All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay

• 

  Gilroy Glory

  Rolling green hills punctuated by carpets buttercups and poppies: Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park in Gilroy seems positively sun-kissed in spring. It’s the best time of y

  View
• 

  Mellow Mavericks

  This year’s famous Mavericks surfing competition may have been postponed due to weather, but even without the massive swells, Pillar Point still has plenty to get excited about. Th

  View
• 

  Ridgetop Resolutions

  It’s a guilty pleasure to bag a peak via a short hike. That’s why you should shamelessly steal some spectacular views on a 3.5-mile loop hike in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. Starting on the Ridge Trail, spectacular ocean views keep you company on a gentle 0.8-mile climb to the peak of Borel Hill.

  View
• 

  Climb of Champions

  Here’s a hike that takes you high and burns your thighs! Yep, there’s nothing like climbing a mountain to start the New Year. Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve offers 24 miles

  View
• 

  Monumental Achievement

  Want to kick off the New Year with a monumental accomplishment? Hike to Monument Peak in Milpitas. This 2,594-foot monument is a lightly trafficked, enjoyable, and challenging 7.7-

  View
• 

  Scene Stealer

  The holiday season is filled with guilty pleasures: Spiked eggnog; buying yourself a gift; climbing to a panoramic high point via a short mountain bike ride or hike. Yep, you'll be practically stealing the sweeping view at Hunter’s Point in Cupertino's Fremont Older Preserve.

  View
• 

  Pulgas Pageant

  Good things come in small packages! The peninsula’s Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, quietly located off Highway 280, makes an easygoing 2.3-mile loop through oaks and up to big c

  View
• 

  Up to Umunhum

  Clocking in at 3,486 feet, Mount Umunhum is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains and has long been a South Bay landmark with the mysterious radar tower sitting atop

  View
• 

  Huddart Comfort

  Just minutes west of the tony town of Woodside in San Mateo County, 900-acre Huddart Park has over 24 miles of trails that put redwoods on parade. For a moderate out-and-back featu

  View
• 

  There's Something About Henry

  Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains: magnificent. And popular! Escape the crowds by hiking the lesser-known trails starting at the campground entrance off

  View
• 

  Meet you in Montalvo

  Before Hearst Castle there was Villa Montalvo, a 175-acre estate tucked in the hills outside Saratoga and built for one of the Bay Area’s wealthiest and most prominent bachelors, U

  View
• 

  Mystery Walls

  Mythical crop circles, Stonehenge, California’s Mystery Walls … You don’t have to travel the world to see enigmas, including these stone walls within the South Bay's Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve.

  View
• 

  Pillar Paddle

  Looking for some bragging rights? Tell your friends that you kayaked Mavericks. OK, so you may not have kayaked the actual surf spot, but you’ll have come within a few miles of it.

  View
• 

  Stately in the Santa Cruz Mountains

  Rolling hills, mountain panoramas, and towering redwoods said to be the largest in the Santa Cruz Mountains—Sam McDonald County Park just can’t seem to get any better … until you f

  View
• 

  Life Aquinas

  Reach a new height and gain a round-the-compass panorama at El Sereno Open Space Preserve. Just off Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos, the preserve’s 7.5-mile (

  View
• 

  Hike to a Swim Hole

  Long hikes on a summer day call for a cooling-off period. Dip in! This 10-miler (round-trip) rewards with a mid-hike swimming hole. Located in the South Bay’s vast and scenic Henry

  View
• 

  Seaside Summit in a State Park

  With tangled trails and unmarked spurs lawlessly winding up the rugged 1,898-foot Montara Mountain, McNee Ranch State Park feels like the Wild West Coast. Even wilder? Its endless

  View
• 

  Go Wilder

  Hot summer day? Ride on! Beat the South Bay heat and get some beautiful scenery on this beginner-friendly 10-mile (round-trip) seaside ride in Santa Cruz. You’ll roll from West Cli

  View
• 

  Half Moon Highroller

  For an easy bike ride with enormous coastal views, head a few miles south of Half Moon Bay. The Cowell-Purisima Trail stretches for 3 sea-breezy miles along high coastal bluffs.

  View
• 

  Loch In!

  Tucked in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Loch Lomond Recreation Area is known for its gorgeous reservoir, less known for its charming Clar Innis Island (reached only by kayak or canoe)

  View