Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks

Explore the best kid-friendly hiking trails & nature walks options for kids and families in Del Rey Oaks

Eolian Dunes Preserve

Eolian Dunes Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Jacks Peak Park

Jacks Peak Park

Pine forest hikes & vista views. Hiking & horseback trails wind 8+ miles through a Monterey pine forest to a peak with vista views.

Monterey peninsula recreational trail

Monterey peninsula recreational trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fort Ord Dunes Trail

Fort Ord Dunes Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead

Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Berwick Park

Berwick Park

Ocean views, picnic spots & wildlife. 1-acre park boasting ocean vistas, picnic spots & a grassy lawn, plus hiking & biking trails.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park

Fort Ord Dunes State Park

Park with ocean beach & bluff-top views. A trail leads to the beach in this park with a bluff-top platform offering views of Monterey Bay.

SFB Morse Botanical Reserve

SFB Morse Botanical Reserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Huckleberry Hill

Huckleberry Hill

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lovers Point Park

Lovers Point Park

Small beachside recreation spot. Petite beach park with swimming, surfing & other water recreation, plus kayak & bike rentals & more.

Mission Trail Park

Mission Trail Park

Nature preserve with 5 miles of trails. Former estate that is now a 33-acre nature preserve with 5 miles of trails through pine & redwood.

ZQP Trail to Beach

ZQP Trail to Beach

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Carmel Beach Walk

Carmel Beach Walk

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Asilomar Trail

Asilomar Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Heart Shaped Rock-Love Rock

Heart Shaped Rock-Love Rock

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Carmel Meadows trail

Carmel Meadows trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Garland Ranch Regional Park

Garland Ranch Regional Park

Nature area with many hiking trails. Rustic, dog-friendly park offering extensive hiking trails through woodlands, canyons & chaparral.

Marina Dunes Preserve

Marina Dunes Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Whaler's Knoll Lookout

Whaler's Knoll Lookout

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Coastal hikes, diving & a whaling museum. Scenic coastal area featuring diverse sea animals & wildlife, hiking, diving & a whaling museum.

Elkhorn Slough Reserve

Elkhorn Slough Reserve

Marsh preserve with trails & ample fauna. Tidal salt marsh that is home to birds, otters, seals & many other animals, with boardwalk trails.

Carmel River Trail

Carmel River Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Natural Bridges Monarch Trail

Natural Bridges Monarch Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wilder Beach Overlook

Wilder Beach Overlook

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wilder Ranch State Park

Wilder Ranch State Park

Picnic areas, trails & horseback riding. Natural landscape with diverse activities including hiking trails, picnic areas & horseback riding.

Moore Creek Preserve

Moore Creek Preserve

Open meadows with trails & scenic views. This 246-acre greenbelt offers hiking trails through grassy plains with views of the Monterey Bay.

Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Pogonip Open Space

Pogonip Open Space

Scenic sloped park with hiking & biking. Scenic open space offering a hiking & biking trail network amid redwood & oak forests & slopes.

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Outdoor destination for hiking & biking. Hiking, biking & jogging trails on varied terrain rising from sea level to steep coastal mountains.

UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Powder Mill Trail

Powder Mill Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Garden of Eden - Henry Cowell Redwood State Park

Garden of Eden - Henry Cowell Redwood State Park

Wooded hiking area with a swimming hole. Picturesque wilderness area featuring a riverside loop trail & a natural swimming hole.

Coast Dairies State Beaches

Coast Dairies State Beaches

Beaches & bluffs along the Coastal Trail. A series of small beaches with bluffs & rock formations following a stretch of the Coastal Trail.

Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Redwood Grove Loop Trail

Redwood Grove Loop Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Natural area with mountain biking trails. Scenic forested park featuring redwoods, natural springs & a series of cycling trails.

East Glenwood Preserve

East Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

West Glenwood Preserve

West Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Vast state park with hiking & camping. 1,000-acre state park offers a wide variety of hiking trails, wildlife, campgrounds & a guest lodge.

Balconies Cave

Balconies Cave

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fall Creek Unit

Fall Creek Unit

Forest hiking trails in a canyon. State park offers hiking & other outdoor activities among redwoods & Douglas firs in a wild canyon.

Bear Gulch Reservoir

Bear Gulch Reservoir

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Park featuring caves & rock formations. The remains of an ancient volcanic field, this park features geologic sights, caves & condors.

Bear Gulch Day Use Area

Bear Gulch Day Use Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Loch Lomond Recreation Area

Loch Lomond Recreation Area

Reservoir park for fishing & boating. Scenic 175-acre reservoir park for fishing, boating & hiking (seasonal & can be closed by drought).

Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

Hiking trails, wildlife & dramatic views. 18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Coyote Creek Trail

Coyote Creek Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Natural landscape with pedestrian trails. County park with a history of mining offers hiking, biking & equestrian trails amid wildflowers.

Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lexington Reservoir County Park

Lexington Reservoir County Park

Hiking, boating & fishing destination. Scenic park & reservoir featuring hiking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch & shoreline fishing.

St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve

St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve

Demanding trails in a dog-friendly space. This 270-acre site welcomes dogs & provides challenging trails for hikers, bikers & equestrians.

Limekiln State Park

Limekiln State Park

Views of Big Sur, redwoods & the coast. Park with 24 camping sites features stunning views of Big Sur, redwood trees & the California coast.

Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop

Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Villa Montalvo Lookout Point

Villa Montalvo Lookout Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sanborn County Park

Sanborn County Park

Lush forested park with camping & hiking. Verdant wooded park featuring RV/tent campsites, plus picnic areas & over 15 miles of hiking trails.

Castle Rock Trail

Castle Rock Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Castle Rock State Park

Castle Rock State Park

Camping, hiking & horseback riding. Park offering 34 miles of hiking & horseback riding trails among redwoods & other regional trees.

San Lorenzo County Park

San Lorenzo County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Los Gatos Creek Trail

Los Gatos Creek Trail

Creekside trail through parkland. Paved track for walkers, cyclists & other non-motorized transport alongside the Los Gatos Creek.

Los Gatos Creek County Park

Los Gatos Creek County Park

Dog-friendly outdoor spot with AstroTurf. Dog-friendly public space with an AstroTurf lawn, hiking trails, bicycle paths & fishing ponds.

Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve

Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance

Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

Fremont Older Open Space Preserve

Year-round hiking & biking with vistas. Scenic spread on 739 acres with rolling views & trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding.

Parker Ranch Trailhead

Parker Ranch Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve

Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve

Winery & hiking trails through orchards. 308-acre park offering 3.7 miles of trails amid orchards & woodlands, a winery & weekly activities.

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