Parks & Maps

Bobcat @ Russian Ridge OSP

Just a quick note to remind everyone that we live in big cat country. Bobcats & Mountain Lions are in our backyards.
These attacks are extremely rare, see here.
If you do encounter a big cat make yourself as large as possible. Stand tall and place small children on your shoulders but do not squat down to pick them up. Make noise. Do not turn from them. Do not run away. SLOWLY back away while looking and sounding as large and fearless as possible. I have ran for countless hours through these hills and have NEVER seen a big cat. You do not need to be so afraid that you refuse to enter the woods. That is an over reaction. Go into the trails 1 hour after sunrise and stay on the trails until 1 hour before sunset. Dusk and dawn are active feeding, moving times. While in the woods I recommend you randomly clear your throat loudly or clap your hands to make a little extra noise to let the world know you are out there.

Bay Area "Loops"

• Bay Area Ridge Trail- AKA "The dirt one"- A series of inter-connecting trails that will someday wrap all the way around the bay. Currently large portions of the trail are missing but large portions of the trail are connected through the Santa Cruz mountains.
• Bay Trail- AKA "The paved one"- A series of inter-connecting bike paths that will someday wrap all the way around the shoreline of the bay. Currently large portions of the path are missing but large portions of the path are connected through San Mateo County, Santa Clara County & Alameda County.
• My article on The Bay Area Waterfalls

Check out this list of Bay Area Summits

This is a list of named summits in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area that are more than 1,000 feet (305 m) above sea level.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) chronicles two hundred years of history, from the Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier and the Mexican Republic, to maritime history, the California Gold Rush, the evolution of American coastal fortifications, and the growth of urban San Francisco.

• GGNRA Overview map and info
• Golden Gate Park overview map.
• Marin Headlands
• Fort Mason
• Phleger Estate- enter from Huddart Park
• Muir Woods
• Crissy Fields
• Lands End
• Interactive GGNRA Map

Marin County Parks & Open Space Maps

New 680 Trail Alto Bowl Bald Hill Baltimore Canyon Blithedale Summit Bolinas Lagoon Bothin Marsh Camino Alto Cascade Canyon Deer Island French Ranch Gary Giacomini Horse Hill Ignacio Valley Indian Tree Indian Valley King Mountain Little Mountain Loma Alta Loma Verde Lucas Valley Maurice Thorner Memorial Mount Burdell Old Saint Hilary's Pacheco Valle Ring Mountain Roy's Redwoods Rush Creek San Pedro Mountain Santa Margarita Island Santa Venetia Marsh Terra Linda / Sleepy Hollow Tiburon Ridge Verissimo Hills White Hill

Mid peninsula Regional Open Space District Maps



Of the District's 26 preserves, ranging from 55 to nearly 17,000 acres, 24 are open to the public free of charge, 365 days a year from dawn until one-half hour after sunset.

BearCreek Redwoods Coal Creek El Corte de Madera Creek El Sereno Foothills Fremont Older La Honda Creek Long Ridge Los Trancos Monte Bello Picchetti Ranch Pulgas Ridge PurissimaCreek Redwoods Rancho San Antonio Ravenswood Russian Ridge Saratoga Gap Sierra Azul Skyline Ridge St.Josephs Hill Stevens Creek Teague Hill Thornewood* Windy Hill

 *Read the article written on May 27th 2013

 San Mateo County Parks Maps

The Parks Department operates 17 separate parks in a wide variety of natural settings including a coastside marine reserve, a bayside recreational area, coastal mountain woodland areas, and urban sites. Enjoy the rich and diverse natural spaces the San Francisco Peninsula has to offer by utilizing the San Mateo County Trails. There are 186 miles of trails to meet your recreational needs. Explore the scenic Pacific Coast. Climb to stunning views above the Bay. Nestle through the dense forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Or cruise alongside the sparkling lakes of the San Francisco Watershed. 

Coastal Trail @ Devils Slide Coyote Point Laurelwood Park Sugarloaf Mountain Junipero Serra Matadero Trail Crystal Springs Pescadero Creek San Bruno Mountain San Pedro Valley Edgewood Water Dog Lake Park Eaton & Big Canyon Park Huddart Quarry Wunderlich Pescadero Creek Alpine Trail Ralston Bike Trail Sand Hill Trail Sheep Camp Trail Woodside pathways & trails Portola Valley trail map Complete Trail Index HERE

Santa Clara County Parks

Santa Clara County acquired its first parkland in 1924, purchasing 400 acres near Cupertino which became Stevens Creek County Park. In 1956, the Department of Parks and Recreation was formed. Currently, the regional parks system has expanded to 28 parks encompassing nearly 45,000 acres.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park Alviso Marina County Park Anderson Lake County Park Calero County Park Chesbro Reservoir County ParkChitactac-Adams County Park Coyote Creek Parkway Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County ParkEd Levin County Park  Field Sports Park  Hellyer County Park  Joseph D. Grant County Park Lexington Reservoir County Park Los Gatos Creek Trail Motorcycle County Park Mt. Madonna County ParkPenitencia Creek  Rancho San Antonio County Park  Sanborn County Park Santa Teresa County Park Stevens Creek County Park Sunnyvale Baylands Park Upper Stevens Creek County Park Uvas Canyon County Park Uvas Creek Park Preserve Uvas Reservoir Vasona and Los Gatos Creek County Parks Villa Montalvo Art Center 

Saratoga City Trail Maps

• General Overview Map
• Heritage Loop MOVE-IT Saratoga Trail Event
• Kevin Moran and Azule Parks Map
• Parker Ranch Loop MOVE-IT Saratoga Trail Event
• Pocket Trail Map - Heritage Loop Trail
• Pocket Trail Map - Heritage Orchard Vicinity
• Pocket Trail Map - Mt. Eden and Villa Oaks Area
• Pocket Trail Map - Parker Ranch Trails
• Pocket Trail Map - San Marcos Trail
• Pocket Trail Map - Saratoga Village

East Bay Regional Parks

Anthony Chabot Antioch/Oakley Ardenwood Historic Farm Bay Point Big Break Bishop Ranch Black Diamond Mines Briones Brooks Island Browns Island Brushy Peak Camp Arroyo Carquinez Strait Castle Rock Claremont Canyon Contra Loma Coyote Hills Crockett Hills Crown Beach Cull Canyon Del Valle Diablo Foothills Don Castro Dry Creek Pioneer Dublin Hills Eastshore Five Canyons Garin Hayward Huckleberry Botanic Kennedy Grove Lake Chabot Las Trampas Leona Canyon Little Hills Martin Luther King Jr. Martinez Middle Harbor Miller/Knox Mission Peak Morgan Territory Ohlone Oyster Bay Pleasanton Ridge Point Isabel Point Pinole Quarry Lakes Redwood Roberts Round Valley Shadow Cliffs Sibley Sobrante Ridge Sunol Sycamore Valley Temescal Tilden Vargas Plateau Vasco Caves Waterbird Wildcat Canyon

State Parks & Trails

• Angel Island Perimeter Trail- 5 mi- Access to the island is from private boat or public ferry from San Francisco, Tiburon or Vallejo. There is NO weekday ferry service to Angel Island during the winter.
• China Camp Shoreline Trail- 3 mi- The Shoreline trail is a 1.5 mile trail that is very popular with hikers and cyclists alike. The trail itself is fairly level making it ideal for all levels of hiking fitness.
•  Mt Tamalpias State Park- More than 50 miles of trail are within the park and connect to a larger, 200-mile-long trail system. Runners are challenged by the twisting road to the top of the park's summit.
• Mt Diablo State Park-  View the stars from its lofty heights, bike ride to its 3,849 foot summit or explore the more remote trails by horseback. The park offers hiking, biking, horseback riding and camping.
• Ano Nuevo State Park- Between Half Moon Bay & Santa Cruz
• Big Basin Redwoods State Park- California's oldest state park, established in 1902, has grown to more than 18,000 acres, with over 80 miles of trails passing among streams, waterfalls, and old-growth redwoods.
• Butano State Park- The park is on the San Mateo Coast, off Highway One. Three miles northeast of the Gazos Creek Coastal Access Point by way of Gazos Creek Road, and about 4.5 miles southeast of Pescadero by way of the Pescadero and Cloverdale Roads.
• Castle Rock State Park- The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. These trails are part of an even more extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys with Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Pacific Coast.
• Portola Redwoods State Park- This state park is covered by Douglas fir, oaks, and giant coast redwoods, one of which, at 300 feet in height, is among the tallest in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

National Park Service Trails

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail- Spanish Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza in 1775-76 led more than 240 men, women and children on an overland journey across the frontier of New Spain to settle Alta California. Follow 1200 miles in the footsteps of this intrepid, multiethnic expedition, and explore the rich cultural history of communities from Nogales, Arizona, to San Francisco.

Pacific Crest Trail- Zigzagging its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America's National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America's ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and alpine country.