Cottontail
rabbit at Windy
Hill Open Space
Preserve
October/November 2018 65
ANN MARIE BROWN (2)
are long and slender, while Oregon oaks acorns
are round and chubby).
Bear right on Old Ranch Trail, and in 0.5
mile you come to Black Mountain Backpack
Camp—four family campsites and one group
campsite. You’re now only a quarter-mile away
from the microwave tower-covered summit of
Black Mountain, elevation 2,800 feet. It’s now
obvious that the summit isn’t really a peak at all,
but simply the highest spot on long and narrow
Monte Bello Ridge. Nonetheless, it offers a wide
view of the Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley.
An even better view lies just to the west. Follow
Monte Bello Road for another 200 feet, heading
for an obvious outcropping of volcanic rocks.
Here you’ll have an expansive vista of Stevens
Creek Canyon below and the untrammeled hills
spreading north and south along Skyline Ridge.
Find a seat, drop your pack, and have lunch.
For your return, simply head back the way you
came, or—for a change of scenery—bear left on
Indian Creek Trail at the backpack camp. Indian
Creek Trail descends steeply for 1.2 miles, then
meets up with Canyon Trail, which connects to
Stevens Creek Nature Trail. Ferns and shade-loving plants line the
banks of Stevens Creek; this lush riparian area is a world apart from
the open grasslands of Black Mountain. Stay on Stevens Creek
Nature Trail as you cross and re-cross the stream on footbridges.
The final 1.2 miles of the trip are an easy ascent up the canyon
with plenty of shade and switchbacks. You’ll wind up right back
at the stone bench and overlook where you started the hike. Just
turn left to walk back to your car.
INFO: No fee; 650/691-1200, www.openspace.org
GETTING THERE: From I-280 in Palo Alto, take the Page Mill Road
exit west. Drive 7.2 winding miles on Page Mill Road to the signed
preserve entrance on the left.
WINDY HILL OPEN Space Preserve is best known for its ridgetop
Anniversary Trail, an easy stroll with 360-degree views of the
Peninsula, South Bay, and Pacific Ocean from Windy Hill’s high,
grassy summit. Once you’ve visited this windswept high point,
you’ll want to explore more of this lovely preserve. Autumn is the
best time to do it, as maples and oaks erupt in a flurry of fall color.
Starting at the picnic area, follow the connector trail to the right
(Anniversary Trail leads left). The path roughly parallels Skyline
Boulevard as it travels through chaparral for just under half a mile.
A well-placed bench affords wide views of the valley. At the first
trail junction, turn left on Hamms Gulch Trail and bid farewell
to any signs of civilization. Hamms Gulch Trail travels gently
downhill, losing 1,100 feet in 2.6 miles, meandering through open
grasslands and a wooded oasis of tan oak, fir, maple, and madrone.
The trail bottoms out at Alpine Road near Corte Madera Creek
and the gated entrance to Rancho Corte Madera. Cross the road
and turn right to pick up Eagle Trail, which runs between Corte
Madera Creek and Alpine Road. Then cross a bridge and join
Razorback Ridge Trail. You’ll face a long, switch-backed climb
over 2.3 miles, but the gradient is so gentle, you’ll hardly notice
it. Where the trail nears Skyline Boulevard, turn right on Lost
Trail. The Douglas fir trees here have grown to astonishing size,
some as large as eight feet in diameter. In between the massive
firs, you gain peekaboo views of the valley below. Where Lost Trail
joins with Hamms Gulch Trail at the start of your loop, continue
straight on the connector trail back to Windy Hill’s parking lot.
INFO: No fee; 650/691-1200, www.openspace.org
GETTING THERE: From I-280 in Palo Alto, take the Page Mill Road
exit west. Drive 8.9 winding miles to Skyline Boulevard (Highway
35). Turn right (north) on Skyline Boulevard and drive 4.9 miles
to the main Windy Hill Open Space entrance on the right.
Nothing beats natural beauty to lift the heart, soothe the weary
soul and inspire creativity. A change in seasons heightens the
drama just as it gifts us with an autumnal visual tapestry—yours
to enjoy, away from the maddening crowds, at any of these five
splendid venues. n
Windy Hill Open
Space Preserve
HWY. 35/
SKYLINE BLVD.
I-280
PAGE MILL
ROAD
Long Ridge
Open Space
Preserve
HWY. 9
Monte Bello
Open Space
Preserve
saratoga
Castle Rock
State Park
HWY. 236 HWY. 9
Big Basin
Redwoods
State Park
Boulder
creek
los gatos
palo alto
MODERATE
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
PALO ALTO » 7.8 MILES ROUND-TRIP
