5 Best Peninsula Hikes To Get You Out In 2019

REDWOOD CITY, CA -- Seeking a little refuge from the traffic of the San Francisco Bay Area and the political postering of the federal government shutdown affecting the national parks? How about a slow start to that New Year's resolution?

The Peninsula Open Space Trust has just the thing. The trust has released five easy, no-excuse hikes sure to provide much-needed serenity for all types of weekend warrior.

Take your pick. The reasons are far reaching, but the routes aren't. What a meanderer will find is a best kept secret for those who call the Peninsula home -- for the two- and four-legged variety.

Although the national parks have dominated the news with no maintenance or closures, these preserves represent an ideal alternative -- ones that have not yet experienced a surge in visitation as people clamor for places to commune with the outdoors.

"Maybe it's too soon to tell, but after talking to the rangers, we haven't seen more visitation," Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District spokeswoman Leigh Ann Gessner told Patch. The district manages the preserves that POST fundraises for. The district is a public agency that eventually owns and manages the preserves that the nonprofit POST fundraises for and preserves.

Much of the visitation on the district's 225 miles of trail is weather contingent.

"Folks in the Bay Area have a lot of options for connecting with open space and getting out in nature in their own back yard," Gessner added.

And of the options, the POST team that assembled this list walks the talk. Recommendations made are qualified ones because they've been on the trails shown here https://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/DistrictFactSheet.pdf.

Here are the five:

1. Pearson Arastradero Preserve

There are several short hikes to choose from at the Pearson Arastradero Preserve, which has over 10 miles of trails to explore.

For a scenic loop, take the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail out to Arastradero Creek Trail, turn right on Woodrat Trail, then another right onto Meadowlark Trail before descending back to the de Anza Trail.

For a longer out-and-back, take the Arastradero Creek Trail all the way to the City of Palo Alto’s Foothills Park — a residents-only jewel. This hike has several steep spots with a 20 percent slope, mostly toward the west end. However, the trail is wide and compacted in all areas.

2. Cowell Ranch State Beach

The Cowell-Purisima Coastal Trail offers spectacular views of the ocean and nearby farmland. The northern end of the trail begins above the state-managed Cowell Ranch Beach (where there is public access to the beach) and continues south across three bridges, past rich, productive farm fields to a bluff-top overlook.

This trail is best done as a 7.2-mile out-and-back hike, starting from either trailhead — marked as points A and B on the map below. Please note: there is only beach access at the northern trailhead.

The trail is open to hikers and cyclists; wheelchairs may access the trail except along a section that passes through the steep banks of Purisima Creek. Parking and restroom facilities are located at both ends of the trail, and interpretive signs provide visitors with information about surrounding natural and cultural resources and the adjacent farming operation. This trail is currently open on weekends and holidays.

Keep your eyes open for harbor seals, pelicans, hawks and wildflowers along the way.

3. Bair Island

Opened in late 2015, Bair Island is the largest island in the South Bay and offers great views of the Bay and the adjacent wetlands.

Located near downtown Redwood City, Bair Island offers a flat hiking trail with views of the bay and the cornucopia of wildlife that call this place home.
For a longer hike, follow the flat, exposed trail for 1.7 miles to the Middle Bair Island observation deck. Or, for something shorter, stay right and head to the Inner Island observation deck, less than a half mile from the trailhead.

Watch for endangered Ridgeway rails and salt marsh harvest mice. Also cottontail rabbits, peregrine falcons, pelicans, egrets, terns and stilts. Large rays and small leopard sharks can be seen in the sloughs at the farther reaches of the island.

4. Pillar Point Bluff

The Jean Lauer Trail was created in memory of Jean Lauer, a former POST staffer who loved and worked on the coastside.

The 1.4-mile (roundtrip) Jean Lauer Trail overlooks a seasonal wetland as well as coastal waters protected by the San Mateo County Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. The bluff is popular with local hikers, joggers and dog-walkers. This out-and-back trail is an easy hike with low grades and beautiful views.

Keep an eye out for soaring pelicans, cormorants, gulls and hawks.

5. Sanborn County Park

This six-mile hike is mostly flat and almost completely shaded on the ridge line of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Dogs on leashes are allowed in Sanborn County Park.

Warm day? Looking to escape the heat but still want to get outside for a hike? This route on the top of Skyline Ridge is the perfect place to go. The trail meanders through dense forest and is almost completely shaded, making it the ideal place to escape on a warm day.

Check out the detail on these hikes at https://openspacetrust.org/.

Then, jump start your hiking year with a digital calendar from POST to:

• Get descriptions and tips for visiting the best trails each season
• Review Interactive trail routes on Google maps
• Check other fun events and celebratory days to keep in mind

Visit https://www.openspace.org/about-us for specifics on the management of the preserves.

--Images courtesy of Matt Dolkas, POST; Sue Wood, Patch