All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay

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  Numero Bruno

  Just minutes from San Francisco, San Bruno Mountain is like an island of nature amid a sea of urban bustle. With wildflower season starting to kick into high gear, spring is an ideal time to hike this floral wonderland.

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  Colors of Coyote

  Spring in the Bay Area brings emerald-green hills and bursts of rainbow-hued wildflowers. The 4-mile Arrowhead Loop in Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve is one of the best spots for up-close views of our seasonal colors

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  The Beauty of Black Mountain

  Rising 2,800 feet over the Peninsula’s Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Black Mountain—the inspiration behind Mountain View’s name—quietly stands watch over the South Bay. It’s also one of the few local summits with its own backpacking camp.

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  E-Hills

  Elephant Mountain and Ewing Hill are two of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets. This 3.4-mile loop from Hidden Villa offers panoramic views alongside a hands-on farm experience.

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  Waterfalls and Wine Pours

  Cooler temps, green hills, and the return of our magnificent waterfalls! This family-friendly 2-mile hike at Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill is a great way to get the most out of a short hike post-rain.

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  Sponsored

  POST's 2023 Hiking Calendar

  Start the new year off right by heading outdoors for a hike. Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) curated a (complimentary) 2023 hiking calendar that provides all the inspiration you’ll need!

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  Sunshine and Skyline

  Head to Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve for a 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail that offers a front-row seat to spectacular sunsets.

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  Sunlight and the Sea

  Rugged coastal cliffs, magnificent cloud formations, and sunlight sparkling on the water create beautiful autumn views at Mori Point in Pacifica. Hikers and cyclists can catch a Pacific sunset on the 2.5-mile Mori Point Loop.

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  Serenity in El Sereno

  This one’s for solitude seekers. The El Sereno Open Space Preserve leg of the Bay Area Ridge Trail is a new 7-mile (out-and-back) adventure for hikers and cyclists, winding through the chaparral with 1,000 feet of elevation gain and gorgeous views as payoff.

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  Stop and Stair

  Communications Hill is one of the oldest neighborhoods in California, yet its Grand Staircase is a modern delight for urban hikers. This 252-step staircase and 2-mile (round-trip) trail offer beautiful views of Silicon Valley without ever leaving San Jose.

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  Baytiful!

  Bike the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail for the sheer multitude of Silicon Valley attractions—from an amusement park to protected wetlands and the 49ers’ stadium. This 10-mile out-and-back ride takes cyclists through some of the best spots in the South Bay.

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  Santa Teresa Serenity

  Santa Teresa County Park offers wooded trails, stunning views, and an up-close look at ranch life, all without ever leaving San Jose. This 3.7-mile loop is a breath of fresh air.

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  Sponsored

  Guide to the Best Wildflower Walks

  Where will you wildflower this season? Check out POST’s 2022 digital guide to Wildflower Walks and find the best in bloom around the Peninsula and South Bay.

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  Colorful Calero

  Rolling green hills, gorgeous vistas, and wildflowers festooning the landscape … this 5.4-mile out-and-back hike in the South Bay’s Calero County Park is a gentle ascent through landscape currently awash with color.

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  Rock It

  Hike a 6-mile loop to the Baccardo Lookout Point in San Jose at Alum Rock Park.

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  Challenge of a Big Sizer!

  If ever there was a "Beauty and the Beast" hike, this is it! The 15-mile (round-trip) Mount Sizer loop hike in Henry W. Coe State Park is considered the toughest in the Bay Area. And cooler months are the best time to tackle it. The reward? One of the most beautiful panoramas in the region ... all the way out to the Sierras on clear days.

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  Sponsored

  2022 Hiking Calendar

  Ready for a New Year’s hike? How about 12 of them! Spread out the hiking joy with the 2022 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary).

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  Falls of the Wild

  Through the redwoods you’ll go on this adventurous 9-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This hike is loaded with charms, but the big riches come from viewing Maple Falls, a 30-foot stunner that comes to life after rains.

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  Lucky as a Horseshoe

  Horseshoe Lake in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve gets adventurers young and old up close to some of the Bay Area’s best winged wildlife along its namesake shoreline via a 3.5-mile (round-trip) hike that’s easy and tranquil.

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  Now and Zin

  From colorful foliage to rainstorm-fed rivers and beautiful views, Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve showcases the best of autumn. For a relaxing walk beneath the trees, do the 4-mile (round-trip) Zinfandel Trail through the Cupertino foothills.

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