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Family-Friendly Hikes near San Jose

The directory currently contains 38 quality-checked routes matching this guide near San Jose. Their average mapped distance is 1.6 km and average recorded ascent is 38 m (125 ft); the longest route in the set is 6.1 km.

This subset represents 21% of the 178 quality-checked routes near San Jose. Its average distance is 1.6 km, compared with 6.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 38 m (125 ft), versus 264 m (866 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has the kid-friendly field set to true. Age, experience and current terrain still need an individual assessment. Within this set, 38 routes (100%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 12 (32%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.7 km

Coast Road

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Meadow Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Easy

Long Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

Meadow Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

Engelsman Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
173 m
Typical duration
1 hr 31 min
Easy

Coast Road

California · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Coastal
Easy

Eucalyptus Loop

California · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
127 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
Easy

Old Cabin Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
47 m
Typical duration
23 min
The Dish — on the Stanford University campus, in Palo Alto, California.
Easy

Stanford Dish Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
115 m
Typical duration
1 hr 16 min
Easy

Cape Horn Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
19 min
Easy

Columbine Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
6 min
Easy

Powder Mill Fire Road

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
22 min
Easy

Powder Mill Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
30 min
Easy

Wild Boar Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
17 min
Easy

Zayante Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
13 min
Easy

Lake Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
44 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Lake
Easy

Graham Hill Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
31 min
Easy

Old Cove Landing Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
48 min
Easy

Sunlit Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
7 min
Easy

Red Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
32 min
Easy

Discovery Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
21 min
Easy

Chinquapin Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Typical duration
27 min
Easy

White's Lagoon Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
9 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Long Meadow TrailCalifornia3.6 km176 m1 hr 1 minEasyApril to October
Meadow TrailCalifornia0.8 km0 m10 minEasyApril to October
Engelsman Loop TrailCalifornia6.1 km173 m1 hr 31 minEasyApril to October
Coast RoadCalifornia0.7 km0 m9 minEasyApril to October
Eucalyptus LoopCalifornia5.4 km127 m1 hr 19 minEasyApril to October
Old Cabin TrailCalifornia1.5 km47 m23 minEasyApril to October
Stanford Dish Loop TrailCalifornia5.2 km115 m1 hr 16 minEasyApril to October
Cape Horn TrailCalifornia1.1 km53 m19 minEasyApril to October
Columbine TrailCalifornia0.4 km6 m6 minEasyApril to October
Powder Mill Fire RoadCalifornia1.5 km32 m22 minEasyApril to October

Long Meadow Trail, Meadow Trail, Engelsman Loop Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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