Introduction:
Where?
: Trail starts at hwy 9 just out of Old Town Saratoga at the Quarry Park on the
left side of the road (when coming from Saratoga).
What? : The Saratoga Quarry Park is nice municipal park for short hikes in the old quarry. It is also the starting point of Saratoga to Sea trail, long hike climbing the mountains.
When? :
Year round
Due
note 1: The Saratoga Quarry Park is nice for short hikes or going with kids and
having a picnic.
Due note
2: The park and the hiking trail are not for bike.
My
thoughts: I really like the fact that you start to hike low in the valley, a short
drive from home. The park is nice for short visit but not a must, the hike
itself is long and climbing the mountain ridge, excellent for outdoor running.
The
visit:
The
park has two sections, the lower part is nice small municipal park in an old Quarry cover the mountain slopes, the second part is a long trail connecting this park with Sam Trail
section and from there to Sanborn park. From here you can go up to skyline
trail and continue all the way to the ocean (currently closed due to the fires
in Big Basin Redwood State Park).
The local
Saratoga Quarry Park is nice small park with many tables along the trails so
you can have picnic break (need to carry the food with you). There is a small
pound (when visited here it was almost completely dry), and few trails that
climb the quarry hill side.
They just
open (Nov. 2020) a long 5.1 miles hiking trail that connected over the
mountains to Sam park and from there to Sanborn park trail system.
Here there
is a trail that connect skyline trail (near Castell Roc State Park). This is 8.1
miles from Saratoga Quarry park to the skyline trail (climbing 2 mountain ranges.
This trail
provides an option to start hiking near Old Saratoga (i.e. short drive) and do
a long hike up the mountain.
The hike
itself in in and out, you can go as far as you want.
The single track hike only
trail is start going up moderately for 1.4 miles up to the bridge over large
creek (second bridge), from there another 1.3 miles steeply climb the mountain
with many zig zag switchbacks.
Once you cross under the PG&E power lines you
almost reach the top of the ridge, from here the trail keeps going at the same
level until it sharply descending to Sam trail section, turn left, cross the
large bridge and reach the Sanborn road.
Cross the road, climb the trail on the other
side and reach Sanborn park at Welch-Hurst House section.
Overall
this can be a long hike, a strenuous climb in the woods and not so many other
hikers.
www:
Map:
Pictures:
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