Henry Coe State Park in Gilroy is a mecca for avid hikers, with over 250 miles of hiking trails. Trails are rugged, which means that they are not always gently sloping. Also, there is a sense of isolation because the park is not as frequently visited as other bay area parks. In spring, after rains, panoramic views of green rolling hills are a spectacle to behold.
8.9 miles
1800 ft |
Coit - Jackson - Wasno - Grizzly Gulch |
11.2 miles
1900 ft |
Mississippi Lake from Orestimba Corral |
Del Valle Lake is a large serene lake in Livermore. There are hiking trails all along the eastern side of the lake. The views of the lake along this trail are pretty awesome.
9.3 miles
800 ft |
East Shore Trail in Del Valle |
Cabeze Prieto Ridge Trail is a one-way hike from Andrew Molera State Park to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The trail goes through two peaks: Post Summit and Manuel Peak.
11.2 miles
4300 ft |
Cabezo Prieto Ridge |
8.9 miles
3600 ft |
Post Summit |
9.5 miles
3500 ft |
Manuel Peak |
Panoche, Griswold and Tumey Hills are BLM owned lands that allow cross-country hiking, which means that we may legally go off trails to explore. These lands are located about 2.5 hours east of San Jose. The landscape is unlike any other park in the bay area. Cross-country hiking is harder than regular hiking because the terrain is uneven. Plus good navigational skills in wilderness are important.
12.0 miles
2500 ft |
Cross-Country Hike in Tumey Hills |
Joseph D Grant County Park is an expansive park in east San Jose. In spring and summer, green rolling hills decorated by trees are a treat for the eyes. There are lots of trails in the park, so many different loops may be designed.
9.6 miles
1600 ft |
Grant Park - Southern Loop I |
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in Moraga is a large park with lush green hills and valley views. Some of the trails, especially those climbing from the parking lot towards Rocky Ridge Loop are pretty steep. To the west of Las Trampas lies Upper San Leandro Reservoir which also has long hiking trails. These trails may be combined for long loops that offer a sense of isolation because these are lightly traversed.
7.1 miles
2000 ft |
Rocky Ridge Loop |
12.3 miles
3600 ft |
Rocky Ridge Loop - Ramage Peak Trail |
Hiking trails in Upper San Leandro Reservoir are mostly in the open. No trail goes near the reservoir, which is visible from afar from several vantage points. The park is flanked by Redwood Regional Park in the west and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in the east. Long routes may be formed by combining trails from these parks. Below are listed three different variations of Kings Canyon Loop from different starting points.
7.9 miles
1300 ft |
Kings Canyon Loop from Pinehurst Road |
6.5 miles
900 ft |
Kings Canyon Loop from Valle Vista Staging Area |
11.2 miles
2300 ft |
Kings Canyon Loop from Redwood Regional Park |
Round Valley Regional Preserve in Brentwood has trails through hills that are gorgeous green after rains.
4.6 miles
1000 ft |
Hardy Canyon Trail - Miwok Trail |
Calero County Park in south San Jose is a large sized park criss-crossed by many trails. Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve lies to its south. Trails from these two parks may be combined to form many interesting loops. Most of the trails are unshaded. Best visited in spring, after rains, for awesome views of green valleys.
8.6 miles
1900 ft |
Long Loop in Calero - Route I |
Rancho Canada de Oro Open Space Preserve lies to the south of Calero County Park in south San Jose. Trails from these two parks may be combined for long interesting loops.
8.0 miles
1500 ft |
Long Loop in Rancho Canada del Oro - Route I |
Marin Headlands lies about five miles north of Golden Gate Bridge. It has several trails through ridges and valleys that offer great views. Four points of interest at Marin Headlands are: Muir Beach, Tennessee Cove, Rodeo Beach, Hill 88 and Black Sands Beach. Valley views from Hill 88 are exceptional. With so many trails in Marin Headlands, there are many different routes that may be composed. Some examples are:
11.5 miles
2600 ft |
Coastal Trail in Marin Headlands |
7.4 miles
1800 ft |
Golden Gate Bridge to Black Sands Beach |
7.6 miles
1000 ft |
Miwok Trail - Rodeo Beach - Point Bonita |
13.1 miles
2300 ft |
Muir Beach to Tennessee Beach - Long Loop |
10.8 miles
1700 ft |
Redwood Creek - Miwok - Coastal Trail |
9.5 miles
1500 ft |
Rodeo Beach - Black Sands Beach Loop |
9.4 miles
2300 ft |
Tennessee Cove - Long Route |
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve has rugged terrain, which means that there are steep sections along trails. Also, there is a sense of remoteness because few hikers visit the preserve. Trails go over green rolling hills with awesome valley views.
10.7 miles
2300 ft |
Priest Rock and Limekiln Trails - Route III |
5.8 miles
1200 ft |
Hazelnut - Valley View Loop |
6.0 miles
1500 ft |
Nortonville - Coal Canyon - Black Diamond |
6.4 miles
1100 ft |
Jordan Pond - High Rige - Vista Peak Loop - Zeile Creek |
5.0 miles
1000 ft |
Borel Hill - Hawk - Ancient Oaks |
Brushy Peak is a small park in Livermore with green rolling hills and cows in spring.
4.8 miles
1000 ft |
Brushy Peak Loop |
5.7 miles
1300 ft |
Boccardo Loop from Youth Science Institute |
6.5 miles
1300 ft |
Cull Canyon to Chabot Staging Area |
8.8 miles
1700 ft |
Cull Canyon to Proctor Staging Area |
8.0 miles
1300 ft |
Five Canyons Grand Loop |
5.7 miles
1000 ft |
Five Canyons Medium Loop |
5.0 miles
700 ft |
Grand Loop in Arastradero |
1.5 miles
250 ft |
Redtail Loop in Arastradero |
Trails through the northern and eastern sections of Foothills Park go through hills. The western section has one prominent trail: Los Trancos Trail, which goes mostly through a shaded forest.
11.4 miles
2000 ft |
Los Trancos Trail - Long Loop |
7.6 miles
1300 ft |
Ipiwa - Sunny Jim - Old Page Mill |
9.0 miles
1800 ft |
Shelldance Nursery to Milagra Ridge |
4.8 miles
1500 ft |
Shelldance Nursery to Skyline College |
4.8 miles
1700 ft |
Soberanes Canyon - Rocky Ridge |
8.3 miles
1500 ft |
Summit Loop - Ridge Trail |
12.7 miles
1700 ft |
Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail |
3.2 miles
700 ft |
Short Loop in Short Ridge |
3.7 miles
800 ft |
Downer - Sobrante Ridge - Broken Oak |