• 0 – 500 ft
• 500 – 1000 ft
• 1000 – 1500 ft
• 1500 – 2000 ft
• >2000 ft

NOTE: The elevation gain cited here reflects the elevation gain only for the trails hiked. The elevation gain following a different set of trails in the same preserve or park might be considerably different.

0 – 500 ft

Area	Distance/ Time (hh:mm)	Elevation Gain	Exposure	Parking Fee/ Restroom	Features
Adobe Creek Loop Trail	6.80 mi 02:20	Flat	Completely exposed	PF: None R: Shoreline Lake Boathouse	*Bay view *Lake *Sloughs
Coyote Point Recreation Area (hike post)	4.80 mi	Flat	Completely exposed	PF: None R: Next to the Coyote Point Recreation Area parking lot, also one next to the Seal Point parking lot	*Bay view
Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir (hike post)	6.00 mi 04:00	Flat	Mostly exposed	PF: None (street parking) R: One at the entrance and another one a mile down the trail	*Reservoir view
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve	2.85 mi 01:20	370 ft	Completely exposed	PF: None R: None	*Grasslands *Panoramic views
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve (hike post) — Permit Required	3.30 mi 01:25	400 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: None	*Grasslands *Panoramic views *Redwood/ Douglas fir forest *Vista point
Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve	2.5 mi 01:15	440 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: In the parking lot, next to the trailhead	*Mixed forest *Panoramic views *Spring wildflowers
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park	4.0 mi 01:40	475 ft	Completely shaded	PF: None R: Near the Porter Family Picnic Area	*Old growth redwood *Redwood forest *Waterfalls

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500 – 1000 ft

Area	Distance/ Time (hh:mm)	Elevation Gain	Exposure	Parking Fee/ Restroom	Features
Lands End to Ghirardelli Square (hike post)	7.60 mi 03:30	516 ft	Completely exposed	PF: None if you take the BART to San Francisco R: One public restroom next to the Lookout Cafe near Sutro Baths	*Bay view *Golden Gate Bridge view *Panoramic views *San Francisco skyline views
Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve	4.0 mi 03:00	640 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: In the parking lot, next to the trailhead	*Mixed forest *Panoramic views *Spring wildflowers
Edgewood County Park	3.70 mi 01:55	650 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: A bit inside the park	*Grasslands *Spring wildflowers
Alum Rock Park – South Rim Trail (hike post)	4.0 mi 02:00	686 ft	Mostly shaded	PF: $6 R: Close to all picnic areas and parking lots. One next to the Youth Science Institute.	*Creek *Panoramic views
Stevens Creek County Park (hike post)	5.0 mi 02:00	740 ft	Mostly exposed	PF: None R: Near the picnic areas around the reservoir	*Mixed forest *Reservoir view
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve (hike post)	4.6 mi 02:12	780 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: At the Skyline Ridge parking lot and at the Russian Ridge parking lot	*Nature center *Panoramic views *Pond and lake
Huddart Park	4.5 mi 01:45	890 ft	Completely shaded	PF: $6 R: Near the Zwierlein picnic area	*Redwood/ Douglas fir forest
Almaden Quicksilver County Park (hike post)	4.90 mi 02:12	980 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: No parking lot, only street parking R: A bit inside the park near the Mine Hill trailhead	*Grasslands *Spring wildflowers

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1000 – 1500 ft

Area	Distance/ Time (hh:mm)	Elevation Gain	Exposure	Parking Fee/ Restroom	Features
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve	7.10 mi 02:45	1029 ft	Mostly shaded	PF: None R: Next to the main parking lot	*Animal farm *Creek *Meadow *Panoramic views
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve (hike post)	7.00 mi 02:20	1060 ft	Mostly shaded	PF: None R: Inside the preserve, next to the trailhead	*Redwood forest *Creek *Understory of ferns, berries, and wildflowers
Castle Rock State Park -Skyline to the Sea Trail (hike post)	5.30 mi 02:25	1080 ft	Completely shaded	PF: None R: At the Sempervirens Point	*Mixed forest *Sandstone formations
Los Trancos Open Space Preserve (hike post)	4.70 mi 01:45	1090 ft	Mostly exposed	PF: None R: None here. There is one at the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve directly across the Page Mill Road.	*Oak forest *Open meadow *San Andreas Fault Trail
Wunderlich County Park (hike post)	6.27 mi 02:30	1247 ft	Equal parts shaded and exposed	PF: None R: Next to the parking lot	*Redwood, oak, and madrone forest *Open meadow *Creek *Folger family ranch and stable
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve (hike post)	7.30 mi 03:00	1280 ft	Completely exposed	PF: None R: Next to the parking lot	*Borel Hill (highest point in San Mateo County) *Grasslands *Panoramic views *Spring wildflowers
Alum Rock Park – North Rim Trail (hike post)	4.70 mi 02:30	1337 ft	Completely exposed	PF: $6 R: Close to all picnic areas and parking lots. One next to the Youth Science Institute.	*Panoramic views
El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve (hike post)	6.40 mi 02:35	1375 ft	Completely shaded	PF: None R: In the parking lot, next to the trailhead	*Old growth redwood *Redwood/ Douglas fir forest *Sandstone formations
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve (hike post)	6.50 mi 05:00 (should typically take 3.5 hours)	1400 ft	Mostly exposed	PF: None R: In the parking lot, next to the trailhead and at the Backpack Camp	*Black Mountain summit *Creekside woodland *Grasslands *Panoramic views *Sag pond

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1500 – 2000 ft

Area	Distance/ Time (hh:mm)	Elevation Gain	Exposure	Parking Fee/ Restroom	Features
Castle Rock State Park – Saratoga Gap Trail (hike post)	5.5 mi 03:30	1700 ft	Mostly shaded	PF: $8 R: In the parking lot, next to the trailhead	*Panoramic views *Sandstone formations *Waterfall
Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve	7.22 mi 03:17	1945 ft	Mostly shaded	PF: None R: Inside the preserve	*Reservoir view *Woodlands

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>2000 ft

Area	Distance/ Time (hh:mm)	Elevation Gain	Exposure	Parking Fee/ Restroom	Features
Big Basin Redwoods State Park (hike post)	8.70 mi 03:30	2287 ft	Completely shaded	PF: $10 R: Next to the Park Headquarters	*Redwood forest *Waterfalls
Ed Levin County Park	2.18 mi 01:00	3000 ft	Completely exposed	PF: $6 R: Near the picnic area	*Grasslands *Panoramic views *Spring wildflowers

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