A curated guide to Peninsula and South Bay hikes, brought to you by POST. LEARN MORE
POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.
Hiking Calendar 2025
Brought to you by POST
POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.
Get ready to explore the great outdoors year-round with our hiking calendar! Discover the best landscapes to visit each month and learn interesting facts about local plants and animals. Use this guide to inspire your next self-guided hike with family or friends.Looking for an organized group hike? Check out our events calendar.
Since 1977, POST has been hard at work protecting open spaces on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. So far, we’ve safeguarded more than 87,000 acres of land — places for wildlife to thrive and for us to reconnect with nature.
The trails await!
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January
Jean Lauer Trail
Pillar Point Bluff
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 1.4-miles roundtrip
- Elevation Change
- 100 feet
- Hiking Time
- Less than 1 hour
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
The Jean Lauer trail winds through Pillar Point Bluff County Park and overlooks a seasonal wetland and coastal waters. You may see pelicans, cormorants, or hawks flying over this ADA-accessible trail with low grades and abundant scenery.
All Month:
- Steelhead return to spawning grounds
- Blood currants bloom
- Gray foxes mate
February
Castle Rock Falls
Castle Rock State Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 3.4 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 1100 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
During the winter at Castle Rock State Park, hikers can stand on a wooden platform above a waterfall that careens 75 feet down into the San Lorenzo River. Besides chasing waterfalls, you’ll find impressive sandstone formations, sweeping vistas, and ancient redwoods.
All Month:
- Bobcats mate
- Snowy egrets nest
- Cottonwood bloom
March
Maisie’s Peak
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 2.6 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 500 feet
- Hiking Time
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
At Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in Santa Clara, trails wind through beautiful forests and rolling hills to the top of Maisie’s Peak. Panoramic views of the surrounding open spaces can be found at the summit, and blue elderberry, coyote brush, and monkey flower are found along the way.
All Month:
- Western fence lizard emerge
- migrating birds arrive
- Coyote pup season begins
APRIL
Rancho Cañada del Oro
Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 5.8 miles
- Elevation Change
- 1460 feet
- Hiking Time
- 4-5 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve is a great place to see wildflowers in the springtime. The trails here wind through native grasslands, oak woodlands, and creekside habitats, which tend to flourish after the stormy winter months.
All Month:
- wildflowers bloom
- Western snowy plovers nest
- Bay checkerspot butterfly mate
MAY
Long Ridge Trail
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 4.7 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 500 feet
- Hiking Time
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve is a great hiking destination all year long, though its lovely wildflowers make it a great choice for the springtime. At the top of the ridgeline, you’ll discover sweeping views of the Pacific ocean and surrounding forests.
All Month:
- Harbor seal pupping season
- Rattlesnakes mate
- Artichokes in season
June
Cowell-Purisima Trail
Cowell Ranch State Beach
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 3.6 miles
- Elevation Change
- 100 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Just north of Half Moon Bay, the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail features pastoral scenery on one side and ocean views on the other. This flat trail is perfect for a slow, meandering hike. Keep an eye out for harbor seals, pelicans, hawks, and wildflowers.
All Month:
- Strawberries ripen
- humpback whales arrive
- Juvenile Badgers leave their dens
July
High Meadow Trail Loop
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 5.5 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 800 feet
- Hiking Time
- 4-5 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
The High Meadow Trail Loop at Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve features a variety of scenery. The trail begins in a cool canyon, and then ascends to high meadows filled with lupine, poppies, and blue-eyed grass.
AUGUST
Skyline Trail
Sanborn County Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 6 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 600 feet
- Hiking Time
- 5-6 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
This hike along the Skyline and Indian Rock trails is mostly flat and almost completely shaded, making it perfect for a hot summer day. You’ll journey along the ridgeline of the Santa Cruz Mountains through Douglas fir and Pacific madrone.
All Month:
- Blackberries ripen
- Pallid Bat Pups Take Flight
- Rattlesnakes Born
- Coyotes Born
SEPTEMBER
Devil’s Slide Trail
San Mateo County Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 3 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- Mostly flat
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
The Devil’s Slide Trail was converted from a former section of Highway 1, and is now a popular spot for both hikers and nesting seabirds. Along this short paved trail, you’ll find ocean views, observation scopes, and interpretive signs.
All Month:
- California Aster bloom
- Big Leaf Maples Change Color,
- tarantulas mate
OCTOBER
Levee Trail
Stevens Creek Nature Study Area
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 1 mile round-trip
- Elevation Change
- Mostly flat
- Hiking Time
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Levee Trail at Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area is a prime spot for birders. Though the trail is short, it’s an ideal place to observe swallows, sandpipers, herons, coots, shovelers, and more. Plus, the hike can be easily extended along the San Francisco Bay Trail.
NOVEMBER
Spring Ridge to Summit
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 7.5 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 1400 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2-3 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
On a clear day at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, three mountain peaks are visible from the summit: Mt. Diablo, Mt. Hamilton, and Mt. Tamalpais. Though a strenuous hike to the very top, the stunning views make the journey worthwhile.
All Month:
- migrating birds on pacific flyway arrive
- peak monarch butterfly populations along the coast
DECEMBER
Sam McDonald’s Cabin
Sam McDonald County Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 2.8 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 600 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
This moderate hike through the redwoods leads to the cabin where Sam McDonald, Stanford’s first Black administrator, once lived. Keep an eye out for banana slugs and California newts, who are more common during the wet winter months.
All Month:
- northern elephant seals breed
- California tiger salamanders migrate
POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.
© 2024 Peninsula Open Space Trust
