What a beautiful day for a hike! If someone on your list loves to enjoy the great outdoors, and hiking is her jam, here are a few gift ideas for the hiker on your list!
There are a few things you should always have with you while hiking: a first aid kit and a water. A new kit or a new bottle would make a practical, useful gift for the hiker on your list. Want to go a step further? These socks are made for hiking! She will love the support and comfort of special socks made for her hiking adventures.
Backpacks wear out, why not gift her a fabulous new hiking backpack! I have my eye on this one. Hint hint, nudge nudge. Is my husband reading this?
I am a huge fan of these mosquito repellant bracelets. They are easy to wear and use, plus, they work! Love that!
So, without further ado, here are a few fabulous gifts for the hiker on your list!
Thanks for stopping by, stay tuned for more holiday gift ideas!
How pretty is this view! We hiked at Stevens Creek County Park for the first time last weekend, and it was a real treat! This large park puts you out in the wilderness just steps from Cupertino. There is a large network of hiking trails, some of which allow dogs, if your dog enjoys hiking too. You can also ride your bike on the some of the trails. Please refer to the trail map when you arrive to see which trails allow dogs and/or bikes.
The hiking trails at Stevens Creek County Park start from the multiple picnic areas where you can enjoy a picnic and then catch a trail. We hiked the Stevens Canyon Trail for the majority of the hike, which was just over three miles, and roughly two hours long. We had my daughter’s girl scout troop (they’re teenagers) with us, and her friend’s parents brought two dogs along for the fun. We had a blast!
The main attraction from the Stevens Creek County Park hiking trails is the view. You can see Silicon Valley from the viewpoints along the trails, and of course when you get to the top. These trails are medium difficulty and offer a lot of elevation changes, which is super fun!
Stevens Creek County Park is easy to get to from Cupertino. If you are traveling down N. Foothill Blvd, it turns into Stevens Canyon Road. As soon as you stop seeing homes (civilization), there will be a parking lot on your left. That’s a great place to park and enjoy the park! The ranger’s station is a few yards from the parking lot, hidden down the road. This is where you can find tri-fold maps to take with you on the hike. There is also an ancient communications device at the ranger’s station, aka a pay phone-and it works, we tested it! haha
Rancho San Antonio Park is a large Santa Clara County Park with a series of hiking trails, and a small farm. I have always wanted to hike there, and we finally did!
We took our family hiking at Rancho San Antonio County Park on a Saturday morning, when we thought it might be slow. We were mistaken! This is a popular park, and the multiple parking lots fill up quickly. I recommend getting there well before 9am if you want an easy time finding a parking space.
Although the park is heavily trafficked, it is very large, so it can accommodate a large volume of hikers; even during this time of social distancing.
Rancho San Antonio County Park hiking trails are set up to ensure social distancing. The county made the trails one-way, so you cannot turn around and go back. Get ready to hike!
The one-way trails are a gift, and a curse. If you get tired, you have to keep going; there is no turning around and going back from where you came from. Luckily when my kids saw the one-way signs, they were mentally prepared to gut it out. They did the whole hike!
We were out there for two hours, and hiked roughly four miles. It was really fun, and a very pretty hike. While there wasn’t an abundance of views, as there are on other trails I have covered, there was a cute farm, known as Deer Hollow Farm, and lots of trees. We loved the large amount of shade on these trails! The shady trails are perfect this time of year.
The one-way trails may end at a different parking lot than the one you started at. Don’t worry, all the parking lots are in a line, so you can easily find your way back to the lot where your car is parked.
The terrain isn’t very steep, this hike is more sloped; making it ideal for families with children, and anyone who isn’t into steep hikes. I would say this is an easy hike, but right now, it is long-so bring water and snacks!
There is a mask ordinance in the State of California, so you will need to wear a mask while hiking Rancho San Antonio Reserve hiking trails. I like to hike while wearing a balaclava which is easy to pull down around my neck when no-one else is around. You can wear any mask you are comfortable hiking in.
Rancho San Antonio County Park hiking trails are easy to find. Take the Foothill exit off 280 and head west. Turn right onto Cristo Rey Drive and drive a couple minutes until you see the large sign. Then you can enter the parking area and find a lot with open spaces. You can’t miss it! It’s easy to find 🙂
Have you hiked on the trails at Rancho San Antonio County Park in Cupertino? What are your thoughts?
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