Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
Explore the best kid-friendly hiking trails & nature walks options for kids and families in San Jose
Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Alum Rock Park
Large park with mineral springs & trails. Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.
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.
Los Gatos Creek Trail
Creekside trail through parkland. Paved track for walkers, cyclists & other non-motorized transport alongside the Los Gatos Creek.
Ulistac Natural Area
Rustic park with native plantings. Rustic riverside park boasting trails, bird-watching & a range of native plants on 40 acres.
Lower Guadalupe River Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
Multi-use trails with scenic views. Nature preserve with hiking/biking/equestrian trails through varied landscapes with valley views.
Boccardo Loop Trail
Hiking & biking in scenic surrounds. Open to hikers, bikers & equestrians, the 2.7-mile stretch passes though grasslands & oak woodlands.
Alviso Marina County Park
Popular hiking & bird-watching site. Hiking, biking & bird-watching are popular activities at this bayside park with paths & boardwalks.
Parker Ranch Trailhead
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sunnyvale Bay Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
San Francisco Bay Trail
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Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop
Visit this great place for kids and families!
McClellan Ranch Preserve
Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.
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.
Villa Montalvo Lookout Point
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Natural landscape with pedestrian trails. County park with a history of mining offers hiking, biking & equestrian trails amid wildflowers.
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.
Stevens Creek Reservoir
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lexington Reservoir County Park
Hiking, boating & fishing destination. Scenic park & reservoir featuring hiking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch & shoreline fishing.
Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area Preserve
Bayfront reserve for hiking & birding. Waterfront nature preserve with a half-mile hiking trail offering birdwatching opportunities.
Mission Peak Trail Head
Hilly hiking area with scenic views. Open space featuring a steep hiking trail with sweeping valley & bay views from the summit.
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
3,000 mountain acres for recreation. Vast mountain preserve popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding, R/C flying and hang-gliding.
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.
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.
Mission Peak Trail Second View Point (Mission Hills)
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Hiking trails, wildlife & dramatic views. 18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.
Sunol Regional Wilderness
Park with hiking trails & a scenic gorge. 6,859-acre park with varied terrain & a scenic gorge for hiking, a visitor center & more.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
Redwood forest with a boardwalk. This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.
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.
Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Castle Rock Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Baylands Nature Preserve
Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.
Hidden Villa Hiking Trails
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Castle Rock State Park
Camping, hiking & horseback riding. Park offering 34 miles of hiking & horseback riding trails among redwoods & other regional trees.
Byrne Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
Tree-filled space with hiking & biking. Lush, hilly park with multiple hiking & biking opportunities along with long-distance views.
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.
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.
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
Hiking, biking & horseback riding. Dog-friendly open space with an interpretive center, plus marked hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Ravenswood Open Space Preserve
Large area with marshland & trails. Scenic 376-acre preserve featuring marshland, observation decks & trails for walking & bicycling.
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.
Arastradero Preserve Vista Point
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Vargas Plateau Regional Park
Hiking trails, birds of prey & sea views. Grasslands & wooded canyons home to eagles & hawks, with gentle walking routes leading to bay views.
Dumbarton Bridge Vista Point and Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Natural area with mountain biking trails. Scenic forested park featuring redwoods, natural springs & a series of cycling trails.
Coyote Creek Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Nature Reservation Bedwell
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Loch Lomond Recreation Area
Reservoir park for fishing & boating. Scenic 175-acre reservoir park for fishing, boating & hiking (seasonal & can be closed by drought).
Alameda Creek Regional Trail
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bedwell Bayfront Park
Oceanside park with trails & fields. Large bayside park with expansive open spaces for flying kites & several hiking trails.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Forested fields for hiking & picnicking. Open grasslands & forest area with 12 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling & horseback-riding.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
West Glenwood Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
East Glenwood Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
Expansive wilderness with trails & cows. 5,271-acre parkland with scenic trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding, plus local cattle.
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.
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.
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