Los Trancos Open Space Preserve

It’s not the easiest hiking spot to get to: you need to travel the dreaded upper Page Mill Rd., which is super twisty, steep and exceedingly long. Or you can access it from the Skyline Drive side, which means you get to drive up another (shorter) hill somewhere else, and then shoot down the ridge. But once at the intersection of Page Mill and Skyline, you’ve got several spots to choose from, whether it’s Russian Ridge OSP, Monte Bello OSP, or a few others just a few clicks away on Skyline.
And then there’s Los Trancos OSP. I must say I have mixed feelings about this park. The upper side is scrappy; there’s lots of scrub and mixed-​age forest, with some plowed-​up passageways (fire roads?), many broken or cut trees; even a corridor of unsightly high-​power lines.
But once you get down to the lower side of the park, things begin to look more like a northern California forest in the Santa Cruz mountains: a rich mix of bay, oak and redwood. It’s not too busy, so expect some privacy. Creek crossings are via sturdy bridges, and trails are wide and well-​marked. it makes a decent place for short loop hike.
But then again, when you do a short loop hike here, you risk having the hike being shorter than the drive.
Tips and tricks:
– Best in spring or summer; the entire reserve faces north, so in the winter the light is at low angles all day
– From the main entrance, pit bathrooms are a short walk across Page Mill at the Monte Bello OSP parking; if you are worried about car security, that’s a better place to park as well (more foot traffic)
– There’s a second trailhead lower down on Page Mill, which allows quicker access to the prettier parts of the park
– Connects to the upper side of Foothills Park, which is for Palo Alto residents only… unless you hike in from here.

Now this is an excellent hike — not too long but has some hills. It’s and easy or moderate hike with lots of interesting places to see. It is not the vistas you get in the Sierras or Rockies but a good day hike that most new hikers can do. The interesting part of this is where the fault lies in relationship to the trail. The open Space has pictures taken right after the 1904 earthquake that they show on their docent lead trips. I’d recommend this one.

I came here really really early in the morning before a day hike. This is rather small park, so it is good for easy hikers. In the early morning, it is so quiet and I was the first person to hike there, I was able to see a lot of deer and rabbit!!! Here you can enjoy more quiet and peaceful forest that is different from Skyline/​Russian Ridge.

The San Andreas Fault trail is the perfect mix of hiking, geology, and history.
I love this trail because you can walk along a fault line and literally see the changes that powerful earth movement can bring.
The trails are well marked, the maps are easy to follow, and the terrain is very manageable.
If you are looking for rapid elevation changes and grueling paths, then this is not the place. But if you are looking for a leisurely hike or a place to bring a date for a picnic, this is a good choice.

I love the open space system in this area! The maps are easy to read, the trails are well-​kept and provide a variety of different hikes of varying difficulty levels, and they do so much community programming! Tax dollars at work here, the way it should be!
Plus, those hilly, hilly drives are always such a treat!

I love hiking, nature and its surrounding. One of many places in the bay area I like to come and just take a walk in the woods. The first time I came here with my brother was back in March and the main reason I came just to see the San Andreas Faultline. It’s amazing to see what it has done and my brother and I took pictures of the split fence, the pond and posts the shows the mainline and the break. Besides that it has a great view that looks out to the Santa Cruz Mts and up to San Francisco.
The drive is not bad maybe about 15mins from HWY 280 and depending which exit you take. But I highly recommend this park just for sight seeing and for small comfort walks.

2011-​03-​27: hard to check in here, not good phone reception. The creeks are a flowing and there are small waterfalls everywhere. Worth the drive! First destination was Arastradero Preserve but it was absolutely mobbed. I like Los Trancos because it provides nice hikes without too much elevation gain or loss. The views driving back down to 280 are amazing!!! or you can hit Skyline Blvd and take in another one of the many surrounding open spaces and parks or just enjoy the ride and views that are offered on Hwy 35. All around a good adventure!

did the san andreas fault trail… nice! easy path and green!

Most amazing view of San Francisco and surrounding area at the start of the trail.
So, this was a surprise. A fun, easy trek for everyone… more like a peaceful stroll. For those of you who are looking for a «hike» — this isn’t quite it. The drive in from the 280 is longer than is seems but it is a really pretty drive, long quiet winding road.
I recomend that you visit the Los Trancos web site first so you can print out the history and education on the trail. There are trail markers that describe the actual fault and the mechanisms of a fault. I think it is kinda cool, especially if you have ever experienced one.
I would guess that this trail may get some action during the peak of the tourist season. It has a modest parking lot but no bathrooms. Yes, there is a marker at the trail head about mountail lions and rattlesnakes but most trails have to say that kind of stuff. Since I am here during the time of year when weather can be unpredictable, there was barely anyone there.
The trail starts out exposed with great views but half way through, you will walk through majestic, moss covered oak with their branches creating a weaved trellis of shade. In other words, it can be really hot when you start and then get really cold — dress appropriately.
There are other trails connected to the Fault trail but be sure that you have a trail map to help you out.

The Los Trancos trail has an self tour of the San Andres Fault. There are hills which are on the easy side. There are lots of trails that loop around. If you’re looking for a short trail to hike with a easy challenge, Los Trancos is the one.
The beginning of the trail there are great view of Palo Alto, Stanford University, and the Peninsula. Look for the bench dedicated to an important person from Stanford. That area is the best to view.

Just discovered an earthquake trail in the mid-​peninsula area, up in the Santa Cruz mountain/​Crystal Spring area. It’s an easy hike, and it is a rather educational trail. I like stories.
Drive 7 miles from hwy280, and you’ll find an insignificant parking lot. The San Andreas fault trail entrance is even more humble, identified by a tall brown signage with interesting symbols, including graphical instruction on how to defend yourself when you see a mountain lion. Warning sign of rattle snakes is also visible. I think you’ll be safe if you stay on the trail.
It’s a self guided tour, so do print out the guide before you go. There’re a total of 9 station posts, each with some interesting facts. KQED has an informative website at
It’s map is more graphical and easier to understand. Los Trancos has a 3 pages PDF on
The view is nice and worth going for a short hike. Afterwards, you can head over to the nearby Thomas Fogarty Winery for wine tasting to reward yourself, where you also can enjoy a beautiful view.

Page Mill & Skyline could very well be the epicenter of peninsula and South Bay hiking, and with so many different parks around here, it’s liable to get confusing. Here’s the best way to think of it: the two roads roughly form an X which divides the surrounding area into 4 quadrants: North, South, East and West.
The south quadrant contains Skyline OSP and drains into Pescadero Creek (which leads down to Portola State Park, et al).
The east quadrant contains Monte Bello OSP and drains into Stevens Creek (which leads to Stevens Creek Reservoir).
The west quadrant contains Russian Ridge OSP and drains into San Gregorio Creek (which leads to La Honda and Highway 84).
The north quadrant, however, is a little more fragmented. It contains 2 quite scrawny and disconnected preserves, Coal Creek and Los Trancos, and drains into San Francisquito creek and the little-​known town of Portola Valley. Actually, most of the parkland in this valley is occupied by the (lamentably private) Palo Alto Foothills Park. Need I say that there’s room for improvement up here?
At any rate, since neither CC or LT is big enough to allow a significant hike on its own, I recommend doing a pair of 3-​mile strolls in each. LT’s signature feature is the interpretive «Fault Trail», which tells you all about the San Andreas Fault running through the middle of the preserve and the effects of the 1906 earthquake (just print out the PDF on their website before you go). Aside from that, there’s a virtual labyrinth of other little loops. The terrain may look open and grassy from the parking lot, but most of the hiking you’ll be down in the wooded (and often steep) creek valleys.

If you like your treks filled with anxiety come on down! Between the poor trail signs, feeling lost, and the warnings of mountain lions and rattlesnakes, this was the most «not fun» hikes I have had in a long time.
And I like to hike.

Liked the San Andreas Fault Trail… great for kids.

Dogs arent allowed here, but its a great place for humans!

Beautiful open space up in the hills!
The views are fantastic, and the trails are some of the best in the bay area! My landscape painting class used to drive out here on the weekends, and the hour drive with all my oil-​painting equipment in the back seat of the car was WELL worth it!
ALSO: Wear closed-​toe shoes — I’ve seen way too many rattle snakes in these grassy hills! Oh, and I’ve seen mountain lions here TWICE. Bring a friend.

Wanna walk on the San Andreas Fault and see physical evidence of the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906? Yes, nearly 100 years later, you can still see damage from that quake, particularly here in this open space preserve and hiking area a little south and west of Palo Alto. There is a self-​guiding San Andreas Fault trail that takes you across a kind of saddle where the fault is gradually moving and surrounding dirt settles into it, almost forming a natural road bed. There is another spot where the trees were broken in the great quake and partially toppled and then new growth came in at a 90 degree angle. In another spot you can see a fence that was broken and one half moved several yards out of alignment.
Bring a bottle of wine and a picnic, there are several trails along here to enjoy. Just don’t bring the pooch, dogs are not allowed. Easily combined with Ano Nuevo State Preserve where the Elephant Seals congregate.