Accessible Trails Near Palo Alto

The hills around Palo Alto are steep and most foothill trails are dirt with grades that stop a wheelchair or stroller cold. But the agencies that manage the bay shore, the ridge and the coast have built a set of trails meant for everyone. This guide collects ten of them.

We include only trails that the managing agency describes as accessible, easy access, paved or level. We quote what it says. An agency label is not a guarantee: surfaces wear, rain softens gravel and short grades can surprise. Midpen's own standard is that most of its easy-access trails are at least 4 feet wide, with a grade generally not exceeding 5 percent and a fairly uniform surface, per its easy-access page. For transit, parking placards and other travel help, see our accessible travel guide.

The accessible trails at a glance

On the bay shore

Baylands boardwalk

The boardwalk behind the Lucy Evans nature center runs about a quarter mile across the salt marsh to open water. The city rebuilt it on the old line and reopened it in 2019, wider than before and built to accessibility standards, with railings and overlooks. Our accessible travel guide notes that we could not find a separate official rating for each levee surface beyond it, which are mostly packed dirt and gravel.

• Dogs: leashed dogs allowed in the preserve, except on trails around the Renzel Ponds.
• Parking and fees: free lots at the end of Embarcadero Road. 8 a.m. to sunset.
• Best season: November to February for birds.
• Watch for: strong afternoon wind and no shade.

Our Baylands guide covers the nature center.

Ravenswood Bay Trail

Midpen says most of the 2.1-mile Bay Trail through Ravenswood is paved and runs on a levee beside Cooley Marsh, linked to University Avenue by a raised boardwalk. It says the trail and observation decks are accessible to visitors using wheelchairs or strollers. Its easy-access list calls the trail level and gives 1.9 miles.

• Dogs and bikes: no dogs. Bikes share the trail, so stay to the right.
• Parking and fees: end of Bay Road, 12 spaces plus 1 accessible. Free. No restroom.
• Best season: winter low tides for shorebirds.

See our Ravenswood guide.

New Chicago Marsh boardwalk, Alviso

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes a 0.39-mile wheelchair-accessible loop over a salt marsh with egrets and herons, starting from the Environmental Education Center lot on Grand Boulevard. In Fremont, the refuge also says its Coyote Creek Lagoon Trail is wheelchair accessible from the south lot.

• Dogs: not allowed on the Alviso trails.
• Fees: no entry fee is listed.
• Best season: winter, when ducks fill the managed ponds.
• Note: the refuge warns of partial closures from storm damage. Call 510-792-0222 first.

Our Don Edwards Refuge guide has the full trail list.

On the ridge

Alpine Pond and Horseshoe Lake, Skyline Ridge

Midpen lists Alpine Pond as a smooth, level half-mile loop with a wheelchair-accessible viewing scope and floating pier, reached through a pedestrian tunnel from the unpaved Russian Ridge lot. Vault toilets and a drinking fountain are nearby. At Horseshoe Lake, Midpen describes an easy loop with paved sections and benches, with 0.25 mile listed as easy access from an accessible parking area.

• Dogs and bikes: no dogs. Bikes on designated trails.
• Parking: in late October 2026 Midpen listed the 5-space accessible lot at the Horseshoe Loop trailhead as closed for construction. The main lot has about 100 spaces.
• Best season: spring for wildflowers and pond life. Fog can make the ridge cold.

Our Skyline Ridge guide covers the nature center. Next door, Midpen lists a 300-foot paved path to a wheelchair-accessible terrace at the Audrey C. Rust Commemorative Site, parking at Mindego Gateway in Russian Ridge.

Purisima Redwood Trail

Just off Skyline Boulevard, Midpen describes this flat 0.25-mile trail through tall redwoods as suitable for visitors of all physical abilities. It has three accessible picnic tables and a restroom. Midpen notes that the roadside parking at the trailhead is unpaved.

• Dogs: not allowed in the preserve.
• Parking and fees: Redwood roadside area, 11 spaces plus 2 accessible. Free.
• Best season: any time; summer fog keeps it cool.

Midpen calls the first mile of the Purisima Creek Trail on the coast side moderately accessible, with short pitches of 10 to 15 percent and mud after rain. See our Purisima guide.

Cordilleras Trail, Pulgas Ridge

Midpen describes a 0.8-mile trail at a very slight grade through a meadow to a bench by Cordilleras Creek, reached by a 0.1-mile connector from the lot. It was built for wheelchairs and strollers. The paved road that splits off it climbs at more than 10 percent and may be too steep for wheelchair users.

• Dogs: leashed dogs allowed; the preserve also has an off-leash area.
• Parking and fees: Edmonds Road, San Carlos, 23 spaces plus 2 accessible. Free. Restrooms available.
• Best season: spring.

See our Pulgas Ridge guide.

Mount Umunhum summit

Midpen describes a 0.3-mile accessible pathway on the 3,486-foot summit leading to a ceremonial circle, an east summit viewpoint and a shelter. Midpen says the summit is accessible to visitors of all abilities. There are three accessible spaces at the summit turnaround and three more at the main lot, which has the restrooms.

• Dogs: not allowed anywhere in the Mount Umunhum area, even in cars.
• Hours and fees: 7 a.m. to half an hour after sunset; the entrance gate closes at sunset. Free.
• Best season: clear days after storms. Bring a layer.

See our Sierra Azul guide.

Redwoods and the coast

Redwood Loop, Henry Cowell Redwoods

State Parks describes a 0.8-mile flat loop through an old-growth grove in Felton. Its accessible features listing says the Redwood Loop interpretive trail is accessible for 0.75 mile, from a trailhead beside the visitor center. It is the easiest way to see true old-growth giants from a wheelchair within about an hour of Palo Alto.

• Dogs: not permitted on this loop.
• Parking and fees: $10 vehicle day use. Sunrise to sunset; visitor center 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Best season: weekday mornings, before the lot fills. Expect damp ground after rain.

Our redwood forests guide covers the park.

Devil's Slide Trail

San Mateo County Parks describes a 1.3-mile paved multi-use trail on the old Highway 1 with separate lanes for hikers and bikes. Our Pacifica page lists benches, viewing scopes, drinking fountains and restrooms. The county does not publish grade or accessibility details, so expect some slope.

• Dogs: on the county's dog-friendly list; keep them leashed.
• Parking: limited and quick to fill on weekends. Lots open 8 a.m. and close 5 p.m. from November 2, 2026.
• Best season: clear weekday mornings. Wind on the cliffs can be strong.

See our Pacifica guide.

Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail

This paved, mostly flat path runs about three miles along the bluffs behind the four Half Moon Bay state beaches. An all-terrain beach wheelchair is free to borrow at the Francis Beach entrance station.

• Dogs and bikes: leashed dogs on the trail, not on the sand. Bikes welcome.
• Parking and fees: $10 vehicle day use at state beach lots. 8 a.m. to sunset.
• Best season: fall, when fog is least likely.

See our Half Moon Bay day trip.

Paved but challenging

The Stanford Dish is paved for about 3.5 miles and Stanford says manual and electric wheelchairs can use it, but some sections are steep and there is no shade. At Rancho San Antonio, Midpen runs a permit area for visitors with a disabled parking placard: an unpaved service road of 0.6 mile to the 0.4-mile Rogue Valley Trail. Call Midpen for the permit.

Planning tips

If you need a wheelchair-accessible room for the trip, you can compare accessible hotels in Palo Alto and filter by accessibility features.

Frequently asked questions