Saratoga Small Wonder

Hike at Saratoga Quarry Park

Saratoga Quarry Park features beautiful views, ample picnic space, a labyrinth, and plenty of kid-friendly activities, all within a 2-mile loop.


From the parking lot, keep left to ascend into the park. Signs for the pond will lead hikers to an exercise station where they can practice dips and pull-ups, or get a good stretch for the hike ahead. A seasonal pond is located just beyond the exercise station, where sharp-eyed visitors can spot lizards and frogs hidden among the cattails.

Continue uphill to the picnic tables nestled among the fragrant eucalyptus trees. This is a perfect spot for a snack break overlooking the nearby vineyards. Enjoy the deep red-violet of the Bay Area’s prettiest fall foliage: poison oak. (Look, but of course don’t touch!) Just beyond the picnic tables is a stone maze for children.


Hikers continuing up the trail will pass by the Saratoga To The Skyline Trail. This new trail extension connects to Skyline To The Sea to create a whopping 40-mile trail to the ocean. Continue past this turnoff for another 0.3 mile. This is the steepest section of the hike, but explorers are rewarded with gorgeous views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley.



At the dead end, retrace your steps to the stone maze, then keep left to descend the wooden steps. The large picnic area contains historical artifacts from the park’s early days as well as barbecue pits, picnic platforms, and the giant vine-covered water bucket. Descending to the parking lot you can walk through the old loading tunnel, where freight was once moved out of the quarry. A photo exhibit inside the tunnel details the park’s history.


COFFEE SHOP BONUS: Need a pick-me-up after a day on the trails? Head northeast on Big Basin Way toward downtown Saratoga to visit Big Basin Cafe. This buzzing coffeeshop is a locals' favorite, and the perfect spot for a sweet treat (Heather recommends the chocolate eclairs) and a hot cup of joe.

Saratoga Quarry Park is located at 22000 Congress Springs Rd. in Saratoga. From CA-85, exit onto Saratoga Ave. south. Continue onto Big Basin Way. After passing Hakone Gardens, turn left into the parking lot. Quarry Park is open from dawn until dusk. Leashed dogs are permitted on trails. Big Basin Cafe is located at 14471 Big Basin Way in Saratoga.

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

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View