Bay Area Bucket List: 5 must-do Peninsula outdoor activities
Hike to the coast, play geologist, gaze at California's oldest laurel tree -- and take in spectacular views
The Peninsula’s perfect for pandemic-era adventures, with its acres and acres of protected coastline, park land and open space. And there’s something for outdoors enthusiasts of every skill level, from weekend wanderers to experienced hikers.
Here are five great activities to enjoy right now.
Hit the trail
Cross a reservoir or two: Popular with hikers, bikers, skaters and runners is the Sawyer Camp Trail, which runs from Crystal Springs Reservoir to San Andreas Reservoir in the San Mateo highlands. For the first mile from the south, you may have to navigate around strollers, selfie-takers and cellphone talkers, but once you get past that stretch, you’ll be rewarded with woodsy, pretty scenery shared by deer and wild turkeys. For a less-crowded approach, start at the northern end. (Bonus: This paved trail is wheelchair-accessible.) Midway on both six-mile routes, you’ll find a hidden gem: The Jepson Laurel, the oldest and largest laurel tree in California. 600-plus years and counting!
Take a grand garden stroll
Explore Filoli: On any day of the week, you can stroll the gorgeous gardens of Filoli, the historic Georgian estate in Woodside. Director of horticulture Jim Salyards calls this season “A Summer of Purple, Chartreuse and Silver” — the Sunken Garden is planted with purple salvias and dahlias, silvery dusty miller and chartreuse nicotiana and zinnias, the Chartres Cathedral Window Garden with silvery pink and blue petunias, and there are thousands of blooms elsewhere. Daily hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and through Sept. 3, you can take a Thursday evening sunset stroll. Tickets must be purchased online at www.filoli.org.
Get a geology lesson
Investigate the San Andreas Fault Trail: Head to the Los Trancos Open Space Preserve in the Los Altos area to get an up-close look at the awesome power of Mother Nature. For your self-guided tour, you’ll want to download a map at home first from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space website (www.openspace.org/preserves/los-trancos). Then keep your eyes peeled for all the evidence of earthquake activity as you walk back and forth over the San Andreas Fault. At several key points along the 1.5-mile trail, you’ll see how fault movement created pressure ridges, landslides and even led to trees growing horizontally after the 1906 temblor. Those nearby reservoirs? Quakes formed the huge depressions used for storing water.
Put your oars in the water
Go kayaking: Foster City is the land of lagoons — more than 16 miles worth built around the city’s residential “islands” — and kayaking around those waterways has become hugely popular during this summer of staycations. A concession operation offered through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, California Windsurfing (www.californiawindsurfing.com) rents single- and double-seat kayaks at the Leo J. Ryan Park lagoon. Operating hours are Tuesday through Sunday, and it’s a cash-only rental. Find them at the water’s edge at 650 Shell Blvd.
Walk, breathe deeply, soak up the views
Check out the San Mateo County coast: Find spectacular views and fresh ocean air at the beaches between Año Nuevo State Park and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The Año Nuevo Natural Preserve, where visitors flock every fall to watch the elephant seals frolic, is temporarily closed to the public, so for now you’ll just have to pretend you hear the seal pups barking and honking. Up the coast in Pescadero, you can capture that iconic postcard view of the circa 1872 lighthouse. At 115 feet, it’s tied with Mendocino County’s Point Arena Lighthouse for “tallest on the West Coast” honors.