All Stories from Peninsula & South Bay

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  Sea Life

  Hundreds of dolphins and whales have been sighted in Monterey Bay since mid-June, and with huge populations of California sea lions, southern sea otters, and harbor seals frequenti

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  Take a Ride on the Wilder Side

  For those who demand diverse scenery on their mountain bike ride—old-growth redwood groves, coast-side cliffs and sandy coves, rolling and terraced cliffs—one park has it all! Wild

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  Beerland

  Looking for true hoppiness? The Santa Cruz Beer Trail has microbrews popping up all over town, and makes a great thirst-quencher post outdoor adventure. (For the best savings and d

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  Colorful Calero

  Tucked in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Calero County Park has a surprise side. Its 4,455 acres are home to a well-known reservoir that’s a central attraction

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  Jonesing For It

  Tucked just shy of the South Bay’s urban domains, the 270-acre St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve in Los Gatos isn’t bashful about showcasing great scenery. Go on a 4-mile (roun

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  The Big Short

  Size matters. So if you’re looking for a short and sweet hike that has the payoff of climbing a tall peak, head to San Jose’s Bald Mountain summit, located in the Sierra Azul Open

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  Wilder Times

  Stunning redwoods, huge ocean views, rolling hills, and gorgeous beaches … Santa Cruz has epic scenery! So how do you enjoy it all in one jaunt? Go Wilder! A 5-mile (round-trip) hi

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  Los Altos High

  Big things come in small packages. Tucked in an upscale neighborhood in Los Altos, Redwood Grove Nature Preserve is just 6 acres, but it sure packs in those redwoods! This little s

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  Hidden Long Ridge

  After heavy rains, the rolling headwaters of Peters Creek in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve pulsate along the forest floor via a series of small waterfalls that cut grooves in sandstone boulders. See it on a 4.5-mile loop hike starting from the Grizzly Flat parking lot.

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  Walking with the Devil

  The Devil's Slide section of the California Coastal Trail is a 1.3-mile (one-way) multi-use path just south of Pacifica. It's usually much less crowded when gray skies and rain are around. And it's a prime spot for viewing all that's wild about the weather and the sea.

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  Russian Ridge Rambler

  If you've driven the Peninsula's Skyline Boulevard, you know there are acres of open space just waiting to be explored. And now, thanks to the efforts of the Midpeninsula Regional

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  Room to Roam and Sip

  Free-range roosters and hens, wide-open space with hiking trails, and an earthy wine tasting room twinkling with lights. Hiking and wine tasting go hand in hand at Picchetti Ranch and Picchetti Winery near Cupertino in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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  Finding Fall in the Redwoods

  Hundred-foot-redwoods, flowing creeks, yellow-tinged sycamores, big views of the Pacific—all these are on the Thanksgiving menu at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, just

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  Meet Lupe

  Even Indiana Jones can't top this mammoth discovery. And we literally mean mammoth! In 2005 while walking along San Jose's popular Guadalupe River Trail, local resident Roger Casti

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  Beach Access Sorta Granted

  There's a secluded and scenic beach on the San Mateo Coast that's been kept under wraps for years. The reason? A homeowner has kept this beach to himself, and the Surfrider Foundat

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  Touch the Skyline

  The Peninsula's Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve knows how to make a grand entrance when it comes to changing seasons. Combine ridgetop vistas, and a tranquil lake on a 4-mile (round-trip) hike that includes a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

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  Fall Farmsteading

  Rolling hills alight with the leaves of deciduous oaks; maples abloom with orange hues; persimmon trees flowering along fence lines—fall has arrived at Rancho San Antonio Open Spac

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  Frog Days of Summer

  It's still officially summer but even in fall Henry Coe State Park offers a bounty of beauty in its 87,000 acres of rolling hills, mountain ridges, and redwood and oak trees. Locat

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  Point of Contemplation

  Guiding mariners around the craggy cliffs of the Pacific since 1872, Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero has been preserved by the California State Park system. Also very much ali

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  Goat Love

  What happens when 200 alpine goats get plenty of TLC on 9 acres of coastal pasture? Goat milk cheese so good it's won two world medals, not to mention over 30 national ribbons from

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