I was all jazzed when I saw the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) blog, um post, on “Least Crowded Hikes on the Peninsula and South Bay“. During the COVID-19 pandemic we are reminded to get outside for fresh air and exercise, for the health benefits of staying moving and the generally safer (virus transmission) conditions when outdoors.

The blog post highlights some of the lesser known parks and spaces nearby that have both wide trails (at least in parts) and fewer visitors. They are just a little bit farther away, but are within reach for a day trip. Some of the places I’ve been to but others were new-to-me like El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve, where clear-cut logging was once carried out (8 former mills in the area) to supply the burgeoning city of San Francisco in the 1860s.

Other places mentioned are:

• Memorial County Park
• Loma Mar Redwoods: next to Memorial – an open space which has not been developed into a park, i.e. the trails are unmanaged and lack signs
• Pescadero Creek Park
• Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
• Skyline Ridge Preserve

Equally important, the article lists some of the most popular places nearby – to either avoid them all-together or be sure to get there at an off-time (early morning or on a weekday): Purisima Creek Redwoods, Fremont Older Preserve, Rancho San Antonio Preserve and Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.

Sadly I took too long to plan a trip and currently some of the areas are impacted by wildfires – either directly burning, closed as a precaution or impractical to visit due to bad air quality (not to mention record-setting heat). So it may be a while before I actually get out to some of these places. I am putting this post here as a bookmark to come back to…

Update April 2021

One for the crowded (so go early or on a weekday) list: I visited Pearson-Arastradero Preserve for birds and wildflowers in April.

One for the less crowded list: I went on a hilly, tree-filled, challenging hike at El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve back in December.