Soquel, CA Birding Trails and Maps

192 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Soquel?

Find the top rated birding trails in Soquel, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
57 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Alameda Creek Regional Trails

22.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel

Beach Range Road Multi-Use Trail

4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Cowell-Purisima Trail

4.1 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Gravel

Coyote Creek Trail

26.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Crystal Springs Regional Trail

15.3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail

7.22 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt

Iron Horse Regional Trail

32 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Los Gatos Creek Trail

11.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel

Matadero Creek Trail

1.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

19 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Ohlone Loop Trail

3 mi
State: CA
Concrete

Sabercat Creek Trail

2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Francisco Bay Trail

328 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail

5.45 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Southern Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way

1.9 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Woodchips

Stevens Creek Trail

6.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Sweeney Ridge Trail

2.17 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Watsonville Slough Trail

2.8 mi
State: CA
Concrete, Gravel

Arroyo Mocho Trail

17.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel

Bol Park Path

1.25 mi
State: CA
Asphalt
Accordion

Evergreen Creek Trail

1.2 mi
State: CA
Gravel

Guadalupe River Trail

12.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Joe's Trail at Saratoga De Anza

1.4 mi
State: CA
Crushed Stone

Penitencia Creek Trail

2.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel

Permanente Creek Trail

1.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Saratoga Creek Trail

1.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel

West Cliff Drive Bicycle Path

3.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Calero Creek Trail

1.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Highway 237 Bikeway

5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Highway 87 Bikeway

4.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail

2.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Metal

Santa Cruz Riverwalk

3.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Upper Struve Slough Trail

2.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Three Creeks Trail (CA)

0.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Alamo Canal Trail

0.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Albertson Parkway

0.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Alum Rock Park Trail

2.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Baine Avenue Trail

0.75 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Gravel

Barberry Walkway

0.5 mi
State: CA
Concrete

Centennial Trail (CA)

3.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel

Embarcadero Bike Path

0.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Great Meadow Bike Path

1.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Hetch Hetchy Trail (Mountain View)

0.6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Isabel Avenue Trail

3.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Loma Prieta Grade Trail

5.5 mi
State: CA
Dirt

Los Alamitos Creek Trail

5.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Lower Silver Creek Trail

1.05 mi
State: CA
Concrete

Montgomery Hill Trail

0.4 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Grass

Naomi Patridge Trail

2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Palo Alto Baylands Trails

10.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Gravel

Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area Trails

5.38 mi
State: CA
Crushed Stone

Silver Creek Valley Trail

4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Stanford Perimeter Trail

3.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Umbarger Road Parkway

0.6 mi
State: CA
Concrete

Upper Silver Creek Trail

0.9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Yerba Buena Creek Trail

0.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview  The two sections of the Alameda Creek Regional Trails run for roughly 12 miles each between Niles Canyon in Fremont and San Francisco Bay. The trails connect Bay Area neighborhoods with...
CA 22.8 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The Beach Range Road Multi-Use Trail runs parallel to State Route 1 along the Pacific Coast, offering a safe alternative for commuters in Sand City, Seaside and Marina, and for students attending...
CA 4 mi Asphalt
Just south of Half Moon Bay, the Cowell-Purisima Trail would be a worthy addition to any avid trail user’s bucket list. As part of the California Coastal Trail—a network of bicycling and hiking trails...
CA 4.1 mi Dirt, Gravel
Overview Stretching from Morgan Hill up to the southern extent of the San Francisco Bay, the Coyote Creek Trail is one of the longest trails in San Jose. The 26.9 miles of trail exist in three main...
CA 26.9 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Overview The Crystal Springs Regional Trail offers tranquil views of two long, narrow reservoirs and a lake that sits atop the San Andreas Rift Zone, a geologic fault that shook violently in the...
CA 15.3 mi Asphalt, Dirt
Overview Visitors to the Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail, which traces a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, will get a front-row seat to the sight of waves crashing onto the beach, whales migrating...
CA 7.22 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt
Overview Running north–south though San Francisco’s East Bay region, the popular Iron Horse Regional Trail—whose very name conjures its important railroad history—follows the old Southern Pacific...
CA 32 mi Asphalt
Overview It is difficult to travel through suburban Santa Clara County for more than a few minutes without noticing an abundance of cyclists and runners in the area. When walking around downtown...
CA 11.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel
The Matadero Creek Trail, also known as the Page Mill-Arastradero Connector, offers beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains as it winds its way through gently rolling hills...
CA 1.5 mi Asphalt, Dirt
Overview Winding along the Pacific coast, the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and a great way to tour Monterey and adjacent communities while...
CA 19 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Ohlone Loop Trail offers a birder's paradise in a wetland area of Watsonville on California's central coast. Its location, bordering a residential area, provides easy access for residents to...
CA 3 mi Concrete
The Sabercat Creek Trail can be found along its tree-lined namesake waterway in the Mission San Jose community of Fremont, a coastal California city off the San Francisco Bay. The 2-mile paved pathway...
CA 2 mi Asphalt
Overview The San Francisco Bay Trail is a colossal effort to create a 500-mile multiuse trail encircling its namesake bay. Along its course, the trail links 47 cities through 9 counties, providing...
CA 328 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Overview The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail offers a paved route for 5.45 miles through Santa Clara along its namesake waterway.  About the Route While a majority of the trail travels alongside...
CA 5.45 mi Asphalt
The Southern Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way passes through residential neighborhoods on the west side of Pacific Grove, providing a nice walking and biking spot for residents and visiting tourists to...
CA 1.9 mi Dirt, Woodchips
Overview The Stevens Creek Trail is a 6.7-mile open in two disconnected segments in Mountain View and Cupertino, two of Silicon Valley's growing communities. As its name suggests, both segments...
CA 6.7 mi Asphalt
The Sweeney Ridge Trail is one trail of many in beautiful Sweeney Ridge, a prime bicycling and hiking area in San Mateo County. Inaccessible by automobile, the trail must be reached by any of its...
CA 2.17 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Watsonville Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway through a residential area of the city. It's part of a system of trails in a wetland area abundant with birds; you might see ducks,...
CA 2.8 mi Concrete, Gravel
Overview Located on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area, the 17.2-mile Arroyo Mocho Trail is a tale of two trails. About the Route From its western end at the Centennial Trail in...
CA 17.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel
The Bol Park Path is a charmer that threads through a peaceful Palo Alto neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco. At its heart is Bol Park, a strip of playground and lawn laid alongside...
CA 1.25 mi Asphalt
Accordion
The Evergreen Creek Trail follows its namesake creek between San Felipe Road and Yerba Buena Road. To the north of the gravel trail is suburbia (with a row of trees separating the trail from the...
CA 1.2 mi Gravel
Overview The 12.7-mile Guadalupe River Trail is the spine of San Jose's growing trail network, running north-south through much of the city. Portions of the trail run along both banks of the...
CA 12.7 mi Asphalt
Joe's Trail at Saratoga de Anza parallels the south side of the active Union Pacific Railroad tracks that travel through a residential area of Saratoga, a California community just south of the San...
CA 1.4 mi Crushed Stone
The Penitencia Creek Trail follows its namesake creek through a suburban greenbelt in northeast San José. On the northeastern end, the trail passes by a series of percolation ponds, and you can take a...
CA 2.8 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The Permanente Creek Trail offers a linear route through the suburban city of Mountain View, beginning at Shoreline At Mountain View and heading south to Rock Street. The paved pathway includes safe...
CA 1.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Saratoga Creek Trail follows the winding course of the creek between just south of I-280 (Junipero Serra Freeway) and Saratoga Creek Park. The trail parallels the Lawrence Expressway/County Route G2...
CA 1.5 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The West Cliff Drive Bicycle Path is just over 3 miles long, but, with its gorgeous backdrop of ocean waves and dramatic cliffs, you'll wish it was longer. The fairly flat, paved trail winds its way...
CA 3.4 mi Asphalt
The Calero Creek Trail runs between Singer Park and Santa Teresa County Park. The trail is paved between Los Alamitos Creek and Harry Road (0.7 mile) and has a gravel surface between Harry Road and...
CA 1.9 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Highway 237 Bikeway parallels State Route 237 between McCarthy Boulevard in Milpitas and Calabazas Creek in Sunnyvale. The trail consists of two main segments: the first is between McCarthy...
CA 5 mi Asphalt
The Highway 87 Bikeway follows State Route 87 between Willow Street in the north and Santa Teresa Boulevard at W. Valley Freeway (SR 85) in the south. Basically, the trail forms the missing link...
CA 4.1 mi Asphalt
The Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail is a paved multiuse rail-trail, and it will eventually run 32 miles along California's Santa Cruz County coastline, from Davenport to Watsonville. Following the...
CA 2.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Metal
The Santa Cruz Riverwalk Trail follows both sides of the river through downtown Santa Cruz, a California beach town on the shores of Monterey Bay. Multiple pedestrian bridges allow easy access to the...
CA 3.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Upper Struve Slough Trail is part of a network of trails running through Watsonville's wetlands, offering a natural, outdoor experience and birding hotspot right in the heart of an urban area. The...
CA 2.5 mi Asphalt
The Three Creeks Trail will one day span 3 miles through San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood. In 2018, the western leg of the trail opened, stretching nearly a mile from Coe Avenue to just south of...
CA 0.9 mi Asphalt
As its name suggests, the Alamo Canal Trail can be found adjacent to the man-made waterway located in Dublin, in the Tri-Valley region of the Bay Area. Though short, this trail makes useful...
CA 0.9 mi Asphalt
The Albertson Parkway is located in South San Jose, just steps away from the sprawling Santa Teresa County Park, which features preserved land and unpaved trails in the rolling Santa Teresa Hills. The...
CA 0.5 mi Asphalt
Nestled between Alum Rock Canyon and the Mt. Diablo foothills, Alum Rock Park west of San Jose is California's oldest city park. From the early to mid-1900s it was a popular resort and spa, complete...
CA 2.4 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Baine Avenue Trail is a short rail-with-trail along an active Union Pacific Railroad corridor in the heart of Newark. The unpaved trail is most useful as a neighborhood connector or short...
CA 0.75 mi Dirt, Gravel
The Barberry Walkway runs parallel to Barberry Lane between Corda Drive near Meadowfair Park and Dina Lane. There are plans to extend the walkway along the outskirts of the park to Quimby Road.
CA 0.5 mi Concrete
The Centennial Trail is located in the Tri-Valley city of Pleasanton, about 25 miles east of Oakland. This urban trail offers a 7.8 roundtrip on a combination of paved and unpaved track. The trail...
CA 3.9 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The Embarcadero Bike Path is an important connector between the local commuter rail, schools, and a commercial area on Palo Alto's west side and the outskirts of Stanford University. The paved...
CA 0.9 mi Asphalt
The Great Meadow Bike Path provides an important 1.5-mile transportation route from the main entrance of the University of California at Santa Cruz to the busy campus core. The trail is surrounded by...
CA 1.5 mi Asphalt
The short but scenic Hetch Hetchy Trail is a worthwhile excursion for Silicon Valley Locals. At its western endpoint, the trail connects to the Stevens Creek Trail, a 6-mile trail that winds along the...
CA 0.6 mi Asphalt
The Isabel Avenue Trail runs north-south on the western boundary of Livermore in the eastern San Francisco Bay area's Tri-Valley region. As its name suggests, the path primarily serves neighborhoods...
CA 3.2 mi Asphalt
This extremely scenic rail-trail is located in the majestic Forest of Nisene Marks State Park near Aptos, California. The park was the site of major logging operations by the Loma Prieta Lumber...
CA 5.5 mi Dirt
The Los Alamitos Creek Trail runs along its namesake creek between McKean Road and Almaden Lake Park, where the trail is also known as the Lake Almaden Trail. From its southern endpoint to Camden...
CA 5.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Lower Silver Creek Trail runs in a nearly straight line between Ocala Avenue and Dobern Avenue (Abed Court). Between Foxdale Drive and Logsden Way there's a short (about 0.25 mile) on-street...
CA 1.05 mi Concrete
The Montgomery Hill Trail is a short dirt trail traversing Montgomery Hill Park, an undeveloped green space in San Jose. The trail offers nice views of the surrounding area and links Yerba Buena Creek...
CA 0.4 mi Dirt, Grass
Naomi Patridge Trail is a 2 mile coastal trail paralleling Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay, California. The trail was named for a longtime San Mateo Councilwoman, prominent volunteer and lifelong Half Moon...
CA 2 mi Asphalt
The 1940-Acre Palo Alto Baylands Preserve is one of the large preserved marshlands of the San Francisco Bay, and is often considered one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast. Not only is...
CA 10.7 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area provides users with a wide variety of recreational activities. In addition to its several miles of biking, walking and equestrian paths, the park also...
CA 5.38 mi Crushed Stone
Silver Creek Valley Trail follows its namesake creek and paralleling Silver Creek Valley Road. The passes through a country club neighborhood and through open space over a steep hill. The trail offers...
CA 4 mi Asphalt
The Stanford Perimeter Trail is a multiuse path ideal for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The construction of the trail was paid for by Stanford University, and it is used by both campus residents and...
CA 3.4 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
The Umbarger Road Parkway parallels its namesake road for just over 0.5 mile between Plumas Drive and Tuers Road in a narrow strip of greenspace surrounded by suburbia. The similar Barberry Walkway is...
CA 0.6 mi Concrete
The Upper Silver Creek Trail courses through Silver Creek Linear Park, offering a nice play area and picnicking at the southern end and tennis courts and a basketball court at the northern end....
CA 0.9 mi Asphalt
The Watsonville Rail Trail is Segment 18 of the Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail, a planned 32-mile rail-trail network that parallels the entire coastline of the Santa Cruz County.  Running along a...
CA 1.2 mi Asphalt
The Yerba Buena Creek Trail follows its namesake creek through Evergreen Park behind the community center, paralleling Yerba Buena Road and Park Estates Way.
CA 0.7 mi Asphalt, Gravel

Recent Trail Reviews

Coyote Creek Trail

Hot Day on Coyote Creek Trail, Morgan Hill, CA

September, 2024 by cmartindunlop

I did this ride on Sunday afternoon, September 8, 2924, in 102 degrees. No joke. Must explain why it wasn’t very busy. I started at Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill and went to Tully Road, just past the golf course south of downtown San Jose, and then turned around and returned to the park—40 miles, 1,190 feet elevation gain. Well maintained, all paved, relatively flat, and interesting trail with SO many squirrels and chipmunks dashing across the trail. Probably just playing with the bikers. Saw a flock of young turkeys on the trail. A hawk zipped close by me and tried to grab a rodent (missed). Lots of waterfowl in the ponds along the way. Vegetation became greener the further north I went from Morgan Hill, and more water in Coyote Creek. Saw coyote scat on the trail but no animals (too hot for them). There are several homeless campsites near the golf course, and even a rooster and cats and dogs. Overall, a great trail to see the arid landscape of the Santa Clara Valley (I live in the Pacific Northwest). Will plan to do it again in the springtime when it’s greener and not so hot, when I visit relatives again.

Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail

Well paved, courteous trail goers. We ended at Bridges Park, visited Monarch exhibit. Safe walk but not relaxing had to cross 5-7 busy streets along the way.

June, 2024 by bcolbertrn

Well paved, courteous trail goers. We ended at Bridges Park, visited Monarch exhibit. Safe walk but not relaxing had to cross 5-7 busy streets along the way.

Three Creeks Trail (CA)

Unfortunately not worth the risk

May, 2024 by andreaisais

Very short, one mile walking both ways. Too many homeless trash piles. Parking was questionable since it housed homeless vehicles and I had to hurry my child pass the van with drug smoke pouring out. The drive down Willow Street was lovely along the way to this location, we should have just parked there and walked along the tree lined streets instead. Very unfortunate.

Accordion

Beach Range Road Multi-Use Trail

Great trail with a view

April, 2024 by maganadeisy

The trail is great for bikes, runners, and dogs on a leash. The ocean views are amazing, and the freshness of it is nice while running.

Alameda Creek Regional Trails

A Trail Crosses the Shoreline, Creek, and Ponds with Seasonal Animals!

March, 2024 by jeerhsu

Alameda Creek Trail is one of my favorite trails which is long and mostly flat, crossing Alameda Creek, a couple of ponds, and the beautiful shoreline. If that's not enough, this trail connects to Coyote Hill, Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, and crosses the Dumbarton Bridge to Palo Alto side. You can also meet many different animals in different seasons, and hope you will enjoy the experience!

Permanente Creek Trail

Nice access to San Francisco Bay Trail

August, 2023 by cjmeyerson

Permanente Creek Trail provides good access to the San Francisco Bay Trail from many points in Mountain View.

Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail

Pacific coast trail

August, 2023 by fb4rxhddjg

Easy flat trail highly recommend and beautiful.

Coyote Creek Trail

trail nice, but people make it feel unsafe

July, 2023 by vdreyer612

Trail is nice and well maintained but in the broad daylight, kind of shady with a considerable presence of homeless people by the Tully trailhead. Even carrying pepper spray, as a smaller young woman I felt kind of unsafe and was approached. The northern part of the trail (passes by a bunch of Amazon warehouses) does not have this issue but the stretch is much shorter. Would not come back here alone, or maybe at all. It’s a shame,because the trail itself is great, mostly flat, and scenic. Too Bad s

Coyote Creek Trail

Nicer / less traffic the further south you get

September, 2022 by milocat125

I've mostly ridden the section between Hellyer Park and the Coyote Creek visitor center / Malaguerra Ave (great free parking). A superb ride with far less traffic than the Los Gatos trail. A couple of weeks ago I parked at the Tully Rd lot and took it south. I was a little creeped out about leaving my truck there and the number of homeless encampments from Tully south about a mile. I won't do that again. Another good parking place is the free dirt lot "Coyote Creek Trail Parking at Metcalf" on google maps.

Coyote Creek Trail

Great Ride! Love the distance of this Trail

May, 2022 by lewis.jason10

Riders and walkers be on ALERT!!!! Encountered two rattlesnakes on the trail but love all 44 miles of the trail. Great trail to disconnect from the urban concrete streets of San Jose. Oh yeah, nature at its BEST!!

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

Great trail. Start at Marina State Beach

May, 2022 by eandl231-trailink

We didn't like the thought of leaving our car at the Castroville end loaded with stuff for a weekend trip, so we drove a short ways to Marina State Beach and started there. It's a short ride on not-too-busy streets to meet up with the trail just north of the Fort Ord section.
Loved the wide, uncrowded Fort Ord area and enjoyed the ocean views in the Sand City area, though some of that sand on the trail was pretty thick. The trail gets fairly crowded as you get into Monterey so we only took it as far as the wharf, about 10 miles from Marina Beach.
A beautiful ride, on our list of places to go again.

Alameda Creek Regional Trails

Nice 20 mile ride

April, 2022 by seansheridans

Cool sights in wildlife. People here are snotty techies¿. No one says hello back. But ride is nice out to the bay

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Accordion

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