502 official trails lie within 25 miles of Menlo Park — 1,124 miles in total, 314 rated easy and 26 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 2,177 ft; the median trail gains 365 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyline To The Sea Trail | 18.1 | 1,807 ft | Expert | 1 h 06 min · 35 mi |
| Butano Ridge Loop | 7.4 | 1,625 ft | Expert | 1 h 02 min · 24 mi |
| Los Trancos Trail | 7.0 | 1,074 ft | Expert | 28 min · 12 mi |
| Limekiln Trail | 5.0 | 2,177 ft | Hard | 1 h 18 min · 38 mi |
| Skyline Trail | 9.1 | 823 ft | Expert | 36 min · 14 mi |
| Ramage Trail | 5.7 | 804 ft | Hard | 46 min · 26 mi |
| Priest Rock Trail | 3.8 | 1,869 ft | Hard | 38 min · 28 mi |
| Kennedy Trail | 3.9 | 1,831 ft | Hard | 37 min · 26 mi |
| Slate Creek Trl | 4.1 | 1,214 ft | Hard | 57 min · 23 mi |
| Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail | 6.0 | 1,188 ft | Hard | 27 min · 19 mi |
| Purisima Creek Trail | 4.2 | 1,560 ft | Hard | 48 min · 29 mi |
| Sunol Ridge Trail | 3.9 | 1,535 ft | Hard | 35 min · 20 mi |
| Alambique Trail | 4.7 | 860 ft | Hard | 25 min · 12 mi |
| Ridgeline Trail | 5.7 | 906 ft | Hard | 45 min · 31 mi |
| Crystal Springs Trail | 4.0 | 1,274 ft | Hard | 27 min · 12 mi |
| Methuselah Trail | 3.8 | 983 ft | Hard | 40 min · 18 mi |
| High Ridge Loop Trail | 5.1 | 1,038 ft | Hard | 44 min · 16 mi |
| Aquinas Trail | 3.6 | 1,396 ft | Hard | 47 min · 24 mi |
| Harrington Creek Trail | 5.3 | 867 ft | Hard | 49 min · 23 mi |
| Richards Road Trail | 3.1 | 1,484 ft | Moderate | 33 min · 13 mi |
| Bear Gulch Trail | 2.9 | 1,477 ft | Moderate | 23 min · 11 mi |
| New Almaden Trail | 5.9 | 466 ft | Hard | 41 min · 27 mi |
| Chabot to Garin Regional Trail | 5.1 | 926 ft | Hard | 34 min · 22 mi |
| Sunset Trail | 4.5 | 750 ft | Hard | 1 h 18 min · 40 mi |
Waterfalls: Skyline To The Sea Trail to Berry Creek Falls; Sunset Trail to Silver Falls; Saratoga Gap Trl to Castle Rock Falls; Ridge Trl to Castle Rock Falls
Summits: Skyline Trail to Skeggs Point; Sunol Ridge Trail to Sunol Peak; Aquinas Trail to El Sereno; Westridge Trail to Chalk Mountain
Lakes: High Ridge Loop Trail to Jordan Pond; Peak Trail to Mission Reservoir; Chabot to Garin Trail to Cull Canyon Lake; John Nicholas Trail to Lake Ranch Reservoir
Viewpoints: Skyline To The Sea Trail to Berry Creek Falls viewpoint; Henry Creek Trail to Kalkhoven Overlook; Black Mountain Trail to Mary Davey Memorial; Skyline To The Sea Trl to Sempervirens Point
Mountain passes: Saratoga Gap Trl to Saratoga Gap; Saratoga Gap trail to Saratoga Gap
Rock formations: Priest Rock Trail to Priest Rock; Saratoga Gap Trl to Goat Rock; Ridge Trl to Goat Rock; Penitencia Creek Trail to Alum Rock
Springs: Skyline To The Sea Trail to Bulls Spring; Skyline Trail to Summit Spring; Penitencia Creek Trail to Mineral Springs
Beaches: Skyline To The Sea Trail to Waddell Creek Beach; Half Moon Bay Beach Route to Miramar Beach; Linda Mar (Pacifica State Beach) to Roackaway to San Pedro Beach; Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail (South) to Manhattan Beach
Nearby towns: Oakland (20 mi) · San Jose (22 mi) · Livermore (26 mi) · Santa Cruz (35 mi)
All California trail guides · Hiking by city · Dispersed camping rules