Foothills & Arastradero

Beyond Interstate 280 the city climbs into the Santa Cruz Mountains, where Foothills Nature Preserve and Pearson-Arastradero Preserve protect oak woods, grassland and a small lake.

A shady trail under oaks in Foothills Nature Preserve

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Golden grass and oak-covered hills in Foothills Nature Preserve

Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Leijurv · CC BY-SA 4.0

Confr · CC BY 3.0

Discover Foothills & Arastradero

Foothills Nature Preserve covers about 1,400 acres, nearly a tenth of the city, with Boronda Lake, Vista Hill, the Towle Campground and 15 miles of trails. Most of the land was bought from Dr. Russel V. Lee, who offered it in 1958. (Wikipedia)

The park opened in 1965, and from 1969 only residents and their guests could enter. It has been open to everyone since December 17, 2020. (Wikipedia)

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve protects 622 acres of rolling grassland and oak hills with about 10 miles of trails for walkers, cyclists and riders, linked to Foothills by the Bay-to-Ridge Trail. (Wikipedia)

On Old Page Mill Road stands Frenchman’s Tower, a small brick tower built in 1875 for the mysterious Peter Coutts, who left for France in 1882. (Wikipedia)

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Palo Alto magic: Redwoods, oak hills and a town by the bay

El Palo Alto, the city's namesake redwood, beside the Caltrain tracks

The Stanford Theatre's marquee lit up at night on University Avenue

A Barron Park donkey in its pasture under the trees

Water birds on a Baylands channel at dusk, with the hills beyond

Spring blossom at the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

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