Parker Ranch Trailhead — Attraction in Cupertino

We started from Prospect Rd. No on-site parking. We parked on the street. When we start from the Prospect Rd, we have to cross two streets ( I didn't pay attention to the street name. These streets also have street parking. ). After these streets, the steps start, and they give the full view of the valley. The view was beautiful ( the city is full of trees , surrounded by mountains all around it. Because of this view, I realized why people say we are in the valley. After steps, the hike is climbing up hill. We have to be careful while coming down the hill. One wrong step can lead to rolling down the hill. On the top of the hill, there is only one tree. From there we can start climbing another hill, but we stopped there. Summer evenings are the best times to climb this hill. People with knee pains or any leg problems should not...

I was looking for a park close to Cupertino where I could get some good cardio. Memorial Park hardly meets the bill, with its completely flat paths. Parker Ranch is awesome that way. And unlike the trail near Moffet Field, built on a big garbage dump, this one is beautiful. And unless you love breathing methane I would suggest you visit this park. Initial part of the trail has steps and then it is a steep climb to the peak. The views from there are gorgeous. Please keep away from there when there are thunderstorms because there is a huge danger of lightning strikes. I did not see any lightning arrestors in the general vicinity. Something the city should think about. At a minimum they should put warning signs. Because it’s a lawsuit...

I parked at the Parker Ranch trailhead and took a well marked and flat path less than a quarter mile to a set of very steep but sturdy stairs. I would estimate there were 100 of them and after stretching, I ran up the stairs and then continue running up a very steep dirt slope to the tree you see in my photo. I made my way back down carefully and did it once more. I can tell you that the 20 minutes I spent exercising there was a complete leg and cardio workout. Be careful on the way down lest the slope leave you moving a bit too quickly. If you’re looking for a challenging workout, that does not take much time, give the Parker Ranch stairs a try. One bonus is a...