Baylands Park

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Location

Baylands Park runs along the Northeast corner of Sunnyvale. To get there, either:

Take Mathilda towards the bay (North) until it ends at Caribbean (a forced right turn). Follow Caribbean until it turns right. At the stop light, turn left into the park.
Take the Caribbean / Lawrence Expressway exit from Hwy 237. Head towards the bay (North) on Caribbean, turning right at the stop light at the park's entrance.
Get directions using Mapquest's Map of [925-999] E Caribbean Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, US.

Park inside the park and potentially pay a fee (see below) or park in a business complex across the street or at the baseball field next door for free.

Attractions:

Play areas for young kids.
Amphitheatre for impromptu plays or music.
Meadows for picnicing or flying airplanes or kites.
Ropes area (contact City of Sunnyvale for use details) for testing your nerve and skills.
Meticulously maintained park including flat, fine gravel or paved paths.
Huge picnic areas.
Bathrooms and water fountains.
Fully handicapped accessible facility.
The Bay Trail almost leads to the park from the North, and leads extensively South to San Jose.
Huge parking lot.
A great place to learn to ride a bike - bikes allowed on Bay Trail and Bike Path around the Southeast edge of the park.
Wildlife include squirrels, skunks, burrowing owls, rabbits, lizards, ducks, geese, and dragonflies.
Beautiful estuary and meadow areas. Estuary area has a jetty so you can stand in the thick of it all come springtime.
Interesting recycled water garden (decide for yourself what helps plants more - fresh or recycled water?).

Limitations:

No dogs allowed.
No balloons allowed.
Stay on the trails in "native" areas to avoid ticks and poison oak!

Season:

Year round, about 8 am to sunset

Fees:

$5 per car from May through October. Otherwise, free (November through April). Avoid fee by parking outside the park.

Maps & More Information:

Maps are available as you enter - ask for one at the kiosk where you pay.
Maps are posted at signposts throughout the park, but trails are very clear and the park so well manicured, that it's not likely you'll to get lost.
City of Sunnyvale Baylands Park Website
Baylands Park Trail Map
Baylands Park Facilities Map
Bay Trail Map (smaller area)
Bay Trail Map (larger area)

Handicapped Access:

The park is extremely well suited for handicapped use, with parking, bathrooms, and trails for people with handicaps.

Recommended routes:

Park Perimeter Loop Icon Legend
From the Northmost parking lot, walk down the paved trail Northeast into the park. Follow the trail as it skirts the perimeter of the park (or take alternate trails in the middle of the park, for a shorter but not less pleasurable hike). Take a break on the jetty that leads out into the wetlands. When the trail comes to the Southmost parking lot next to Owl Burrow Picnic Area, you can choose to trek a bit down Bay Trail and back (turn left) or continue your perimeter loop (turn right). Take a break at one of the picnic areas, play area, or amphitheatre / grove on your way back to returning to the starting point. Perimeter is 1 mile in length. Bay Trail can extend this (see below).

Bay Trail through park and beyond Icon Legend
The Bay Trail begins just a few hundred feet from where it ended, at the corner where Caribbean Drive turns. See the description of the Bay Trail from the SMART station trailhead for more details. Start on the sidewalk that begins at the boundary of the Baseball Field and Baylands Park, on the East side of Caribbean Drive. Take the sidewalk South just past the entrance to the park, turning into the park along the bike path that is clearly marked. Continue along the path 0.5 miles until the end of the last parking lot, when the Bay Trail officially starts. Continue along the Bay Trail as long as you like, and retrace your steps to return. Hike is at least 1 mile (depends on distance along Bay Trail). See Bay Trail for more information.