Hidden Canyon Park
Managed by City of Belmont Parks and Recreation Department
190 acres6.6 mi of trail
Chaparral TrailRambler TrailJohn Brooks TrailFinch Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Belmont
11% of Belmont’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 22 miles of mapped trail cross Belmont, 4.7 per square mile of land. 11% of Belmont’s land is conserved, about 320 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #136 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
320 acres · of 4.6 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
4.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
327 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.6 mi
2.6 mi lanes · 2.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Belmont?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Belmont have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Belmont is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #136 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Belmont’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails4.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (327 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 84%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hidden Canyon Park, with 6.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Waterdog Lake Open Space
Managed by City of Belmont Parks and Recreation Department
116 acres3.9 mi of trail
Lake Road TrailJohn Brooks TrailLabor of LoveLake Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hallmark Park
Park
7 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 12 parks & preserves
Hidden Canyon Park190 acres · 6.6 mi of trail · City of Belmont Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsWaterdog Lake Open Space116 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · City of Belmont Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsTwin Pines Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHallmark Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sugarloaf Mountain Open Space6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of San Mateo
DirectionsBelameda Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCipriani Park and Dog Exercise Area4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Belmont
DirectionsAlexander Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Davey Glen Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBarrett Park3 acres
DirectionsSan Francisco Peninsula Watershed1 acres · San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
DirectionsO'Donnell Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
320 conserved acres
11% of Belmont’s land. Who manages Belmont’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city292 ac
Regional agency27 ac
County1 ac
Local Park · 220 acLocal Recreation Area · 65 acLocal Other or Unknown · 34 acLocal Resource Management Area · 1 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Canyon Park Local Park | Town or city | 180 | Open |
| Water Dog Lake Canyon Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Twin Pines Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Belmont Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Ralston Middle School Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 11 | Restricted |
| Fox Elementary School Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 7 | Restricted |
| Hallmark Drive Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Nesbit School Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 5 | Restricted |
| Hallmark Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Barrett Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
40 places to go in Belmont
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Belmont
Carlmont High School Swimming Pool
DirectionsHyatt House Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Belmont
Alexander Park PlaygroundIn Alexander Park
DirectionsBarrett Park PlaygroundIn Barrett Park
DirectionsBelameda Park PlaygroundIn Belameda Park
DirectionsBelmont Sport Complex Playground
DirectionsCipriani Park Playground
DirectionsDavey Glen Park PlaygroundIn Davey Glen Park
DirectionsHastings Tot Lot
DirectionsO'Donnell Park PlaygroundIn O'Donnell Park
Directions1 more playground
Semeria Park PlaygroundIn Semeria Park
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Belmont
Cipriani Dog ParkIn Cipriani Park and Dog Exercise Area
DirectionsScenic views in Belmont
Len Turner Memorial Vista Point
DirectionsPicnic areas in Belmont
Buckeye Picnic AreaIn Twin Pines Park
DirectionsMeadow Picnic Area
DirectionsRedwood Picnic AreaIn Twin Pines Park
DirectionsPlus 11 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 16.7 miUnpaved · 20.0 mi
John Brooks Trail1.7 mi
Lake Road Trail1.4 mi
Chaparral Trail1.2 mi
Rambler Trail1.1 mi
Headbanger1.0 mi
Labor of Love0.6 mi
Finch Trail0.6 mi
Ohlone Trail0.6 mi
Elevator Trail0.6 mi
Jack-Daniels0.5 mi
15 more trails
Headbanger's Ball #1
0.5 miLake Loop Trail
0.5 miCarlmont Main Trail
0.5 miUpper Creek Trail
0.5 miCanyon Creek Trail
0.4 miUtter Delight
0.4 miUpper Lake Road Trail
0.4 miBerry Trail
0.4 miEnsatina Trail
0.3 miWood Rat Rebellion
0.2 miSlalom Course
0.2 miFox School Trail
0.2 miCarlmont Switchbacks
0.2 miRaccoon Run Trail
0.2 miFrench Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.6 mi
off-road bike paths
1.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
16Tennis
14Basketball
10Baseball
9Pickleball
4Soccer
4Beach volleyball
3Multi-sport
3Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Belmont: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 59 | 61 | 64 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 73 | 64 | 58 |
| Rain (in) | 4.7 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.7 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Belmont →
Next door
Belmont and its neighbors
Belmont has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 11% | 4.7 | 12 | 99%+ | A |
| San Carlos | 5% | 1.8 | 8 | 97% | A− |
| San Mateo | 10% | 1.7 | 7 | 97% | A− |
| Redwood City | 42% | 0.7 | 7 | 96% | A− |
| Foster City | 9% | 2.4 | 6 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Belmont
Where can I hike in Belmont?
The longest trail networks: Hidden Canyon Park, 6.6 miles; Waterdog Lake Open Space, 3.9 miles; Twin Pines Park, 0.4 miles; Hallmark Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Belmont is conserved land?
11% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Belmont’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Hidden Canyon Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Belmont?
6.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes, 2.6 of off-road paths and 1.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Belmont?
29,358 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Belmont or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 327 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Belmont have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #136 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Belmont neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →