District-sponsored, docent-led hikes. For information, call (650) 691-1200.

Walker’s Footnote: More information on dog walks, thanks to Suzanne, who suggest clicking on: Dogpark.com for a listing of dog parks throughout California. Parks are mentioned for Burlingame, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, and San Carlos on the Peninsula. However, the list includes “parks,” not trails such as the Open Space District trails, the Eaton Park or Big Canyon Trails in San Carlos, or the Water Dog Lake Trail in Belmont.

Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome. Fax to the Independent at (650) 692-7587, or e-mail to: trekertom@aol.com.