Uvas Canyon and Other Best Hiking near San Francisco

There is a lot of great hiking near San Francisco, California. Uvas Canyon offers you one of the best hikes in Bay Area for many reasons.

Uvas Canyon is easy to get to: it is located not too far from HW 101 in Morgan Hill. Uvas canyon has one of the most beautiful hiking near San Francisco because of its Waterfall Loop – 1 mile hiking trail along Swanson Creek that features over half a dozen waterfalls. They may not be as spectacular as the ones in Yosemite National Park, for instance, but they are still pretty cool.

In addition to the waterfalls you can see a lot of whimsical trees in Uvas Canyon, which kids will absolutely love, guaranteed.

If you come in winter or early spring you will also see a lot of greenery here: mosses, lichens, tiny grasses. All that is addition to the interesting tree specimens give Uvas Canyon almost a fairy tale feel. It looks like a place where one would go search for leprechauns. 🙂

Waterfall Loop hiking trail has a bit of an incline going one way but it is not steep and easily doable even for small kids.

Overall Uvas Canyon has about 7 miles of hiking trails. If you walk downstream along Swanson Creek, in the opposite direction from the popular Waterfall Loop, there will be pretty much no people but the scenery will still be nice.

Important tips for hiking in Uvas Canyon

1. Uvas Canyon does offer the best hiking near San Francisco but it is a little bit finicky. The waterfalls only show up in winter and early spring after good rains. However, if there is too much rain, Swanson Creek will flood and the park will be closed to visitors, sometimes for weeks. So the weather needs to be just right for you to be able to enjoy hiking in Uvas Canoyn.
2. Even with no flooding, there are a couple of places along the Waterfall Loop trail in Uvas Canyon where you can potentially get your feet wet because you will have to cross the Creek. So think about appropriate hiking boots before you go.
3. Uvas Canyon is very popular in winter and spring, as you can imagine, so you cannot just arrive there any time you want. You need to purchase your timed parking pass in advance from the Park’s website (the same as in Muir Woods), which typically sells out for the weekends several days before the date.
4. Uvas Canyon County Park also has a picnic ground where you can rest and have a picnic after a couple of hours of hiking.
5. Parking fee here is just $6 per vehicle so this day trips squarely fits into “Adventures under $10” category.

Other great hikes in San Francisco Bay Area that you definitely need to check out

Angel Island – unique hiking environment with phenomenal scenic views.

Coyote Hills Regional Park – hiking in two distinct ecosystems, butterfly garden and local natural history museum.

Edgewood Park and Nature Reserve – beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and abundance of wildflowers.

Town of Pacifica – gorgeous ocean bluffs hiking.

Natural Bridges State Park – winter time cool hike to see monarch butterflies and ocean vistas.

For information on other interesting hikes in Bay area specifically within the boundaries of the city of San Francisco check out San Francisco urban hikes. If you are an avid hiker you may also find this information about great U.S. hikes useful.

Some general tips about hiking in San Francisco Bay Area

1. Weather can be very different in Fremont compared to Edgewood compared to Pacifica and so on. Temperature difference on the Pacific Coast vs East Bay can easily be over 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Dress accordingly.
2. If you are hiking near Pacific Coast be prepared for wind, fog and even slight drizzle (from the fog)
3. During the rainy season some of the trails may become flooded and closed. Check trail closures on the chosen park’s website before going.
4. Most of the parks in San Francisco Bay Area have trails suitable for kids, you just need to find them. To simplify your quest, all hiking trails that I write about on this blog are 100% family friendly.
5. Some of the hiking trails in Bay Area go through rattle snakes and mountain lion habitats. It does not mean you have to be scared, it only means that you have to be prepared. Mountain lion is a night creature so your chances to meet one during the day are extremely low. As for rattle snakes, just be careful where you step.
6. Always be vigilant about poison oak which frames many a hiking trail in San Francisco Bay Area. General precaution rule is avoid any plant which has leaves growing in bundles of three. Or if you are not sure what plant it is just stay away from it.
7. A good binoculars is an important accessory while hiking in San Francisco Bay Area: with its help you can observe multitudes of different local birds and a couple of species of whales in the ocean.
8. To make a hike a great educational experience check out the books I recommend about specific habitats in many of my articles related to hiking.
9. Hiking success depends a lot on proper shoes – they can literally make or break your day. All our family members, kids and adults, have tried lots of hiking shoes and we eventually came to a conclusion that only two companies make  the best hiking shoes: Merrell and Keens. They are not the cheapest options on the market but they are comfortable, sturdy and protective of your foot on pretty much any terrain. Here are our favorite models:

If you found this information about Uvas Canyon and best hiking near San Francisco useful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I post many more cool photos and videos about our trips than I could include in a blog post and organize some nice giveaways!

What is your favorite place for hiking near San Francisco? – Please, let me know in comments below!