Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks

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

East Glenwood Preserve

East Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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West Glenwood Preserve

West Glenwood Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Powder Mill Trail

Powder Mill Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Redwood Grove Loop Trail

Redwood Grove Loop Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Enchanted Trail Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Natural Bridges Monarch Trail

Natural Bridges Monarch Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Wilder Beach Overlook

Wilder Beach Overlook

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop

Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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Castle Rock Trail

Castle Rock Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Villa Montalvo Lookout Point

Villa Montalvo Lookout Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve

Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Parker Ranch Trailhead

Parker Ranch Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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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Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Stevens Creek Reservoir

Stevens Creek Reservoir

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance

Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead

Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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Coyote Creek Trail

Coyote Creek Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Hidden Villa Hiking Trails

Hidden Villa Hiking Trails

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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.

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Byrne Preserve

Byrne Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Arastradero Preserve Vista Point

Arastradero Preserve Vista Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Ulistac Natural Area

Ulistac Natural Area

Rustic park with native plantings. Rustic riverside park boasting trails, bird-watching & a range of native plants on 40 acres.

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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.

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Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

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

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Lower Guadalupe River Trail

Lower Guadalupe River Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Sunnyvale Bay Trail

Sunnyvale Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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San Francisco Bay Trail

San Francisco Bay Trail

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Alum Rock Park

Alum Rock Park

Large park with mineral springs & trails. Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.

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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.

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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.

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Marina Dunes Preserve

Marina Dunes Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Boccardo Loop Trail

Boccardo Loop Trail

Hiking & biking in scenic surrounds. Open to hikers, bikers & equestrians, the 2.7-mile stretch passes though grasslands & oak woodlands.

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Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve

Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve

Multi-use trails with scenic views. Nature preserve with hiking/biking/equestrian trails through varied landscapes with valley views.

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