Walk · Park
📍 San Jose
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ◐ Partly
Boats, birds and boardwalks at the south end of the bay, free to enter. Dogs are OK on the county pathways but not the refuge trails and boardwalks.
Walk
📍 San Jose
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
The easiest long paved walk in San José: flat, creekside and partly shaded. Start at Hellyer Park, where there's also a playground.
Walk · Park
📍 Campbell
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Paid, price not listed
A creekside multi-use trail past ponds and birds, with a lot at Dell Ave. The county doesn't publish surface or distance here, so check the trail brochure.
Walk · Park
📍 San Jose
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Paid, price not listed
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
A historic working ranch turned county park: paved paths past fields and farm plots in south San José.
Walk
📍 Palo Alto
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ◐ Partly
Birds, a duck pond and the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center: a breezy, flat bay outing. Trail surfaces vary and aren't published, so we don't mark it stroller-friendly.
Walk · Animals
📍 Cupertino
- 👶 12 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 🚻 Bathrooms: ✓ Yes
The classic South Bay toddler hike: a mile to a 160-year-old working farm with goats, sheep and chickens, then a picnic. Park early; the lots fill.
⚠ Farm buildings and pens are closed to the public; animals are viewed from outside. Farm programs are run by the City of Mountain View. No dogs in the preserve.
Walk
📍 Palo Alto
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ◐ Partly
A little loop around a pond where kids can peer in for pond creatures, next to a small nature center. Midpen says it takes strollers, but it doesn't publish length or surface, so we list it as partial.
⚠ The Daniels Nature Center is seasonal (weekends 11 a.m.–4 p.m. while open; Midpen says it's closing soon for the season). No dogs.
Walk · Park
📍 Menlo Park
- 👶 12 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ◐ Partly
Wide-open bay views, kites and birds. The flat 2.3-mile perimeter is mostly unpaved, so bring a rugged stroller or a carrier.
Walk
📍 Pacifica
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
Dramatic ocean views on a paved, car-free stretch of old Highway 1 with restrooms and fountains. Weekend parking is tight; go early.
Walk
📍 Half Moon Bay
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Price unknown (check before you go)
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
A paved coastal path linking four beach lots, with restrooms and picnic tables at Francis Beach. Dogs are OK on the trail, not the beach.
Walk
📍 Pescadero
- 👶 12 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Price unknown (check before you go)
A quiet redwood creek walk on the south coast, pairable with Pescadero. State Parks calls it gentle; surface and restrooms at the trailhead aren't described.
⚠ Dogs aren't allowed on park trails (service animals excepted).
Playground · Park · Hike
📍 El Granada
- 👶 12 mo–12 yr (ages from the organizer)
- 💵 Free
- 🚻 Bathrooms: ✓ Yes
A coastside playground with a real tot area (1–5), a treehouse and a restroom by the lot. Pair it with a short look up the Vista Point Trail.
Walk
📍 East Palo Alto
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
A flat, mostly paved levee walk and boardwalk over restored marsh, full of herons and egrets. No restrooms and no shade, so keep it short on hot days.
⚠ No dogs in this preserve (Midpen). No restrooms: go before you come.
Walk
📍 Half Moon Bay
- 👶 0 mo–6 yr (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 🚻 Bathrooms: ✓ Yes
The easiest way to stand among big redwoods on the Peninsula: a flat quarter-mile with a restroom and picnic tables. Midpen says it suits all abilities; the surface isn't stated.
Walk
📍 Hillsborough
- 👶 All ages (our estimate)
- 💵 Free
- 👶 Stroller: ✓ Yes
Start at the south end and turn around at the 1-mile marker for an easy 2-mile stroller loop with reservoir views. Keep little walkers to the right; the trail is shared with bikes.
⚠ Shared with bikes, runners and horses (marked for two-way traffic). Check county advisories for closures.