Long loop covering all major trails in Foothills Park, going through various micro climates. Los Trancos Trail is the prettiest section of this route.

Location: Foothills Park

» Official Trail Map: Pretty good map showing various trails.

» Redwoodhikes Trail Map: Great map showing many parks like Purisima Creek, Huddart, Wunderlich, El Corte De Madera, Foothills, Hidden Villa and Rancho San Antonio. Trail maps for individual parks are available online for free. However, the RedwoodHikes map shows the big picture and is helpful for planning hikes that go through multiple parks.

Trailhead: Oak Grove Group Picnic Area, which lies deep inside the park.

Route in brief: This hikes covers all major trails in Foothills Park. Starting from Oak Grove Group Picnic Area, this loop takes you through Coyote Trail, Panorama Trail, an unnamed trail along Boronda Lake, Toyon Trail and Los Trancos Trail.

Notes:

1. The most pleasant part of the hike is the entire length of the Los Trancos Trail, which is punctuated by 21 bridges over creeks (labeled LT1 through LT21 in the trail map). The first 2 miles along Los Trancos is a steep 1000 ft climb. This is followed by a descent of 1000 ft over the next two miles. The rest of the hike is relatively flat. A long section of Los Trancos Trail (about 1.5 miles, from LT11 to LT14) is next to a creek which was full of water in Mar 2010 after rains. This section makes it one of the best hikes in the bay area.
2. Limited to Palo Alto Residents: Check the Park Website for latest information. In Feb 2010, the guidelines were: "Foothills Park is open to Palo Alto residents and their guests only. Proof of residency is required. Guests must be accompanied through the entrance by a Palo Alto resident. Limit of 15 guests in two cars per resident. Names of guests cannot be left at the gate. Groups of 25 or more must make a reservation."

Location: 3300 Page Mill Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 . Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: From Highway 280, drive 2.6 miles along Page Mill Road going south. Park entrance is on the right.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: Jan 2012)

Capacity: Many parking lots inside the park. Plenty of free parking.

Latitude: 37.362943     Longitude: -122.171702