Completed: May 7, 2023 | Elevation: 1,905′ | Trail: Anniversary Trail (from Upper Spring Parking Lot) | Distance: 0.4 miles
This was another short hike, which we completed after our hike to Black Mountain in Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. From Monte Bello we continued west on Page Mill Road until we hit Skyline Boulevard (Route 35). From there we headed north for 6.8 miles until we arrived at the Upper Spring Parking Lot located on a ridge with sweeping views of Palo Alto and the East Bay mountains.
The Windy Hill Preserve, and its namesake peak, was super windy. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. The trail starts just off from the parking area, through the wooden fence, and was 0.2 miles, all uphill, and the roundtrip took us 20 minutes. A bench not far from the top, invited passersby for a stop. From the peak we had 360° views. It was really quite lovely.
Back in the car, we continued north and made stopped at The Mountain House, a charming, neighborhood restaurant tucked among the redwoods that’s only open for dinner and serves up delicious American fare. We’ve made it a habit to come here for either an après-hike drink or dinner anytime we’re in the vicinity. Today we only had time for drinks (okay, and an appetizer) and we luckily found two seats at the small bar. Over drinks we struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me. It was truly an enjoyable end to a great day.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
This was another hike where we just barely scratched the surface of the park. We could have stayed on the Anniversary Trail and connected to other trails leading south or east. Something to save for another day.