windy hill open space preserve

A real treasure and welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the valley. You never know what you will see when you hike the preserve. Good for bird watching or enjoying the vistas.

hard to believe that you can escape the crowds of silicon valley with only a short 2 mile hike. fantastic scenery, and private during the week. do be mindful of mountain lions!

This is a reasonably short hike two hours or so however the top of the hill is 1900ft up and so you can look east and see the whole of the Bay and then look west and see the ocean. There are plenty of signs which detail the routes and it is nice to walk up through the trees and walk down a different route. The longer walks are on the eastern side and if you just want a short walk drive up Skyline to the western car park. Just beautiful on a clear day. Please note that it is called windy hill for a reason - it can be windy on top.

I was driving highway 9 - scenic highway through the Santa Cruz Mountains - and stopped at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. This is a nice hill area with a nice 360 degree view of both the Santa Cruz Mountain Area and also the urban areas to the east.On the day I was there the view was a bit hazy - I have been there on crystal clear days when the view is spectacular. As such, if interested in doing the hill walk and get the best view, wait for a very clear day. There is a free parking lot plus a couple of picnic tables by the parking lot as well.There is the anniversary trail in this area. The anniversary trail was built in 1987 to commemorate Midpeninsula Open Space Trust 15 year anniversary. It also celebrated Windy Hills 5 years as an open space. When one looks at it now in 2014, one realizes how much time has past between now and then and it is still a nice place to go for a hike and a 360 degree view.Hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians enjoy 12 miles of trails that traverse oak, madrone, buckeye, bay, fir, and redwood and then open up to grassy slopes.

A beautiful hike up a hill - some trees and shade but mostly under the hot sun but the views extend up to the coastline and are just beautiful! We saw many antelopes hiding in the underbrush - and loads of lizards - and even hot and exhausted children found the trip up worthwhile!!!!!! Take more water than you think you will need. Oh and you can park at the beginning of the trail!

Start at the Portola Valley parking lot entrance and hike up to Skyline for a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean on a clear day. Fun geocaches along the trail.

The Windy Hill Open Space Preserve has something for everyone. Hiking, mountain biking, views of San Francisco....the summit is about 1,800 feet up. You can drive there through a winding, mountain road (Road 35). Limited bathrooms but definately worth the visit!