Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks

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

Balconies Cave

Balconies Cave

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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!

Carmel River Trail

Carmel River 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.

Fort Ord Dunes Trail

Fort Ord Dunes Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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.

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.

Marina Dunes Preserve

Marina Dunes 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.

Monterey peninsula recreational trail

Monterey peninsula recreational trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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.

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 Meadows trail

Carmel Meadows trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Lorenzo County Park

San Lorenzo County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead

Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Carmel Beach Walk

Carmel Beach Walk

Visit this great place for kids and families!

ZQP Trail to Beach

ZQP Trail to Beach

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.

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.

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.

Whaler's Knoll Lookout

Whaler's Knoll Lookout

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!

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.

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.

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic 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!

Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wilder Beach Overlook

Wilder Beach Overlook

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Coyote Creek Trail

Coyote Creek 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.

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.

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.

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.

Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Powder Mill Trail

Powder Mill Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

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.

East Glenwood Preserve

East Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain

Visit this great place for kids and families!

West Glenwood Preserve

West Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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