Midpen preserves are an ideal setting for a wide range of activities.
Walking and Hiking
All trails at Midpen are open for walking, hiking and running. From an easy stroll around an inviting pond to a challenging climb up one of our many hillsides, there’s a path for you. Many of our nearly 250 miles of designated trails are unpaved “wildland” trails in steep, rugged terrain.
Biking
Sixteen of our preserves are open to mountain biking — nearly 65% of these trails are multiuse trails and are open to bicyclists, which is the highest ratio of trails open to bikes among parks and open space in the Bay Area. Many of these trails are single-track trails, providing bicyclists with a more technical experience.
Horseback Riding
Twenty-one of our preserves are open to horseback riding. Our trails provide many long distance opportunities for riding, especially along the Bay Area Ridge Trail that connects adjacent preserves and other public lands.
Dogs
You and your canine companion are invited to experience many dog-friendly trails on our preserves. Eleven of our preserves have designated trails that allow dogs on a leash. Pulgas Ridge Preserve has an off-leash area.
Camping
The Black Mountain Backpack Camp at Monte Bello Open Space Preserve is the only campsite on Midpen lands. Only one-half hour from the cities below, the camp often serves as the first stopping place for backpackers wishing to hike from the valley to the coast. Reservations are required and are available online.
Volunteer
From single hands-on restoration projects to enhancing trail safety and visitor experience along the trails to long-term commitments in interpretative and education program delivery, there’s a role for everyone in caring for our local landscapes.
Free guided activities lead by volunteer docent naturalists offer a great way to explore a new preserve, learn about the natural environment or join others for outdoor recreation. Whether it's a short stroll by a scenic pond or a vigorous hike to the top of a summit, there's something for everyone!
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.
Geocaching
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game where the objective is to locate geocaches, or hidden containers, outdoors with the help of a GPS-enabled device or smartphone using coordinates that are posted online. Many Midpen preserves have geocaches for you to find.
