Description
Any open space named after the Italian phrase "beautiful mountain" has a lot to live up to. Monte Bello is an accurate description for this large preserve, with a wealth of stunning natural features that include rolling grassy hills, forested canyons, and amazing bay area views from a ridgetop rising to 2800 feet.
The spring flowers at Monte Bello are legendary. Cheerful jumbles of pink, white, yellow, and blue flowers typically bloom along the ridge in mid-April. I've also enjoyed the preserve in the heat of August, when the hills were dry but the canyon was cool, and after a snowstorm, when the entire mountain was cloaked in snow.
Monte Bello's shortest hikes clock in at about 3 miles, and the longest treks extend out of the preserve to adjacent public lands Upper Stevens Creek County Park and Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. You can even hike in and spend the night at Monte Bello's sparse backpack camp, although you'll need to reserve a spot in advance through the managing agency, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
Trail Stats
