Shoreline Park

Location

All recommended hikes start and finish at the lake parking lot, as it has the most amenities and is easiest to find.
To get there, take the Shoreline exit from Hwy 101 or Hwy 85 and drive East (to the bay). Shoreline road passes right into the park and ends at the lake.

Attractions:

Kite Flying Field
Lakehouse with cafe, boat rentals, play area, benches, bathrooms, and boating lessons in the summer (great kids programs!)
Historical Rengstorff House
Local attractions include Golf Course and Shoreline Amphitheatre
Most paths are paved and two-laned. Great place for rollerblading, biking, and running.
There are dozens of paths, and some areas (like the lake) have ample short paths that are easily linked up for a customizable workout on the spot.
Paths lead directly to the Stevens Creek Trail (see www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/StevensCreekTrail/StevensCreekTrail.html), from the South and West, as well as to Byxbee Park in Palo Alto (see www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/Byxbee/Byxbee.html), from North, so you could really make the hike long!
Wildlife includes ducks, geese (which nest in the grass along the South trails), other birds, dragonflies, other aquatic insects, squirrels, skunks, and rabbits.
Bicycles allowed - this is a great place to learn to ride a bike!
When you're done with your hike, have a drink at the lake cafe or have a picnic at one of the many benches in the area.

Limitations:

No Dogs Allowed (except at the dog park at the right just as you enter the park).
No smoking
Stay on the trails to avoid ticks and poison oak!
This area gets BUSY in good weather, on the weekends. Try to visit during the weekdays.
On still days, the bay can get STINKY, particularly along the South trails.

Season:

Year round, 8am to sunset

Fees:

None.

Maps & More Information:

Trails are not marked with names, and there are very few maps posted, though trail is very clear, so maps would only be useful on really long hikes.
City of Mountain View Website; information about the park: http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/city_hall/comm_services/shoreline_regional_wildlife_area/default.asp
City of Mountain View Website Map of Park: http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2954

Handicapped Access:

There are handicapped parking spots and bathrooms at the lake. Parking for handicapped also occurs at other regions of the park. All trails seem suitable for wheelchairs except for a very small hill where Stevens Creek Trails meet Shoreline Trails. This hill is very clearly marked with a cautionary sign.

Recommended routes:

Shoreline Lake Loop:
From the parking lot at the lake, walk East, along the path that is closest to the lake. This path becomes a fine gravel path (if your child doesn't like the mild bumps, turn East (right) to bypass this part of the trail). When the gravel path ends, head East and slightly uphill to the paved Bay Trail, which turns South. Follow the Bay Trail until it turns at Permanente Creek, forcing you West and back towards the parking lot. This trail has three earlier Westerly spans that send you back to the lake / parking lot, so the hike can be adjusted as it suits you. I recommend repeating the loop three times. Each loop is about 1.2 miles.

Bayfront Trails to Stevens Creek Trail
From the parking lot at the lake, walk South to cross the Permanente Creek via the footbridge. Continue along the trail Southeast as it goes around the edge of a small pond and comes to border a large salt evaporation pond. This Bay Trail will dip abruptly (there is a cautionary sign here) and turn West as it approaches Stevens Creek Trail and Crittenden Marsh to the Southwest. At the junction with Stevens Creek Trail, there are benches, a trash can, and a water fountain. Turn back the way you came. About 3 miles.

Around Golf Course Loop
From the parking lot at the lake, walk the Bayfront Trails to Stevens Creek Trail, as described above. Just past Critteden Marsh's water fountain, walk West and North to get to North Road. The road skirts the edge of the park, passing the Dog Park and Golf Course, both on the right. This trail continues North until the Northern edge of the park, when it turns East and heads to the Northern edge of the lake. Follow the path as it leads between the lake and a Northern pond, then turn right along the Bay Trail, to finish the hike along the Salt Evaporation Pond. The trail turns inland along Permanente Creek, and ends in the lake parking lot. About 4.25 miles.