A to Z:
Hiking the Alphabet Soup of Parks
in the San Francisco Bay Area

by Dinesh Desai

Our 14 mile loops in selected parks

(The loops listed below are approximately 14 miles long. In a few cases, I have omitted some small side trails we had hiked. The elevation gains are based on altimeter readings and should be used only for estimating the severity of the terrain.)

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

  1. McAbee Avenue Trailhead
  2. Senador Mine Trail
  3. Guadalupe Trail (West)
  4. Mine Hill Trail (East)
  5. Hacienda Trail
  6. New Almaden Trail
  7. Mine Hill Trail (East)

Elevation gain and loss: 2,700 feet

Calero County Park

  1. Access Trail
  2. Figueroa Trail
  3. Canada Del Oro Trail
  4. Canada Del Oro Cut-off
  5. Serpentine Loop Trail
  6. Rancho Canada Del Oro Parking
  7. Mayfair Ranch Trail
  8. Longwall Canyon Trail (East)
  9. Serpentine Loop Trail (North)
  10. Bald Peaks Trail (West)
  11. Chisnantuck Peak Trail
  12. Cottle Trail
  13. Javelina Loop Trail (East)
  14. Pena Trail
  15. Access Trail

Elevation gain and loss: 3,300 feet

Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer

  1. Old Homestead Trail
  2. Vista Peak Loop Trail (West)
  3. Garin Peak
  4. Zeile Creek Trail
  5. Vista Peak Loop Trail
  6. Newt Pond Trail
  7. High Ridge Loop Trail (North)
  8. Tolman Peak Trail
  9. South Fork Trail
  10. Tolman Peak Trail
  11. High Ridge Loop Trail (West)
  12. Jordon Pond

Elevation gain and loss: 3,100 feet

Henry W. Coe State Park

  1. Park Headquarters
  2. Corral Trail
  3. Flat Frog Trail
  4. Frog Lake Trail
  5. Middle Ridge Trail
  6. Poverty Flat Road
  7. Creek Trail
  8. China Hole Trail
  9. Manzanita Point Road
  10. Springs Trail
  11. Corral Trail

Elevation gain and loss: 2,300 feet

Joseph D. Grant County Park

  1. Mt. Hamilton Road North side parking
  2. Yerba Buena Trail
  3. Lakeview Trail
  4. Halls Valley Trail
  5. Canada de Pana Trail (North)
  6. Pala Seca Trail
  7. Antler Point
  8. Canada de Pala Trail
  9. Hotel Trail

Elevation gain and loss: 3,000 feet

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

  1. Highway 9 Trail head
  2. Achistaca Trail
  3. Hickory Oaks Trail
  4. Ward Road (South)
  5. Ranch Springs Trail
  6. Ward Road (North)
  7. Long Ridge Road
  8. Long Ridge Trail
  9. Bay Area Ridge Trail (East)
  10. Gate SR01
  11. Bay Area Ridge Trail (South)
  12. Peters Creek Trail
  13. Hickory Oaks Trail
  14. Achistaca Trail

Elevation gain and loss: 3,200 feet

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

  1. Gate PC01 on Skyline Blvd.
  2. North Ridge Trail
  3. Whittenmore Gulch Trail
  4. Purisima Creek Trail
  5. Borden Hatch Mill Trail
  6. Grabtown Gulch Trail
  7. Purisima Creek Trail (East)
  8. Soda Gulch Trail
  9. North Ridge Trail

Elevation gain and loss: 2,800 feet