6 Stroller-Friendly Hikes Near Palo Alto

I’ve been there–when you have a newborn baby (or young children in general!), sometimes you are just dying to get out of the house. We are so lucky to live in an area that has good weather so much of the time, and there is no shortage of stroller-friendly hikes near Palo Alto. As a Bay Area newborn photographer (and mom!), I’m happy to share some trails you can take your newborn baby on, so you can get some vitamin d and maybe (hopefully!) baby will take a little nap.

1. Baylands Nature Preserve (Palo Alto)

This peaceful trail is mostly gravel/dirt, but the gravel is well-packed and wide, allowing for a stroller to get by just fine! Here you’ll find gorgeous marshland views and maybe even see some unique birds too (it’s one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast). One thing I love about the Baylands Nature Preserve is that the Palo Alto airport is close by, so you get to see small planes coming and going.

There are a few different parking lots, and 7 different trails you can do:

San Francisquito Creek Trail
3.2 miles/1-2.5 hours
Easy, flat terrain, can be extremely muddy during rainy season.

Boardwalk Trail
.2 miles (one way)/15 mins
Easy, flat terrain

Duck Pond Loop Trail
.7 miles/10-15 mins
Easy, flat terrain

Renzel Trail
.9 miles/20-25 mins
Easy, flat terrain that is paved

Hilltop Trails
3.5 miles/1 hour
Hilly terrain and trails are steep in places

Marsh Front Trail
1 mile/23-30 mins
Easy, flat terrain

Adobe Creek Loop Trail
5.6 miles/2-3 hours
Easy, flat terrain. The trail is mostly on bayside gravel levees and pavement.

Helpful hint: Stop by Cloud9 Coffee by the airport before you go to the Baylands!

Read more about Baylands Nature Preserve here.

2. Stanford Dish Loop Trail (Stanford)

The Stanford Dish is one of the great stroller-friendly hikes near Palo Alto. This 3.7-mile loop is paved with a wide path so is perfect for stroller hiking. This trail is famous for wildlife–you might see a coyote, deer, or even a wild turkey! That said, the Stanford Dish Loop Trail is not dog friendly.

Be sure to bring water, apply sunscreen, and ensure you have a good shade for the stroller. There is virtually no shade on the trail, and no benches to rest. There is a portable restroom located inside The Dish’s main gate (off Stanford Ave). Read more about the Stanford Dish trail here.

3. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve (Portola Valley border)

The Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is another great suggestion. Here you can find dirt roads (so maybe bring a jogging stroller), but you can also find oak trees and wildflowers in the spring.

The Pearson-Arastradero Preserve has 10.25 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Most of the trails (6.6 miles) are open year-round. Some trails (3.6 miles) are designated as “seasonal” and are closed at the trailheads after heavy rain.

Arastradero Creek Trail
1.44 miles
Wide, compacted gravel surface, but is steep in terrain–20% slope in some places on the west end of the trail.

Read more about this preserve here.

4. Shoreline Lake Park (Mountain View)

This flat and breezy walk has great views of the water, and you can stop at the Shoreline Lake Bistro for a meal! Read more about this park here.

5. Bedwell Bayfront Park (Menlo Park)

This park has gentle hills with a lot of space for the stroller (and older kids to run or bike)! It has paved and hard-packed dirt roads, so good for most types of strollers. Read more here!

6. Byxbee Park (Palo Alto)

At Byxbee Park, you can find interesting art installations with bay and marsh views. There is some bumpy gravel, so you might want to pack a jogging stroller. Read more about this park here!

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It can be easy to feel like you’ll never leave the house again when you have a newborn baby. I encourage you to get out with baby as much as you can so you can both start to explore the world through your fresh eyes!

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