Palo Alto opens 1,400 acres of untrodden green space 🌳

New year, new terrain? You bet, thanks to the public opening of Palo Alto’s Foothills Park where 1,400 acres of chaparral, woodlands, fields, streams, and a lake await your exploration. Thanks for reading.

After 51 years, the Palo Alto park is now open to the public. Go for endless trails and views, perfect for a socially distanced walk.

Bounded by Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve and Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, the 1,400-acre Foothills Park is a nature lover’s paradise. Miles of trails provide access through rugged chaparral, woodlands, fields, streams, and a lake, and provide spectacular views of the Bay Area. Wildlife abounds, and it is common to see deer and coyotes; if you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of a bobcat.

The land for Foothills Park was sold to the City of Palo Alto by Dr. Russel Lee, founder of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, and his wife Dorothy in 1958, on the condition that it be preserved as open space. The park was formally dedicated in 1965. The Interpretive Center in the park is housed in a building originally built by the Lees as a horse stable. For more information, see the Palo Alto Historical Association’s chapter on Foothills Park in their city history.

NOTE:  NO VEHICLE TRAFFIC WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS AND TIMES:

Saturdays and Sundays, 10am – 3pm

All BBQs except those in Orchard Glen Picnic Area closed.