The best part about this place is it’s the least crowded of all the Bay Area preserves I’ve been to. I saw two bikers in the entire preserve. There are some good views as well. On the other hand, there are not a lot of developed trails, and it is the most difficult to get to of the Bay Area preserves I’ve visited. It’s a 3 mile drive up a one-lane road, which is a little scarier driving on than your average winding road in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There’s also room for only three cars at the top, so I wouldn’t recommend going during the middle of the day on a weekend because it would not be fun to make that drive up only to have nowhere to park. I knew it’d be difficult to get to with uncertain parking at the end, so I only visited this place after I’d been to most of the other preserves. I don’t think you see anything special here that you can’t see at one of the more accessible preserves, so I would only recommend this place if you’re trying to make it to every preserve in the area.
Wes M.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
While Rancho San Antonio is easily the best-known MROSD preserve, El Sereno is certainly a contender for the least-known. First, you have to know how to find this place; I didn’t see a single sign. From the 17 it’s 3 miles up the steep and narrow Montevina Road(and PS: who lives up here? Cuz damn). At the end, you won’t find any constellation of parking lots, just a rough dirt pullout with space for 3 – 4 cars. Not counting a few random spurs, you have your choice of a whopping 1 trail, which is actually a dirt road. And aside from one all-too-brief stretch, there’s not a sliver of shade to be found. So, why hike it? Because it’s there, of course! Oh yeah, and the phenomenal views stretching from the city and Mt Tam to Monterey, with a commanding view of the entire South Bay as well. Some say this trail is best in the spring when there’s wildflowers, but then, so are most Bay Area trails, and there are only so many spring weekends to go around. Personally I recommend a clear, cold winter’s day instead, when smog is at a minimum and the ever-present sun is actually welcome. So, El Sereno is certainly underappreciated, but then, it’s a little underdeveloped too. How about adding a foot trail somewhere, maybe as a loop, or a way to get down to Villa Montalvo or the 17?
