Foothills Park: Outdoor Adventures in San Francisco Bay Area

Foothills Park has been accessible solely to residents of Palo Alto, a posh town in the San Francisco Bay Area. Actually, you could earn yourself a fine of $1,000 if caught on the property without an accompanying resident of Palo Alto. No kidding! But in December of 2020, after half a century of exclusivity, Foothills Park finally opened its gates to the general public (non-residents of Palo Alto).

Recently, our local news has been reporting about the park and its history. Naturally, we had to see what all the hoopla was about. Is Foothills Park worth visiting? And what is so special about this once-private park in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains?

On a sunny spring afternoon, we took a drive to Foothills Park in Palo Alto. With its own park rangers and staff, the 1,400-acre park (larger than Central Park in NYC and Golden Gate Park in SF) is well-loved and protected by the city.

A windy and scenic road weaves through a hoity-toity neighborhood hidden amongst luscious oak trees and green hillsides (TIP: Be mindful of cyclists). About two miles up Page Mill Road, we found the entrance gate to the park with the ranger kiosk, just off to the right. Once inside, you come to a fork in the road. Do you drive left to the lake or right to Vista Hill? 

Foothills Park Vista Hill

We chose the vista point first to get our bearings straight and then return to the lake. That is a quick drive up the hill, looping back down to the fork. Weather permitting, Foothills Park Vista Hill allows for jaw-dropping panoramic views, spanning from San Francisco to Oakland, and down to San Jose, with towering bridges crossing the San Francisco Bay.

At the top of the hill is a trail leading up to a few look-out spots. Don’t miss it! What are these funky-looking wooden poles placed strategically along the walking path?

They are positioned in the direction of different points of interest of the San Francisco Bay Area. Bring your eye close to the peep-holes to zero in on Mt. Diablo, Oakland, downtown San Jose, and other random points.

Pay close attention to the nature around you. Notice those weird, reddish, twisty trees? You are surrounded by fabled manzanita groves. These shrubs or small trees are considered some of the toughest on earth, even resistant to fire!

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Native Americans (Ohlone Tribe in our area) utilized the manzanita tree leaves and its bark to treat myriad diseases for centuries. These uses also included relief from pain and rashes caused by poison oak, very helpful here in the Santa Cruz Mountains Foothills. Manzanita trees are protected by California state laws.

(TIP: Stay on the hiking paths, including your four-legged hiking companions – poison oak is very prominent along the trails).

Lake Boronda

From Vista Point, we drove around the hill back to the lake, stopping to admire the California poppies (California state flower), which were in full bloom.

Lake Boronda is the first thing you catch a glimpse of when passing through the main gate of Foothills Park. The 10-acre lake has a path leading around its diameter, with an easy walk and lots of shade. It’s small, but there is a parking lot with landscaped areas for spreading out a blanket for picnicking or relaxing by the water. There are also a few tables and an information kiosk with interesting tidbits, and a helpful map of the park.

On the other side, there is Monkey Island! (You know that we were giggling about the name of that island!😊 While no monkeys were spotted, this lush green island is the one you see on the photo above). Along the path around the lake, you’ll find a small bridge, taking you across to the wooded island. It was getting warm, so this was a great retreat from the sun, and allowed us to enjoy the peaceful quietness away from the other people.

Fancy yourself a fisherman? The city stopped stocking lake Boronda years ago, but the fish population continues to thrive. It’s said the lake has largemouth bass, sunfish, and catfish to challenge your angling skills, but you’ll still need a CA fishing license to do so. There are also two docks to fish off of, or if you happened to bring it, hand-launch your rowboat or kayak. No motorboats or swimming is allowed in the lake.

Hiking in Foothills Park

From the Boronda lake, continue deeper into the park, and you’ll see the Nature Interpretive Center to your right (we’d love to visit the Center next time it is open).

Across the road from the Interpretive Center, is a picture-perfect meadow with luscious grass to step on with boasting tree-covered hills as the backdrop. Perfect for spotting wildlife coming in from the trees to graze.

The Los Trancos trail is here as well. The entrance to this trail is uphill and very narrow, so we don’t recommend it for people with baby-strollers or disabilities.

Right now, the trail’s foot traffic is one-way. However, because of the steepness, you’ll see people coming back down (the wrong way), or runners behind you struggling to pass you on the way up.

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Due to lack of time, we didn’t finish the Los Trancos trail and had to turn around.

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But it was lots of fun, and very beautiful! Almost like walking into a different realm.With hawks screeching above us, deer peeking through the bushes, and wild turkeys gobbling about. Speaking of wild turkeys, how about this guy? 😊

Another cool thing about the Foothills Park, it has picnic areas with BBQ pits scattered throughout, and a large one (that we saw) with ample parking and restrooms, all nestled between the majestic oaks and redwoods.

Tips from Locals

Where Foothills Park is located: 3300 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, California (although, we saw at least two different addresses for it). The one above is what we used to get to the park). Here is a handy link that will provide you with the downloadable map of the hiking trails. See “One-Way Trail Routes” section.

Fees: $6.00 per vehicle. Free entry: City designated volunteers that day in the preserve, Active Military, veterans, students with ID who are driving, and vehicles with disabled person placard/license plate. Annual passes available as well. We didn’t see anybody at the gate on a weekday, so not sure if the fee applies only to the weekend visits.

When to go? Go there on a weekday. The park has received quite a bit of visibility in the news, and lots of people are trying to visit on the weekends. With Foothills Park’s growing popularity, it fills up fast, so get there early if you can. We strongly recommend going during the week. Also, Foothills Park is dog-friendly only on the weekdays, holidays and weekends excluded.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our other recommended outdoor adventures in the San Francisco Bay Area! Rancho San Antonio and Baylands Nature Preserve are in the same area of Palo Alto and Los Altos (great alternatives on the weekend). Hike in Alum Rock Park in San Jose, or drive to the coast in Santa Cruz Mountains and discover Pogonip Nature Reserve!

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