When we’re not living the expat life, we’re exploring our homes. Hard. On our 2015 homeward bound trip, we did a lot of California exploring: from national parks to state parks to regional parks. But along the way, we discovered that there are many, many more places to play beyond the big names. Lots of beautiful places are protected as community or county parks and, in the Bay Area, the Midpeninsula Region Open Space Preserves! This is a network of 24 green spaces around San Francisco Bay, many of them interconnected. During our stay, we got to sample several. Here are three of our favorite Open Space Preserves:
St. Joseph’s Hill OSP
This space preserves a small but scenic trail-covered hill southwest of San Jose. Headed into the city for the usual between-jobs, visa-related errands, we opted to take the very long way round. And that’s how we found ourselves at this open space preserve just after dawn.
St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve was exactly what we were looking for this hot August morning. We had hoped for a swift but steep run, and St. Joseph’s Hill delivered!
We dashed up and down the 380 meter hill in about 40 minutes, on a direct, 6 kilometer route. The Jones Trail was our way up, and then we did a loop consisting of the Manzanita Trail and Upper Brothers bypass. We took few photos on this quick dash, – neglecting to photograph even the summit views – but we did stop for a bunny crossing!
El Corte de Madera OSP
I love that this OSP is described on google as a ‘jumbo natural forest’. You’ll laugh, but we went here to sneak in an early morning run before meeting a friend for a hike in the same area later on (see Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP below)! South of San Francisco and west of Redwood City, El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve was our chosen destination for this run quickie.
With 35+ miles of trails, this is a haven for hikers and bikers alike. El Corte de Madera is by far the largest of the open space preserves. Though deservedly popular, its vast network means there’s enough trail for everyone.
We were there in mid-September 2015, during an intense drought. So this ‘natural forest’ with all of its beautiful green hues was truly a special treat!
But, we arrived pre-dawn and hit the trails before we could properly see them. As a result, we missed the preserve’s giant redwood, sandstone sculptures and no doubt many details of our route.
Also, in our wisdom, we chose a simple, out-and-back route that went down deep into a shady gully where the sun was slow to rise. So these photos are all that we have of an 8 kilometer, hour-long run in this OSP.
We totally had a blast zipping along the Sierra Morena and Gordon Mill Trails; completely alone in the forest, before even the birds were stirring. But I would like to return in order to actually see a little more of El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve!
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve was just across the valley from El Corte de Madera; only a little bit further down Skyline Boulevard. This is the most northerly of the open space preserves, offering great views of Half Moon Bay. Out on the trails, we met Mo – one of Kent’s best friends from high school.
The three of us had the luxury of time, and we spent nearly four hours exploring the forest. We followed the North Ridge Trail to its end, then made a loop of Whittemore Gulch and Harkins Ridge Trails. From the latter, we could look back towards our first destination of the day: El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve!
By mid-morning, the sun was high overhead and shining down on this patch of forest from a bright blue sky. Sometimes we were out of its reach, deep in the dense forest. But at other times, we stood in its warmth and gazed out to sea.
We also stopped to savor the details, like the ferns and clover that grew in abundance in the understory. Occasionally, we had a peek at the creatures in the duff: the not-so-mini fauna of this miniature forest within the forest!
Interested in heading out into some wide open space (preserves) yourself? There’s a website for that! Check out the OSPs mentioned here: St. Joseph’s Hill, El Corte de Madera and Purisima Creek Redwoods – or find your own! Up for a challenge? Consider running or hiking them all!
This network of parkland and protected green space makes for refreshing outings of a couple of hours or a whole day. They also make for a great escape from the city if and when you’re in the San Francisco area! As always, happy trails wherever you are today!
