Spring is here bringing green rolling hills, sunshine, birdsong and hikes. 

From reservoirs to peninsula views, students at De Anza are within driving distance to multiple scenic spots for hikes and outdoor recreation. These are the five best places for enjoying nature this spring.

5. Foothills Nature Preserve, 20 minutes from campus

With 1,400 acres of outdoor space featuring trails through chaparral, woodlands, fields, streams and a small lake, Foothills Nature Preserve is a hidden gem. 

The preserve is closer to Foothill College than De Anza and is owned and managed by the City of Palo Alto. 

It’s common to see a lot of wildlife in the preserve, including Columbian black-tailed deer, ducks and sometimes bobcats. On clear days hikers can see the upper peninsula and San Francisco from the second highest point of the preserve.

The preserve features an impressive number of activities such as:

• Hiking 
• Fishing 
• Non-motorized boating 
• Nature center
• Summer camps
• Year-round day use area 
• Seasonal overnight camping 

The preserve has a huge downside: the fees and backed-up reservations. 

The fees for the group day use sites run between $117 and $347, with non-Palo Alto residents paying $45 per picnic table at individual sites.

Towle Campground opens in May and runs to October. Visit the reservation website to book, sites cost between $40 and $50 per night and It’s best to book months in advance.

The park charges $6 per vehicle. 

Rating 2.5/5

4. Stevens Creek County Park, 10 minutes from campus.

Stevens Creek County Park is the closest to campus for a quick fishing, hiking or even an archery session. The park offers 1,063 acres of recreational amenities, including a 87-acre reservoir and day-use areas. 

Usually, non-motorized boating is available at the park. But park has closed all boating since October 2025. There are fees for parking, but they are much cheaper than Foothills Nature Preserve. 

The trails range from easy to difficult and provide nice views of Cupertino and the Stevens Creek Reservoir. This is also a fun place to take a mountain bike and zip down the trails. Watch where you step when on the many trails, peak rattlesnake season starts in April.

Rating 3/5

3. Lexington Reservoir County Park, 25 minutes from campus.

Before Lexington Reservoir was created in 1952, the area was home to the small logging and stagecoaching towns, Alma and Lexington. The towns, which had saloons, hotels and the South Pacific Coast Railroad running through, were abandoned and drowned to make way for the reservoir. 

When water levels are critically low, visitors can still see an old bridge and building foundations dating back to the mid-1800s. The area experienced decent recent rainfall this winter, so the reservoir is relatively full for now, but the water level will lower during the summer.

The park offers year-round fishing and non-motorized boating on the weekends. Trails of varying difficulty run along Aldacroft Heights Road with some reaching the summit of Mount Umunhum, though the hike is extremely difficult and has more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain. 

For a nice, low-effort walk, the reservoir’s shore offers a nice experience. The park prohibits swimming, but there are some hidden spots where locals can take a secret dip.

The only downside of this park is that it is not the cleanest in the county. Old fishing lines and rusty hooks are scattered in pockets along the shore along the Highway 17 side. There are also glass bottles and other litter scattered about. Wear shoes at all times along the shore and in the water.

Rating 3/5

2. Byrne Preserve, 15 minutes from campus

This quaint, little preserve is nestled in Los Altos Hills and features easy quality trails. If you want a place to get a quick 20-minute hike or a 40-minute trek, this is the spot. 

On the little hill at the center of the preserve there is a pretty panoramic view of the peninsula and South Bay. The community barn attached to the reserve allows its horses roam the preserve and can be seen galloping around, just make sure to keep a safe distance from the horses. 

Parking here is manageable and there is no fee. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic under the oak tree and its green rolling hills look straight out of the Shire from “The Lord of the Rings.”

Rating  4/5

1. Castle Rock State Park and Sanborn County Park, 20-30 minutes from campus

Castle Rock and Sanborn are by far the most remote and best places to hike and enjoy near campus.

Sanborn County Park and Castle Rock State Park sit next to each other in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sanborn encompasses 3,453 acres of lush forest between Saratoga and Skyline Boulevard. Right across Skyline Boulevard, Castle Rock State Park spans about 5,300 acres and connects to Big Basin Redwoods State Park along Highway 9.

The western views on the Saratoga Gap Trail in Castle Rock of the San Lorenzo Valley and the Pacific Ocean, and the eastern views in Sanborn County Park of the sprawling metropolitan Silicon Valley offer a stark contrast between rugged nature and human development. Both are breathtaking.

The hardness and unique patterns on the huge sandstone boulders throughout both parks makes them a very popular destination for rock climbing and bouldering. There is a rock for every person in these parks, from easy bouldering rocks for beginners to extremely technical professional free climbs. 

There is also a backpacking trail. The Skyline to Sea Trail runs through both parks, then through Big Basin and ends at Waddell Beach. For an experienced backpacker, it’s a 1-2 day hike through beautiful oak and redwood forests with the Pacific Ocean being your reward. 

From waterfalls to redwood groves, the pristine natural and remote beauty of these parks put them on the top of this list. Springtime is the best time to visit these parks, weekdays are even better for beating the crowds. 

Rating 5/5