Palo Alto Baylands

Location

Palo Alto Baylands is immediately North of Byxbee Park, at the East end of Embarcadero in Palo Alto. To get there, take Embarcadero East from Hwy 101, then turn left to enter the park, when Embarcadero ends (to the left is also the airport). You can park at any number of parking lots in the park, next to many of the park features, including the duck pond and boat / windsurf launch. I recommend parking at the first lot on the right.

Attractions:

A former salt-water swimming pool has been converted to a duck pond.
There is a fenced off bird sanctuary in the park, where you can see many Bay and Marine birds.
Find whole classes of painters artfully conveying landscapes, when you visit.
Well maintained, crushed oyster trails connect to Byxbee Park (to the South).
This is a bird watching haven.
The area includes marshlands, grasses, and open water.
Watch a windsurfer navigate the narrow channels near the boat launch.
Check out the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center, with a lot of animals and birds (dead and alive) on display.
Trek several hundred feet into the bay, along the pier behind the interpretive center.
Watch airplanes come in to land at the Palo Alto Airport.
Keep an eye out for mice and rabbits - when we last visited, we saw 17 jackrabbits!
Dogs are allowed on leash.
There are picnic tables and barbeques in the park, especially next to the ranger station, NE of the Duck Pond.
Nature walks and programs are offered throughout the year, on weekends.
The fine gravel pit at the Boat Launch parking lot is perfect for sandbox-type play!

Limitations:

Please do not feed the birds or touch them; feeding has resulted in a population boom and dirty living conditions. Sick birds can spread disease.
Beware of poison oak and ticks in this area.

Season:

Open year round, 8 am to sunset. Lucy Evans Interpretive Center is closed Mondays, and open 2-5 on weekdays and 1-5 on weekends, except Tuesday and Wednesday during the school year, when it opens early at 10 am.

Fees:

None.

Maps & More Information:

Map of Baylands Parks: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/things_do/baylands.php
Stanford's Map of the Area: http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/PondMaps/PA.html
There is an abundance of websites with images of the park's fauna, including tons of birds. Try a web search using "Palo Alto Baylands Park" to view some, if you're interested.

Handicapped Access:

The trails are well maintained, but narrow and sometimes a little rutted. A road runs through the park that has bike lanes, and can be used instead of some of the trails connecting features of the park (just use caution and watch for traffic).

Recommended routes:

From Byxbee to Duck Pond, Boat Ramp, and Lucy Evans Center & Pier:
From Byxbee Park (turn right at the end of Embarcadero, to get to this lot; see Byxbee Page (www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/Byxbee/Byxbee.html) for more information) hike North along the white, crushed oyster shell path. Alternatively, this hike can commence from the first parking lot on the right, in Baylands Park, to reduce the hike length by about 1 mile. When the trail reaches the road, cross it to reach the Duck Pond, then circle the pond for a 0.7 mile loop. Continue past the Ranger Station, just NE of the pond, and cross the road to resume on a white oyster shell path. Follow the path as it parallels the road, turning right towards the Boat Launch. Check out the Boat Launch and circle the parking lot, heading back the way you came, but crossing the road to enter the wide packed dirt road to the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center. Check out the Center, then circle around to its rear, to venture down the pier for 0.2 miles. Return the way you came, following the white oyster shell trail back to the parking lot. Total distance is about 3.2 miles .

San Francisquito Creek Trail:
From the first parking lot on the right, hike along the white oyster shell path that runs parallel to the road (you will have to navigate the road or cross it, when you reach the abandoned building that will soon be renovated). Turn left towards the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center, and continue on this packed dirt path until you reach the creek. Follow the path as it turns left and parallels the creek, then turns left and becomes paved, along the edge of the golf course, towards the Baylands Athletic Center. Follow the trail along Geng Road to Embarcadero Road, then follow the wide sidewalk back to your parking lot (you'll have to switch to the right side of the road, near the golf course entrance), turning left at the end of Embarcadero. Total distance is about 3.7 miles.