La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve
La Honda, San Mateo County, CA
- Size
- 4,042 acres Source
About La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve
One of Midpen's largest and most diverse preserves, La Honda Creek offers immersion into a historic ranchland with grazing cattle, views of the San Mateo County Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains and pockets of redwood forest. Since first opening to the public in 2017, it has become a regional destination for birding.
Facilities
- Restrooms
Facility details: official park information
Sunrise & sunset
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve hours follow the sun (Sunrise to sunset ±30 min). Mid-month times for this location:
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:22 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. |
| Feb | 6:59 a.m. | 5:47 p.m. |
| Mar | 7:21 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. |
| Apr | 6:35 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. |
| May | 6:00 a.m. | 8:09 p.m. |
| Jun | 5:47 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Jul | 5:59 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Aug | 6:24 a.m. | 8:03 p.m. |
| Sep | 6:50 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. |
| Oct | 7:15 a.m. | 6:33 p.m. |
| Nov | 6:47 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec | 7:15 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. |
Calculated from the park's coordinates (NOAA solar equations), Pacific time.
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve at a glance
- PParking · 2
- WCRestrooms · 1
- Named trails · 8
Outline: CPAD. Points and trail lines: OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
Trails
| Trail | Mapped length | Elevation | Surface & uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrington Creek Trail | 4.3 mi | 1,630 ft up & down534–1,102 ft | No bikesUnpavedHorsesBikes |
| Coho Vista Trail | 3.1 mi | 1,357 ft up & down1,541–2,194 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorsesNo dogsBikes |
| Lonely Forest Trail | 2.5 mi | 1,198 ft up & down653–1,116 ft | UnpavedBikesHorses |
| Cielo Trail | 1.5 mi | 732 ft up & down1,503–2,166 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorsesNo dogs |
| Folger Ranch Loop trail | 1.3 mi | 557 ft up & down609–933 ft | UnpavedNo bikesHorses |
| Lone Madrone Trail | 1.2 mi | 789 ft up & down918–1,541 ft | UnpavedNo bikes |
| Grasshopper Loop Trail | 1.1 mi | 198 ft up & down714–818 ft | UnpavedNo bikes |
| Western Meadowlark Trail | 1 mi | 424 ft up & down1,116–1,544 ft | Unpaved |
Trail names and mapped lengths come from OpenStreetMap; lengths count only the part inside the park boundary. Up-and-down totals (climbing plus descent, one way) and elevation ranges are estimates from USGS 3DEP elevation (about 15 m grid) sampled along the mapped line. Use the official guide map for the route and current closures.
Rules & reservations
Official park page- Dogs
Leash 6 feet or shorter; dogs are not allowed in any Midpen water areas (district rules). Source
Open a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. The Lower La Honda Creek area closes when the National Weather Service declares Red Flag Warning weather.
Map & directions
Nearby parks
Straight-line distanceContinue exploring
San Mateo County parksSources & verification
Last verified: Oct 15, 2026- California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
- Midpen preserve pageofficial_url, hours, hours_note, dogs, facilities.restrooms
- Midpen visitor FAQ (no entry or parking fees)fees
- Midpen dog access rulesdogs
- OpenStreetMap facilities and trailstrails
- U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries (nearest place)city
- OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
- Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
- Official park page (introduction excerpt)intro