★★

Foothills Nature Preserve

and Pearson – Arastradero Preserve
California > San Francisco Bay Area

Trappers Fire Road

At one time, Foothills Park was best known for its exclusivity: only Palo Alto residents and their guests were allowed in. In December 2020, the city council, faced with a racial discrimination lawsuit, opened the park to everyone. The number of visitors shot up for the next few months, and residents complained that the park was being trashed. The town responded by reducing the capacity limit, instituting a $6 entrance fee, and renaming the park Foothills Nature Preserve. For a while, the park quickly filled up on weekends, making it difficult to get in

Fortunately, things have settled down and it's now normally no problem to get into the park. The Orchard Glen picnic area might be more boisterous than it used to be, but for the most part the park feels just like it did before. It really is exceptionally nice, with attractive scenery throughout and a quiet, peaceful atmosphere that’s unusual in a suburban park. The grounds and trails are really well-maintained and get relatively few visitors.

This hike starts in Arastradero Preserve, winding through two parks with much different appearances and a variety of interesting sights along the way. The Arastradero section isn’t as scenic as the Foothills section, so you could cut about 4 miles off the hike by skipping it and starting in Foothills instead. But the full hike with its wider variety of scenery is more satisfying, an epic day hike that makes it feel like you've really travelled somewhere.

The main parking lot at Arastradero Preserve may be full on weekend mornings, and overflow parking is no longer allowed along Arastradero Road. Even if the lot is full, though, a spot will usually open up if you wait a few minutes.

Hike up the de Anza Trail. On a nice weekend there can be nearly a continuous stream of people hiking this trail at the park entrance. Near a fenced-in equipment enclosure, turn left onto the Arastradero Crook Trail. The dirt road climbs gradually but gets increasingly steep as it approaches Foothills Nature Preserve. Meanwhile, the crowds gradually diminish. Mostly the road is surrounded by tall vegetation, so there isn’t much to see — even the two little ponds right next to the trail are hidden, although you may hear the deep sound of bullfrogs croaking. It’s a pleasant walk but not particularly interesting. About half the walk is shaded, and it gets pretty hot here in the summer. The trail seems to be popular with equestrians and there’s a lot of horse manure to avoid.

The trail crests and descends to a gate at the boundary of Foothills Nature Preserve. There’s an immediate change in the scenery upon entering the park, as the hot, dry, open grasslands of Arastradero give way to wooded hillsides. The dusty dirt road changes to a paved road that descends into the isolated little valley at the heart of the park.

Continue down the paved road. Rounding a bend, the distinctive A-frame visitors’ center appears. The visitors’ center has trail maps and a drinking fountain.

The Foothills Nature Preserve visitor center

Back on the road, turn left and head toward the Orchard Glen picnic area, the centerpiece of the park. The shady picnic area is in a little valley together with a large, well-manicured lawn. The lawn is surrounded by trees and Skyline Ridge rises above it all in the blue distance. It all feels very isolated from the outside world.

Cut through the picnic area and head for the road into the Wildhorse Valley. Just after a bridge, turn right onto the Steep Hollow Trail. The trail climbs through a refreshingly cool, wooded, bay leaf-scented ravine. Turn left onto an unmarked dirt road (it’s also possible to continue straight on the Los Trancos Trail, but this route is a little dull; the fire road is a lot shorter and makes a nice change from the wooded trail).

The road leaves the woods and climbs over grassy hills. The hilltops are mowed to keep them free of scrub. In the summer this can be a hot, dry climb, but the reward is a series of increasingly broad vistas. The wide, shallow valley behind you is Portola Valley. To the west is Skyline Ridge, which is completely wooded except for the single grassy strip that is Windy Hill. San Francisco is usually visible in the distance.

When you reach a trail crossing next to a bench, turn left. This is the Los Trancos Trail. The trail descends through chaparral and tall scrub, with a few wooded pockets. From time to time motorcycles can be heard roaring along nearby Page Mill Road. At the first trail intersection, turn right onto the Costanoan Trail, which descends into attractive woodland with abundant ferns. In winter a lively creek cascades through the ravine. When the trail splits and becomes the Fern Loop, go either way.

Fern Loop. Most of Foothills Nature Preserve is wooded

The trail ends at a paved road. Turn left and head back toward Orchard Glen (if you have the time and energy for a side trip, take the Toyon Trail over to Boronda Lake.

Cut through the Orchard Glen picnic area again and take the Chamise Trail, which climbs through woods, then through sunny chaparral. Stay left to climb up to Vista Hill. Cross the paved road and climb up to the parking area. To your left is a little trail that circles around the hilltop. Mounted in wooden posts around the hilltop are little metal tubes that you look through, each labeled with the name of a Bay Area landmark that the tube points at. It’s an interesting and well done exhibit, except over the years the wooden posts have warped so that some tubes aren’t that accurate anymore, and trees have blocked a few.

Descend the Panorama Trail into pleasant woodlands and turn left on the Coyote Trail, which leads back to the gate by which you entered the park.

Instead of taking the Arastradero Creek Trail all the way back, turn left on the Acorn Trail which, besides offering some variety, is a lot more scenic than the dirt road. The trail first climbs through woods but soon breaks out onto the rolling grassy hills of Arastradero Park.

Turn onto the Meadowlark Trail and descend through the golden grasslands.

Meadowlark Trail, Arastradero Preserve

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© 2010, 2012, 2017, 2022 David Baselt