Windy Hill
Managed by: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Location: Portola Valley, along Skyline Blvd. in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Hours: Sunrise to one half-hour after sunset
Fees: None
Trail Difficulty: Easy to strenuous
Things to See and Do: Windy Hill was the first land protection project POST ever completed. Today, it's an ideal spot for flying kites, walking dogs, mountain biking and horseback riding. The grassy ridge top of this popular 1,312-acre open space preserve is clearly visible from many spots along the Peninsula.
Keep Your Eyes Open For: Picnic tables next to Spring Ridge parking area off Skyline Blvd. Also coyotes, hawks, songbirds and, in spring, wildflowers.
Directions: To reach the lower portion of the preserve from I-280, exit at Alpine Rd. and go south 2.9 miles to the first stop sign. Turn right on Portola Rd. and travel 0.8 mile to the parking lot on the left. The upper portion's Spring Ridge parking area is on Skyline Blvd. 2.3 miles south of Highway 84 and 4.9 miles north of Page Mill Rd.