Our weekly hiking group could not meet regularly since the rain kept coming down. Indoor activities like playing Ping-Pong, running on machines, or doing yoga still helped us keep exercising, but we missed the fresh air in the woods, wild animals in the fields, and the time to catch up with each other. After some short walks, we soon discovered that holding an umbrella while walking on the paved path in local parks including the Blackberry Farm is a great alternative. If you like climbing hills while exploring nature, an even better option is hiking on the Mora Trail, a paved hiking and biking path in Rancho San Antonio Preserve.
Blackberry Farm
Like most city parks, all the major pathways are paved for pedestrians and bicyclists in the Blackberry Farm. The Stevens Creek Trail goes through the orange grove in Blackberry Farm, connecting to the Linda Vista Trail, which has been opened to the public since August 2021. Below is a photo taken on our recent walk in the Blackberry Farm (Photo Credit: Jessica Jiang, a member of our hiking group). It’s amazing that the creek–usually dry–is now running like a fast moving river!
Mora Trail
The Mora Trail is located inside the Rancho San Antonio Preserve. It’s easily found by following the paved bike path from Parking Lot 5 or 6 to the Lower Meadow Trail. After walking 0.8 miles, you will see a large tree stump with “opening arms” to welcome you on the right, leading to the Mora Trail.
The Mora trail has a steep climb at the beginning, then a few up and down turns along the hills and passing by a water tank, before reaching a gate at the park boundary.
If the weather is clear, you can continue hiking to the Chamise Trail which is an unpaved 0.3 mi path to the west and then continue onto the Rogue Valley Trail, which is a paved path looping back to the Lower Meadow Trail. This would extend the hike to 4.7 miles, which would take about an hour and 3/4 for an average hiker.
However, if you would rather keep hiking on a paved path during or after a rainy day, you could walk down the Mora Trail and repeat climb back up several times, repeating until you reach your workout goal. This would keep your shoes “mud-free” and offer great views of the valley on the top.
These photos were taken on one of our morning hikes after a storm. We made it an adventure to catch rainbows and enjoy nature. We were greeted by happy families of woodpeckers, turkeys, and deer along the way, and we also spotted beautiful art of tree stumps that look so alive after the rain.
Do not be afraid if you encounter a coyote like this one on the hills. This one looks so skinny and tired in winter. Please keep a safe distance and walk away.
Hope you enjoy this article and will continue to walk and hike in the rainy season. Everyone needs to be prepared and geared up. May you stay safe and healthy in this unpredictable rainy weather, and become refreshed and energized after exercising in nature.
Would you like to share your own experiences walking in local parks and hiking in paved trails like the Mora Trail? If you are a serious hiker on all trails regardless of weather, please email us at info@walkbikecupertino.org and share your hiking tips for the rainy season.