Places

The South Bay has a surprising number of natural preserves, mostly thanks to Midpen. One could also attribute this to the fact that it’s ringed on two sides by pretty steep mountains, which aren’t exactly conducive to living.

Here are a few of my favorites!

Fremont Older

A Midpen preserve in the ritzy hills of Cupertino. I prefer this over its more popular companion, Rancho San Antonio, because Fremont Older feels wilder and has better views. It’s an S-tier place to run.

Getting there

Take Prospect Road all the way until it ends in a parking lot. Pretty simple, huh? For runners, however, I suggest the best running route of all time, also known as the switchbacks up to Nob Hill.

Quarry Park

Another hidden gem in the hills of Saratoga, off Highway 9. OpenStreetMap provides a much better map than Google does. Trails are steep and wind around several springs and creeks, including a seasonal pond. Picnic benches are numerous. In wetter years, a waterfall can be found at Congress Springs Creek off of the Saratoga-to-the-Skyline trail. The steep trails make it not the best place for running, but this is the place for long-distance hikes into the Skyline area and beyond.

Stevens Canyon

The canyon through which Stevens Creek flows is one of the most varied places around the South Bay. Stevens Creek originates in Upper Stevens Canyon, a steep and narrow canyon through which both the creek and the San Andreas Fault flow. In the spring, the area is covered in butterflies.

Upper

Accessible through upper Stevens Canyon Road, this is literally the nicest place in West San Jose. The creek is year-round, too, adding to the splendor. Biking this road is my favorite bike route of all time. (Note: see if you can spot the mailbox with sunglasses!)

Lower

Most of lower Stevens Canyon is inundated by Stevens Creek Reservoir and ringed by a quarry on one side and expensive mansions on the other. Still a nice place, though, and the road around the reservoir is solidly A-tier for biking.

Black Mountain

The destination for biking. Take Montebello up through the trees and experience biking heaven. The first 1.5 miles or so are awful, but after that the rest is very, very, very nice. This is tied with Cool Square for my all-time favorite route. Pictures from a recent ride: me and Antonio.