Learn which plants local Native Americans have used since time immemorial to treat a variety of ailments prior to European colonization and the introduction of Western medicine. Join Docent Naturalists Sarah Schoen, Kim Borick, and Bobbie Riedel on this moderately-paced hike to explore the Peters Creek and Long Ridge trails. There will be frequent stops as you begin to view the landscape as a pharmacy with remedies for everything from loose teeth and thinning hair to headaches and chest congestion. You’ll enjoy a lunch break overlooking the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Meet at Peters Creek Roadside Parking, on the west side of Skyline Boulevard, 3.6 miles north of Highway 9 or 3.3 miles south of Page Mill Road. If you are coming from the north on Skyline Blvd., the pullout is just past Portola Heights Road on the right. From the south, the pullout is near the Palo Alto city limits sign on the right. There is additional parking across Skyline Blvd. at the Grizzly Flat trailhead (Santa Clara County Park).