Stanford Dish — Attraction in Palo Alto

I love going here...most of the time. When there's a lot of people at The Dish, I hate it. It's not like I hate people, I just hate when people are there. I didn't like it when there was a lot of people there pre-pandemic. So you can imagine how I feel about this place when it's crowded during a pandemic. I'd like to think that this pandemic will help me value going to crowded places so much more when it's over, but I have a feeling that even post-pandemic I'm not going to enjoy going to The Dish when it's packed. It's nothing personal against the people there. I'm sure majority of them are good people just going about their day. There are probably a few of them that feel the same way I do about The Dish when it's crowded. We probably have a lot more in common than I think. We could even be friends if we met in an un-crowded setting. Anyways, when it's not crowded, I always have 5 star experiences...

I have been running this trail for 20 years and I love it. For Runners or Walkers: NOTE there are multiple entrances. The one near page mill road is roughly 3.2 miles. The entrance near Alpine Rd and 280 is 5.3 miles. This is a beautiful hike with a lot of incline, so you’ll definitely get a workout here. This area is famous. A couple of tips for you as you plan:

Leave nothing in your car. It will be broken into if you do. -Bring a hat or sunscreen. There is no cover or shade! -Bring comfortable shoes. If you have knee problems, this can be challenging. -Bring water, they have people who get rescued here a lot for dehydration. -Use the bathroom before. No bathrooms except for a portable one on the page mill entrance -Stay in the trail and respect the nature. Keep this place beautiful.

And most importantly, enjoy! This place is beautiful and an important...

Great views of the Bay and the hills!

It's a short 3.5 mile loop of rolling hills, with the the hardest part at the very beginning which starts off your workout just right. I love coming here early on the weekend and depending on your mood, you can turn the workout into a hardcore training course for a 5K, or a leisurely stroll with a friend.

Even when the sun is out, which is when the views are most beautiful, you get the breeze which cools you down during your run.

The Dish is a popular spot and you'll see families with their young kids walking here, as well as Stanford college students. Parking can be tight, and you definitely have to pay attention to the rules or you'll get ticketed!

My only con about this trail is that the ground is made out of asphalt, and not dirt...