A popular jogging, hiking and biking trail in San Mateo adjoining a large lake.

Location: Crystal Springs Regional Trail

» Official Trail Map: Good map showing various trails.

» Official Trail Map: Good map showing various trails.

Route: Walk along Sawyer Camp Trail, a paved road with distance markers at every half-mile. At the 6.0 mile mark, return by the same trail. The trail is mostly flat, with a mild gradient for the last two miles.

Notes: Sawyer Camp trail ends at the intersection of Hillcrest Blvd and Highway 280. There is limited space for parking below Highway 280. So it's possible to start the hike from here as well. We saw a couple of deer along the trail. Restrooms are available at regular intervals during the hike. These are well-marked on the trail map.

Location: Crystal Springs Blvd & Skyline Blvd, San Mateo, CA . Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: From I-280 North, take exit 34 for Bunker Hill Drive. Turn left on Bunker Hill Drive. Turn right on Highway 35 (Skyline Blvd), drive for 0.7 miles to reach the entrance for Crystal Springs.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: Jan 2012)

Capacity: Dozens of cars may be parked along the streets near Crystal Springs entrance. However, the popularity of this trail makes parking challenging.

Latitude: 37.531029     Longitude: -122.363936