kids on a deck overlooking a pond

Kids & Education

Daniels Nature Center at Skyline Ridge (Jack Gescheidt)

Suggested Preserves to Visit

Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve

  • Alpine Pond/Daniels Nature Center - An easy-access 0.5-mile trail around Alpine Pond provides an opportunity to experience pond life up close as you observe signs of wildlife, busy dragonflies, stands of cattails and peaceful views. Stop in and explore the delightful David C. Daniels Nature Center, open on weekends spring to fall, and enhance your visit with educational displays. If your young hikers are eager to venture further, try hiking a 1.5-mile loop of the Ipiwa and Sunny Jim trails from Alpine Pond to take in several plant communities – oak woodland, chaparral, and grassland.
  • Horseshoe Lake- Hug the shore as you hike on a 1-mile loop around this year-round pond. Children love to discover what lives near water and imagine what they cannot see. Take time to picnic at the tables that overlook the lake in the shade of majestic oak trees.

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

  • Stevens Creek Nature Trail- The trail is a 3-mile loop and takes about 3 hours at a leisurely pace. Beginning at the parking lot, the route descends 450 feet into the headwaters of Stevens Creek and returns along the San Andreas Fault. Interpretive signs provide insights to the wonders around you.

Self-guided Walks

We've compiled a variety of self-guided walks across the Midpen preserves. Learn the stories of Mount Umunhum in Sierra Azul Preserve, learn about the varied habitats around Alpine Pond in Skyline Ridge Preserve, see where the San Andreas Fault splits Los Trancos Preserve and more! Many tours can be downloaded to free smartphone apps.

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kids on a walk next to a pond

Spaces & Species field trips provide children the opportunity to focus on the connections between themselves and their natural world in a unique outdoor setting.

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