Windy Hill Open Space Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Windy Hill Open Space Preserve |
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Summit of Windy Hill from the Hamms Gulch Trail
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 Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Location in California
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve
Location in the United States
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| Location | San Mateo County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Portola Valley, California |
| Area | 1,132 acres (4.58 km2) |
| Established | 1979 |
| Governing body | Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District |
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve is a cool regional park located in San Mateo County, California. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) takes care of it. You can easily spot Windy Hill from the flat areas of the South Bay. It's the only part of the peninsula mountains that isn't covered in trees!
This preserve covers a big area of 1132 acres (about 4.6 square kilometers). It's on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The land goes up from the valley road near Portola Valley to a 1905-foot (581 meter) summit. That's where it gets its name! You can reach the summit easily from State Route 35. This road runs along the top of the mountains.
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Fun Things to Do at Windy Hill
The preserve has about 14 miles (22 kilometers) of trails. These trails are great for hiking and mountain biking. If you like adventure, you can also go paragliding or hang gliding here. You need a special permit for these activities. They are most popular in winter when the winds blow from the East.
Amazing Views from the Top
On clear days, the views from the summit are amazing! You can see all the way across the Stanford University campus. You'll also spot the San Francisco Bay and even Mount Tamalpais and Mount Diablo in the distance. You might even see downtown San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean!
Weather at the Summit
Most of Windy Hill is protected from the weather coming off the Pacific Ocean. But the summit can be very different! A nice day lower down might be cold, windy, foggy, or rainy at the top. So, always be prepared for changing weather when you visit.
Wildlife You Might See
Windy Hill is home to lots of different animals. You might see California mule deer and coyotes. Look out for small creatures like California voles. Birds like white-tailed kites, American kestrels, band-tailed pigeons, and California quail live here too.
Bigger Animals and Reptiles
There are signs warning about mountain lions, but bobcats are more common. You might also find Rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. In the right season, you'll see lots of Banana slugs and California newts.
Exploring the Trails
The Spring Ridge Trail starts near Portola Valley and goes up to Skyline Boulevard. This trail goes through the open, grassy parts of the preserve. It's a wide path, like a fire road. This means cyclists, hikers, and people riding horses can all use it.
Forest Trails
Further south, there are two other trails: Hamms Gulch and the Lost Trail-Razorback Ridge-Eagle Trail. These are narrower trails, called single-tracks. Cyclists are not allowed on these trails. They wind through beautiful forests with trees like oak, fir, buckeye, bay laurel, madrone, and even a few redwoods.
Sausal Pond
Sausal Pond is a marshy pond in the preserve. It often looks dark, almost black or murky green. This is because the land on the other side rises very steeply. You might see coots and mallard ducks swimming here. The pond is also home to dragonflies and bullfrogs. It's a bit tricky to get close to the water, as most of the shoreline is surrounded by bushes.
Picture gallery
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Looking toward the Pacific coast from the peak of Windy Hill
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View of the bay and Mount Diablo from Windy Hill
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A view of the Bay Area from Windy Hill. Mount Diablo is visible in the distance.
