Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.

openspacetrust.org
POST Logo - Peninsula Open Space Trust Logo

2026 Hiking Calendar

2026 Hiking Calendar

Me
POST Logo - Peninsula Open Space Trust Logo

POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.

openspacetrust.org
Explore the Guide

Hikes

Hiking Guide - POST
Top Rides - POST
Bay Area Birds guide cover
Local Food Guide - POST
Vistas guide cover image.
Easy Summer Escapes - POST
Grow Harvest Cook - POST

Get ready to explore the great outdoors year-round with our hiking calendar! Discover the best landscapes to visit each month and learn interesting facts about local plants and animals. Use this guide to inspire your next self-guided hike with family or friends. 

Looking for an organized group hike? Check out our events calendar.

Since 1977, POST has been hard at work protecting open spaces on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. So far, we’ve safeguarded over 93,000 acres of land — places for wildlife to thrive and for us to reconnect with nature.

The trails await!

January

Wilbur's Watch

Cloverdale Ranch

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
1 mile
Elevation Change
260 feet
Hiking Time
1 hour
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Start the year with a coastal walk at Wilbur’s Watch, where crisp winter air and quiet trails make the views even more spectacular. This easy one-mile hike climbs gently through coastal scrub to a viewpoint overlooking Pigeon Point Lighthouse and the Pacific.

See Hike Details
January 2026
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All Month:

  • Steelhead return to spawning grounds
  • Blood currants bloom
  • Gray foxes mate
Back to Map

February

Mindego Hill Trail

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
4.6 miles
Elevation Change
1300 feet
Hiking Time
3-4 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

This trail leads to one of the Peninsula’s highest and most scenic viewpoints, offering a rewarding mix of big views and abundant wildlife. Keep an eye out for raptors riding the winter winds as you follow the rolling route to a summit with 360-degree views.

See Hike Details
February 2026
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All Month:

  • Bobcats mate
  • Snowy egrets nest
  • Cottonwoods bloom
Back to Map

March

Spine Trail

Rancho Corral de Tierra

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
7 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
1500 feet
Hiking Time
4 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Less than 10 miles from San Francisco, this trail offers steep climbs, ocean vistas, and habitat for some of the region’s rarest plants and animals. On a clear day, this rugged trail delivers unforgettable views of the coast and surrounding hillsides.

See Hike Details
March 2026
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All Month:

  • Western fence lizard emerge
  • migrating birds arrive
  • Coyote pup season begins
Back to Map

APRIL

Lisa Killough Trail

Rancho San Vicente

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
5.4 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
500 feet
Hiking Time
3-4 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Follow the Lisa Killough Trail uphill at POST-protected Rancho San Vicente for panoramic views of Calero Reservoir and rolling South Bay hills. In spring, vibrant wildflowers and the endangered Bay checkerspot butterfly make this one of the season’s best hikes.

See Hike Details
April 2026
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All Month:

  • wildflowers bloom
  • Western snowy plovers nest
  • Bay checkerspot butterflies mate
Back to Map

MAY

Serpentine Spring Trail

Máyyan 'Ooyákma​

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
2.6 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
1000 feet
Hiking Time
1.5-2 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Spring brings a dazzling display of wildflowers to the rare serpentine grasslands at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma. This short but steep trail climbs 1,000 feet in just over a mile, rewarding you with sweeping views of Coyote Valley and a closer look at native plants like the Mount Hamilton thistle.

See Hike Details
May 2026
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All Month:

  • Harbor seal pupping season
  • Rattlesnakes mate
  • Artichokes in season
Back to Map

June

Grasshopper Loop

La Honda Creek Preserve

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
1.3 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
Mostly flat
Hiking Time
Less than 1 hour
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

This gentle loop trail winds through open grasslands, shady oak woodlands, and quiet redwood groves. Enjoy sweeping views across working ranchlands and listen for the trail’s namesake, the grasshopper sparrow, singing from the fields.

See Hike Details
June 2026
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All Month:

  • Strawberries ripen
  • humpback whales arrive
  • Juvenile Badgers leave their dens
Back to Map

July

Hawk Trail

Cotoni-Coast Dairies

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
2.5 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
280 feet
Hiking Time
1-1.5 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Explore the dramatic coastal landscape of Cotoni-Coast Dairies on this easy 2.5-mile trail through rolling foothills and breezy grasslands. Along the way, enjoy wide-open ocean views and watch for red-tailed hawks soaring overhead.

See Hike Details
July 2026
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All Month:

  • sf garter snakes born
  • Berry season begins
Back to Map

AUGUST

Crystal Springs and Dean Trail

Huddart Park

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
4.6 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
928 feet
Hiking Time
2-3 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Beat the summer heat with a shaded hike through redwood and oak forests. This moderate 4.6-mile loop offers a peaceful mix of creekside trails, lush ferns, and towering trees, all just minutes from the Peninsula.

See Hike Details
August 2026
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All Month:

  • Blackberries ripen
  • Pallid Bat Pups Take Flight
  • Rattlesnakes Born
  • Coyotes Born
Back to Map

SEPTEMBER

Kennedy-Limekiln Area Loop

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
13.8 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
3300 feet
Hiking Time
6-7 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

This strenuous 13.8-mile loop offers 3,300 feet of elevation gain — a true test for seasoned hikers. The reward? Panoramic views of the South Bay and nearby peaks like Mt. Thayer and Mt. Umunhum.

See Hike Details
September 2026
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All Month:

  • California Aster bloom
  • Big Maple leaves Change Color
  • tarantulas mate
Back to Map

OCTOBER

Wavecrest Trail

Wavecrest Open Space

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
1.5 miles
Elevation Change
Flat
Hiking Time
Less than 1 hour
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Pair a pumpkin patch visit in Half Moon Bay with a coastal walk at POST-protected Wavecrest. This flat trail offers sweeping ocean views, prime birdwatching, and the chance to spot migrating whales offshore. Dogs are welcome on leash, making it a perfect fall outing.

See Hike Details
October 2026
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All Month:

  • tule elk breed
  • apple picking season peaks
Back to Map

NOVEMBER

Arrowhead Loop Trail

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
4 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
626 feet
Hiking Time
2-3 hours
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

This preserve features a four-mile loop that climbs through oak woodlands and grasslands to a ridge with sweeping views of Coyote Valley and the Diablo Range. 

See Hike Details
November 2026
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All Month:

  • Migrating Birds Arrive
  • Coastal Monarch Populations peak
Back to Map

DECEMBER

Lizard Trail

San Vicente Redwoods

  • Hiking
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Fishing
  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Handicap Accessibility
  • Swimming
Location
[hike.location]
Length
1.5 miles round-trip
Elevation Change
Mostly flat
Hiking Time
Less than 1 hour
Difficulty
[hike.trail_type]
Protected by POST

Looking for a peaceful winter walk? This easy 1.5-mile loop takes you through a forest actively recovering from wildfire. Walk among resilient oaks, listen for winter songbirds, and experience the quiet beauty of renewal at year’s end.

See Hike Details
December 2026
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All Month:

  • northern elephant seals breed and give birth
  • California tiger salamanders migrate
  • Anna's hummingbirds begin mating
Back to Map
POST Logo - Peninsula Open Space Trust Logo

POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.

openspacetrust.org
The land in POST’s working area has been home to many distinct communities of Native people since time immemorial. We work to conserve and care for these lands — the ancestral territory of at least four contemporary Indigenous communities: the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Muwekma Ohlone, Ramaytush Ohlone and Tamien Nation. These groups have survived centuries of oppression and displacement, and are the past, present and future caretakers of this land.
Explore our other guides
Hiking Guide - POST
Top Rides - POST
Bay Area Birds guide cover
Local Food Guide - POST
Vistas guide cover image.
Easy Summer Escapes - POST
Grow Harvest Cook - POST

© 2026 Peninsula Open Space Trust

Castle Rock
2026 Hiking Calendar

Hikes