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Archive for the ‘Short Hikes’ Category

Huddart Park, Woodside

Posted in Short Hikes, tagged , , , , , , on November 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

We love this great little park off Kings Mountain Road in Woodside.  There is a small day use fee ($6), but that seems pretty good value for a family day out.  The trails here are beautiful, shady and well maintained. We usually take the single jog stroller up into the hills there with no trouble.

Plenty of room for strollers

There’s plenty for the kids to look at along the way: the trails are bumpy, there are lots of fallen trees (my three year old loves speculating what happened whenever he sees a fallen tree), spiders, banana slugs and, at this time of year, masses of colourful leaves. 

 
The park also has great amenities and we usually stop for a post hike snack in the picnic area.  I particularly like hanging out by the volleyball pit which serves as a sand play area for my little ones.  There’s also a nice grassy hill next to it which the kids love to run up and down.
 
The Puppy Dog in the sandpit

Both kids got really into hiking at Huddart, and I love that they are spotting things in the natural world for themselves and then asking about them. The Monkey was particularly fascinated by banana slugs this visit, and the Puppy Dog paid close attention to the curly moss growing on the trees along the trail.

 
My little tree hugger

I also love how empty this park is.  Our group were the only people we saw during the visit and the kids could run wild and be noisy without fear of disturbing anyone.

 
 
 

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The Magical Redwood Grove

Posted in Short Hikes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The Redwood Grove Nature Preserve in Los Altos is one of my boys’ favorite local spots.  This hidden gem lies just off University Avenue a hundred feet south of better known Shoup Park.  There are no big signs, and no designated parking.  You just find a spot on University and head down the paved road into the forest.

At the bottom of the road you enter the speckled light of a beautiful old redwood grove.  There is a wide boardwalk trail winding through the trees and along Adobe Creek which is easy to navigate with kids and strollers.  My toddlers love running along this boardwalk, and I can relax and let them explore safe in the knowledge that no cars or bikes will come whizzing past.  At places you can climb down off the trail and play in the creek (although it does dry up completely towards the end of summer) and there’s plenty of opportunity for wildlife spotting. The Monkey has become quite adept at finding and pointing out every banana slug in the grove. We usually take a bucket along for collecting leaves and sticks as there is so much for the boys to notice.

Where's the water?

At one side of the boardwalk there is a grassy area complete with picnic tables and hay bales to climb on which makes an excellent snack stop, and from there you can also head up the short hillside track and check out the old, dis-used animal cages and vegetable garden.

Look at Me Mom! (He was three hay bales high)

There’s plenty to keep busy little ones happy, and there is something magical about the place.  It’s so quiet and secluded that it’s hard to imagine you’re in the heart of Silicon Valley.  In fact, each time we’ve been, our group has been the only people there. I think it’s Los Altos’ best kept secret.  We intend to keep going back all winter to watch how the forest and creek change throughout the winter season and to enjoy as much peace and seclusion as one can with two toddling companions.

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Wunderlich County Park, San Mateo

Posted in Short Hikes, tagged , , on September 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This rugged, mostly undeveloped park a little west of Woodside is perfect for an Autumn heatwave.  The trails are shady and wide enough for jog strollers, and the slopes are not too extreme.  We were a little short for time on this visit and so just did the short loop that leaves from the car park and threads over the hill and back to the equestrian arena.  The Monkey and his chums loved the hike and walked the whole way: they looked for horse poop, sticks and stones, and examined all the drainage pipes along the way.

Look Mom! Horse Poop!

The Folger Stables, located just near the car park, are an added bonus.  They are spectacular, luxurious, circa-1900 stables, have been beautifully restored and were even recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The horses there live better than I do. It’s certainly worth nosing around: the kids love checking out the horses (all have their names on their stalls) and the adults can marvel at the extravagance.

Toilets in the car park – but no other amenities.

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Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

Posted in Short Hikes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on September 15, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The view from Borel Hill

Want a hike with great views that the kids can also do? Then this one’s for you. 

We had guests in town and wanted to give them a taste of the local countryside and a sense of the peninsula’s geography, so we headed up to the Russian Ridge Preserve off Skyline Boulevard.  It was wonderfully sunny, the land was that beautiful late summer mix of green and gold, the turkey vultures circled overhead, and we could see for miles across the bay.

We chose a shortish route that was interesting for the adults but allowed the kids plenty of opportunity to get out and walk. From the Vista Point parking area we took the trail up Borel Hill which has the most fabulous views, before heading along the Ancient Oaks Trail for about a mile and then cutting back across the ridge to our starting spot. The entire route was about 2 miles, and a little hilly–perfect for our nearly three year old to walk himself.  We’re a bit worried about the future, however, as he insisted on doing the whole loop with his (pretend) cell phone in hand, just in case one of his friends called.

Wouldn't want to miss a call

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Guerneville and the Russian River

Posted in Beaches, Short Hikes, tagged , , , on September 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Having explored the coast around Jenner, we also wanted to check out the beautiful Russian River area in-land and so hired a rental house (we felt like spoiling ourselves) in an isolated Redwood grove a few miles outside Guerneville. It was heaven: secluded and peaceful, and with no neighbours for our kids to disturb. As we didn’t know the area at all, the plan was to check out a few parks and get a feel for the area and what there was to do and see for outdoors families.

Armstrong Redwood State Preserve

The forests in this area of California are just magnificent and we decided to spend one morning hiking around in them.  We chose the Armstrong Redwood State Preserve, partly because the hiking trails looked good for small children, partly because it contains trees which are more than 1400 years old, and partly because the ‘blurb’ said it offered tree hugging platforms and who could turn that offer down? Well, the tree hugging platforms were closed.  We had to just hug random trees as best we could. But everything else was as advertised.

The commercial beach at Guerneville

We chose a short, mile long trail leaving from the parking lot to do with the boys so we could take our time and let them explore the forest floor. If you park outside the park entrance, its free and you can just walk in and pick up the trail. The path was easy for toddlers to manage, although it offered some fallen trees for climbing and interest, and you could probably use a solid jog stroller. We had the boys in our backpacks some of the way, and encouraged the older one to walk as much as he could/would.

The park was actually a bigger hit with our nearly 3 year old than I would have imagined. He was fascinated by the sheer size of the trees and by what had caused so many of them to fall over.  He also loved running round their large trunks and climbing inside them to investigate.  It was also a beautiful and relaxing walk for mommy and daddy.  We were, however, grateful we had left early in the morning as the park really started to fill up around noon and some of the special, early morning peace was lost.

Guerneville

As the day heated up we were drawn to the river and headed into Guerneville to find a paddling spot. Unfortunately, nearly all of the river banks are part of privately owned residential properties and it is, as we discovered, very difficult to get to the water’s edge.  Someone had recommended we try Guerneville River Park for a pleasant walk along the river bank. Having checked it out, I’d recommend giving it a miss. It’s a strange little park under the large road bridge that crosses the Russian River at Guerneville and has a real ‘hobo’ feel to it.  There even seemed to be someone running a little soup kitchen in the picnic area. The trail itself is very limited and, while one can see the river from the park, there is no access to the water.  Most disappointed, we decided to see if there were any other options.

The Russian River: wherever there are rocks my kids are happy

On the other side of the river, just off Guerneville main street, is a commercial riverfront park. Parking and access to the water are free, but there are large beach huts selling food, ice cream, and drink (including alcohol). The ‘beach’ there is stoney and there is no shade, but it is a beautiful spot and you can get down to the water to paddle and swim.  It’s probably the best option available. But if you do go, take sunscreen and water. And be mindful of the local “colour” — there were more than a few threatening-looking locals roaming the shore, swearing, fighting, openly drinking spirits and smelling strongly of pot.  Our kids were too young to notice, but it might not be the most edifying spectacle for slightly older children. Be warned.

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The Mysterious Beaches of North California

Posted in Beaches, Campgrounds, Camping, Short Hikes, tagged , , , on August 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Where the Big Sur meets the Pacific

Since arriving in North Cali I’ve been amazed by the lack of information on local beaches, especially when they are so varied and so beautiful.  On the other hand, it’s been (mostly) fun discovering them for ourselves and working out which are the most suited to toddlers.

The beach at Andrew Molera State Park, where the Big Sur meets the Pacific, is one of our favourites.  It’s a long and super clean sandy beach, covered in driftwood (which the boys love) and nearly always empty, even in the height of summer.  I think the mile-long hike out to the shore limits the number of visitors, though for our boys that’s part of the fun as the path winds through varied terrain and abounds with snakes and lizards (keep an eye out for rattlers!).  And the walk is well worth it.

Park at the trail-head for a $10 fee  (although it’s free if you are camping at a local state park) or park on highway 1 for free and hike in. Bring an ergo or backpack for very small children.

 

Tips

A handy wind-break

The beach itself is fairly windy, so dress accordingly.  There are some awesome driftwood ‘wind-break’ structures to shelter behind however.

Go at low tide and there are rock pools to explore and rocks for scrambling along at the mouth of the Big Sur.

An inner-tube would be fun to ride the Big Sur out to the Pacific.

If you like riding, there are stables nearby offering pony treks along the shore.

There is a campground near the beach that we haven’t yet tried, but which seems to be popular. It’s first come, first served and you’re advised to arrive early friday morning to secure a site for the weekend. All sites are ‘walk-in’ but the campsite does have some very basic amenities, though not much shade or shelter.

The view south

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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Posted in Short Hikes, tagged , , , , , on August 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

“The greatest meeting of land and water in the world” (according to Francis McComas).

The early morning view south from the Sand Hill Trail

With two very small children we often find ourselves seeking the impossible – to hike rugged and spectacular landscapes that the boys can also enjoy from our backs or the trail without getting tired or bored.  Point Lobos seemed, however, on paper at least, to meet our needs.  The reserve covers a craggy, wooded coastline and offers fourteen relatively short trails to explore the headland, coves, and wildlife. 

 Our arrival was not auspicious however. It was a cold, blustery, and cloudy morning, the queue for the entrance was long, there were few parking spots available, the small people on board were starting to grumble, and, as the ranger station had run out of trail maps by the time we arrived, we were flying blind.  Determined to hike at all costs, we followed random roads until we found a parking place at Piney Woods and decided to take the nearest trail.

 

 

There were indeed plenty of sea lions at Sea Lion Point

Sea Lion Point

We found ourselves on the South Shore Trail heading to Sand Hill Cove and Sea Lion Cove. And it was indeed spectacular. Foggy. But spectacular. The frigid air was heavy with the sound of seal lions barking, and it wasn’t long before we spotted a group of them resting on the rocks much to the boys’ delight.

The trail to Sand Hill Cove was easy going and even wheelchair/stroller accessible. After that, the path became more interesting, winding around crags and requiring the occasional bit of scrambling on the way down to Sea Lion Cove.

 The boys loved the cove and occupied themselves watching the surf and sea lions, and throwing rocks into the sea.

On the way back up the sun came out and we saw Point Lobos at its best. The colour of the sea was incredible, and the water so clear that we could watch the sea lions playing in the kelp from the cliff top.

Sea Lion Cove

 The Take Home

Point Lobos, and the hike to Sea Lion Cove, makes an excellent half-day trip for families with toddlers. The trail was long enough to be worthwhile but short enough that the kids didn’t become restless. The path was easy-going for the most part, but included enough scrambling to make small boys happy, and there was sufficient flora and fauna to interest toddlers. Sea Lion Cove itself provides a satisfying ‘destination’ and our boys always require that we are walking to a specific place rather than just ‘hiking a trail.’

Towards Devil's Cauldron

Would we visit again?

Yes. In fact, we are already planning our next visit as we’d like to hike out to China Cove and Gibson Beach, and to try the North Shore Trail. But we would bring warmer clothes next time (it really was exposed, windy, and cold on the cliffs) and arrive earlier to ensure we could find parking near our chosen trail head.

Off into the sunset

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