Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
Explore the best kid-friendly hiking trails & nature walks options for kids and families in Watsonville
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.
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.
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Natural area with mountain biking trails. Scenic forested park featuring redwoods, natural springs & a series of cycling trails.
Marina Dunes Preserve
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Enchanted Trail Trailhead
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Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic trail
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Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve
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Natural Bridges Monarch Trail
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Pogonip Open Space
Scenic sloped park with hiking & biking. Scenic open space offering a hiking & biking trail network amid redwood & oak forests & slopes.
Powder Mill Trail
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East Glenwood Preserve
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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.
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.
Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve
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West Glenwood Preserve
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Wilder Beach Overlook
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Fort Ord Dunes Trail
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UCSC Upper Campus Natural Reserve
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Wilder Ranch State Park
Picnic areas, trails & horseback riding. Natural landscape with diverse activities including hiking trails, picnic areas & horseback riding.
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.
Coyote Creek Trail
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Bear Mountain
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Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Hiking trails, wildlife & dramatic views. 18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.
Redwood Grove Loop Trail
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Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve
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Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Natural landscape with pedestrian trails. County park with a history of mining offers hiking, biking & equestrian trails amid wildflowers.
Eolian Dunes Preserve
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Heart Shaped Rock-Love Rock
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Lovers Point Park
Small beachside recreation spot. Petite beach park with swimming, surfing & other water recreation, plus kayak & bike rentals & more.
Berwick Park
Ocean views, picnic spots & wildlife. 1-acre park boasting ocean vistas, picnic spots & a grassy lawn, plus hiking & biking trails.
Asilomar Trail
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Loch Lomond Recreation Area
Reservoir park for fishing & boating. Scenic 175-acre reservoir park for fishing, boating & hiking (seasonal & can be closed by drought).
Fall Creek Unit
Forest hiking trails in a canyon. State park offers hiking & other outdoor activities among redwoods & Douglas firs in a wild canyon.
Monterey peninsula recreational trail
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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.
Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead
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Lexington Reservoir County Park
Hiking, boating & fishing destination. Scenic park & reservoir featuring hiking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch & shoreline fishing.
SFB Morse Botanical Reserve
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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.
Huckleberry Hill
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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.
Trailhead, Lexington Dam Loop
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ZQP Trail to Beach
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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.
Carmel Beach Walk
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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
Dog-friendly outdoor spot with AstroTurf. Dog-friendly public space with an AstroTurf lawn, hiking trails, bicycle paths & fishing ponds.
Villa Montalvo Lookout Point
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Garland Ranch Regional Park
Nature area with many hiking trails. Rustic, dog-friendly park offering extensive hiking trails through woodlands, canyons & chaparral.
Carmel Meadows trail
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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.
Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance
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Castle Rock Trail
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Whaler's Knoll Lookout
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Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Coastal hikes, diving & a whaling museum. Scenic coastal area featuring diverse sea animals & wildlife, hiking, diving & a whaling museum.
Castle Rock State Park
Camping, hiking & horseback riding. Park offering 34 miles of hiking & horseback riding trails among redwoods & other regional trees.
Parker Ranch Trailhead
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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.
Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve
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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 Reservoir
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McClellan Ranch Preserve
Former horse ranch with a nature museum. Former horse ranch from the 1930s featuring a nature museum, community garden & historic buildings.
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
Tree-filled space with hiking & biking. Lush, hilly park with multiple hiking & biking opportunities along with long-distance views.
Alum Rock Park
Large park with mineral springs & trails. Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.
Deer Hollow Farm Trailhead
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Boccardo Loop Trail
Hiking & biking in scenic surrounds. Open to hikers, bikers & equestrians, the 2.7-mile stretch passes though grasslands & oak woodlands.
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
Multi-use trails with scenic views. Nature preserve with hiking/biking/equestrian trails through varied landscapes with valley views.
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
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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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