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Foothill Park
Rating Details »
3300 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-2423
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-2423
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
14 reviews for Foothill Park
NOTE: PALO ALTO RESIDENT'S ONLY (VALID ID)
Ok, sometimes Palo Altans are kind of jerky and exclusive. That said, I grew up here, and I appreciate the snobby exclusivity when it works in my favor. I totally would be upset if I couldn't visit another park in a different city, so I can really understand why it irks people. I get it. But I also like that it's never crowded.....please don't hurt me......
Foothills park has a small beautiful lake where you can do some fishing, canoe rentals, and many trails (fairly short, around 1-3 miles). There is also a beautiful scenic lookout where you can see San Jose to San Francisco. It's a great place to bring a date and have a romantic sunset picnic (until they kick you out at dark). Wildlife is abundant here and you can spot deer, coyotes, birds, bats, etc. I've heard of mountain lions being spotted, but I've never seen them.
You can also do some camping here or come for a picnic. There are lots of tables spread out through the park.
DOGS:
This place is fantastic because they are very dog friendly........5 days a week. For some reason, dogs are allowed on weekdays but not weekends. I'm sorry, but I don't really understand this policy. It is very confusing if you show up on a Friday evening with your dog and are welcomed, but then show up the next day (Saturday) and are threatened/interrogated like it's the Spanish Inquisition. It's not like my dog turns into a raving werewolf on Sat. or Sun! Perhaps there is some really logical explanation, but I have yet to be given one. So minus 1 star for silly rules.
My dog loves this place because he gets to see live deer (food!) and once he fell into the lake and got to swim. He's goofy like that.
As the other reviewers have noted, this park is open only to Palo Alto residents. I don't know of any other city that does this. Other Bay Area cities should bar all Palo Alto residents from their parks until PA reciprocates.
How would PA residents like it if they couldn't go to Golden Gate Park, whose maintenance is paid for by the taxpayers of the City and County of San Francisco?
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Fantastic park. I see people give the park low reviews for being PA-residents specific. Well, understandable but for PA residents this makes for a very uncrowded and therefore even more special park: so 5 stars
NOTE: Open to PALO ALTO RESIDENTS ONLY!!!
Of many parks and trails in the bay area that I've explored, this one tops the list. However, as Claire has already mentioned, you need to be a Palo Alto resident with a valid ID (a gas/electric bill worked for us, btw) or be accompanied by one to enter this hidden park. This explains why it's so vastly peaceful and quiet inside. As a matter of fact, it's often so quiet and sometimes foggy that I'd actually be scared to wander around by myself (especially after hearing about the mountain lions...)
Anyway, there is so much nature here. There are several trails to choose from, paved and non-paved, totalling 15 miles. The lake is a perfect spot to rest, and the ducks are fun to watch. There are also several bbq/picnic and camping sites available for reservation, and from what I've seen, they're usually open. I have never been to their nature center, but it should be worth visiting?
To get there, just keep driving up on Page Mill Road towards the mountains. You'll eventually see the gate.
-1 star for the residency requirement.
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Great local hiking place for Palo Alto residents! I liked how closed it is to Palo Alto and the quality of the trails. Cute pond, definitely will be going back.
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More wilderness than I bargained for. ;o) Very large, but less manicured than I prefer a city park to be for nice leisurely walks with the dogs.
You can bring your dogs on weekdays, but not on weekends or holidays. I brought my little chihuahuas and then was afraid to let them roam because I thought a coyote would eat them. ;o( I'm lame.
Foothill Park is a hidden gem in Palo Alto...many people don't even know it exists!
It is great to come here for a dinner picnic (makes a nice date too), but just be sure you leave before it gets dark or the ranger will come tell you to leave!
There are various trails to hike on, a lake and a small nature center. When it starts to get dark, there are lots of deer that come really close! This park makes you feel as though you are miles and miles away from home, therefore makes a good escape for a day, afternoon or evening.
Oh, and P.S. don't forget to bring your driver's license that shows you are a resident of Palo Alto or they won't let you in!
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Foothill is an excellent place to go hiking with your dog, or have a picnic with friends. It's a lovely park with a pond and some great open grass areas that are awesome for lawn sports or playing some ball with your pup.
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Didn't realize there was a park only for PA residents. How exclusive. Or how lame. Could be seen both ways. However my friend is a PA resident and she got us here and we did some hiking. Nice area, pretty easy hiking. Just too bad not everyone can go in and experience it.
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Woe is me! I thought my Los Altos address was going to open all the doors the peninsula had to offer (actually i didn't give it much thought, but hardly expected to be shut out of things..) and alas, i have found its really the Palo Alto mailing address that takes the cake! PA residents get this beautiful park all to themselves and that is entirely a loss on the part of this park! I am just the kind of hiker, jogger, sunday pond lounge cat that you'd like to have at your park! Make me a temporary resident! I want to run around with reckless abandon in your gorgeous tract of forest. I have found a way to enter the park from the Arastredero Preserve but maybe its time to open a PO bOx...
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A PARK FOR THE LANDED GENTRY OF PALO ALTO. there are no mexican families BBQing in here. HIKING TRAILS ARE EASY SO THE VEAL OF THE PENINSULA CAN ROAM FREE.
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Great local trails, camping grounds, meadows, even a lake with canoeing! My favorite place to spend the weekend. Unfortunately for non-Palo Alto residents, you must be a resident or accompanied by a resident to enter the park (although I've only once encountered someone at the gate checking IDs). Open daily from 8am-Sunset. Boats are available to rent for the lake and fishing is permitted with a license. I love to go down to the meadow and have a picnic, then perhaps hiking on one of the trails. Also, you can take a right on the first fork in the road after you enter the park and drive up to a wonderful view of all the Peninsula and Bay Area.
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This place is damn cool and for some reason not a lot of people know about it. Foothill Park is basically a giant wildlife preserve with amazing views, a lake, ample picnic space, a giant meadow and best of all, over fifteen miles of trails! I have been coming here for years and every time I discover something new. Sometimes I'll cruise up to the top to check out the view, other times I'll embark on a half day's worth of hiking. I hear there are mountain lions once you get deep into the trails but I've never seen one. Great place to spend a day!
this place is awesome. not very populated, has a beautiful lake and a lookout spot that on a clear day you can see all the way to the SF skyline. there are picnic tables nestled among trees and I have seen many groups hosting a family picnic or birthday party. there are hiking and biking trails for the outdoorsy inclined. just need to be a palo alto resident to get in - the story goes that many moons ago, palo alto council approached menlo and mountain view for funds to renovate the park and the neighboring councils did not want to chip in. so palo alto did it themselves and now prevent residents outside of paly from enjoying the fruits of their labor. not sure how true this story is...but seems plausible given the restrictions.
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