La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve

La Honda Creek feels different from the Skyline preserves closer to Palo Alto. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, calls it one of its largest and most diverse preserves. It covers more than 6,400 acres of historic ranchland on the coast side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with grazing cattle, views of the San Mateo County coast and pockets of redwood forest. It first opened to the public in 2017 and Midpen says it has since become a regional destination for birding.

A connected system of more than 17 miles of trail links the open ridges. Hiking is allowed everywhere. Horses use designated trails, as do bikes and dogs. Two of the three ways in need a free permit, so a little planning goes a long way. This guide covers the entrances, the main trails, the dog and bike rules and how to share a trail with cows.

Getting there and parking

From Palo Alto, take Interstate 280 north to Woodside Road (Highway 84) and follow it west through Woodside, over Skyline Boulevard and down toward the town of La Honda. Midpen's directions for the main lot say to take Sears Ranch Road off Highway 84 in La Honda. The drive is long and winding. There is no transit.

Midpen says both permits are free and should be requested at least 48 hours in advance on its La Honda Creek page. The rules for each:

• Allen Road (upper La Honda Creek): single-day permits for hiking only. Access is through the Allen Road locked gate, by car only. Parking outside the gate is not allowed because the land there is private.
• Driscoll Ranch Event Center: single-day permits for hiking and equestrian trailer parking. Horses must enter through the Event Center locked gate. This entrance reaches only the lower area and dogs are not allowed there.

Midpen does not charge an entry fee and lists restrooms as available. The preserve opens half an hour before sunrise and closes half an hour after sunset.

Trails

Grasshopper Loop Trail

Midpen describes this as a 1.3-mile easy-access trail through working ranchland with grazing cattle, coastal grassland, oak woodland and redwood forest, with wide viewpoints along the way. It is the best first visit and the only trail in the lower preserve open to leashed dogs, outside calving season.

Harrington Creek Trail

Midpen describes this as an out-and-back trail that meanders for six miles through open, rolling grassland. It runs through an active grazing operation, so you may meet cattle and ranchers. There is very little shade. Bring water and sun protection.

Cielo Trail and the Big Tree

In upper La Honda Creek, the short Cielo Trail runs about one mile, by Midpen's count, to the Big Tree, one of the few old-growth redwoods left in the area. The historic white barn stands along this trail. You need the free Allen Road permit to reach it.

Other trails

The Lonely Forest, Western Meadowlark and Coho Vista trails also start from the Sears Ranch side. Midpen's map names the Folger Ranch Loop Trail too, which it lists as subject to seasonal closure for horses. Check the map before you set off, since trail names and junctions are easy to mix up on open grassland.

Hiking among cattle

Midpen says La Honda Creek is one of only two of its preserves where visitors share the land with grazing cattle. The animals are part of its conservation grazing program, which keeps coastal grassland open for species such as the San Francisco garter snake, American badger, California red-legged frog and burrowing owl. Midpen's tips:

1. Keep your distance and walk around groups of cows rather than through them.
2. Close pedestrian gates behind you.
3. Leave larger vehicle gates as you find them, open or closed.

Give mothers with calves extra room, especially in the fall calving season.

Dogs, bikes and horses

Dogs

Because so much of the preserve is grazed, Midpen allows dogs in only two areas:

• Grasshopper Loop Trail, except from August 1 through approximately December 15, during calving season. In years when the cows and calves leave the calving area early, Midpen will consider reopening the trail to dogs sooner. The trail stays open to hikers all year.
• Upper La Honda Creek, reached with the free Allen Road permit. The preserve page says all trails there. Midpen's dog page names the Cielo and Coho Vista trails.

Dogs must be on a leash of 6 feet or less. Self-retracting leashes may extend to 25 feet but must be locked at 6 feet near other visitors. The limit is three dogs per person and you must carry out the waste. Our dog-friendly places guide lists other options and our traveling with pets page has tips for visitors.

Bikes

Midpen allows out-and-back riding from the Sears Ranch Road parking area on all of the Lonely Forest and Western Meadowlark trails and on designated sections of the Coho Vista and Harrington Creek trails. That adds up to 5.6 miles of trail, or 11.2 miles for a full out-and-back ride. Helmets are required. The speed limit is 15 mph, or 5 mph when passing. E-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails.

Horses

Horses are allowed on designated trails marked on the map and helmets are recommended. Midpen's riding page describes 6 miles of trail through the grassland ridges of a working cattle ranch, with trailer parking at the Event Center by free permit. The Grasshopper Loop and Folger Ranch Loop may close to horses in wet conditions. At the time of writing Midpen listed both as open.

Drones, fires, smoking, weapons and any water contact are prohibited, as on all Midpen land.

The red and white barns

The red barn beside Highway 84 is the preserve's landmark. Midpen says the Weeks family built it around 1900 and that it has greeted travelers for more than a century. It also shelters the only known pallid bat maternity roost on the Peninsula, plus Townsend's big-eared bats. Both are species of special concern. Admire it from outside.

The white barn on the Cielo Trail is older, built sometime before 1860. It was part of a working farmstead until the 1970s. Midpen repaired it in 2023 and improved the roosting habitat for bats inside.

Seasons and events

Spring is the high season, with green grass, wildflowers and birds. Our wildflowers guide and birdwatching guide cover timing. Summer brings fog on the coast side and very little shade on the open trails. From August 1 the Grasshopper Loop closes to dogs for calving. In fall, watch for Red Flag Warnings: Midpen closes the lower La Honda Creek area whenever the National Weather Service declares one. Winter rain can close trails to horses.

Midpen's calendar lists an Observing Ecosystems in Transition outing on November 14, 2026. Our nature programs guide lists more.

Safety

Bring water: Midpen suggests two quarts per person for every two hours. The grassland trails offer little shade. Cell service is very sporadic on the preserves. Call 911 in an emergency and 650-691-1200 for anything else.

• Cattle: keep your distance and do not get between a cow and her calf.
• Mountain lions are occasionally seen. Do not run. Keep children and pets close, stand tall, make noise and back away. Report sightings to 650-691-2165.
• Ticks are present and may carry disease. Check yourself and your dog afterward.
• Poison oak grows on most preserves.
• Rattlesnakes are most active in warm weather.

History

Midpen established the preserve in 1984 with the purchase of a 255-acre property. About 4,500 acres, including the former Driscoll Ranch, were bought by the Peninsula Open Space Trust and transferred to Midpen. The Driscoll family owned and grazed the roughly 3,600-acre ranch from the 1970s. When they sold it to the trust in 2002, they asked that it stay open space, keep its cattle and offer public recreation. Midpen bought it in 2006 and adopted a 30-year master plan in 2012 to blend recreation and ranching. Midpen has also bought a small property that will link this preserve with El Corte de Madera Creek. The town of La Honda is a good stop on the way to Pescadero and the coast. Compare this hike with others on our hiking guide.

Frequently asked questions