Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks

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

Big Canyon Park

Big Canyon Park

Rugged hiking trails & scenic views. Hilly city park featuring rugged, narrow hiking trails with benches & panoramic views.

Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail

Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve

Woodland hiking & grassland wildflowers. 467 acres of woodlands & grasslands known for its hiking, wildflowers, bird-watching & scenic views.

Waterdog Lake & Open Space

Waterdog Lake & Open Space

Park with several trails & a small lake. This hilly green park surrounding a small lake has trails of varying lengths, some of them steep.

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

Preserve with canyon & ridge hikes. Dog-friendly preserve offering 366 acres of open space, with hiking trails through canyons & ridges.

Laurelwood Park

Laurelwood Park

Hiking trails to Sugarloaf Mountain. The city's largest park (225 acres) offers trails leading to Sugarloaf Mountain & scenic picnicking.

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.

Crystal Springs Regional Trail (South of Dam Segment)

Crystal Springs Regional Trail (South of Dam Segment)

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Nature Reservation Bedwell

Nature Reservation Bedwell

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sawyer Camp Trail South Trailhead

Sawyer Camp Trail South Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Dumbarton Bridge Vista Point and Trail

Dumbarton Bridge Vista Point and Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ravenswood Open Space Preserve

Ravenswood Open Space Preserve

Large area with marshland & trails. Scenic 376-acre preserve featuring marshland, observation decks & trails for walking & bicycling.

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

Trails, towering trees & scenic vistas. Mountainside area with tall trees, offering canyon hikes, biking trails & horse-riding paths.

El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve

El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve

Natural forest with sandstone formations. Jumbo natural forest featuring hiking & horseback trails, unique plants & rare sandstone formations.

Mills Canyon Park

Mills Canyon Park

Park with a woodland hiking loop. Public park featuring an unpaved hiking trail loop through forestland with a creek.

Mills Canyon - Arguello

Mills Canyon - Arguello

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Baylands Nature Preserve

Baylands Nature Preserve

Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park

Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Hiking, biking & horseback riding. Dog-friendly open space with an interpretive center, plus marked hiking, biking & equestrian trails.

Coyote Hills Regional Park

Coyote Hills Regional Park

Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.

Arastradero Preserve Vista Point

Arastradero Preserve Vista Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Forested fields for hiking & picnicking. Open grasslands & forest area with 12 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling & horseback-riding.

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Trail

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Trail

Entry to 15 miles of multi-use trails. Trailhead leading to 15 miles of multi-use nature trails for hiking, running or cycling.

Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail

Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Eden Landing Ecological Reserve

Eden Landing Ecological Reserve

Large area for bird-watching & hiking. Nature preserve featuring 6,400 acres of salt ponds & marshland, lots of birds & paths for hiking.

Foothills Nature Preserve

Foothills Nature Preserve

1,400-acre nature preserve with trails. Miles of trails guide visitors through woodlands & fields, past streams & lakes in this vast park.

Alameda Creek Regional Trail

Alameda Creek Regional Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Byrne Preserve

Byrne Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Hayward Regional Shoreline

Hayward Regional Shoreline

Vast wetlands park home to nesting birds. Spacious wetlands park boasting gravelled, shoreline trails known for birdwatching & jogging.

Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area Preserve

Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area Preserve

Bayfront reserve for hiking & birding. Waterfront nature preserve with a half-mile hiking trail offering birdwatching opportunities.

Redwood Grove Nature Preserve

Redwood Grove Nature Preserve

Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.

Hidden Villa Hiking Trails

Hidden Villa Hiking Trails

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Lorenzo Bay Trail

San Lorenzo Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Pedro Valley Park

San Pedro Valley Park

Scenic hiking trails & picnic areas. Park boasting a visitor center & seasonal waterfall plus picnic areas with BBQ pits & hiking trails.

Montara Mountain Trailhead

Montara Mountain Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sweeney Ridge Trail

Sweeney Ridge Trail

Historic spot with multi-use trails. Multi-use trails draw visitors to where San Francisco Bay was first discovered by Europeans.

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve

3,137-acre park with diverse plant life. Massive 3,137-acre green space with many trails & a wide range of plant life & wildflowers.

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

Destination for scenic views & trails. Large area with views of Santa Clara Valley & trails, including one for biking & horseback riding.

San Francisco Bay Trail, South San Francisco, CA 94080

San Francisco Bay Trail, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Visit this great place for kids and families!

South San Francisco Sign Hill Trailhead

South San Francisco Sign Hill Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

McNee Ranch State Park

McNee Ranch State Park

Mountain trails with scenic ocean views. Steep mountainside trails for hiking, biking & dogwalking, with sweeping views of the Pacific below.

Brisbane Lagoon

Brisbane Lagoon

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Francisco Bay Trail

San Francisco Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve

Hiking area featuring a working farm. Rural nature preserve with 25 miles of hiking trails, plus a working farm & a model plane launch.

Sunnyvale Bay Trail

Sunnyvale Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sweeney Ridge Trailhead

Sweeney Ridge Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

Lake, scenic vistas & miles of trails. Varied landscape including 11 miles of trails, lake, meadows & ridge views in a 2,143-acre preserve.

Mori Point Hiking Area

Mori Point Hiking Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Mori Point Trail Head

Mori Point Trail Head

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Devil's Slide Trail (South Parking Lot)

Devil's Slide Trail (South Parking Lot)

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Garin Regional Park

Garin Regional Park

Hills, fields, streams & farming history. This natural area with hills, fields & streams houses a seasonal visitor center on ranching history.

High Ridge Loop Trail Head

High Ridge Loop Trail Head

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead

Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Harbor Bay Trail

Harbor Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park

Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park

Spacious preserve with trails & a garden. Expansive park featuring trails, a creek, gardens & farm animals, plus a seasonal barn center.

Alviso Marina County Park

Alviso Marina County Park

Popular hiking & bird-watching site. Hiking, biking & bird-watching are popular activities at this bayside park with paths & boardwalks.

Esplanade Beach Overlook Trail

Esplanade Beach Overlook Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Bruno Mountain State & County Park

San Bruno Mountain State & County Park

Hiking trails & picnic spots with views. Mountain recreation space featuring city & bay views, hiking trails, picnic areas & open meadows.

Fairmont Ridge Staging Area

Fairmont Ridge Staging Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sea View Pkwy, SF Bay Trail Access

Sea View Pkwy, SF Bay Trail Access

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake Chabot Regional Park

Lake Chabot Regional Park

Scenic park for hikes, boating & fishing. Parkland featuring a 315-acre reservoir for canoeing & fishing, plus trails, picnic areas & a cafe.

Crocker Gate Trailhead

Crocker Gate Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Tree-filled space with hiking & biking. Lush, hilly park with multiple hiking & biking opportunities along with long-distance views.

Mussel Rock Park

Mussel Rock Park

Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.

McClellan Ranch Preserve

McClellan Ranch Preserve

Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.

Stevens Creek Reservoir

Stevens Creek Reservoir

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Alameda Creek Regional Trail - Isherwood Staging Area

Alameda Creek Regional Trail - Isherwood Staging Area

Trails used for hiking, biking & horses. Trails running along either side of Alameda Creek, used for running, biking & horseback riding.

Lower Guadalupe River Trail

Lower Guadalupe River Trail

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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