Canada de Pala Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Cows graze around this trail, as a nod to the history of this land. They are monitored by a resource management plan.

Trail Start to Mt. Hamilton Rd. (3.65 miles)
Starting in the grassy meadows, Canada de Pala Trail soon enters thin woods and follows a small creek, passing Eagle Trail at the 0.6 mile mark. At the 1.0 mile mark, San Felipe Creek is crossed at the trail's low point. Emerging from the woods, the trail begins a serious climb for the next 2.65 miles all the way to Mt. Hamilton Road. Hotel Trail is passed at the 1.8 mile mark. Looking out over the grass and wooded hills, the views get better and better as the trail climbs.

Mt. Hamilton Rd. to Trail End (5.45 miles)
Hiking north from Mt. Hamilton Road, Canada de Pala Trail immediately climbs to a high grassy ridge top. As it climbs nearby views of Mt. Hamilton and Lick Observatory appear to the right/northeast. Additionally, a broad panorma of the Bay Area emerges in the distance - metropolitan Bay Area, blue Santa Cruz Mountains, and far away the Monterey Peninsula. The trail follows this ridge top with a few gentle ups and downs, for the next 2.5 miles. Along the way a few trails are passed on the left - Yerba Buena Trail (4.1 mile mark), Los Huecos Trail (5.6 mile mark), and Halls Valley Trail (6.0 mile mark). At the 6.5 mile mark, Canada de Pala Trail passes Pala Seca Trail on the left. Pala Seca Trail continues on the ridge top. Going right here to continue on Canada de Pala Trail, Canada de Pala Trail descends a short ways into a broad creek valley at the base of the ridge, and follows this creek valley downstream, passing Washburn Trail at the 7.1 mile mark. Canada de Pala Trail is on the left/west side of this valley, with a gentle brushy hillside rising to the left, and the broad, wet valley to the right. Canada De Pala Trail leaves the creek behind at about the 8.0 mile mark, veers right, and winds its way up the ridge to end at a trail junction with Pala Seca Trail and Antler Point Trail.

Grass hills that are green in the spring, golden in summer and fall. Stands of oak trees and wooded sections. Cows, deer.