PARK TOURS

Explore Santa Clara County's open spaces and enjoy lakes, mineral springs, migrating birds, wildflowers and more while learning about Silicon Valley's rich culture, history and wildlife.

If you missed any of BAO's virtual park tours, you can watch them by clicking this link BAO Videos

BAO members receive a discount on the events. BAO Premium Members ($50 annual fee) receive up to 50% discount and Basic Members (free) receive up to a 25% discount on BAO events. If you are not already a BAO member, and want to join to receive discounts, please Click Here before registering for the events.

**REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED** and space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible using the registration button below. Detailed information, such as directions, will be sent one week before the event date.

Waitlist Only: Hike 1 Fires and Fungi at Coal Creek

Tuesday February 11, 2025 from 08:30 AM to 02:30 PM

Join us for a FREE winter hike at Coal Creek, a 500 acre preserve where on a clear day, you can see views of the Bay Area. On this one-way trek that has a gradual 700 foot decline and then 600 foot incline, we will walk by hilly grassland and forest which provide a mixture of shade and sun. There will be panoramic views of the Bay for the first third of the walk, and we will cross a bridge to see Crazy Pete’s waterfall. Along the way, we learn about fires – the causes, costs to society, and prevention methods – and search for fungi. Next we enjoy a picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Image from Midpen.

Level of Difficulty: : Moderate
Number of Miles: : 2.5
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Hike 2 Molds & Mushrooms Walk

Wednesday February 26, 2025 from 09:30 AM to 01:30 PM

Today we head to Anderson Lake County Park for a leisurely walk along Coyote Creek and a walnut tree grove. As we travel along the trail, we learn about and identify slime mold and mushrooms from an expert naturalist. Afterwards, we enjoy a social picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Valley Water. Image by Anne Ferguson.

Level of Difficulty: : Easy
Number of Miles: : 2.0
Location: Meeting location is San Jose CA 95120 or Morgan Hill CA 95037
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Waitlist Only: Hike 3 Bear Creek Redwoods History

Wednesday March 12, 2025 from 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM

Today we will explore the newly opened section of Bear Creek Redwoods on 3.5 miles of trails with a 300-foot descent and two 200 foot ascents. As we view the renovated brick structures of the first Jesuit school of theology in the American West (paid for Measure AA passed by voters and paid for by taxpayers), we will learn about the history of this area dating back to 1850. Before heading back, we stop for a picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Image by Anne Ferguson.

Level of Difficulty: : Moderate
Number of Miles: : 3.5
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Waitlist Only: Hike 4 Spring Wildflower Walk

Wednesday March 26, 2025 from 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM

Sierra Azul Preserve protects more than 19,000 acres of the Santa Cruz mountains. We will begin our hike at 1400 feet and hike out on rolling up and down small hills (shorter two-mile walk option) and a gradual short uphill (longer four-mile walk option) enabling us to see views of Mt Umunhum, Guadalupe Reservoir, Mission Peak and downtown San Jose. Everyone will receive their own wildflower guide and learn helpful flower identification tips. As we travel, we will search for and identify Spring serpentine wildflowers and add them to our checklist. We end the afternoon with a picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Images by Anne Ferguson.

Level of Difficulty: : Easy-to-moderate
Number of Miles: : 2.0
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Hike 5 Windy Hill Wildflower Walk

Wednesday April 9, 2025 from 08:00 AM to 02:30 PM

Windy Hill Preserve is named for its breezy grass-covered hilltop and protects more than 1400 acres of grassland ridges and forests of redwood, fir and oak. In the Spring months, this preserve has a variety of wildflowers. We will begin our hike at the top of Skyline Ridge and descend into shady woodlands where we will see views of the bay as we descend. Everyone will receive their own wildflower guide and learn helpful flower identification tips. As we travel, we will search for and identify Spring serpentine wildflowers and add them to our checklist. After the walk, we stop for a picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Images by Stan Shebs and Calibas, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Level of Difficulty: : Moderate
Number of Miles: : 4.0
Location: Meeting location is Cupertino CA 95014
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Hike 6 Threatened Species of Coyote Ridge

Wednesday April 16, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Today, we are fortunate to have an expert-led tour of Coyote Ridge Preserve’s Habitat Protection Area that features serpentine grasslands vital for the growth of rare plants and other wildlife. Along our walk, we will look for and learn about the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly, the Metcalf Canyon jewelflower, California red-legged frogs, tiger salamanders, tule elk, Western burrowing owls and more. This special walk is made possible by Open Space Authority. Bay checkerspot and wildflower images by Cait Hutnik and Tule Elk image by David Mauk.

Level of Difficulty: : Moderate
Number of Miles: : 3.0
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Hike 7 Exclusive Private Preserve Wildflower Extravaganza

Wednesday April 23, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Join us for an exclusive tour of a private preserve that is home to protected and endangered wildlife. On our journey, we pass through serpentine grassland dancing with wildflower colors and the threatened dudleya. We explore three spring-fed ponds that provide water for wildlife such as birds, damselflies, dragonflies and the threatened western pond turtle. Our expert guide will teach us about the variety of wildflowers, birds, the threatened species and more! This special walk is made possible by Open Space Authority. Dudleya image by Cait Hutnik and damselfly image by Gregor Ritter from Pixabay.

Level of Difficulty: : Easy-to-moderate
Number of Miles: : 2.0
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

Hike 8 Urban Agriculture

Thursday May 1, 2025 from 09:20 AM to 01:30 PM

We start the day with a visit to the Martial Cottle visitor center, then take a leisurely, flat walk around this agriculture park and learn about its place in history. Next, we visit Our City Forest to learn about their latest urban forestry projects. We end the afternoon with a social picnic lunch. This special program is hosted in partnership with Valley Water. Image by Anne Ferguson.

Level of Difficulty: : Easy
Number of Miles: : 1.5
Location: Meeting location is Saratoga CA 95070 or San Jose CA 95136
Additional Benefits: Transportation and picnic lunch are included

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