Stanford Dish

Stanford Dish is located between Highway 280 and Stanford Campus. To get there:

Take Highway 280 to the Page Mill exit, and head East on Page Mill Road. At the light with Junipero Serra / Foothill Blvd., turn left. The trailhead begins at the next light. Park on the road (turn right onto Stanford at the light).
Take Highway 280 to the Alpine Road exit, and head East on Alpine Road. Just a couple blocks after the exit ramp, turn right into the roadside parking at the junction between Alpine Rd and Piers Lane. Walk down Piers Lane over two bridges, to arrive at the trailhead, which is very clearly marked with a locking gate.

This is an almost entirely paved, hilly workout circuit. Get ready to sweat!
Wildlife includes squirrels, lizards, deer, coyotes, rabbits, garter snakes, and various birds.
Enjoy beautiful views of the bay, Stanford's campus (clocktower stands out), the Santa Cruz Mountains, and grassy meadows.
Every time I work out here, I get cheers from strangers! Go mom!
The Stanford Dish ranger (at his station at the Stanford Ave. trailhead) is the nicest, and will wish you well as you enter and exit!
Fantastic old logs along the Piers Lane trail, with their mangled roots and hollow centers.

Year round, sunrise to sunset

None.

At the Stanford Ave trailhead, there are no maps available or posted, though they are not needed. Trails form a loop and are very clear.
At the Piers Lane trailhead, there is a map posted that shows all routes in the area. A photo of it is posted at www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/StanfordDish/Map.JPG.

There are no explicit accomodations for handicapped people. The trail is smooth enough for a wheelchair, but steeply graded.

Dish Loop with Road Detour:
Begin the hike at the Stanford Ave. trailhead. Head left to tackle the steep hills first, rounding out the hike with a rolling-hill and relatively flat finish. Head right if you'd like to begin with only one steep hill, then rolling hills and flat trail, and finish with the steep hills. Do not turn at the dish to travel towards Piers Lane. Distance is about 3.6 miles.

Piers Lane to Dish Trail:
Note: There are two cattle guards across the trail that pose a risk to small-wheeled strollers - be prepared to lift the stroller over them (about 3 feet).

Begin the hike at the Piers Lane trailhead. Follow the trails over rolling hills until you reach the Dish (it is visible for most of the hike). Turn back the way you came, enjoying the downhill trek on your way back. Round trip distance is 2.2 miles from parking.
Entire Stanford Dish Trail (from Piers Lane):
Note: There are two cattle guards across the trail that pose a risk to small-wheeled strollers - be prepared to lift the stroller over them (about 3 feet).

Begin the hike at the Piers Lane trailhead. Follow the trail to the Dish, then turn right to continue along the loop. The trail will come close to the Stanford Ave trailhead, then continue Southeast, towards the Dish again. When you reach the Dish again, return along the path to the Piers Lane trailhead by turning right (West) and downhill. Total distance is about 5.7 miles.