Re-connecting with the outdoors: Walk, hike and enjoy nature's gift of beauty on the Peninsula Re-connecting with the outdoors: Walk, hike and enjoy nature's gift of beauty on the Peninsula (December 31, 2003)

By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer

Those who want to decompress after the holiday frenzy don't need to make reservations, use a credit card or drive hundreds of miles. There are plenty of places close to home where you can walk, hike along a trail, and savor the natural beauty of the Peninsula.

Thousands of acres of open space from Skyline to the Bay quietly await discovery or rediscovery.

Below is a sampling of easy walks and hikes that mom, dad, the kids, singles and grandparents may enjoy as they start the new year. Most of the walks are on paved surfaces and accessible during the rainy season.

** Dish Hill

Dish Hill on Stanford University land beckons with its open space, rolling hills and sweeping views to Skyline and San Francisco Bay. This favorite walking, hiking and jogging spot gets its nickname from the 150-foot dish surrounding the wire skeleton of the radio telescope installation. Built in the early 1960s, the dish is used to keep information from global positioning satellites accurate, and was used during the recent Mars fly-by.

On the hill, one can sometimes see a double rainbow, flocks of bluebirds, and a golden eagle soaring.

There are three entry points: Alpine Road across from the Portola Valley Training Stable; Junipero Serra Boulevard across from the south end of Lake Lagunita; and further south on Junipero Serra at the intersection with Stanford Avenue.

Loop trails connect with Junipero Serra. Stay on the paths, but be sure to leave dogs at home. Access is limited to daylight hours.

** Sharon Park

Situated on 9.8 acres in Sharon Heights in Menlo Park, Sharon Park is a gem with its lake, fountain and smooth, paved trail looping around the water. Kids like watching the ducks, checking the depths for fish and launching radio-controlled boats.

Serious walkers say five loops equal a mile. It's a wonderful place for people recovering from surgery to get exercise; they can rest on the wooden benches placed at intervals around the lake.

There's a gazebo, picnic area, grassy knolls and children's playground. Dogs on leash are permitted. Enter the park at Sharon Park Drive and Monte Rosa.

** Stanford University

The Stanford campus offers some of the best walking paths in the area. A favorite destination is the Cantor Arts Center with its famed Rodin Sculpture Garden, changing exhibits and gift shop.

Enjoy a caffe latte on the museum's terrace after exploring the campus. On a diagonal from the museum's main entrance toward Palm Drive, look for Andy Goldsworthy's unusual meandering sculptural wall, titled "Stone River." It was created from the sandstone blocks toppled by the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.

Other places to explore include the New Guinea (sculpture) Garden at the corner of Santa Teresa Street and Lomita Drive; the new engineering quad (Stone Pine Plaza, west of Lomita Mall) with its "floating" translucent awnings; and the James H. Clark Center, 318 West Campus Drive near Stanford Hospital. There's even a Peet's Coffee bar on the third floor.

** The Baylands

Explore the Baylands and watch the annual migration of birds on the flyway. Easiest access is the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve. Take Embarcadero east from U.S. 101, past the golf course, airport and abandoned yacht harbor. There's a nature interpretive center, duck pond, restrooms, and paved biking and walking trails. A raised wooden walkway over wetlands extends to a viewing platform.

Walk along the water's edge on paved paths at the recently completed Pacific Shores office complex along San Francisco Bay. Take U.S. 101 to Seaport Boulevard in Redwood City and continue east to the Bay. Watch fishermen cast their lines from the shore, check the boats on the Bay and enjoy the views of the hills from sea level.

** Betsy Crowder Trail

At the foot of Windy Hill in Portola Valley, the Betsy Crowder Trail takes off from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's parking lot on Portola Road, adjacent to the Sequoias retirement community. It's a pleasant walk on a dirt trail that loops through an oak forest and into an expansive grassy bowl where deer often graze.

Enjoy a few moments of quiet, sitting on a wooden bench and looking over the valley. Continue on the loop and walk back to the parking lot, approximately 1.5 miles roundtrip. Dogs on leashes are permitted.

** Sandstone Caves

A miniature version of Castle Rock State Park, but closer to home, Sandstone Caves offers a close-up look at the Tafoni formation with its gnarled sandstone lumps, hollows and fret work.

Drive on La Honda Road (Highway 84) to Skyline Boulevard, turn north on Skyline to Skeggs Point. Park at Skeggs Point Caltrans Vista Point. Walk 1.3 miles on a well-maintained, up and down, dirt trail in El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve to the sandstone formations.

A viewing platform has been installed to see the weathering process, called Tafoni, that creates columns and honeycomb patterns on the fragile sandstone rocks. No dogs allowed.

E-mail Marjorie Mader at mmader@AlmanacNews.com

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