Destination: Borel Hill, Portola Valley
Summit Borel Hill And Visit The David C. Daniels Nature Center
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Hiking back from Borel Hill, the highest point in San Mateo County by Cody Tolmasoff
Social Isolation — Day 32
I am thankful today for a competent State Governor who clearly has a plan, devised with experts, and has shown a clear path for how we find our way out of Shelter In Place and back away from the social isolation we’ve all had to face this last month. Today, the Governor of California clearly outlined how we find our way out of our current predicament and what our new normal looks like. Love him or hate him, at least he has a plan and can communicate well.
Destination: Borel Hill
Summit Borel Hill
David C. Daniels Nature Center
A couple of years back, I got the idea into my head that we should go visit all the highest spots around the Bay Area. We had already been up a bunch of them (Mt. Hamilton, Mt. Tam, Mt. Davidson, Mt. Diablo), but it surprised me to find out Borel Hill was the highest point in San Mateo county. So I planned a trip. It amused us as my oldest daughter was attending Borel Middle School at the time.
I had probably driven past the trailhead and parking lot for this hike dozens of times, but it never quite caught my attention. The hike itself is not too strenuous, but it is very exposed. So any weather will impact you more. If it’s windy, it will be very windy, if it’s hot, it will be boiling. From the summit, you can get a great 360º view, and there are spots you can throw down a blanket for a picnic.
Afterward, you can continue your outing with a visit to the Nature Center, a short hike past the parking area when you finish your hike.
Summit Borel Hill
Borel Hill Summit by Cody Tolmasoff
The weather today would be perfect for a hike up Borel Hill. The ascent from the parking area is only about 350 feet to the summit, and hiking back and forth from there is a little over 2 miles. It can get hot, so be sure to pack some water with you, and there is a good chance to throw down a blanket at the top for a picnic if you desire. From the top, you get a nice view of the bay (on a clear day). Plus, you get bragging rights for saying you have hiked to the highest point in San Mateo county.
If you are curious about what are some other tallest peaks around the Bay Area are, you can get a complete list from this Wikipedia entry.
David C. Daniels Nature Center & Alpine Pond by Cody Tolmasoff
I had expected little on my first visit here, but what we found was pleasantly surprising. The volunteer staff was very knowledgeable and excited to have some visitors. My kids poked around here, trying out all the hands-on exhibits for well over an hour. We even got to pet a snake.
They offer a variety of docent-led tours and are quite in touch with all that is happening in the area with suggestions of wildlife to look for currently.
On its own, it’s probably not a remarkable destination but coupled with a hike, you can have a grand day out.
Cody Tolmasoff is an author and publisher for Adventuring.in. He is a recovering programmer and a San Francisco native, raising two daughters, and regularly finding new adventures around the SF Bay Area. This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book, 52 San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Adventures, Day Trips With Your Kids!
Find him on Twitter @codyo, and read his most recent title Adventures in Getting Out on Amazon, filled with advice on successfully getting your family out for day trip adventures.
Originally published on Medium on 14 April 2020