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Around here, it’s always a great time to get outside. But each season, certain landscapes really put on a show. With this hiking calendar, you’ll know just where to go every month of the year. You’ll also find fun facts about local plants and animals!
We hope you get some inspiration from this guide and try out these self-guided hikes 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 more than 87,000 acres of land — places for wildlife to thrive and for us to reconnect with nature.
The trails await!
Bair Island
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- .8 miles round trip to the closer observation platform, or 3.2 to the farther one
- Elevation Change
- N/A
- Hiking Time
- Less than 1 hour
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Kick off 2024 at this hotspot for migratory birds! They’re especially plentiful at this time of year. Pack some binoculars and a warm drink, and plan to get comfortable on the two idyllic viewing platforms. The nice, flat trail is pleasant for strolling — even if it rains! Sync your visit with the upcoming King Tide to see higher than usual tides and witness what our future sea level might look like.
All Month:
- Steelhead return to spawNing grounds
- Blood currant bloom
Tiptoe Falls
Portola Redwoods State Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 2.3 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 1000 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
From high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this park boasts many stunning attributes. You’ll spy black oaks, knob-cone pines and coast redwoods, as well as unusual sandstone rock formations. At the top of the falls, a wooden platform offers sweeping forested vistas.
All Month:
- BOBCATS MATE
- SNOWY EGRETS NEST
- COTTONWOOD BLOOM
Arrowhead Loop Trail
Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 4 miles round trip
- Elevation Change
- 575 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2-3 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Located south of San Jose, this preserve offers spectacular views of Coyote Valley and the Diablo mountain range. The trail ascends from the parking lot and passes serpentine rock outcroppings, grasslands and oak trees. Keep an eye out for wildflowers! Looking for more ways to see some blooms? Check out our Wildflower Walks guide.
All Month:
- gray foxes born
- acorn woodpeckers mate
- marbled murrelets nest
Bald Hills Loop
Calero County Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 8.34 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 1860 feet
- Hiking Time
- 6-7 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
With the wildflower season underway, the rocky, serpentine soils in this preserve boast one of the region’s most vibrant displays. Complete the full loop for a challenging hike or take it easy by turning around at any point and retracing your steps.
All Month:
- MANZANITA BLOOM
- LADYBUGS MATE
- MARSH WRENS SING
Mindego Hill
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 4.6 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 1300 feet
- Hiking Time
- 3-4 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Watch for red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures and golden eagles as you take on this moderately strenuous trek to the summit of Mindego Hill and back. You’ll be rewarded for your effort with spectacular 360-degree views! If wildflowers are still in bloom, you might catch a spectacular array of blossoms along the ridge.
All Month:
- great blue herons hatch
- black-tailed deer born
- doug fir bloom
Spring Ridge to Summit
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 7.5-mile loop
- Elevation Change
- 1400 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2-3 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Climb to one of the highest points in San Mateo County for spellbinding views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is the site of POST’s first land protection project and is one of our favorite places this time of year. You’re in for a real treat.
All Month:
- Fence lizards lay eggs
- red-tailed hawks nest
- buckeyes bloom
Bear Creek Redwoods
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 7.4 miles
- Elevation Change
- 2940 feet
- Hiking Time
- 3-4 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
With the summer temperatures rising, it’s a great time to visit the densely wooded Bear Creek Redwoods. This moderately strenuous hike is almost entirely shaded, but bring plenty of water for the climb. Plan to arrive early as the parking lot fills quickly on weekends. Looking for a more accessible option? Check out the self-guided interpretive trail that encircles Upper Lake.
All Month:
- mountain lion kittens born
- badgers mate
- california quail born
Purisima Creek & Whittlemore Gulch
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 9.1 miles round trip
- Elevation Change
- 5,528 feet
- Hiking Time
- 5-7 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Ready for a challenge and some quality time outdoors? This lengthy hike takes you through redwoods and along a creek before climbing up to a more exposed ridge and back down to another stream in a quiet forest. If you’re looking for a quick dose of nature or a wheelchair-accessible route, try the Redwood Trail instead.
All Month:
- Rattlesnakes born
- coyotes born
Arastradero Creek Loop
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 3.7 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 300 feet
- Hiking Time
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
With its unique blend of rolling grassland and broadleaf evergreen forest, this local preserve is a favorite for cyclists, joggers and dog walkers. The area is lively with wildlife, so look for quail, redwing blackbirds and cottontail rabbits.
All Month:
- big leaf maples change color
- Tarantulas mate
Sequoia Audubon Trail
Pescadero Creek Natural Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 1.5 miles round trip
- Elevation Change
- 65 feet
- Hiking Time
- Less than 1 hour
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Enjoy autumn vibes with a tranquil stroll through one of the largest wetlands on the San Mateo Coast. This trail’s a birder’s paradise. You’ll likely see some showy flocks, so bring your binoculars!
All Month:
- coho spawn in pescadero creek
- grasshopper sparrows migrate south
- acorns ripen
Kennedy-Limekiln Area Loop
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 14.1 mile round-trip
- Elevation Change
- 3,300 feet
- Hiking Time
- 9-10 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
With 3,300 feet of vertical gain over rugged terrain, the challenging Kennedy-Limekiln Area Loop is ideal for serious hikers. Your hard work will pay off with panoramic views of the South Bay, as well as the peaks of Mt. Thayer and Mt. Umunhum.
All Month:
- valley oak leaves fall
- red-legged frogs breed
- Toyon berries ripen
Ohlone Bluff Trail
Wilder Ranch State Park
- Location
- [hike.location]
- Length
- 10 miles round-trip
- Elevation Change
- Mostly flat
- Hiking Time
- 4-5 hours
- Difficulty
- [hike.trail_type]
Ideal for hikers and bikers alike, this seaside path features stunning views of cliffs. You’ll also see rocky outcroppings studded with sea lions, secluded beaches and more. Keep watch for seagulls, pelicans and cormorants atop the rock formations.
All Month:
- anna’s hummingbirds mate
- monarch butterflies roost
- northern elephant seals mate
POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all.
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.
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