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Pearson Arastradero Preserve is a beautiful, serene park that I find myself coming to frequently for both hiking and mountain biking. This park is so easily accessible from highway 280 and yet it is so peaceful. The majority of the park is grassland but there are a couple trails that go through wooded areas. Overall, the entire park is beautiful and worth exploring. A great option for young kids walking is to take the Redtail Loop Trail (which is on the north side of Arastradero Road, closer to 280). This loop is approximately 1.5 miles. I recommend taking the loop counterclockwise, so head straight up the hill from the parking lot. You're nearly to the top when you get to a bench, but you can keep going a tiny bit further for some more elevation and great views of the preserve. Continue on the loop down the hill and there's a huge cut-down tree that kids can climb on. You will probably see horses and maybe even a coyote. In the spring, the wildflowers are absolutely gorgeous.
Alert: Not a whole lot of parking - can get very busy on the weekends.
Bathrooms
Yes
Playground
No
Kid transportation
Walking or child carrier. Too steep for strollers. Bikes allowed, but trail is not suitable for trailers or very young kids biking.
Suggested Route
From the parking lot, head straight up the hill to take the Redtail Loop Trail counterclockwise. The loop is ~1.5 miles.
Difficulty
Moderate. Occasionally steep, but short.
Parking Situation
Not enough. Fills up on the weekends, but there is a lot of turnover.
Entrance Fee
None
Bonus
Horses on the trail, fun tree to climb on, wildflowers in spring!
Official Park Website
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/parks/preserves/arastradero/ Trail map: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/6049/
Date Updated
March 2019
