Golden Vista

Hike and Sunset Viewing at Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve

Around the bay, stunning sunsets are just a quick hike away. This 4.5-mile loop through Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve includes beautiful vista points, seasonal tarantula sightings, and an epic grand finale sunset spot!

From the main parking lot, head south on Kestrel Trail, then turn left onto Sierra Vista Trail. This rocky area is home to desert tarantulas, who are most active during their autumn mating season. Sharp-eyed hikers can spot males wandering the trails in search of love.

At the next intersection, turn left onto Calaveras Fault Trail. This hilly stretch offers spectacular views of the surrounding Diablo Range and Santa Clara Valley. Continue past Cutoff Trail and take a well-earned break at the picnic area.

Continue along Calaveras Fault Trail, then turn right onto Sierra Vista Trail. Enjoy the aromatic eucalyptus before the trees give way to grassland. On sunset hikes, keep an eye out for gopher and king snakes basking in the last few sun rays before nightfall.

Retrace the route back to the parking lot, where benches have been set up for excellent sunset viewing. Watch as Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay light up in Barbie pink and beautiful orange. Be sure to look behind you to catch the golden glow on the hillsides.

Sierra Vista Open Space has another fantastic sunset spot that can be accessed from the same trailhead, Boccardo Hill.

Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve is located at Sierra Vista Point on Sierra Rd. in San Jose. From I-680, exit east onto Berryessa Rd. Turn left onto Piedmont Rd., then right on Sierra Rd. Drive 3.7 miles, then turn right into the parking lot. For sunset viewing, visitors must arrive before 6:30 p.m. The park closes a half hour after sunset. No dogs.

Story and photos by Heather Werner, @heath.er.wer.ner

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View