Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
I went hiking this weekend at the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. The preserve is located off of Page Mill Road near Skyline, meaning the preserve offers plenty of hills and scenic views. We took an easy 3 mile loop around the preserve, which included about 500 feet of descent and gradual climbing.
It’s pretty surprising for me that after living in this area for 6 years that this is the first time I’ve been out here. I went to college less than 10 miles from the preserve and now live only 30 minutes away. The trial was well maintained and well-suited for an easy, light day-hike, which reminded me just how close beautiful outdoor activities are in the Bay Area.
Next time, however, I’ll probably come out here to do two different things:
- Mountain Bike – the mountain bike trails were rolling and steep enough for speedy descents and likely, painful climbs.
- Camping – I found out you can camp overnight here! The Black Mountain Backpack camp is close but still remote enough that it’s easy enough to do a quick weekend trip.
It’s likely too late to do the latter and I don’t know if it’s even worth me organizing a trip, because the past two events have failed (Yosemite = fire, Paramore concert = singer has laryngitis), but I’ll definitely keep it in mind. Anyway, here’s a map of our hike, courtesy of MyTracks:
View Stevens Creek Nature Trail in a larger map
That’s a really nice hike, it was one of the first ones Ann and I did when we moved here. Ann learned what a coyote howl sounds like, and I learned that Ann does not like coyotes.
You did a pretty good job coming up with a last minute substitute for Yosemite.