Sanborn County Park

Sanborn County Park is near the charming town of Saratoga, off of Highway 9 (the road to Big Basin). It may be the quickest way for the majority of Silicon Valley residents to get to the redwoods; however, its location on Highway 9 probably means that many people are planning to bypass it for the famous state park. The park today was really quiet except for a group of very happy school children enjoying summer camp at the Youth Science Institute.

I made my way here today for a short-and-sweet 2-mile loop. The route winds its way through the walk-in campground for tent-campers, crosses an interesting waterfall, and then winds back on a gently graded slope towards the main part of the park.

Redwoods usually like to have their "feet" wet, which is why you often find them in a valley next to a creek.

Although Aubry Creek runs next to the campground, it is in a steep ravine. Some of the redwoods were in the base of the ravine, near the creek, and others were up at the top near the campground. Because I was hiking on the top of the ravine, I got to see the redwoods much more brightly lit than normal. The bright sunlight really created an airy feel to the forest, and it was lovely!

This hike was easy enough to do with kids, but maybe not with really young kids who need a stroller. The waterfall at the top of the trail is really cool, and there are a lot of nice nature trails too.