Foothills Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
1,336 acres19.7 mi of trail
Los Trancos TrailPanorama TrailToyon TrailCoyote Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Palo Alto
Palo Alto has 82 miles of mapped trails, 3.4 for every square mile of land
43% of Palo Alto’s land is conserved, about 6,660 acres. Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 5,188 acres are parks and preserves, 77 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #18 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
43%
6,660 acres · of 24.1 sq mi of land
Trails
82 mi
3.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,188 ac
77 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
82 mi
49 mi lanes · 20 mi paths
Highest peak
2,785 ft
Black Mountain
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Palo Alto?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Palo Alto have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Palo Alto is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #18 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 Palo Alto’s overall grade.
Conserved land43% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (82 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land77 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,188 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13A−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)Among the top 1%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 98%
Water is 7% of Palo Alto’s area (2 of 26 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 40%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Foothills Nature Preserve, with 19.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
Managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
2,073 acres15.9 mi of trail
Canyon TrailMonte Bello Road (Trail)White Oak TrailStevens Creek Nature Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto Monte Bello Parking LotWebsite ↗
Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
Managed by City of Palo Alto
654 acres11.2 mi of trail
Meadowlark TrailRedtail Loop TrailArastradero Creek TrailBowl Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Byxbee Park
Managed by City of Palo Alto
154 acres6.5 mi of trail
Adobe Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
Managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
191 acres4.7 mi of trail
Page Mill TrailLost Creek Loop TrailFranciscan Loop TrailSan Andreas Fault Trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Upper Stevens Creek County Park
Managed by County of Santa Clara
234 acres2.7 mi of trail
Grizzly Flat TrailGrizzly Flat Trail NorthCanyon TrailGrizzly Flat Trail South+1
No dogs
Directionsto Grizzly Flat Trail Parking AreaWebsite ↗
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
249 acres1.8 mi of trail
Black Mountain TrailMonte Bello Road (Trail)Quarry Trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
25 acres0.8 mi of trail
Chestnut Trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 38 parks & preserves
Foothills Nature Preserve1,336 acres · 19.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMonte Bello Open Space Preserve2,073 acres · 15.9 mi of trail · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
DirectionsEnid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve654 acres · 11.2 mi of trail · City of Palo Alto
DirectionsByxbee Park154 acres · 6.5 mi of trail · City of Palo Alto
DirectionsLos Trancos Open Space Preserve191 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Upper Stevens Creek County Park234 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · County of Santa Clara
DirectionsRancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve249 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Foothills Open Space Preserve222 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Hidden Villa90 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Trust for Hidden Villa
Mitchell Park28 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Parks, Trails, Natural Open Space & Recreation
DirectionsEsther Clark Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Hoover Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPeers Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Packard Grove4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRamos Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
El Camino Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStanford/Palo Alto Community Playing Fields6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBol Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJerry Bowden Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEleanor Pardee Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Timothy Hopkins Creekside Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Palo Alto
DirectionsRobles Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHenry W. Seale Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Briones Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCameron Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBoulware Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMayfield Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreer Park22 acres
DirectionsRinconada Park10 acres
DirectionsTerman Park8 acres
Johnson Park3 acres
DirectionsHeritage Park2 acres · City of Mountain View
DirectionsShoreline Park1 acres
DirectionsEl Palo Alto Park1 acres · City of Palo Alto
DirectionsBowling Green Park1 acres
DirectionsWeisshaar Park1 acres
DirectionsWerry Park1 acres
Who protects it
6,660 conserved acres
43% of Palo Alto’s land. Water is left out: Palo Alto has 24.1 square miles of land and 1.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Palo Alto’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,504 ac
Regional agency2,918 ac
County232 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits94 ac
Local Conservation Area · 4,846 acLocal Park · 1,706 acPrivate Conservation · 90 acConservation Easement · 88 acLocal Recreation Area · 14 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 2,220 | Open |
| Foothills Park Local Park | Town or city | 1,293 | Restricted |
| Baylands Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,275 | Open |
| Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 654 | Open |
| Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 250 | Open |
| Upper Stevens Creek County Park Local Park | County | 232 | Open |
| Foothills Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 222 | Open |
| Los Trancos Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 193 | Open |
| Hidden Villa (Duveneck Ranch) Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 90 | Restricted |
| Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
142 places to go in Palo Alto
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Palo Alto
Monroe Park PlaygroundIn Monroe Park
DirectionsPine Grove PlaygroundIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsRedwood PlaygroundIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsStanford West Playground
DirectionsWilbur Playground
Directions96 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Palo Alto
Mixed-Use Dog ParkIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsPeers Park Dog ParkIn Peers Park
DirectionsSmall Dog ParkIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Palo Alto
Arbolejo OverlookIn Foothills Nature Preserve
DirectionsBobcat PointIn Foothills Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Palo Alto
Black Mountain2,785 ft elevation · In Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
DirectionsVista Hill951 ft elevation · In Foothills Nature Preserve
DirectionsCoyote Hill367 ft elevation
DirectionsMadera PointIn Foothills Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Palo Alto
Arbor Group AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsEast Meadow Group AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsEast Meadow Individual AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsOrchard GlenIn Foothills Nature Preserve
DirectionsPine Grove Group AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsRedwood Group AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsRedwood Individual AreaIn Mitchell Park
DirectionsPlus 11 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Palo Alto
Black Mountain Backpack CampIn Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
DirectionsBlack Mountain Group CampIn Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Palo Alto
Rinconada GardenCity of Palo Alto
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 38.8 miHorses · 39.0 miUnpaved · 45.7 mi
Los Trancos Trail6.9 mi
Canyon Trail3.6 mi
Adobe Creek Trail3.2 mi
Page Mill Trail2.8 mi
Monte Bello Road (Trail)2.7 mi
Meadowlark Trail2.1 mi
White Oak Trail1.9 mi
Stevens Creek Nature Trail1.7 mi
San Francisquito Creek Trail1.6 mi
Redtail Loop Trail1.5 mi
15 more trails
Arastradero Creek Trail
1.5 miPanorama Trail
1.4 miBowl Loop Trail
1.4 miJuan Bautista de Anza Trail
1.4 miIndian Creek Trail
1.2 miAdobe Creek Loop Trail
1.2 miBlack Mountain Trail
1.2 miQuarry Trail
1.1 miGrizzly Flat Trail
1.1 miOld Ranch Trail
1.0 miCoyote Trail
1.0 miToyon Trail
0.9 miGrizzly Flat Trail North
0.9 miWoodrat Trail
0.8 miCostanoan Trail
0.8 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
82 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
49 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
20 mi
off-road bike paths
13 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
San Francisco Bay TrailBike route
3.9 miCourts & fields
97Tennis
66Basketball
30Soccer
21Baseball
8Pickleball
4Football
3Volleyball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →19 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 29 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
John Adam Squire HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itT. B. Downing HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itHostess HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWilson HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itPedro de Lemos HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itNorris HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itProfessorville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1981
About itKee HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itRamona Street Architectural DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itFraternal Hall BuildingBuilding · listed 1990
About itPalo Alto Southern Pacific Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1996
About it7 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Palo Alto: 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 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 60 | 62 | 66 | 68 | 72 | 78 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 66 | 59 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 4.1 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.1 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Palo Alto →
Next door
Palo Alto and its neighbors
Palo Alto has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Palo Alto82 miPortola Valley54 miLos Altos Hills28 miMenlo Park23 miMountain View17 miStanford7.8 miLos Altos1.4 miEast Palo Alto1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | 43% | 3.4 | 77 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Menlo Park | 42% | 2.3 | 16 | 99% | A+ |
| Los Altos | 1% | 0.2 | 1 | 93% | C |
| Mountain View | 10% | 1.4 | 10 | 99% | A |
| Los Altos Hills | 4% | 3.1 | 14 | 66% | B+ |
| East Palo Alto | 15% | 0.6 | 2 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Stanford | under 1% | 2.8 | 1 | 99% | B− |
| Portola Valley | 29% | 5.9 | 308 | 71% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Palo Alto
Where can I hike in Palo Alto?
The longest trail networks: Foothills Nature Preserve, 19.7 miles; Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, 15.9 miles; Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, 11.2 miles; Byxbee Park, 6.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Palo Alto is conserved land?
43% 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 Palo Alto’s trails?
Foothills Nature Preserve and Monte Bello Open Space Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Palo Alto?
82 miles of bike routes are on the map: 49 of painted or protected lanes, 20 of off-road paths and 13 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: San Francisco Bay Trail.
Is there public land near Palo Alto?
76,307 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Palo Alto or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,188 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Palo Alto have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #18 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 Palo Alto 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 →