Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

Monte Bello means beautiful mountain in Italian. The name fits. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, describes rolling grasslands, dense creekside forest and long views across 3,436 acres. The preserve covers the upper watershed of Stevens Creek from Monte Bello Ridge to Skyline Ridge. Midpen calls it one of its richest in wildlife and ecosystem diversity.

For Palo Alto it is also the backdrop. Monte Bello Ridge and Black Mountain form the dark skyline behind Los Altos and Cupertino. Midpen notes that early settlers named one of their towns Mountain View because of its view of Black Mountain. This guide covers the main trails, the backpack camp and the rules. It pairs with our Los Trancos guide for the small preserve across the road.

Getting there and parking

From Palo Alto, take Page Mill Road west past Interstate 280 and up into the hills. Midpen puts the main entrance 7 miles west of Interstate 280 and 1.5 miles east of Skyline Boulevard. Its camping page gives the lot's address as 4301 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto. The drive takes roughly 25 to 30 minutes from downtown on a narrow, winding road with no transit.

Midpen does not publish a fill time for Monte Bello, but it is the main trailhead for Black Mountain and the camp, so arrive early on sunny weekends. Overnight parking is allowed only for camp permit holders.

The main trails

Stevens Creek Nature Trail

This is the best introduction to the preserve. Midpen describes a self-guided 3-mile loop that takes about three hours at a leisurely pace. The first segment, from the parking area to a vista point, is an easy-access path with an average grade of 5 percent. At the top a bench looks down Stevens Creek Canyon toward Mount Umunhum and Loma Prieta, the epicenter of the 1989 earthquake. The rest of the trail drops 450 feet into the headwaters of Stevens Creek, follows the water and returns along the San Andreas Fault. Midpen has installed new interpretive signs on ecology and the fault along the route.

Canyon Trail

Midpen calls the Canyon Trail the spine of the preserve's trail system. It is an old road that descends 400 feet from Page Mill Road through cool forest into Stevens Creek Canyon, with several trails branching up to the ridges. It is popular with cyclists, so expect to share it.

Black Mountain

The summit of Black Mountain stands at about 2,800 feet. Midpen says it offers views across the Santa Clara Valley to the Mount Hamilton range. On clear days campers watch sunsets or fog rolling in from the coast. From the Monte Bello lot, the route climbs toward the backpack camp, 1.5 miles away with 500 feet of gain, before the final stretch to the top. Many hikers reach the same summit from below on the long climb from Rancho San Antonio; our Rancho San Antonio trail guide covers that route. Download Midpen's map before you go.

Waterwheel Creek

Midpen notes that the Waterwheel Creek Trail follows an old ranch road where you can still see remnants of orchards and vineyards. It is a quieter way into the southern part of the preserve.

Black Mountain Backpack Camp

Midpen calls it the only place on its lands where visitors can sleep under the stars. The camp is a 1.5-mile hike from the Monte Bello Parking Area with a 500-foot climb. These are the rules Midpen publishes on its camping page:

• Sites: four single sites for up to four people each and one group site for up to 24, with a maximum of 40 people in the whole camp.
• Permits and fees: a permit is required. The fee is $2 per camper per night, paid through an emailed invoice once space is confirmed. Stays are one or two nights.
• Booking: check the online campsite calendar first, then submit the form. Permits are first come, first served and Midpen suggests applying at least a week ahead. An open date on the calendar does not guarantee a site.
• Timing: arrive after 2 p.m. and before sunset. Leave by noon.
• After hours: permit campers may walk, not bike, to the knoll west of camp and to the Black Mountain summit between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
• Parking: overnight parking only in the main Monte Bello lot, with the permit on the dashboard.
• Water and toilets: chemical toilets and washing water are provided. The water is not potable, so bring a filter, carry drinking water or boil it.
• Fire: no campfires or charcoal. Gas stoves only in designated areas. No stoves at all during a Red Flag Warning.
• Food: store it in the lockers at each site, since wildlife is common.
• Also prohibited: dogs, radios or loud activities and weapons. Campers under 18 must be with a parent or guardian or in a supervised group.

Pack out all trash. There are no cans at the camp.

Rules for dogs, bikes and horses

• Dogs: not allowed in the preserve. Service dogs are accommodated.
• Bikes: designated trails only, marked on the map. Helmets are required and the speed limit is 15 mph, or 5 mph when passing. E-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails. Announce yourself when passing hikers and riders. Our biking guide covers rides closer to town.
• Horses: designated trails only. Helmets are recommended.
• Seasonal closures: Midpen's map marks some trail sections that close seasonally to bicyclists and equestrians. Check it before you ride.
• Other rules: no drones or model aircraft, no fires or smoking, no swimming or wading and no weapons.

Seasons and events

Winter brings green grass, running creeks and muddy trails. Spring fills the meadows with wildflowers. Summer is hot and dry on the open ridges while the canyon stays cooler. Fall gives the clearest views and the year's most dramatic fog. Midpen quotes a former ranch caretaker who could see the Crystal Range above Lake Tahoe a few times a year.

Midpen's fall and winter calendar for Monte Bello includes a Waterwheel downhill ride on November 1, 2026, a Full Moon on Black Mountain walk on November 24, a ferns and ancient plants walk on November 28 and a Super Full Moon on Black Mountain walk on January 22, 2027. Fire is a real concern in late summer and fall. Midpen has written about a fire in the preserve that crews contained quickly on an August 1 and about AI smoke-detection devices it has installed here. Our nature programs guide lists other guided outings.

Safety

Bring two quarts of water per person for every two hours, as Midpen recommends; there is no drinking water on the trails or at camp. Cell service is sporadic. Midpen's 24-hour ranger dispatch number is 650-968-4411. Call 911 in an emergency.

• Mountain lions: Midpen calls them a natural part of this region. George Morell, who owned the Black Mountain Ranch, wrote in 1959 that lions had lived on the ridge for most of the years since 1940. If you meet one, do not run. Keep children close, face the lion, stand tall and make noise, then leave and warn others.
• Ticks: present and may carry disease. Adult western blacklegged ticks are most active from November through March, according to Santa Clara County Vector Control.
• Poison oak: grows on most preserves. Learn it in all seasons, including its bare winter stems.
• Rattlesnakes: most active in warm weather.

History

Midpen's camp brochure says Spanish explorers called the ridge and its high point the Sierra Morena, the dark mountain. In the late 1800s and early 1900s several ranches covered the area, including the Black Mountain Ranch, the Stevens Creek Road Ranch and the Monte Bello Ranch. Dairy cattle grazed the ridge. Newspaper publisher George Morell owned the Black Mountain Ranch and later gave it to Stanford. In 1974 Midpen bought the 760-acre ranch property, creating Monte Bello Preserve. Downstream, the creek that starts here becomes the Stevens Creek Trail corridor in Mountain View. Our hiking guide compares Monte Bello with other big hikes near Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions